Learn how to make sour cream at home using raw cream with this easy homemade sour cream recipe. Just 2 ingredients and a little patience for a rich, tangy, probiotic-rich staple - just like it's traditionally made, without any vinegar or lemon juice.
Looking for more traditional condiments?
Check out avocado oil mayonnaise, fresh basil pesto, and garlic yogurt sauce.
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Recipe Overview
- Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Cooking Method: No-cook
- Dietary Info: Keto, Primal, GAPS, Ancestral diet
- Tools Needed: clean glass jar, spoon or whisk
- Skill Level: Easy
What is an ancestral diet? Read my post on what nourishing foods are based on the traditional dietary principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Reasons to Love this Raw Sour Cream
We go through a lot of sour cream around here. Whether it's on sheet pan nachos, in borsch, or smothering my lazy cabbage rolls - it's a staple in our kitchen.
And like most staples in our home, making it from scratch is a no-brainer and doesn't require a lot of effort.
Once you nail down this sour cream, you'll notice it's a lot like crème fraîche, with its rich, buttery tang and velvety texture. It's that perfect balance of creamy and tangy, making it great for sweet and savory dishes.
Ingredients for Homemade Sour Cream
- Heavy cream - Use heavy cream from quality milk. To make raw sour cream, you want to use raw cream but if that isn't available, use the highest quality pasteurized cream you can find.
- Whole milk yogurt - This is your starter culture, so make sure you get the best quality. The live enzymes in the yogurt will help ferment the cream, turning it into sour cream. Look for yogurt with live and active cultures listed on the label.
Substitutions for Culture Starter
I like to use yogurt because I always have some in my fridge and you only need about 3 tablespoons (too little for a serving but too much to toss - perfect amount for a starter culture). But if you don't have yogurt, try these options:
- Kefir or Buttermilk - unflavored fermented milk drink can serve as a sub for yogurt, provided that it has the necessary live cultures to ferment the cream.
- Sour Cream - add a few tablespoons of good quality sour cream or creme fraiche.
- Mesophilic culture - this is a dairy culture that does best between 68°F - 113°F, therefore does not require additional heating of milk or cream. Cultures for Health has an excellent mesophilic culture.
- Probiotic Capsules - in a pinch, you can use probiotics. Open a few capsules of high-quality probiotics and mix it into the cream to kickstart the fermentation process.
- Try nothing at all - If using raw cream, you could get away just leaving it out at room temperature for up to 24 hours and let nature do its thing. If it's good quality raw cream, it should culture on it's own.
Make it Ancestral
Can I use lemon juice or vinegar to make sour cream?
Well, technically, yes, but that's not my preferred method. Why? Great question!
Because we're aiming for the ancestral method of culturing, and using lemon juice or vinegar just sours the cream without providing the beneficial probiotics. For that, you need a starter culture like yogurt or buttermilk and time. Sure, the acid in lemon juice or vinegar increases the metabolic activity of the bacteria but I believe there's great benefit in using traditional methods instead of shortcuts. Besides, using acidic base won't give you that crème fraîche consistency.
How to Make Sour Cream
The complete printable recipe is below in the recipe card for your convenience. Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for the best results.
Step 1. Mix
In a clean jar, mix the cream with the yogurt until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Step 2. Cover
Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours until well set. Check for consistency and if it has thickened to your liking, seal it and transfer it ot the refrigerator.
Helpful Tips
- Bring to room temperature - Let your cream and yogurt come to room temperature before mixing. This helps the cultures activate more easily and makes for smoother mixing.
- Use the right temperature - Let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70–75°F (21–24°C)) for up to 24 hours to thicken and culture properly.
- Consistency check - If you find your homemade sour cream is too thick, just add a tiny splash of whole milk to loosen it up to your desired consistency.
Troubleshooting
- Did not thicken? You may need more time to ferment. Leave at room temperature for a few more hours or overnight. Chilling the sour cream will also naturally thicken it.
- Turned bitter? This could be as a result of overfermentation. If you leave the sour cream to culture for too long, especially during the warmer months, it can result in a bitter taste. Reduce the fermentation time next time and check it after 12-18 hours to avoid over-fermenting.
Serving Suggestions
We love serving this raw sour cream with traditional dishes that require sour cream like lazy cabbage rolls and stuffed cabbage rolls.
This cultured sour cream is also great over tacos like fish tacos and sheet pan nachos. Basically, any where you would use store-bought sour cream or creme fraiche, you can use this cultured sour cream instead. It makes a delicious dip for breakfast quesadilla or in this taco dip with ground beef.
Use homemade sour cream in these recipes:
- Easy Creamy Chicken Liver Recipe40 Minutes
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing Recipe15 Minutes
- Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe1 Hours
- Borscht Recipe - Easy 40-minute Russian Beet Soup40 Minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
Store homemade sour cream in an airtight container like a weck jar in the fridge for up to 10 days. It will continue to thicken and culture over time as it sits in the fridge.
I don't recommend freezing sour cream, as the texture will become grainy after thawing. It's best to enjoy it fresh or within a week or two.
Yep! You can use this homemade sour cream just like the store-bought kind in cooking and baking, but it tastes way better. It makes soups and stews extra creamy, adds a nice tang to sauces, and keeps baked goods soft and moist. It’s also great for dips, dressings, and marinades. Just keep in mind that since it’s naturally cultured, it’s best to stir it in at the end of cooking to keep those good probiotics intact!
Looking for more healthy basics? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this homemade sour cream? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Raw Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 1 pint raw heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons whole milk yogurt with live enzymes
Instructions
- In a clean jar, mix the cream with the yogurt until smooth and thoroughly combined.1 pint raw heavy cream, 3 tablespoons whole milk yogurt
- Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours until well set. Check for consistency and if it has thickened to your liking, seal it and transfer it ot the refrigerator.
Notes
- Bring to room temperature - Let your cream and yogurt come to room temperature before mixing. This helps the cultures activate more easily and makes for smoother mixing.
- Use the right temperature - Let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70–75°F (21–24°C)) for up to 24 hours to thicken and culture properly.
- Consistency check - If you find your homemade sour cream is too thick, just add a tiny splash of whole milk to loosen it up to your desired consistency.
Jeri MG says
Thank you for sharing this recipe.