No matter the case, you’re in luck: Substituting for sour cream is remarkably easy, and there are plenty of options across the dairy-based and nondairy spectrum to be had.
Equally challenging is realizing that a particularly tempting recipe calls for sour cream when you’re vegan, lactose-intolerant, or otherwise sour cream–averse. Keeping a container in the fridge puts a host of delicious recipes at your fingertips-a delightful fact until you discover your trusty tub is expired, empty, or never made it home from the supermarket to begin with. And you can use it as a stand-alone condiment or mix it with other flavorful ingredients into myriad dips and sauces. It can add body and acidity to soups, stews, and salad dressings.
You can deploy this rich and tangy ingredient to flavor, moisten, and tenderize baked goods. Sour cream has a multitude of uses, and determining the right sour cream substitute…well, that depends on what you plan to use it for.
