A super simple five ingredient sauce ready in less than five minutes flat! Great on baked potatoes, tacos, blintzes, dips, dressing, and sauces. The sky’s the limit!
This Easy Vegan Sour Cream is one of those easy and simple recipes that I delayed posting for a long time. I’ve shared it and mentioned it a few times in the notes of recipes like Crunchy Bean Tostadas, Super Nachos, and Tacos. But I use it so often that I figured it was time to give it a post of its own.
The list of ingredients is super short – five in total. It takes less than five minutes to prepare – and really, this includes gathering ingredients and clean up. Plus it’s really easy. And yet, here we are.
The first important note about this Easy Vegan Sour Cream is that the tofu is the primary and key ingredient. Primary because it is the main ingredient. And key because the type of tofu matters quite a bit.
In order for this Easy Vegan Sour Cream to turn out successfully, you should use the shelf-stable boxed firm block of silken tofu. Honest. You can substitute, but if you do, please understand that the texture and consistency may be perceptively different. I’m not trying to be negative – I just need to set your expectations. The silken tofu has a much creamier, thicker, and smoother consistency than the refrigerated packages.
While these other blocks of tofu may work incredible in so many recipes due to its ability to break apart and crumble, the texture is a bit courser, drier, and not nearly as smooth. And if you think the silken refrigerated tofu package will work, it does. But it just results in a thinner sour cream. If you’re going to make something akin to ranch dressing, it will work perfectly.
If, on the other hand, you’re trying to make ranch dip, it will be way too thin. I hope this makes sense. Please feel free to ask a question or have a recommendation for me and others, please leave a comment below. I love learning about the qualities and attributes of ingredients and recipes.
There are two acidic components in this Easy Vegan Sour Cream. Yes, two. Fresh lemon juice and vinegar work in tandem to produce just the right combination of flavors to replicate the taste of sour cream. You may successfully substitute bottled lemon juice but I can’t vouch for this. I normally use half of a lemon. And it works great.
For the vinegar, I have successfully used apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar. Both are fantastic in this sour cream recipe. I’m sure you can use other types of vinegars, I just haven’t tried them. I also recommend you adjust the flavors to your liking. If you want to add a smidgen of fresh lemon juice or vinegar to give your sour cream a little more tang, by all means, please do.
A word about the spices. These last two ingredients are the smallest – and for good reason. A little goes a long way. Just a half teaspoon of garlic powder and a pinch of onion powder are used to balance out the acidity of the lemons and vinegar while filling out some of the neutral palate of the tofu. If you add too much of either, you might as well throw in some herbs de Provence or Italian herb blend for some tasty ranch dip. Too much garlic and onion will deter from the mild tang of this Easy Vegan Sour Cream.
And finally, this sour cream needs to be blended well. I typically use my Vitamix and immersion blender. If you don’t have a high-speed blender or immersion blender, you may be able to process this sour cream in a food processor. Just be patient with it. You may need to scrape down the sides throughout the process. It’s worth it. I promise.
So now that you’ve blended, what can you do with it? ANYTHING! Seriously. This sour cream is fantastic. Use it on anything you would use sour cream on. Baked potatoes, tacos, blintzes, baked goods, dressings, dips, sauces, and more! You can also use it to make a mean mushroom stroganoff or top a New York-style cheesecake.
I hope you enjoy this Easy Vegan Sour Cream as much as I do.
I’m just starting out and would love to see your results. Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Ingredients
- 12 ounce box firm silken tofu*
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp vinegar**
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- pinch of onion powder
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, immersion blender, or food processor, blend 16 oz silken tofu, blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve with anything you like.
- Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Just stir well before using.
Notes
* The small shelf-stable box of firm silken tofu makes the creamiest tofu. You can use others, but the texture may not be as thick and smooth.
** You can use almost any kind of vinegar, but I prefer red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar – both make great sour cream.
Easy Vegan Sour Cream
Equipment
- high-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 12 ounce box firm silken tofu*
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp vinegar**
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- pinch of onion powder
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, immersion blender, or food processor, blend 16 oz silken tofu, blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve with anything you like.
- Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Just stir well before using.