33 Recipes with Sour Cream, from Impossibly Moist Cakes to Crowd-Pleasing Party Dips
Sour cream: It’s rich, tangy, refreshing and so many dishes (like tacos, baked potatoes and French onion dip) wouldn’t be the same without it. It makes cakes and cookies supremely moist, brings a much-needed zing of acidity to a wide range of appetizers and mains, and adds cooling creaminess to a variety of sauces, dressings and dips.
In honor of the underappreciated condiment—which often languishes, half-full, in the back of our fridge until it’s past its expiration date—we’ve rounded up 33 of the best recipes with sour cream that prove its magical properties beyond a shadow of a doubt. With these desserts, dips, dinners and side dishes in your back pocket, you can finally take advantage of every last dollop. (Psst: Vegan friends, skip all the way to number 33 on this list to make your own vegan sour cream to sub in any of these recipes.)
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1. Aran Goyoaga’s Spiced Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Sour cream cuts right though the cream cheese’s fattiness to create a lighter, brighter frosting. This autumn stunner is best served with a pumpkin spice latte, obvi.
2. Homemade French Onion Dip
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, kid-friendly, vegetarian
We love packet French onion dip too, but trust: This recipe blows it away. Think sweet onions, cream cheese and a handful of seasonings united in jammy, caramelized harmony.
3. Meal-Prep Creamy Kale Caesar Salad
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, gluten free, vegetarian, keto-friendly
This enviable lunch costs less than $3 per serving and it’ll only take you 15 minutes to prepare. (Sour cream is the source of the dressing’s creaminess, BTW.)
4. 20-Minute Mashed Potatoes
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, gluten free, vegetarian
Bookmark this recipe for every hectic holiday you ever host. The spuds are boiled in butter, milk and seasonings instead of water to speed the process along.
5. Classic Banana Bread
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, nut free, vegetarian
Sour cream guarantees that this loaf turns out uber moist every time. If you don’t have enough of the condiment on hand, you can substitute yogurt, mascarpone cheese or buttermilk.
6. Easy 30-Minute Beef Stroganoff
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, one pan, high protein
The secret to this unapologetically rich beef stroganoff? A hearty dollop of sour cream that’s stirred into the thick, mushroom-laden sauce.
7. Cake Batter Dip
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, no bake, vegetarian, <30 minutes
Sprinkles are always a hit in our book. Microwave the cake mix in 30-second intervals until it reaches 165°F—this makes the raw flour safe to consume.
8. Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill fruit galette, thanks to rosemary in the crust, balsamic vinegar in the filling and sour cream in the whipped cream.
9. Loaded Baked Potato ‘Chips’
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly
Trade a fluffy baked potato for crispy, paper-thin potato chips, but keep all the essential fixings. Excuse us while we inhale an entire batch in one sitting.
10. Noodle Kugel
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Why We Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
This baked beauty is prime for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur or any old Tuesday. It’s packed with classic ingredients like cottage cheese, sour cream and egg noodles.
11. Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, vegetarian, make ahead
Not only does our favorite cruciferous vegetable stand in for potatoes, but we also use a mix of sour cream, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and fresh herbs instead of gloppy mayonnaise.
12. Meal-Prep Creamy Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Raisins
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, no cook, vegetarian, make ahead, <30 minutes
Even your kids will be happy to find this in their lunchboxes (especially if you finish the pasta salad with crumbled bacon).
13. Mexican Street Corn Dip
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
The tortilla chips are smothered in Monterey Jack cheese sauce, corn, cotija cheese, cilantro, sour cream and lime juice. All that’s missing is a six pack of cerveza.
14. Pineapple Coconut Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 22 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Tangy sour cream-coconut cake is just the match for vibrant, sweet-tart pineapple filling. The cream cheese frosting and coconut flakes drive its decadence home.
15. Classic Chicken Paprikash
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, one pot
This Hungarian dish stars butter-browned chicken cooked with onions and paprika. The luxurious sauce is spiked with sour cream for tang and texture, then the chicken is served over noodles or dumplings.
16. Cherry Almond Buckle
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Come for the sour cream cake bursting with fresh cherries, stay for the brown sugar-cinnamon crumble dappled with sliced almonds.
17. Creamy Brussels Sprout & Shallot Dip
Time Commitment: 21 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, vegetarian, keto-friendly
You can do way more with your favorite winter veggie than roast it. How about sautéing it with alliums, mixing it with sour cream, cream cheese, mozzarella and Parm, then baking it until hot and bubbly?
18. Classic Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Fresh Figs, Pistachios and Honey
Time Commitment: 5 hours and 15 minutes (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
If you look up the word “elegance” in the dictionary, you’ll find a photo of this dessert. Sour cream and vanilla beans offer the filling fresh, clean flavor.
19. Spicy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce
Time Commitment: 50 minutes (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, special occasion-worthy, high protein
The enchiladas are filled to the brim with black beans, shredded chicken, jalapeño peppers and onions before they’re doused with pumpkin sauce and blanketed in Colby Jack cheese.
20. Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts with Coffee Glaze
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, vegetarian
We’d most definitely get out of bed at the crack of dawn for these morning glories. (Come on, the base for the glaze is nutty brown butter.)
21. Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: nut free, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Only 20 minutes of prep stand between you and the ultimate holiday confection. Finish it with crushed candy canes, toasted coconut or white nonpareils.
22. Meyer Lemon Herbed Crab Bites
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, gluten free, <30 minutes, pescatarian, keto-friendly
Summer parties at your place will change forever once your guests sink their teeth into this light, refreshing seafood appetizer.
23. Sour Cream Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, nut free, vegetarian, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Complete with the simplest three-ingredient vanilla glaze. We’ll take our slice with sides of eggs and bacon, please.
24. Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Sour cream zaps the boring right out of this holiday cookie dough. Finish the cookies with all the festive sprinkles and sweet glaze your heart desires.
25. Sour Cream Biscuits
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Whether you serve them as a side for barbecue or as a base for strawberry shortcake, your guests will gobble these handhelds up in 30 seconds flat.
26. Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Dressing
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, vegetarian, keto-friendly
In our opinion, wings (even plant-based ones) are only as tasty as the dressing served with them. Here, it’s homemade blue cheese made with sour cream, mayonnaise, celery and scallions.
27. Cheesecake Brownies
Time Commitment: 5 hours and 40 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why We Love It: nut free, kid-friendly, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Forget a modest marbling of cream cheese. These bars (which start with store-bought brownie mix) are topped with a thick layer of sour cream-spiked cheesecake filling.
28. Sour Cream and Onion Pasta
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, kid-friendly, vegetarian
Your favorite type of potato chip is somehow even tastier in pasta form. We so wouldn’t blame you for crumbling a handful of them on top for crunch in lieu of grated Parm.
29. Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Sour cream keeps each cupcake soft and tender, while chopped peanuts add a bit of texture to the pillowy confections.
30. The Modern Lobster Roll
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, pescatarian, special occasion-worthy, <30 minutes
Fresh citrus, Japanese cucumber, diced celery and snipped chives give this New England staple a whole new vibe.
31. Sour Cream and Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 55 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, nut free, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Buttery sugar streusel is our love language. The hardest step of making this cake is waiting for it to cool before digging in.
32. Swirled Blueberry Lemon Thyme Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, nut free, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Since the recipe calls for blueberry jam and fresh or frozen blueberries, you can bake this sweet-and-sour treat any time of the year.
33. Vegan Sour Cream
Time Commitment: 4 hours and 10 minutes (includes soaking time)
Why We Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients, make ahead, no cook, dairy free
In case you're craving one of the above recipes despite not eating dairy, vegan sour cream just might be able to help. All it takes is cashews, a few pantry staples and a blender to pull it off. Give it a cheesy spin by adding a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
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For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.