4.6 from 1,440 votes
How To Make Sour Cream
This sour cream recipe uses heavy cream and a touch of lemon juice or vinegar combined with milk to gently ferment and thicken at room temperature. It yields a fresh homemade sour cream without thickeners, with a softer consistency that blends smoothly in recipes or as a topping.
Prep Time
10 mins
Additional Time
12 hrs
Servings:
2
cups
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream 36% fat content works best, 8 fl oz / 240 ml
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or white vinegar)
- ¼ cup milk whole milk, 2 fl oz / 60 ml
Notes
- Expect a thinner consistency than commercial sour cream since no thickeners are used, which blends well in recipes.
- A quick version uses live yogurt mixed into whipped cream, resting 30 minutes to develop sour cream flavor.
- Vegan sour cream can be made by straining plant-based yogurt and enriching with coconut cream, refrigerated for several hours.
- Store homemade sour cream covered in the fridge and consume within two weeks.