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32 Recipes with Sour Cream, from Impossibly Moist Cakes to Crowd-Pleasing Party Dips

By Taryn Pire

| Jan. 24, 2022

Sour cream: It’s creamy, tangy, refreshing and so many dishes (like tacos, baked potatoes and French onion dip) wouldn’t be the same without it. It can keep cakes and cookies moist, bring a much-needed zing of acidity to a wide range of appetizers and mains, and add a 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 32 of the best recipes with sour cream that prove its magical properties beyond a shadow of a doubt. (And will let you finally take advantage of every last dollop.)

RELATED: Our 10 Best Cake Recipes from the Last 10 Years

Aran Goyoaga/Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple

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, Insta-worthy

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.

Recipe Tin Eats

2. Homemade French Onion Dip

Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, gluten free, nut free, 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.

100 Days of Real Food

3. Meal-Prep Creamy Kale Caesar Salad

Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, no cook, gluten free, vegetarian, keto

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: Easy, gluten free, nut 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.

Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen

5. Classic Banana Bread

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, 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.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

6. Easy 30-Minute Beef Stroganoff

Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, nut free

The secret to this unapologetically rich beef stroganoff? A hearty dollop of sour cream that’s stirred into the thick, mushroom-laden sauce.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

7. Cake Batter Dip

Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, no bake, nut free, vegetarian

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.

Robert Bredvad/The Secret Ingredient Cookbook

8. Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Why We Love It: Vegetarian, nut free, Insta-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.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

9. Loaded Baked Potato ‘Chips’

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, gluten free, nut free

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: Nut free, 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.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

11. Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad

Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, gluten free, nut free, vegetarian, keto

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.

100 Days of Real Food

12. Meal-Prep Creamy Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Raisins

Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, no cook, nut free, vegetarian

Even your kids will be happy to find this in their lunchboxes (especially if you finish the pasta salad with crumbled bacon).

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

13. Mexican Street Corn Dip

Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, nut free, vegetarian, Insta-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.

Grandbaby Cakes

14. Pineapple Coconut Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 22 minutes
Why We Love It: Vegetarian, Insta-worthy

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: Easy, gluten free, nut free

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.

Sally’s Baking Addiction

16. Cherry Almond Buckle

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, vegetarian, Insta-worthy

Come for the sour cream cake bursting with fresh cherries, stay for the brown sugar-cinnamon crumble dappled with sliced almonds.

Minimalist Baker

17. Creamy Brussels Sprout & Shallot Dip

Time Commitment: 21 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, gluten free, nut free, vegetarian, keto

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, Insta-worthy

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.

Ambitious Kitchen

19. Spicy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce

Time Commitment: 50 minutes (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: Easy, gluten free, nut free, Insta-worthy

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: Easy, nut free, 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.)

Two Peas & Their Pod

21. Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: Nut free, vegetarian, Insta-worthy

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, nut free, pescatarian, keto

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: Easy, nut free, vegetarian

Complete with the simplest three-ingredient vanilla glaze. We’ll take our slice with a side of eggs and bacon, please.

The Modern Proper

24. Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Time Commitment: 23 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, nut free, vegetarian, Insta-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.

Grandbaby Cakes

25. Sour Cream Biscuits

Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, nut free, 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: Easy, gluten free, nut free, vegetarian, keto

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, vegetarian, Insta-worthy

Forget a modest marbling of cream cheese. These bars (which start with store-bought brownie mix, BTW) are topped with a thick layer of sour cream-spiked cheesecake filling.

I Am A Food Blog

28. Sour Cream and Onion Pasta

Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, nut free, 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.

Sally’s Baking Addiction

29. Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why We Love It: Easy, vegetarian, Insta-worthy

Sour cream keeps each cupcake soft and tender, while chopped peanuts add a bit of texture to the pillowy handhelds.

30. The Modern Lobster Roll

Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, nut free, pescatarian, Insta-worthy

Fresh citrus, Japanese cucumber, diced celery and snipped chives give this New England staple a whole new vibe.

Spoon Fork Bacon

31. Sour Cream and Cinnamon Crumb Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 55 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, nut free, vegetarian

Buttery sugar streusel is our love language. The hardest step of making this cake is waiting for it to cool before digging in.

Half Baked Harvest

32. Swirled Blueberry Lemon Thyme Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: Easy, nut free, vegetarian, Insta-worthy

Since the recipe calls for blueberry jam and fresh or frozen blueberries, you can bake this sweet-and-sour confection any time of the year.

RELATED: The 55 Best Party Dip Recipes That Are So Good, You’ll Want to Turn Them into a Meal

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