Sour Cream Is An Ideal Substitute For Mayo When Making Dips

When you're in the thick of preparing a slew of easy hors-d'oeuvres and snacks your guests will devour for an upcoming weekend get-together, you may find yourself running out of mayonnaise by the second or third dip recipe. What can you use (other than traditional mayonnaise) for your family's signature garlic aioli? Sour cream is a great substitute for mayo when you're in a pinch. 

Not only are sour cream and mayonnaise similar in consistency, but they're also both rich and creamy condiments that can be used interchangeably in most instances. They're both neutrally flavored and serve as ideal bases for party dips. Because these creamy sauces each have a nuanced taste, each serves as an ideal choice when you're looking for condiments that can easily absorb various herbs and spices. 

If you're looking to replace your next party dip with sour cream, you don't have to worry about deciphering specific measurements. Mayonnaise can easily be replaced with sour cream in a 1:1 ratio. Despite the various other alternatives you can use to replace mayonnaise, sour cream may be the best substitute.

While in some cases, mayonnaise can be replaced with mustard, hummus, and even cream cheese, sour cream serves as a perfect substitute for mayonnaise for many reasons. For one thing, this dairy-based condiment is an ingredient most home chefs have on hand in their refrigerators. Besides being convenient, this food also has a similar consistency to mayonnaise. You might hardly even notice a difference in your homemade tartar sauce recipe when it's made with sour cream instead of the usual mayo. Apart from their similarities, you might also gain a few extra nutritional benefits when you choose sour cream.

With favorite buffalo chicken dip, you're probably not choosing mayonnaise for its nutritional profile. However, if you substitute your favorite condiment with sour cream, you might gain some added nutrients. Even though mayonnaise and sour cream are quite similar, according to Healthline, sour cream houses more calcium, vitamin A, and riboflavin than mayonnaise. 

Sour cream is made by fermenting milk and cream with a specific culture, and milk in general touts many nutritional benefits. (However, both sour cream and mayonnaise are high in saturated fat.)

Now that you know what sets mayonnaise and sour cream apart, there are a few things you'll want to keep in mind when using sour cream for mayonnaise. Sour cream and mayonnaise are two different condiments, and you may need to adjust your recipes if you want similar results. 

Mayonnaise is primarily made with oil and raw egg yolks, while sour cream is made with milk and cream. So they do taste slightly different. Mayonnaise tends to have a more savory taste, while sour cream has a definitive bite due to the cultured bacteria added during the fermentation process. If a dip recipe calls for lemon juice or any type of acidic ingredient, you may want to use less at first to see if the sour cream's natural zing fulfills the tart components.

Plus, sour cream and mayonnaise are both high in saturated fat. So if you enjoy the taste of sour cream as a substitute but wish this alternative had more health benefits, you may want to consider using Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has the same neutral flavor as sour cream but packs a considerable amount of protein and essential vitamins and minerals. However, if you're looking for a substitute that, in the most general sense, compares well to everyone's favorite jar of mayo, go for that tub of thick, tangy sour cream.