Out of Sour cream, one case
Can you substitute milk for sour cream?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Soured milk + butter
Per cup of sour cream
¾ cup soured milk + 1/3 cup butter
Not plain milk: it is thin, has no acid and has about 3% fat where sour cream has 18 to 20%. For baking, sour the milk and add butter: ¾ cup soured milk plus 1/3 cup melted butter for each cup of sour cream. Evaporated milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per cup also works in cooked dishes. None of these make a dip or a topping; for a dairy-free dollop, use the thick cream from a chilled can of coconut milk.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup milk and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes. Measure ¾ cup, then whisk in 1/3 cup melted, cooled butter.
- Best for —
- cakes, muffins and quick breads
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full sour cream card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup sour cream | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soured milk + buttercakes, muffins and quick breads | ¾ cup soured milk + 1/3 cup butterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Evaporated milk + lemon juicecasseroles | 1 cup evaporated milk + 1 tbsp lemon juiceTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Coconut milk (the chilled cream)a dairy-free or vegan dollop on chili, tacos and soup | 1 cup coconut cream + 1 tbsp lemon juiceYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Cream cheese + milkdips and spreads | ¾ cup cream cheese + ¼ cup milkTweak it | Tweak it |
| Not a swap | Plain milk | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Soured milk + butter
mild tang, buttery
Milk soured with lemon juice or vinegar supplies the acid and the liquid; the butter replaces the fat. This is the standard pantry formula for baking.
- Best for
- cakes, muffins and quick breads, pancakes and waffles, cornbread
- Prep
- Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup milk and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes. Measure ¾ cup, then whisk in 1/3 cup melted, cooled butter.
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Batters only. It is a liquid, so it cannot replace sour cream in a dip, a topping, a frosting or a cheesecake.
Without the butter, use ¾ cup soured milk per cup and cut another liquid by 2 to 3 tbsp; the crumb is leaner and less tender.
Evaporated milk + lemon juice
tangy, with a slight cooked-milk note
Evaporated milk has had about 60% of its water removed, so it is thicker and richer than fresh milk. Acid thickens it a little more.
- Best for
- casseroles, creamy soups and sauces, added off the heat, baking
- Prep
- Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup evaporated milk and let it stand 5 minutes.
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Still pourable, so it fails as a topping or a thick dip, and it is much lower in fat than sour cream. It can curdle if it boils.
Coconut milk (the chilled cream)
rich with a clear coconut flavor
Chill a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight and the thick cream rises to the top. Stirred with lemon juice it makes a spoonable dairy-free stand-in.
- Best for
- a dairy-free or vegan dollop on chili, tacos and soup, dairy-free dips, curries and soups
- Prep
- Refrigerate the can overnight without shaking it, scoop off the solid cream, and stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt per cup.
- Suits
- vegan, dairy-free
- Where it fails
- Light coconut milk and carton coconut milk do not separate and stay thin. The coconut taste shows in plain dishes.
One 13.5 oz can gives well under a cup of thick cream, and the amount varies by brand. Chill two cans if you need a full cup.
Cream cheese + milk
milder and slightly cheesy
If there is cream cheese in the fridge, milk is the thinner that turns it into a sour cream stand-in thick enough for a dip.
- Best for
- dips and spreads, casseroles, baking
- Prep
- Beat room-temperature cream cheese soft, add the milk a little at a time, then beat in 1 tsp lemon juice per cup.
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Less sour than sour cream, and it firms up when chilled.
Plain milk
sweet and thin, no tang
Milk straight from the carton shares nothing with sour cream but the color.
- Best for
- nothing; sour it or thicken it first
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Cup for cup it floods a batter, the baking soda has no acid to react with, and it cannot thicken a dip or sit on a potato.
Tips for substituting sour cream
5 tips- To sour milk: 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, milk to the 1 cup line, 5 to 10 minutes. It looks slightly curdled, which is right.
- Half-cup amount for baking: 6 tbsp soured milk plus 2 tbsp and 2 tsp melted butter replaces ½ cup sour cream.
- Use whole milk if you have it. Skim milk sours the same way but gives a leaner, drier crumb.
- Coconut cream for a topping: chill the can at least 8 hours and do not shake it, or the cream will not separate.
- For a hot soup or sauce, soured milk curdles. Use evaporated milk off the heat, or cream cheese thinned with milk.
Questions
4 questionsCan I substitute milk for sour cream in cake?
Yes, soured and with butter: ¾ cup soured milk plus 1/3 cup melted butter for each cup of sour cream. Plain milk cup for cup makes the batter too thin and leaves the baking soda without the acid it needs, so the cake rises less.
Can I use coconut milk as a sour cream substitute?
Yes, the thick part. Chill a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight, scoop off the solid cream and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt per cup. It dollops like sour cream and tastes of coconut. Shaken, pourable coconut milk is too thin.
Can I thicken milk into sour cream?
No. Acid curdles milk slightly but does not thicken it to a paste, because milk has too little fat. For something spoonable, start with cream cheese thinned with milk, Greek yogurt, or cream cultured with buttermilk.
Does almond or oat milk work the same way?
In baking, yes: sour 1 cup of unsweetened plant milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and use it as you would soured dairy milk, with oil or vegan butter in place of the butter. Plant milks thicken less than dairy milk when soured, so do not expect body from them.