Learn how to make sour cream at home using heavy whipping cream and a culture starter in this easy condiment recipe.
I learned how to make sour cream when we lived in Uruguay because we couldn’t buy it there. It’s so much easier than I ever imagined, especially when you use a quality sour cream starter.
The first time I made it, I was worried it wasn’t going to set up because it was really liquidy for a couple of days. But sure enough, it thickened up the next day. If you’re in a cooler climate like us, you may experience the same thing.
This homemade sour cream is packed with probiotics and has a nice, tart flavor. You can use this homemade sour cream just like you’d use any store bought version.

How to Make Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream room temperature
- 1 packet sour cream starter
Equipment
Instructions
- Pour your room-temperature heavy whipping cream into a quart-sized mason jar.
- Whisk in a packet of Culture Starter until it's dissolved, then put on the lid.
- Put the jar somewhere warm, and let it sit for 1-2 days. In some areas or in cooler temperatures, it may take longer (it took 4 days during winter for me).
- Once it thickens, and each day after, smell and taste the cream until it tastes like sour cream. When it's sour, you know the milk sugar has been eaten up.
- Store the jar of homemade sour cream in the refrigerator. Use your cultured sour cream as you would any other sour cream, but it's best to eat it raw.
- Whisk or shake before each use.