Here's Exactly What To Do If You Run Out Of Sour Cream

Sour cream is a kitchen staple. It's used in (and on) so many things, from potato pancakes and vegetable fritters to sour cream cakes and as an ingredient in sauces and salad dressings. Most people have a container of sour cream in their fridge. But what happens if you need some and don't have it, or check the date and find out it should have been tossed weeks ago?

If you run out of sour cream, there are many alternatives that you can use as a substitute. Although you can, you don't have to make it from scratch, which takes hours.

The type of substitute you use depends on how you will use it. Sour cream has several characteristics that you need to mimic, most notably flavor and texture. Sour cream has a tangy edge, softened by dairy proteins, and has a rich and creamy texture that is notable when dolloped onto a stack of potato pancakes.

First, how are you using the sour cream? If you are making a cake, cookies, or a pie filling, it's essential to get the consistency right; the same goes for topping tacos or enchiladas. According to Chefs Pencil, two of the more apparent solutions are mascarpone and Greek yogurt. Both are thick and rich, like sour cream, but their flavors differ. Mascarpone is sweeter and a bit thicker, so you may want to thin it out with a spoonful of heavy cream or citrus juice like lemon or lime until the consistency is right. Greek yogurt has a texture similar to sour cream, so it works well.

Crème fraîche is another good substitute for sour cream in a baking recipe, says The Pioneer Woman. If you have some on hand, toss it in place of sour cream. Cream cheese could also be a substitute, but the texture is thicker. Whip it with some full-fat milk or heavy cream, and it will work, albeit with a slightly different flavor.

There are even more substitutes if you use sour cream to make a sauce or salad dressing. Buttermilk has about the same tang as sour cream so it will work well in these recipes, per the Pioneer Press. You must reduce the amount of liquid the recipe calls for so your dressing or sauce isn't too runny. Kefir, which is a fermented milk drink, also works. 

You can use mayo instead of sour cream if you're making a dip. Just be aware that the flavor will be quite different, especially since mayonnaise is an emulsion of eggs and oil, according to How Stuff Works. Sour cream is heavy cream that has been fermented with lactic acid, according to WebMD, and some lemon or lime juice may make the flavor profile similar.

And finally, if you are looking for a non-dairy substitute for sour cream, try cashew cream. It's made from raw (although pasteurized) cashews and has a texture and flavor remarkably similar to its dairy counterpart.