This homemade sour cream recipe is creamy, rich, and so easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients. Once you try making sour cream at home, you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought stuff again!
There’s something incredibly charming about discovering you can make a kitchen staple from scratch, especially one you’ve tossed into your cart a few hundred times without thinking.
I still remember the moment I tried my first spoonful of homemade sour cream. The flavor is everything you want. Smooth, bright, and full of that fresh dairy flavor. It didn’t taste like it came from my fridge. Instead, it tasted like I should be buying from a local farm with a handwritten label.
And the funny thing? It all starts with the most ordinary ingredients: a splash of whole milk, a dollop of Greek yogurt, a bit of vinegar, and good heavy cream. Nothing fancy. Nothing you can’t pronounce. Sometimes, the best things in life are the most simple.
Once you make it, you’ll get why making this is a favorite and so easy. It's so satisfying to scoop into a jar of sour cream you made yourself.
Table of Contents
Why this homemade sour cream is so good?
What I love most about this homemade sour cream is how effortless it is. There’s no fancy equipment, no complicated steps. Just everyday ingredients coming together to create something that feels a little special.
Heavy cream for richness, Greek yogurt for body and live probiotics for gut health, a splash of milk to bring it together, and vinegar for that classic tang. You probably already have most of these ingredients in your fridge!
But beyond the ease of this sour cream recipe, there’s something surprisingly satisfying about it. Maybe it’s watching it thicken in the fridge, or perhaps it’s knowing exactly what went into it.
Every time I make a fresh batch, I get that same little spark of pride. It’s a small thing, but it makes your kitchen feel like a place where good things happen.
* Want more recipes like this one to try? Check out these below:
Ingredients you'll need
- Unsweetened Heavy Cream: Using full-fat (at least 35%) for the creamiest texture and best flavor is what makes this sour cream the best.
- Greek Yogurt: Acts as the starter culture, with the live probiotics in it. Choose plain, unsweetened yogurt.
- Whole Milk: Helps thin the mixture slightly and encourages the smooth fermentation we need in this recipe.
- Vinegar: Just a touch adds acidity and kickstarts the souring process.
How to make sour cream?
Step 1: Warm the Cream
Pour 2 cups of unsweetened heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat it on low. Stir it occasionally. You’re not cooking it, just warming it. You’ll know it’s ready when it feels pleasantly warm to the touch (around 40°C or 104°F). If you can comfortably dip your finger in without flinching, it’s perfect. Do not let it get hot or simmer.
After your heavy cream has been warmed, pour it into a clean, non-reactive glass jar or bowl (a mason jar works great for this!).
Step 2: Make the Starter
In a separate bowl, whisk together your 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (room temperature), ¼ cup of whole milk, and 2 teaspoons of vinegar. Mix gently until smooth. This is your starter that will culture the cream.
Step 3: Mix, Cover, and let it Ferment
Add your starter mixture to your jar of warmed heavy cream, and stir until well combined.
Now cover the jar with cheesecloth, muslin, or a paper towel, and secure it with a rubber band or string. The goal is to let air in, but keep dust and bugs out. Don’t use a lid yet. The cream needs to breathe.
Place your jar in a warm, draft-free spot for 24 hours. If your kitchen is cool, you can put it in the oven with the light turned on (but don’t actually bake it!). Over these 24 hours, the mixture will ferment to thicken and develop that signature sour cream flavor.
Step 4: Chill to Finish
After 24 hours, remove the cloth, seal the jar with a lid, and move it to the fridge. Let it chill for at least 12 hours. This helps it set and thicken even more.
When it’s done, give it a gentle stir. What you’ll have is creamy, velvety, rich homemade sour cream ready to use however you like.
Expert tips
- Use full-fat ingredients. This isn’t the time for light or fat-free versions. They won’t set properly or taste right. Go for cream that’s 35% fat or higher.
- Warm, not hot. If your cream is too warm when you are heating it up, it can actually kill the yogurt cultures. Aim for “comfortably warm to the touch.” If you are using a cooking thermometer, aim for 40°C or 104°F.
- Pick the right yogurt with live probiotics and no added sugar. Those cultures are important and do all the fermenting.
- Use a non-reactive container, such as glass or ceramic. Avoid metal, as it can react with the acid from the vinegar.
- For thicker sour cream, line a sieve with cheesecloth, place it over a bowl, and let your finished sour cream drain in the fridge for 12–24 hours. The result? Ultra-thick, luxurious sour cream.
- Want it extra tangy? Let it ferment an additional 6–8 hours for a sharper taste.
FAQs
Absolutely! It adds great flavor and moisture to cakes, muffins, and quick breads. Just substitute it 1:1 for store-bought sour cream.
Not quite. While both are cultured dairy products, sour cream is made from cream, which gives it a richer flavor and thicker texture. Yogurt is made from milk and tends to be tangier.
This can happen if you used low-fat cream or didn’t ferment it long enough. Homemade versions are also naturally softer since they don’t contain artificial thickeners. For thicker sour cream, check out the expert tip above!
I don’t recommend it. The texture changes once thawed. It’s best made fresh — and it lasts about two weeks in the fridge.
Yes! You can swap the vinegar for lemon juice. It adds the acidity needed to create that classic tang, and it works just as well.
Variations
The beauty of making sour cream at home is that you can tweak it to fit your tastes or needs!
- Lemon Sour Cream: Replace vinegar with fresh lemon juice for a brighter, more zesty citrus flavor.
- Herbed Sour Cream: Stir in chopped parsley, chives, or dill once it’s ready for a savory twist.
- Vegan Option: Try using full-fat coconut cream and a vegan yogurt starter. It won’t be traditional, but it’s delicious.
Homemade Sour Cream uses
This sour cream works in both sweet and savory dishes. Here are my favorite ways to use it:
- Dips & Sauces: The base for ranch dressing, onion dip, or cream cheese dip.
- Salads: Adds creaminess to potato, pasta, or coleslaw recipes.
- Baking: Use in cakes, muffins, waffles, or pancakes for moisture.
- Savory Toppings: Perfect over chili, baked potatoes, tacos, rice bowls, or nachos.
Basically, it goes with everything!
Storage
Store your sour cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Always use a clean spoon to scoop it out, and don’t freeze it. The consistency won’t hold up well.
Making sour cream at home is one of those simple kitchen skills that makes you feel like you’ve unlocked a secret. It’s fresh, flavorful, and full of life. I mean that literally, thanks to the probiotics!
Once you try this sour cream recipe at home, let me know! I love hearing what you think, especially if you put your own twist on it.
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How to Make Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or full-fat plain yogurt - at room temperature)
- ¼ cup whole milk (at room tempertature or slightly warm )
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups unsweetened heavy cream into a pan and cook on low heat until just warm, stirring a few times. Put your finger to touch the cream, you should feel the warmth (temperature should not be beyond 40℃). The cream should not be hot.
- Switch off the heat, remove the pan, and pour the warm cream into a clean non-reactive glass container or mason jar.
- In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, ¼ cup whole milk, and 2 teaspoons vinegar.
- Add the yogurt mixture to the warm cream and mix.
- Cover the bowl (or jar) with muslin cloth, cheesecloth, or paper towel, and tie a twine around it to seal or secure with a rubber band. Note: do not cover with a lid, it is important to allow the air flow.
- Leave it in a warm spot for 24 hours. You can also leave it at the counter, but the warmer the place, the better. You can also place it in the oven (do not switch on the oven).
- After 24 hours, remove the cheesecloth or paper towel. Now, cover the container with a lid and place it in the fridge for 12 hours. Refrigeration further thickens the cream.
- Thick and creamy sour cream is ready to use. Stir and use as desired. Refrigerate it for 2 weeks.
Notes
- Use full-fat ingredients, go for cream that’s 35% fat or higher
- Cream should be warm, not hot. Aim for “comfortably warm to the touch", and if using a cooking thermometer, aim for 40°C or 104°F.
- Pick the right yogurt with live probiotics and no added sugar.
- Use a non-reactive container, such as glass or ceramic
- For an extra tangy sour cream, let it ferment an additional 6–8 hours for a sharper taste.
- For an ultra-thick, luxurious sour cream, line a sieve with cheesecloth, place it over a bowl, and let it drain in the fridge for 12–24 hours.
- Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Shumaila Ali says
Your homemade sour cream is a game changer Farrukh, it was so simple to
make and cost-effective than store-bought ones. Plus, the flavor was spot on. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, great to have on hands.
MG says
How long can you keep sour cream in the fridge ?
Farrukh Aziz says
it will stay for up to 2 weeks under refrigeration