Sour cream vs. Greek yogurt (2024)

FAQs

Is Greek yogurt better for you than sour cream? ›

Also, Greek yogurt is generally lower in fat and calories, making it a healthier alternative for those watching their weight or heart health. However, sour cream also has its own benefits. It is rich in calcium and vitamin A, making it a nutrient-dense addition to your diet.

In most cases, plain yogurt or Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream—and vice versa. Sour cream will give you a similar texture and tanginess, and swapping sour cream for yogurt is a simple 1-to-1 ratio.

Full-fat Greek yogurt will offer the closest approximation of sour cream's flavor and texture, and can be used as a one-to-one replacement for sour cream. If you'd like, you can stir some heavy cream into any percentage of Greek yogurt to give it a somewhat richer body and higher fat content.

Some types have probiotics

Usually, regular sour cream won't help your gut the same way yogurt can. But some brands add bacteria cultures back in after the last round of pasteurization. If you can find these products, they might help promote a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut.

Full-fat Greek yogurt contains 97 calories, 5 grams (g) of fat, and 9 g of protein per 3.5 ounces (oz.), or 100 g. The same amount of full-fat sour cream contains 198 calories, 19 g of fat, and 6 g of protein ( 9 , 10 ). Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute for sour cream in dips, dressings, and toppings.

Yogurt is usually lower in fat and probiotics than sour cream. However, flavored yogurt may contain much more sugar.

Greek Yogurt as a Substitute for Sour Cream can be readily used in Chilled Recipes. Yogurt – especially Greek yogurt – makes a terrific substitute for sour cream in dips, salad dressings, and garnishing chilled soups.

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.

While they both can taste pretty tart, sour cream will be much richer. Unlike Greek yogurt, which ranges from 100–300 calories per cup, sour cream tends to be more caloric because of its higher fat content. If this only made you more confused, just ask someone from Bon Appetit.

Sour cream is just cream/dairy fat, Greek yogurt is mostly milk with varying dairy fat levels. Greek yogurt is less fatty, but, depending on the brand, more tangy.

Does sour cream have probiotics? ›

Sour cream is traditionally made by fermenting dairy cream with lactic acid bacteria, which are one of the most common probiotics in food production. Thus, certain types of sour cream may offer probiotic benefits ( 6 ).

Just incase you haven't figured out that you can substitute Greek yogurt for almost all mayo/sour cream… 😉 Use this as a base recipe. You can adjust your ratios, omit the mayo entirely if you want a super healthy ranch, or add more if you want it richer.

Eating sour cream in moderation is fine as long as you can tolerate dairy and lactose-based foods. If you have issues with lactose, you may want to avoid sour cream. Most sour cream is high in fat and calories, so eating more than a serving suggestion may be bad for heart health.

The possibilities are endless with Darigold's sour cream, which is chock full of live and active probiotics. Made with only cultured milk, cream and enzymes and packed with rich flavor.

In one recent meta-analysis, researchers actually found that dairy had a modest anti-inflammatory effect in individuals with metabolic disorders. Much of these effects can be attributed to the fermented dairy products such as kefir, yogurt, or sour cream that can easily be incorporated into a healthy diet.

Make a straight substitution — If you want to create healthier baked goods or just want a simple substitution, use an equal amount of yogurt in place of the sour cream. Whole milk yogurt works best and brings a big reduction in fat, plus more protein and calcium.

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.

Sour cream! Like Greek yogurt, sour cream is a cultured dairy product. It has a creamy texture similar to Greek yogurt and a tangy flavor, though the texture is slightly looser. Use this as a 1:1 substitute for Greek yogurt baking recipes and for dolloping chili and tacos.

If you have diabetes, look for Greek yogurt or Icelandic yogurt (also called skyr).