Out of Sour cream, one case
Can you substitute mayo for sour cream?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Mayonnaise
Same amount as the sour cream
Yes, in cooked and baked dishes: use the same amount of mayonnaise, 1 cup for 1 cup. Mayonnaise is fat plus acid, which is the job sour cream does in a cake, cornbread, a casserole or a creamy dressing. Eaten cold and plain, on tacos or a baked potato, it tastes like mayonnaise, so use Greek yogurt there.
- Verdict —
- You'll taste it
- The tweak —
- In a cake, add 1 tsp sugar per cup of mayonnaise to balance its sharper acid.
- Best for —
- cakes, cornbread and quick breads
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full sour cream card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of sour cream | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayonnaisecakes, cornbread and quick breads | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 2 | Mayonnaise + plain yogurtdips | ½ cup mayonnaise + ½ cup plain yogurt per cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Plain Greek yogurt (full-fat)tacos, nachos, chili and baked potatoes | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Crème fraîchestroganoff, pan sauces and soups | Same amountWorks | Works |
| Not a swap | Mayonnaise as a plain topping | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Mayonnaise
eggy and vinegary in place of dairy tang; hard to detect once baked
Oil, egg and vinegar or lemon juice in a thick emulsion. It matches sour cream for thickness and acidity and has no dairy flavor at all.
- Best for
- cakes, cornbread and quick breads, casseroles and baked dips, coleslaw, potato salad and creamy dressings
- Prep
- In a cake, add 1 tsp sugar per cup of mayonnaise to balance its sharper acid.
- Suits
- dairy-free
- Contains
- egg
- Where it fails
- Cold and plain it is obvious. It also turns oily if it boils in a pan sauce, and it will not set in a cheesecake or a frosting.
Contains egg. Use regular full-fat mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise + plain yogurt
tangy and rich, with only a faint mayonnaise note
Half and half is closer to sour cream than either one alone: the yogurt brings the dairy tang and the mayonnaise brings the richness.
- Best for
- dips, ranch and other creamy dressings, potato salad and coleslaw
- Prep
- Stir the two together until smooth and taste for salt.
- Contains
- egg, dairy
- Where it fails
- Not for a hot sauce: the yogurt can curdle and the mayonnaise can turn oily.
Plain Greek yogurt (full-fat)
a sharper, brighter tang
The swap for every cold use where mayonnaise would show. Thick, tangy and close to sour cream on the spoon.
- Best for
- tacos, nachos, chili and baked potatoes, dips, baking
- Prep
- Stir it smooth before measuring.
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- It curdles if it boils. Stir it into a hot dish off the heat.
Crème fraîche
milder and richer
The choice for hot sauces, where mayonnaise breaks. It can boil without curdling.
- Best for
- stroganoff, pan sauces and soups, toppings
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Less sour than sour cream; add ½ tsp lemon juice per ½ cup where the tang matters.
Mayonnaise as a plain topping
egg and vinegar
A spoonful of mayonnaise looks like sour cream and tastes nothing like it.
- Best for
- nothing eaten cold and plain
- Contains
- egg
- Where it fails
- On tacos, a baked potato, blini or a bowl of chili you taste exactly what it is. Use Greek yogurt or crème fraîche.
Tips for substituting sour cream
5 tips- Cake and cornbread: 1 cup mayonnaise per cup of sour cream, plus 1 tsp sugar per cup. The crumb comes out very moist and a shade more yellow.
- Dips and dressings: use half mayonnaise and half plain yogurt, ½ cup of each per cup of sour cream.
- Casseroles and baked dips: mayonnaise swaps in cup for cup and holds up in the oven. Keep it out of a sauce that boils on the stove, where it turns oily.
- Use regular mayonnaise. Light mayonnaise and sweet salad-dressing spreads carry more water, starch and sugar and behave differently in baking.
- Mayonnaise is saltier than sour cream. Taste before you add the salt the recipe lists.
Questions
4 questionsCan I substitute mayo for sour cream in baking?
Yes, cup for cup. Mayonnaise is oil, egg and acid, so it keeps a cake or cornbread moist and reacts with baking soda the way sour cream does. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar per cup. In a chocolate or spice cake nobody can taste it; in a plain vanilla cake there can be a faint tang.
Can I use mayo instead of sour cream in a dip?
In a baked dip, yes, cup for cup. In a cold dip, plain mayonnaise tastes heavy and eggy, so use half mayonnaise and half plain yogurt, or sharpen it with a squeeze of lemon juice and plenty of herbs.
Can I substitute sour cream for mayo?
Yes for dressings, dips, potato salad and coleslaw, cup for cup. The result is tangier and less rich, and it turns watery sooner, so dress the salad close to serving. The mayonnaise substitute page covers that direction.
Is mayo a dairy-free substitute for sour cream?
Standard mayonnaise contains egg but no milk, so it is dairy-free, not vegan. Check the label, because some flavored or reduced-fat versions add dairy ingredients.