Norah Clark, Editor of Boyd Hampers! Norah is a food writer with over a decade of experience in hospitality as a pastry chef, sous chef, and barista; former chef at the Savoy Hotel, Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and Plaza Hotel.
The best sour cream substitute for cheesecake is typically Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, and many more. They offer a similar tangy flavor and creamy texture that complements the cheesecake filling.
Sour cream may not always be readily available or suitable for certain dietary restrictions, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your love for cheesecake.
In this article, I will discuss sour cream’s role in cheesecake, introduce different substitutes for sour cream, and provide tips for substituting sour cream in cheesecake recipes.
Yogurt is your best substitute for sour cream. Whether you’re baking or making a dip or sauce, yogurt is a 1:1 sub. That means if your recipe calls for 1 cup of sour cream, you can replace it with 1 cup of yogurt. Full-fat Greek or natural yogurts work best, but low-fat or even nonfat can be used, too.
What can I use in cheesecake instead of sour cream?
Some possible substitutes for sour cream in cheesecake include Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, cottage cheese, buttermilk, and coconut cream.
Tips For Substituting Sour Cream
When substituting sour cream in a cheesecake recipe, it’s important to properly measure and adjust the recipe to compensate for the taste and texture differences of the substitute.
- Measure the substitute correctly: When substituting sour cream with a different ingredient, measure the substitute correctly. Use the same amount of the substitute as the sour cream is called for in the recipe.
- Adjust the recipe: Depending on your substitute, you may need to adjust the recipe to compensate for the taste and texture differences. For example, if you use Greek yogurt as a substitute, you may need to add more sugar to the recipe to balance the tanginess.
- Taste and adjust: Before baking the cheesecake, taste the batter and adjust as needed. If the cheesecake batter is too tangy, add more sugar or sweetener. If the cheesecake batter is too thick or dense, add a small amount of milk or cream to thin it out.
- Bake as directed: Once you have properly measured and adjusted the recipe, bake the cheesecake as directed in the recipe. Keep an eye on the cheesecake as it bakes, and make any necessary adjustments to the baking time or temperature to ensure that it comes out perfectly.
Homemade Sour Cream Substitute in Minutes – The Frugal Chef
FAQ
What can be substituted for sour cream in cheesecake?
Can I use mayonnaise instead of sour cream in cheesecake?
Why do you need sour cream in cheesecake?
Can you use yogurt instead of sour cream in cheesecake?
So, we have created a cheesecake with yogurt instead of sour cream! The yogurt substitute still allows you to achieve the creamiest and softest cheesecake textures and simultaneously keep the slightly tangy flavor. But, we have even added additional lemon juice and zest to give the cheesecake a flavor punch.
What can be used as a substitute for sour cream in baking?
Good substitutes for sour cream in baking are: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, buttermilk, coconut milk (the cream on top of full-fat coconut milk can be skimmed off and blended with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and sea salt to be used as a plant-based sour cream), cashews (blending soaked cashews with vinegar, lemon juice, and sea salt), commercial soy-based sour cream.
What can I put in a cheesecake crust If I don’t have sour cream?
If you don’t have or can’t find sour cream, full-fat, plain greek yogurt will also work in a pinch. Lemon juice. Just a splash enhances the cheesecake flavor and adds a slight tang. Bottled or fresh lemon juice will work here. This can be left out if needed. Sugar. I love using brown sugar in my graham cracker crust for an extra note of flavor.
Does sour cream soften cheesecake?
But, it also has a softening effect on the texture of the cheesecake itself. And, sour cream is often favored as a moisturizing ingredient (over regular milk or cream) because of the tangy flavor it adds to the batter. This flavor helps balance out the sweetness most cheesecake recipes contain.