This easy vegan sour cream is a plant-based spin on sour cream that uses 5 ingredients and is ready in under 5 minutes. It’s velvety smooth, sweet and tangy and perfect for tacos, soups, stews and more.

Sour cream or sour dream?

Although sour cream might be besties with chili, baked potatoes, and tacos, it’s not so friendly with my tummy.  In fact, all dairy does not get along with my body.  And I know I’m not alone.

Did you know that cow’s milk is one of the leading allergens in the world?  Depending on which source you look at, anywhere between 40% – 75% of the world’s adult population cannot process cow’s milk.  And unfortunately, that includes sour cream.  But have no fear!  I have the easiest solution for you: Cashew Sour Cream.  Yep!  It’s mostly made with cashews and only has 3 other ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge or pantry.

Real Stories

Before we get to the recipe, I want to tell you my own personal story with dairy, as well as my father’s.

My father’s Migraines:

My father suffered from terrible migraines about once a week throughout his life.  And sadly, this had become a way of living for him.  He tried to cope with the migraines the best he could, but really just accepted their presence in his life.  About six years ago, I suggested to him that he give up dairy to see what would happen.  He took my advice and has not had one. single. migraine. in six years.  (!!!)  True story. This small dietary shift healed him from something he had been suffering from his entire life.  That’s the power of food.

My struggle with eczema:

My own story with dairy is similar.  I suffered with eczema for years.  My dermatologist tried treating it with steroid creams, a very typical response from many doctors.  The creams would work for a day, and then the next day the eczema would be back.  It was painful, expensive, and embarrassing. Plus, I was giving my body steroids on the regular!  Once I eliminated dairy, all my eczema vanished.  It was like a strange magic trick!  Now it only reappears when I occasionally indulge in Greek yogurt or ice cream, but goes away after I stop consuming these products.

My and my father’s stories with dairy are not isolated incidents.  I’ve known so many clients who have experienced a range of symptoms that disappeared when they removed dairy from their diet.  And that’s the tricky part: sensitivity to dairy can reveal itself in many ways: bloating, pain with digestion, headaches, diarrhea, chronic sinus infections, excess eye gunk or earwax, and flaky scalps are often signs that dairy is trying to eliminate itself from the body.

Dairy is addictive:

Did you know that dairy actually has an addictive quality to it?  The proteins in dairy activate the same brain receptors that narcotics such as heroine and nicotine trigger.  And when our brain finds something it likes (that stimulates its pleasure receptors) it wants more of it!  This is not surprising.  That’s why dairy (and cheese in particular) is one of the toughest foods to cut out of a diet.

Why eliminate Dairy?

It appears that humans are the only mammals who continue to drink milk beyond infancy, and also who drink the milk of other animals. Unless you’re nursing a kitten back to health with some cow’s milk, cats and dogs and cows and sheep and whales and elephants and ferrets and panthers and dolphins and rabbits (and any other mammals) aren’t observed drinking the milk of other species out in the wild.  From a biological standpoint, this information does start to make our American obsession with cow’s milk seem a little odd. I mean, we wouldn’t breastfeed a 40 year old, right??

With the incredibly high rate of allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities caused by dairy, it might be a good idea to give it up. Don’t worry.  There are worse things to give up.  (Sunshine? Love? Your smart phone?)  And these days, there are abundant substitutions to some classic dairy products.  Like Sour Cream!

Easy vegan sour cream:

When I make my easy vegan sour cream, I really enjoy the texture…it’s thick and creamy.  I love to dollop this sour cream on black bean and rice bowls, use as a dip for blue corn tortilla chips or layer inside black bean quesadillas. This recipe goes well with Butternut Squash and Black Bean Tacos or dolloped on a Vegan Red Quinoa Taco Salad Recipe!

Specialty Equipment and Ingredients for this Recipe:

Easy Vegan Sour Cream Recipe

Thinking Of Going Vegan But Not Sure Where To Start? Check Out my One Week Vegan Meal Plan, Complete With Grocery Lists And Recipes!