7 Sour Cream Recipes: What to Make With Sour Cream

Sour cream is a cultured dairy product, the result of introducing lactic acid bacteria to cream, which denatures the whey proteins in the cream and thickens the liquid. Sour cream has a thick consistency and tangy flavor that adds moisture and tenderness to baked goods. Additionally, sour cream balances out the spiciness of peppers in many Mexican dishes and mixes well into sauces.

Sour cream is a versatile ingredient in many cuisines around the world. Here are a few ways you can use sour cream in recipes:

1. 1. As a buttermilk substitute: You can use sour cream as a buttermilk substitute in cake recipes—for example, in cupcakes, chocolate cake, bundt cake, or pound cake—as well as in savory recipes, such as mashed potatoes. They are both cultured dairy products with a tangy flavor and thick consistency, so they work similarly in recipes.
2. 2. As a thickener: Use sour cream instead of heavy cream or another thickening agent, such as all-purpose flour or a cornstarch slurry, to thicken a cream sauce. Sour cream also works well for thickening cream of mushroom soup or a creamy, cheesy chicken soup.
3. 3. As a topping: Instead of using whipped cream as a topping for desserts, use a dollop of sour cream. Sweeten the sour cream or leave it tangy. Additionally, you can dollop sour cream on main courses, such as tacos, nachos, and slow cooker chili, or side dishes like baked potatoes.
4. 4. In dips: French onion dip, ranch dip, and even many spinach artichoke dip recipes call for sour cream because its creaminess and sour flavor work well with sweet caramelized onions and briny artichoke hearts. Serve these dips as appetizers with potato chips, bread cubes, or veggies.
5. 5. In salad dressings: When making ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or another creamy salad dressing, try using sour cream instead of, or in conjunction with, mayonnaise and buttermilk. Sour cream adds creaminess but also the tang that’s signature to buttermilk-based dressings. A sour cream–based dressing works well for leafy green salads, potato salads, macaroni salads, or cabbage slaws.

Sour cream adds a unique flavor and texture to sweet and savory dishes. Try making one of these seven sour cream recipes:

1. 1. Chicken enchiladas: The addition of sour cream makes for a creamy enchilada sauce to serve atop tortillas and shredded chicken filling in enchiladas. Try topping the dish with more sour cream and cilantro for a filling weeknight dinner. Learn how to make this easy enchilada recipe.
2. 2. Homemade sour cream: Grocery store sour cream usually has preservatives and stabilizers in it. Homemade sour cream allows you to control the ingredients, of which there are only two. Some recipes use lemon juice as the acid, but buttermilk works just as well, like in this homemade sour cream recipe.
3. 3. Mushroom stroganoff: Beef stroganoff is a classic dish, but this meat-free mushroom version still uses the traditional sour cream sauce. The tangy sour cream pairs well with the earthy and meaty mushrooms. Serve the stroganoff over egg noodles or another type of noodle. Try making this mushroom stroganoff recipe.
4. 4. Sour cream coffee cake: This moist, sweet, and cinnamon-spiced coffee cake has a tender crumb, thanks in part to the sour cream in the batter. Add pecans to the brown sugar and cinnamon streusel swirl for a bit of crunch. Learn how to make this sour cream coffee cake recipe.
5. 5. Sour cream cookies: Make sour cream cookies for a holiday cookie exchange or a relaxing weekend. Add sprinkles for a fun decoration, dip half of the cookie in chocolate for richness, or simply sift some powdered sugar over the top of them. Here’s a simple sour cream cookies recipe.
6. 6. Sour cream pound cake: Sour cream is an atypical ingredient in pound cake, but it adds a tang and moisture to the loaf cake that you might prefer. Try this sour cream pound cake recipe and add chocolate chips for a bit more sweetness or lime zest for some citrus flavor.
7. 7. Swedish meatballs: A comfort food for many inside and outside of Sweden, a dish of Swedish meatballs is savory and full of warm spices. The meal usually contains ground beef and ground pork, with a sauce of beef stock, mustard, and sour cream. Learn how to make Swedish meatballs.

Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Gordon Ramsay, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Dominique Ansel, Yotam Ottolenghi, Alice Waters, and more.