Sour Cream Recipe Ideas for Dips, Dinner & Desserts

An often-underrated ingredient, sour cream makes everything taste better! You might be surprised to learn you can add sour cream to dips and dressings, cakes, and even cheesecake. If you’re interested in experimenting with sour cream, you’re in the right place. Take a look at these delicious and creative sour cream recipe ideas!

Sour cream dip ideas

Sour cream is the basis for many of the most popular dips! Next time you’re planning a gathering, skip the store-bought dip and make one of these easy recipes instead:

1. Onion dip

A much lower-sodium version of the store-bought dip, this finger-lickin’ onion dip is always popular. Serve it at your next party, and your guests are sure to be pleased!

2. Holiday hot spinach dip

Despite the name, you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy this holiday hot spinach dip! The sour cream combined with heavy whipping cream gives it a texture that feels truly decadent. Serve it in a bread bowl or with a side of tortilla chips.

3. Creamy fruit dip

Not all sour cream dip ideas need to be savory! This creamy fruit dip makes a delicious and healthy dessert.

4. Curried onion dip

Want to try an exciting twist on traditional French onion dip? This dip features caramelized onions, curry, sour cream, and cream cheese!

5. Hot chipped beef dip

Spicy horseradish, chipped dried beef, and dill are the stars of this hot chipped beef dip recipe.  It takes just 15 minutes to prep, making it perfect for last-minute gatherings!

6. Easy taco dip

To make this delicious dip, combine prepackaged taco seasoning with cream cheese and sour cream! Top it with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, jalapeno, and onions, and serve it with tortilla chips or slices of bell peppers.

7. Parmesean sour cream dip

This tasty dip is made with sour cream, freshly grated parmesan cheese, dijon mustard, and a bit of salt and pepper. It’s delicious when served with plain potato chips!

8. Easy chili bean dip

Easy chili bean dip is always a huge hit! To make it, combine a can of chili without beans, a can of refried beans, softened cream cheese, sour cream, chunky Pico de Gallo, chopped green chiles, and ground cumin. Cook the mixture over low heat until the cream cheese is melted, then top with olives and onions. This dip is best served with corn chips!

9. Creamy crab dip

This decadent dip is made with crab meat, sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese! Top it with fresh chives and serve it with crackers and celery sticks.

Dinner ideas with sour cream

You can do more with sour cream than just put it on top of Mexican dishes! These creative dinner ideas with sour cream are sure to become some of your family’s favorite recipes:

1. Chicken with sour cream

This super easy recipe starts with boneless, skinless chicken breasts slathered in a sour cream mixture and baked in the oven. It’s great over egg noodles or served with a side of steamed broccoli!

2. Creamy cheese casserole 

This dish is creamy, delicious, and always a hit with the kids. It combines chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, condensed cream of chicken, and cream of mushrooms soups. Top it with crumbled buttery crackers, and enjoy!

3. Chicken enchiladas 

Easy and delicious, these chicken enchiladas are packed with cheese and chicken and topped with an incredible sour cream sauce. Not only do they make an excellent dinner, but they taste even better the next day and also freeze well!

4. Beef stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is the ultimate comfort food with tender chunks of beef and a creamy, delicious sauce! The Worcestershire sauce enhances the meat flavor, and the butter and sour cream give it a rich texture.

5. Deluxe steak nachos 

To make these tasty steak nachos, line a cookie sheet with tortilla chips and top it with pieces of seasoned steak, beans, and cheese. Bake this in the oven until the cheese is melted, then top the nachos with diced avocados, onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos. Drizzle with sour cream and garnish with cilantro!

6. Sour cream quiche 

Sour cream is the perfect substitute for heavy cream in this quiche recipe! It’s just as delicious but a little bit lighter. The mixture of cheddar and swiss cheese gives it extra flavor that will make this one of your favorite brunch recipes.

Desserts made with sour cream

You might not think of sour cream as something you would find in desserts, but this is often the secret ingredient that makes them moist and delicious! Don’t believe it? Take a look at these tasty sour cream dessert recipes:

1. Blueberry sour cream coffee cake

This recipe for blueberry sour cream coffee cake has been passed down through generations. It’s perfect for a lazy Sunday morning! You can make it with frozen berries in a pinch, but fresh blueberries are always better.

2. Slow cooker cheesecake

Did you know you could make cheesecake in a slow cooker? When you do, the slow cooker steams it as it bakes, giving it an incredibly smooth texture. Just make sure you don’t peek inside while it’s cooking. The lid needs to stay on the whole time, or it won’t come out right. Trust us; it’s worth the wait!

3. Blueberry mousse 

This easy and refreshing dessert is made with fresh blueberries, sour cream, and cream cheese! Top it with extra blueberries and add a few chopped pistachios to give it a perfect bit of salty crunch.

4. Pumpkin cheesecake with bourbon sour cream topping

Nothing says autumn quite like pumpkin cheesecake. The bourbon gives it a caramel flavor, while the sour cream adds just the right amount of zing to offset the rich, spiced flavor of the filling! And the chopped pecans add a bit of nutty flavor that rounds the whole thing out.

5. Strawberries and sour cream dessert

This easy and delicious dessert is popular in Russia and Ukraine. To make it, simply mash fresh strawberries and combine them with sugar and sour cream. Serve the mixture on pieces of fresh-baked baguette bread!

Add sour cream to your next meal

Are you surprised by all of these delicious sour cream recipe ideas? If you’re ready to try some of them, there’s no time like the present. It’s easy to experiment with recipes when you don’t have to waste your time going grocery shopping. That’s why Instacart offers same-day delivery in your area. Try it out today!

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