Vegan sour cream, made with just 5 ingredients in less than 5 minutes. It's tangy and so creamy, perfect to enjoy with Mexican dishes.
This vegan sour cream is great to eat with plenty of different dishes. It goes well with potatoes, tacos, and nachos, and you can use it as a dip and even add it to your salads. It’s creamy, thick and so soft, and it tastes just like the original one.
Traditional sour cream requires lots of dairy and cream, so it’s high in fat and cholesterol. This vegan version is prepared with raw cashews, it’s healthier, and dairy-free. It’s also made with natural ingredients, so it’s free from additives, sugars, and preservatives.
This recipe is extremely simple and ready in less than 5 minutes. By making it at home, you can choose the ingredients you want to use and add more or less of them depending on how you like your sour cream.
Cashew sour cream, a simple and quick recipe made with 5 easy-to-find ingredients. It’s creamy, tangy, and tasty. It’s delicious, goes well with everything, and you only need a powerful blender to make it!
Ingredient notes
- Lemon juice: you could also use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, but lemon juice works best.
- Nutritional yeast: it gives this recipe the cheesy flavor, so it’s an important ingredient. If you can’t find it, you could also use brewer’s yeast. However, nutritional yeast is the best choice.
Dietary variations
- Make it nut-free: I’ve only tried this recipe by using cashews, but you could probably use sunflower seeds instead if you don't eat nuts. If you try it, please let us know in the comments!
Pro tips
- It’s important to use raw cashews because the toasted ones have a stronger flavor.
- I’d also use unsalted cashews so you can add salt to taste later, but it’s up to you.
- You can substitute water for any plant-based milk, although water works great.
- I’d recommend you only use store-bought lemon juice if it’s made with simple ingredients, but I’d use fresh juice. You can also replace it with apple cider vinegar.
- I used Himalayan pink salt; any type of salt will work, though.
- Nutritional yeast will make your sour cream tastier, but you can omit it if you don’t have any.
- I haven’t tried to make this recipe with other nuts, although cashews are the best choice because they have a neutral flavor and a very creamy texture when blended.
- To obtain the best smooth and creamy texture I strongly suggest you use a high-speed blender and soak the cashews for 8-12 hours.
How to make vegan sour cream
- Soak the cashews overnight.
- Drain the cashews, discard the water, add all the ingredients to a powerful blender, and blend until smooth.
- Use your vegan sour cream immediately.
How to store
- Fridge: keep your cashew sour cream in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freezer: store the leftovers in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Is sour cream vegan?
Traditional sour cream is made with dairy products like heavy cream and regular milk, so it is not a vegan product.
Serving suggestions
Feel free to serve it with your Mexican-style dishes, such as vegan burrito, vegan enchiladas, vegan tacos, and so on.
Looking for more easy vegan recipes?
Did you make this vegan sour cream recipe?
Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!
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Vegan Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, raw and unsalted
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak the cashews overnight. If you’re in a hurry, soak them in hot water for at least 1 hour.
- Drain the cashews, discard the water, add all the ingredients to a powerful blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately with Mexican-style dishes, such as vegan burrito, vegan enchiladas, vegan tacos, and so on.
- Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.Â
Notes
- It’s important to use raw cashews because the toasted ones have a stronger flavor.
- I’d also use unsalted cashews so you can add salt to taste later, but it’s up to you.
- You can substitute water for any plant-based milk, although water works great.
- I’d recommend you only use store-bought lemon juice if it’s made with simple ingredients, but I’d use fresh juice. You can also replace it with apple cider vinegar.
- I used Himalayan pink salt; any type of salt will work, though.Â
- Nutritional yeast will make your cashew sour cream tastier, but you can omit it if you don’t have any.
- I haven’t tried to make this recipe with other nuts, although cashews are the best choice because they have a neutral flavor and a very creamy texture when blended.
- To obtain the best smooth and creamy texture I strongly suggest you use a powerful blender and soak the cashews for 8-12 hours.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in December of 2018, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in August of 2022.
MARYELLEN GLORIE says
I wasn't sure I could like a "sour cream" that wasn't "the real thing," but I laugh at that thought now because I like this one so much, I would never go back to the dairy version. Thanks for a terrific recipe! 🙂
Iosune Robles says
Hi! That's amazing 🙂 Thanks for your kind comment!
Brianna L House says
LOVE IT! thx for the recipes!
Iosune Robles says
Hi! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂
Adrian Chavez says
I love the cream-ish taste its so good and yum because my kids love it to!
Iosune Robles says
Hi Adrian! I'm so glad you all liked it 🙂
Peggy says
Hubby, who is Mr. dairy, loved the recipe!
Iosune Robles says
Hi! So glad you liked it 🙂
WE Hodges says
Oh wow this was good. I added some spicy seasoning on one version and it was amazing as well. Thanks so much
Iosune Robles says
So glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Dave Pressman says
Thanks for your wonderful recipes. I found one very minor issue with this one. The ingredients call for 1/2 cup of water, yet one note says that water can be substituted for any plant-based milk. Shouldn't this note read in the reverse, as follows: "The water can be replaced with any plant based milk."
M Munch says
Hi, I haven't made this yet, but I plan to--it sounds delish! I have used raw cashews with excellent results to make a really great (dairy) milk (substitute). One thing I have discovered is that after I soak the cashews overnight, if I bring them to a boil briefly (and then discard the water), the milk lasts a lot longer in the fridge without going sour.
Iosune says
Hi! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂
Britta says
I haven't made this recipe but I have a question about it. It looks very yummy, by the way! I'm looking for a vegan sour cream that I can use in a soup recipe, which would require it to be heated in the soup. Would this vegan sour cream work? Thank you!
Iosune says
Hi Britta! I've never tried myself, but I think it should work 🙂
Jennifer says
Absolutely delish on russet potatoes!
Iosune says
Hi Jennifer! Thanks a lot 🙂 SO glad you liked it!
Danny says
Hi there. Thank you for your recipes. I have one question about this recipe that has me confused. Is the 1/2 cup of water for soaking the cashews or is this to be added to the mixer after soaking the cashews and discarding the water. It’s probably obvious to most people but I’m a bit new to vegan cooking.
Iosune says
Hi Danny! You're so welcome 🙂 It's clean water I add after soaking the cashews. You should discard the soaking water. Have a nice day!
James Kenyon says
This is even better with one clove of garlic added, although some may not go for the stronger flavor. We love it.
Iosune says
Hi James! Sounds great 🙂 I'm a HUGE garlic lover, so I'll try it!
Tori Bell says
This is such a great recipe! I have been wanting to try something like this at home and now I'm super inspired!
Iosune says
Hi Tori! I'm so happy to hear that 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
P Stefanov says
Hi Iosune,
Thanks for a yet another awesome recipe! I visit your blog frequently and have thoroughly enjoyed many of the dishes!
This one in particular is super easy to make and practically one step away from the vegan parmesan cheese, and yet the result is so different! Though, when you think about it, ideal prep time takes way longer than the indicated 5 minutes, since it is best to soak the cashew for 12 hours, i.e. it's impossible to have it ready in literally five minutes, you need to prepare in advance.
All the best and hope you enjoy the upcoming holidays!
Iosune says
Hi! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂 SO glad you like our recipes. Happy holidays!