Vegan Sour Cream - EASY 5 Ingredient Recipe! (2024)

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posted by Jessica Hylton on Feb 5, 2024 4 comments »

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This homemade vegan sour cream is thick, creamy, and tangy—and you only need 5 ingredients to make it! Use this easy recipe all the ways you’d use traditional sour cream.

Cashews are one of the vegan cooking staples I just can’t go without. In myHow to Make Cashew Cream post, I mentioned vegan sour cream as one of the many ways to use cashew cream, and after sharing mycashew whipped cream, I couldn’t wait to share this plant-based sour cream recipe with you.

This vegan sour cream tastes exactly like regular sour cream. It’s just as creamy and tangy, with the same rich and thick texture. As you know, cashew cream doesn’t even taste like cashews, and neither does this sour cream. That means you can easily swap it into all of your favourite dishes. This is a FRIDGE STAPLE, friends.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Sour Cream Recipe

• So easy. Vegan sour cream couldn’t be easier to make. Just soak the cashews and blend everything together. Truly, it’s that simple!
• Budget-friendly. Store-bought vegan substitutes can be expensive. Making your own sour cream at home is a great way to save some money while still enjoying all the deliciousness.
• No special ingredients required. This recipe only uses 5 simple ingredients, all of which you can easily find in any grocery store.
• Versatile. Use this vegan sour cream in all the ways you would use traditional sour cream—as a topping for tacos, burritos, chili or soup, in dips and dressings, and more.

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Raw cashews – Use raw cashew pieces, rather than whole cashews. They’re less expensive!
• Water
• Apple cider vinegar – For that signature tangy flavor.
• Fine sea salt
• Lime juice –This also adds tanginess.

How Do You Soak Cashews?

Before blending cashews, they should be soaked in water for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. This softens the nuts and makes them easier to blend into a smooth and creamy consistency.

How to Make Vegan Sour Cream

• Combine. Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender.
• Blend. Turn on the blender and process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.
• Season. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired; you can add more vinegar or lime juice for a tangier flavor.

Tips for Success

• Don’t forget to soak the cashews. Soaking the cashews overnight is key for a smooth and creamy no-trace-of-cashews vegan sour cream. Ifyou’re in an absolute pinch, you can boil them for about 5 minutes. Always remember to rinse afterwards.
• Check to make sure it’s completely smooth. Before removing the sour cream mixture from the blender, use a spoon to scoop some out, then let it slowly drip back into the blender jar. Watch for grit and lumps as the sour cream falls off the spoon. If it’s not completely smooth, turn on the blender and puree again.
• Add some flavour. I love adding chili powder or smoked paprika to this sour cream if I’m serving it with jackfruit tacos. Minced chives are fantastic stirred into vegan sour cream for air fryer baked sweet potatoes.
• Double the batch. This vegan sour cream keeps well in the fridge for up to a week, so feel free to make a double batch and use it throughout the week.

How to Use Vegan Sour Cream

• You can dollop it on top of chili; I love it on my vegan pumpkin chili.
• You can make a loaded baked potato and top it with lots of vegan sour cream. It’s also great on loaded potato skins!
• Use it in a dip or sauces.
• Stir it into a soup for tang and creaminess, like this butternut squash soup.
• Overall, you can use it anywhere that calls for regular sour cream!

How to Store

You can store this vegan sour cream in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to a week.

More Vegan Staples

• Vegan Butter
• Best Vegan Dairy Substitutes
• Vegan Egg Substitutes
• The Best Vegan Cream Cheese
• Vegan Heavy Cream Substitute

Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan sour cream, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

published on Feb 5, 2024

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