Last week when I ran out of yogurt, I had a thought “Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt?” and started researching on it. Here’s what I found : Yes you can use sour cream instead of Yogurt! Though known primarily for its high fat content, sour cream is a good alternative for yogurt in baking, sauces and dips, smoothies, marinades, and many more.
Creamy, acidic and tangy, sour cream works just like good old yogurt in various recipes calling for flavor, thickness, and moisture.
There really is not much difference between yogurt and sour cream in terms of food preparation. Only that sour cream is around 20 percent fat and yogurt just around 12 or less. Like yogurt, sour cream comes with good acidic content and can easily blend with other ingredients delivering a creamier, thicker and more savory goodness to both hot and cold dishes. The basic rule of thumb in substituting yogurt with sour cream is pretty simple– 1:1. With an almost similar taste and consistency, this means you can just replace a cup of yogurt with a cup of sour cream.
Unlike yogurt that curdles or separates when used for cooking hot dishes, sour cream can withstand even at boiling point. The high fat content of sour cream can be two-pronged though. While it saves a lot of disaster for hot dishes, baking being an exact science may require a little adjustment. No problem with cold stuff like dips and dressings as it can easily blend well with other ingredients. And yes, may even taste heavenly on its own with just a bag of chips or biscuits.
Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt in baking?
Yogurt is prone to curdling hence, many experienced bakers will not bat an eyelash in picking sour cream for baking. It makes the batter firmer yet moisture-filled in the inside. It’s also known to make a better rise for baked goods due to its acidic content. Do remember to decrease the shortening or leavening to offset high fat content.
Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt in muffins?
Muffins with sour cream may sound far-fetch to someone who’s used to using yogurt, but it does work wonders to the texture and flavor. Like creme fraiche, sour cream makes an excellent substitute. To balance the high presence of fat, decreasing the shortening may work wonders. To make the flavor more intense, adding lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to sour cream will make muffins that are moist in the inside from crispy on the outside. One great thing about sour cream in muffins is it works with any other ingredients you toss in.
Here’s a good recipe for starters.
Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt in a smoothie?
Quick answer– yes. This is even more so when on a high-fat low-carb diet like keto. Sour cream delivers a thicker, creamier texture to your smoothie. You can simply throw in bananas, berries, avocado, Chia seeds, leafy greens, or whatever fruit-vegetable combination you fancy into a blender and voila! The idea is that sour cream works best with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can check out the best smoothie with sour cream here.
Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt to marinate chicken?
Absolutely! Sour cream can easily blend with other ingredients like mustard, wine vinegar, or juice. It goes well also with herbs and spices. When marinading chicken with sour cream though, always remember to keep it short. The acid in sour cream can easily break sinewy fibers of the meat, more so when it’s poultry. A ratio of 3:1 of oil to acid can also prevent your chicken from flaking. If you’re not into chicken, a sour cream marinated fish is the best way to enjoy a weekend’s rest with family and friends. See this recipe here.
Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt in curry?
Think it’s crazy to use sour cream in curry? You’ll be amazed at how many Indian-food loving households keep a jar of sour cream in their fridge for sauces like raitha, curry, and masala. Fret-not though as sour cream offers the best texture and flavor when cooking hot sauces. It’s not as delicate and contains just enough fat to prevent curdling or separating– even when boiling. Here’s an easy shrimp curry recipe to kickstart your fun weekend.
So, if you want something creamier and flavor-filled cold or hot recipes on your table, a dollop of sour cream is just perfect. It’s healthy fat and can make wonders in your recipes– in the same breath as yogurt. Grab a tub now and have one on the ready when a gastronomical inspiration strikes.