In an ever expanding world of dairy free alternatives, there are a few types of products still struggling to catch up with the range and variety we see in vegan alternatives like plant milks, vegan butters, and dairy free yogurts.
Sadly, vegan sour cream alternatives are one such category still catching up to the rest. But if the rapidly growing vegan sections of grocery stores and the expanding size of our Vegan in the Freezer community here tells us anything--it’s that people want more vegan product options!
While we wait for the selection to catch up to its counterparts, we’ve gathered half a dozen of the top vegan sour creams and are giving them a thorough taste test and review. Spoiler alert: none of them exactly blew us away, but they do represent a good effort and we’ll tell you which ones are best for dipping, dolloping, and baking with.
Whether you need to complete your Taco Tuesday spread or you’re looking to make a vegan version of your favorite alfredo sauce--we’ve got the current best vegan sour cream substitute for all situations!
Table of Contents
What is Vegan Sour Cream?
As opposed to being made from cow’s milk--as in the case of real sour cream--vegan sour cream is made from various alternative ingredients with the aim of producing a similarly creamy yet delightfully tangy product which is suitable for a vegan diet.
What is Vegan Sour Cream Made Of?
Among options, you’ll find plant based sour cream products made from soy protein, plant based oils, plant milks, and/or different food starches.
Each vegan sour cream recipe will vary to the next, but in order to achieve that characteristic sour cream tang, most non dairy sour cream will make use of an acidifier like lactic acid, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar. Some homemade vegan sour cream recipes even get their kick from a bit of dijon mustard!
Ranking the Best Vegan Sour Cream Brands
The Test Subjects
As mentioned above, there are not a ton of store bought vegan sour cream choices out there, and several in existence which are simply not available in our area. Nonetheless, we were able to scoop together the following 6 well-known products:
- Forager Project Dairy Free Sour Cream Alternative
- Kite Hill Sour Cream Alternative
- Tofutti 'Better Than' Sour Cream
- Trader Joe's Vegan Sour Cream Alternative
- Violife 'Just Like' Sour Cream
- Wayfare Dairy Free Sour Cream
The Methodology
We categorized each vegan sour cream according to certain key characteristics and set out to determine the best representative from each of the following 6 categories:
- Best Classic Vegan Sour Cream
- Best Organic Vegan Sour Cream
- Best Budget Vegan Sour Cream
- Best Premium Vegan Sour Cream
- Best Allergen Friendly Vegan Sour Cream
- Best All Around Vegan Sour Cream
The Taste Test
Our tasting panel first sampled each vegan sour cream on its own so as to establish a baseline review of taste and texture characteristics. We then conducted a separate round of testing using plain, salted tortilla chips as a dipper which allowed us to evaluate how each sour cream would fare as a condiment base.
The Criteria
Each vegan sour cream was ranked in following 5 criteria:
- Taste & Texture: evaluating each vegan sour cream for flavor as well as consistency. We’re looking for richness and tang in the flavor department as well as cohesive creaminess in terms of texture!
- Nutrition Content: taking into account the calorie, fat, and sodium contents of each vegan sour cream as well as any additional nutrient benefit. This section also covers the overall quality of ingredients used in each product.
- Unique Characteristics: such as special flavors, use of unusual or especially ingenious ingredients, or any other factor which sets one vegan sour cream apart from the crowd.
- Value: in terms of price per ounce.
- Production & Packaging: considering where each vegan sour cream is manufactured, how widely available it is, any outstanding production methods, and any positive or negative factors of packaging.
The criteria scores were then used to calculate an overall average which we took into account when selecting our final winners in each category.
Best Classic Vegan Sour Cream:
Tofutti 'Better Than' Sour Cream
Size: 12-ounce tub
Base: Tofu
Here is how Tofutti 'Better Than' Sour Cream scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.4 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.2 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.2 / 5.0
- Value: 4.7 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.5 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.4 / 5.0
If you’re seeking a vegan sour cream option that offers an experience most akin to that of traditional dairy-based sour cream, our favorite pick comes from Tofutti--one of the forerunners of the non-dairy industry since the 1980’s!
We were pleasantly surprised by the natural flavor of their ‘Better Than’ Sour Cream, with its moderately tangy taste and a shockingly super creamy consistency. The thickening power comes from the inclusion of not one or two but three different plant based gums: locust bean gum, guar gum, and xanthan gum. In the words of our tasting panel, “the flavor is pretty darn good!” If you look hard enough you can find some tofu flavor in the background but it is by no means at the forefront. Rather, this vegan sour cream brand offers a plainness that gives it an unmatched versatility.
The texture of this one is a little odd though. It’s very thick in a way that reads more like cream cheese as opposed to sour cream, making it better for spreading and mixing as opposed to dolloping and dipping. However, this also can be seen as a versatile trait as you could always whisk it with a bit of plant based milk or water in order to achieve a runnier consistency if desired.
This product is certified non-GMO by independent third party certification outfit BioChecked and also comes with a scannable QR code that gives you even more info on genetically modified foods and the standards they use to verify their products.
On the downside, this vegan sour cream is high in both calories and fats, with 70 calories and 7 grams total fat per serving. Also, this one is much more highly processed than most sour cream options we tested, with several additives and thickeners including palm fruit oil--a refined product that is an unfortunate known culprit of deforestation.
Pros:
- Flavor is the best and most comparable to that of traditional sour cream.
- Soy protein base with 3 different plant based gums for effective thickening.
- Rich consistency offers versatility as you can add liquid to thin it to your liking.
- Certified non-GMO by a third party agency.
- Includes in depth info about GMO ingredients and testing standards.
Cons:
- High in calories and fat.
- One of the more highly processed vegan sour cream options we tested.
- Includes palm oil--typically an environmentally unfriendly ingredient.
Best Organic Vegan Sour Cream:
Forager Project Dairy Free Sour Cream Alternative
Size: 12-ounce tub
Base: Coconut-Cashew Milk
Here is how Forager Project Dairy Free Sour Cream Alternative scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 3.7 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 5.0 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.5 / 5.0
- Value: 4.7 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.8 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.5 / 5.0
Among vegan sour cream alternatives, we found an unfortunate and obvious lack of organic options. However, out of all we tested, this version from Forager Project was the best of the organics, although among all vegan sour creams we tested, it was by far our least favorite.
Let’s start with the good news. First things first, this cashew sour cream is super low in calories and fats, with just 35 calories per serving and 2.5 grams total fat per serving. It is certified USDA organic by CCOF--California Certified Organic Farmers--one of the first independent organic certifiers out there! In addition, this sour cream is non-GMO and features all of the goodness of a batch of yogurt with six different strains of live and active cultures.
The base of this sour cream is made up of coconut cream and cashew milk, which provide a flavor foundation that is nicely nutty, slightly savory, and lightly sweet.
Now let’s get into the characteristics that really threw us off of this option. First and foremost, the level of tang in this sour cream is just so sour. In addition to lactic acid, this alternative also packs a punch in the form of distilled vinegar which, in our opinion, comes through far too heavy handedly.
In addition, the texture really misses the mark here too, as it is rather runny--and a little, gooey?--more like a thin yogurt as opposed to a thick, silky sour cream. The only thickeners in this one are some pectin, agar, and tapioca starch which unfortunately make things gloppy as opposed to cohesively creamy, even after plenty of stirring on our part!
Despite our issues with the tang and texture of Forager Project Dairy Free Sour Cream Alternative we can see it being useful as the base of a sour cream dip where other seasonings and spices are assertive enough to combat the overly sour flavor of this one. That said, we can’t see this sour cream being good as a standalone topping or for use in delicately flavored baked goods.
Pros:
- Very low in calories, fats, and saturated fat.
- USDA certified organic and non-GMO.
- Contains 6 different live and active probiotic cultures.
- Coconut cream + cashew milk offer a nicely nutty, slightly sweet flavor base.
- Could be used as a base for a flavorful dip or dressing.
Cons:
- Very tart in flavor, and contains way too much acidity to be convincing as a sour cream.
- Combination of thickeners does not result in a nice texture, rather, the result is runny and unevenly goopy.
Best Budget Vegan Sour Cream:
Trader Joe's Vegan Sour Cream Alternative
Size: 12-ounce tub
Base: Coconut Oil + Food Starch
Here is how Trader Joe's Vegan Sour Cream Alternative scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.1 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.5 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.2 / 5.0
- Value: 5.0 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.2 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.4 / 5.0
It’s no secret that vegan alternatives to traditional dairy products can be quite costly. Due to the often specialized nature of ingredients used, as well as the high demand for these types of products, the price tag on items like vegan sour cream is sometimes astronomical.
Therefore, we’re always happy to find an especially budget-friendly version of the vegan products we test that not only fills the role we look to it for, but does so in a most economical way!
Trader Joe's Vegan Sour Cream Alternative does just that. The whole 12-ounce container cost us just $3.79 which works out to a mere $0.32 per ounce--less than half that of the most expensive vegan sour cream we came across!
For such affordability, you’re getting an incredibly versatile product as the label suggests ”good for baked potatoes, tacos, dips, dressings, sauces, and baking”. In our opinion though, we think this product really shines in or on a warm dish where the sour cream is to be mixed in such as stirred into rich mushroom stroganoff as it cooks or dolloped atop a bowl of our Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili. The nicely balanced sour, sweet, yet savory flavor profile will lend itself nicely to a wide range of flavor profiles too.
As much as we liked the taste of this one, the texture was shamefully poor. Opening the container revealed a solidified top shell of coconut oil which required some serious stirring and mixing efforts to bring the mixture back together and even still, the end result was quite clumpy and uneven. Not at all appetizing looking or pleasant in terms of mouthfeel!
Our best advice would be to scoop out however much product you think you’ll use and warm it ever so slightly in order to render the coconut oil and make it mixable. Definitely an issue which can be dealt with, but let's not gloss over it--that's a hassle.
The coconut oil causes some issues in the nutrition department as well as it contributes to a saturated fat content of 4.5 grams per 2-tablespoon serving which is nearly 25% your DV! If you’re aiming to limit fats in your diet, this is not the vegan sour cream alternative for you.
Pros:
- The most affordable price point of all vegan sour creams, costing just $.32 per ounce.
- Has a basic and well balanced sweet/sour/savory flavor.
- Well suited for all types of culinary applications.
- Excellent for thickening or adding richness to warm, liquidy dishes like chilis and casseroles.
Cons:
- The ingredients separate from one another during storage, resulting in a clumpy sour cream that takes a lot of work to reconstitute.
- Very high in saturated fats, with almost 25% DV in every 2 tablespoons.
Best Premium Vegan Sour Cream:
Kite Hill Sour Cream Alternative
Size: 8-ounce tub
Base: Almond Milk + Coconut Milk
Here is how Kite Hill Sour Cream Alternative scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.4 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.7 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.7 / 5.0
- Value: 4.0 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.5 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.5 / 5.0
There are a number of reasons that we love this vegan sour cream alternative brought to you by the ‘plant based artisans’ over at Kite Hill. Among winning characteristics is the fact that it has the best texture of all vegan sour cream products we tested--with a perfectly smooth and cohesive consistency that still has a nice weight to it.
We also always appreciate when the ingredients list is nice and limited, as is the case with Kite Hill Sour Cream Alternative. Almond and coconut milk are combined with coconut oil, rice starch, corn starch, chickpea protein, salt, and cultures--and that’s that! No artificial preservatives or ingredients but plenty of live and active cultures for that microbiome support we all need. This vegan sour cream is non-GMO project verified as well as features the lowest sodium content of all sour cream products we tested, with just 15 milligrams per 2-tablespoon serving.
As comes with the territory in a ‘Best Premium’ designation, this vegan sour cream boasts the highest price tag of all products we tested, with the 8-ounce tub coming in at 5 and ½ bucks! This works out to about $0.70 per ounce, more than twice as much as our budget pick.
In addition, this sour cream strikes the palate in an assertively tangy way. Therefore, you’re probably not going to want to count on using it in more mildly flavored dishes or baked goods. Instead, stick to using this one as a topping for strongly flavored meals or items like our Spicy Black Bean Pumpkin Soup or Vegan Jalapeno Poppers!
Pros:
- Has a perfectly smooth, homogeneous, and rich texture.
- Features a limited ingredients list of recognizable components.
- Contains live and active cultures.
- Has the lowest sodium content of all the vegan sour cream alternatives we tried.
- No artificial preservatives or ingredients.
Cons:
- Has the biggest price tag, costing us $5.50 per 8-ounce container.
- Overall flavor is a bit overly sour, perhaps making it too strongly flavored for some purposes.
Best Allergen Friendly Vegan Sour Cream:
Wayfare Dairy Free Sour Cream
Size: 12-ounce tub
Base: Butter Beans + Oats
Here is how Wayfare Dairy Free Sour Cream scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 5.0 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.8 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 5.0 / 5.0
- Value: 4.5 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 5.0 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.8 / 5.0
Unfortunately for you allergy-prone sour cream lovers out there, many of the vegan alternatives feature a number of different allergens from soy ingredients to tree nut ingredients like almond or cashew milk. Thankfully, Wayfare came up with an excellent alternative that is free from many of these problem ingredients!
Instead of a nut or soy base, Wayfare Dairy Free Sour Cream uses their unique blend of organic butter beans and oats along with some additional starches and gums. The result is a thick, rich vegan sour cream alternative. This sour cream has a beautiful sheen to it and in addition to looking great, it spreads and stirs with ease. Our tasting panel found the flavor of this one to be nicely balanced between savory and tangy.
Before you get worried about gluten contamination on those oats, it is certified gluten free as well as is certified free from the top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. It is also non-GMO, does not include any palm oil, and is packed in a BPA free plastic container.
Our main gripe with this vegan sour cream is that it was tough to get our hands on! Wayfare branded products in general seem a bit limited as far as distribution goes but if you’re lucky enough to have this Wayfare Sour Cream in your area, it’s well worth your time to track it down.
Also, some tasters felt that this sour cream reads a bit more like a vegan yogurt as opposed to a vegan sour cream--almost as if there was some flavor component missing. And, it’s important to note that while completely free from tee nuts, this product does contain coconut ingredients in the form of coconut oil, which may be an allergen for some folks as well.
Pros:
- Made from a creatively developed dairy free base of butter beans and gluten free oats.
- Texture is rich, thick, and visually attractive.
- Flavor is nicely balanced--tangy yet savory!
- Certified free from the 8 major allergens.
- Non-GMO.
- Palm oil free.
- Packed in a BPA free container.
Cons:
- Not readily available in all areas.
- Flavor, although tasty, reads a bit more like yogurt as opposed to sour cream.
- Contains coconut, which may be an allergen to some.
Best All-Around Vegan Sour Cream:
Violife 'Just Like' Sour Cream
Size: 8.46-ounce tub
Base: Coconut Oil + Food Starches/Fibers
Here is how Violife 'Just Like' Sour Cream scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.7 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.4 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 5.0 / 5.0
- Value: 4.3 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.8 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.6 / 5.0
If you’re looking for a vegan sour cream alternative that can fill just about any role that regular sour cream would play, you’ll want to reach for Violife’s 'Just Like' Sour Cream. Out of all the plant based sour cream options we tasted, this one was among our favorites as far as flavor goes, as it is strikingly similar to that of traditional sour cream.
You could pile this one high on top of just about any dish you like--think mashed potatoes and vegan tacos--or we also think it would shine when baked into treats like our Easy Vegan Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze.
This dairy free sour cream is free from soy, gluten, nuts, and preservatives as well as is non-GMO project verified. The recipe includes a number of unique ingredients like dried banana powder for thickening, olive extract, and citrus fibers. It also contains an additional micronutrient boost which provides you with 30% your DV of vitamin B12. And, the QR code on the packaging takes you to a page which offers delicious recipes for using your vegan sour cream!
Best not to use too much of it though, as this one has a pretty high saturated fat content with 5 grams--or 25% your DV--per serving. It also has the highest quantity of sodium of all sour creams we tested. At 120 milligrams per serving, it's not at all unreasonable, however some of our tasting panel did feel that it tasted a bit overly salted.
And finally, the texture of Violife 'Just Like' Sour Cream is definitely a bit thicker than you’d expect from a dollop of regular sour cream and while not as “cream cheesy” as the Tofutti version, still might be a bit too viscous for some applications.
Pros:
- Offers incredible versatility for use as a dip, dressing, in recipes, or baked goods.
- Free from soy, gluten, nuts, and preservatives.
- Non-GMO project verified.
- Makes use of uncommon ingredients like banana powder and olive leaf extract.
- Provides 30% DV of vitamin B12 per serving.
Cons:
- High in saturated fat, with 25% DV per serving.
- Has the highest sodium content of all vegan sour creams we tested.
- Texture is on the thicker side, which means you may need to adjust the consistency for certain recipes.
Best Vegan Sour Cream FAQs
How is Vegan Sour Cream Different From Vegan Cream Cheese?
The difference between traditional sour cream and cream cheese is that sour cream is fermented cream while cream cheese is made from curdled milk and/or cream. This results in sour cream being more fluid and tart while cream cheese is thicker and more bland.
While vegan versions of these two products are typically made from the same types of ingredients as one another (i.e., nut milks, soy protein, starches, etc.), they do cater towards replicating certain characteristics of each. Vegan sour creams tend to be looser and more like yogurt whereas vegan cream cheeses are thicker and more spreadable.
Is Vegan Sour Cream Gluten Free?
Yes! All of the vegan sour cream products we featured in the review are gluten free, however it is important to double check any vegan sour cream product for GF verification before assuming it as such. Some ingredients may be exposed to gluten during processing, or may even contain gluten-risky ingredients such as oats.
Is Vegan Sour Cream Healthier Than Regular Sour Cream?
It depends! While it’s true that most vegan sour cream options are lower in calories, cholesterol, fats, and especially saturated fats as compared to regular sour cream, they can also be higher in carbohydrate and sugar content.
Each sour cream also offers a different macronutrient profile as traditional sour cream tends to be richer in calcium and certain vitamins while vegan sour creams--especially nut based versions--are higher in minerals like magnesium and B vitamins.
Is Lactose Free Sour Cream the Same as Dairy Free Sour Cream?
Nope! Lactose free sour cream still contains dairy milk ingredients, however it is processed in a way that inhibits lactose--the specific milk sugar that many folks experience digestive symptoms when exposed to.
Dairy free sour creams, on the other hand, are those sour cream options which are made without the use of any dairy ingredients whatsoever. Therefore, you could say that dairy free sour cream is a type of lactose free sour cream, but lactose free sour cream is not dairy free.
Is There Almond Milk Sour Cream?
Yes! If you’re looking for almond milk based sour cream you’ll want to opt for the Kite Hill Sour Cream Alternative. This product uses the popular plant based milk--plus coconut ingredients and starches--to yield a completely vegan sour cream-like product.
Final Thoughts on the Best Vegan Sour Cream Brands
Sour cream may not be the most common dairy product to seek a vegan replacement for, but for certain situations--such as topping a satisfying baked potato or making a super moist sour cream cake--you've just gotta have it!
While there aren't as many brands to choose from, and no one vegan sour cream struck us as the perfect replacement, the limited selection means that each currently available option tends to dominate its own niche. Whether you prefer organic products or need something allergen friendly, there is a valid vegan sour cream alternative out there to suit your needs!
Looking for other store bought vegan alternatives in your life? Be sure to check out our other taste tests from the non-dairy aisle from the Best Vegan Yogurt and Best Vegan Butter to the Best Vegan Cream Cheese.
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