This is the most delicious Vegan Sour Cream you'll ever make—I’m sure you’ll agree! It’s packed with umami, irresistibly smooth, creamy, and flavorful. Plus, it’s healthy, low in saturated fats, and rich in heart-healthy fats and B vitamins. With a touch of vinegar to help balance blood sugar, it’s the perfect companion for any dish.
Made with all healthful and flavorful ingredients, this quick and easy Vegan Sour Cream is meal-prep friendly, and goes well with my high-protein Tofu Chili, Vegan Borscht, High-Protein Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup, and so much more!
For an incredibly delicious nut-free option, check out my Tofu Sour Cream recipe on this site!
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits
- Nutritional yeast adds a rich, savory, cheese-like flavor and helps thicken the sour cream. If you need to boost your B vitamin intake, choose a fortified nutritional yeast, which often includes B12—especially important in plant-based diets. (See below for my preferred brands.)
- Raw cashews: The PREDIMED study, one of the largest dietary trials, showed that eating a half-pound of nuts weekly for four years halved stroke risk. Across groups, more daily nut consumption was linked to lower premature death risk. Likewise, the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that two handfuls of nuts per week could extend life as much as jogging four hours weekly.
- Apple cider vinegar: Vinegar plays a role in glucose metabolism. Studies show that just two teaspoons of vinegar with a meal can reduce blood sugar spikes by about 20%. However, drinking vinegar straight isn’t recommended, as it can damage the esophagus by causing acidic burns and other injuries.
- Miso, made from fermented soybeans, adds a flavor boost and is packed with probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. Here's a bonus: miso is a healthier alternative to salt, as it doesn’t raise blood pressure like regular salt does!
- Fresh lemon juice is packed with vitamin C, which helps boost iron absorption when this vegan sour cream is paired with iron-rich foods like chili made with beans and lentils, or when eaten with leafy greens.
See the printable recipe card below for quantities.
🌰 Substitutions
- Cashews - use sunflower seeds instead, or substitute with firm or extra-firm silken tofu for nut and seed-free
- Miso and nutritional yeast - omit as needed
For more healthy dips and spreads, visit my Vegan Condiment Recipes page.
📖 How to Make the Best Vegan Sour Cream
This is an overview. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.
- Soak the cashews in boiling water for at least 15 minutes or in room-temperature water overnight.
- Drain the cashews.
- Blend: Transfer the drained cashews to the canister of a blender. Add the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, miso, and nutritional yeast (if using). Add ¾ cup water if not using miso and nutritional yeast, otherwise, add 1 cup water.
- Blend until smooth.
- Make my low glycemic healthy Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes with sour cream. They're creamy, delicious, and nourishing.
- Add Vegan Sour Cream to chilis, soups, stews, rice and beans, or a veggie bowl!
✔️ Expert Tips
- Cashews: If you own a high-speed blender you can skip soaking the cashews.
- Miso and nutritional yeast are optional but I highly recommend adding them for the Best Vegan Sour Cream!
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Silken Tofu – Creates a creamy texture with a neutral taste and is high in protein.
Sunflower Seeds – When soaked and blended, they make a thick, creamy base with a mild flavor.
Blanched Almonds – Soften well when soaked and blend smoothly; they offer a similar creaminess.
Coconut Cream – Adds richness and creaminess, though it has a slightly coconut flavor.
Hemp Seeds – Blend to a smooth texture and offer a nutty, earthy flavor with added protein and omega-3s.
Each of these can provide a creamy, smooth texture while keeping the recipe nut-free or cashew-free, depending on your preference.
Overall, nutritional yeast is a nutrient-dense, versatile food that can provide protein, key vitamins, and minerals, particularly for those on a vegan diet. However, if consuming fortified nutritional yeast, do so in moderation, as excess intake could lead to overconsumption of certain fortified nutrients like folic acid. In addition, choose a reputable brand without detectable lead, such as Bob’s Red Mill, Bragg, Dr. Fuhrman, Red Star, or NOW Foods' nutritional yeast.
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📖 Recipe
Best Vegan Sour Cream
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Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for at least 15 minutes or in room-temperature water overnight, and drained*
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon mellow miso (white miso)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- ⅔ cup water plus more as needed (see notes**)
Instructions
- Combine: Transfer the drained cashews to the canister of a blender. Add the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, miso, and nutritional yeast (if using).
- Blend: Add ⅔ cup water if not using miso and nutritional yeast. Otherwise, add ¾ cup water. Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Sue says
How long will this keep for?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
4 to 5 days.
Susan says
I have a soy allergy. Do you think chickpea miso would work?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes!
Susan says
Thank you, Nisha!