Dairy

Sour cream nutrition, the complete picture.

1 tbsp of sour cream lands at 24 calories and brings 0.3 g of protein with it. USDA files this under “Cream, sour, cultured”, and that is the record used here. Set the serving below and the panel works it out, with the full nutrient table following your choice.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Every value traces to USDA FoodData Central (171257); Daily Values follow the FDA label rules.

How many calories does sour cream have?

1 tbsp of sour cream supplies 24 calories, which scales to 198 per 100 g. Each serving listed underneath was weighed by USDA rather than estimated.

What sour cream offers in protein

The protein count for 1 tbsp of sour cream is 0.3 g, equal to 1 percent of the Daily Value. Protein is a minor part of sour cream, at 5 percent of its calories. The case for eating it lies elsewhere.

By calories rather than by weight the split is 5 percent protein, 86 percent fat and 9 percent carbohydrate, so in practice it is mostly a fat rather than anything else.

Sour cream in the kitchen

Sour cream is dairy cream fermented with lactic acid bacteria. It is sold in traditional and light varieties. Traditional styles contain only cream and cultures. Avoid tubs containing thickeners like gelatine, guar gum, or modified food starch if you want a clean flavour and a natural, smooth texture.

Heat causes sour cream to curdle and separate because of its acid content. The most common mistake is stirring it directly into boiling sauces. To prevent curdling, temper the cream by whisking a small amount of hot liquid into it before adding the mixture back to your pan off the heat.

This cool dairy product balances spicy dishes and rich meats. Eastern European cuisines swirl it into hot beetroot soup, whilst Mexican cookery uses it to cool chilli and tacos. It also softens the crumb of baked cakes and makes a base for cold chive dips.

Everything USDA measures in sour cream

Nothing in sour cream reaches a large share of a Daily Value per serving. The full record is tabulated below and follows the panel.

How far sour cream goes in a day

If you eat 2,000 calories a day, 1 tbsp of sour cream accounts for 1 percent of them, and for 1 percent of the 50 g protein benchmark. To replace 2,000 with your real number, use the TDEE calculator; to turn that into targets, the macro calculator.

Using sour cream: three recipes

Written by the Calorie Counter Team. The nutrition under each one is not an estimate: every ingredient is matched to its USDA FoodData Central record and the totals are summed from those, then divided by the servings.

Dinner · Russian

Beef Stroganoff

A classic beef dish with a rich sauce made from sour cream, onions, and mushrooms.

30 min · serves 2

597kcal

35gprotein

44gfat

15gcarbs

Ingredients

• Beef sirloin 300 g
• Button mushrooms 150 g
• Yellow onion 100 g
• Unsalted butter 20 g
• Sour cream 150 g
• Beef stock 100 g
• Salt 3 g
• Black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Slice the beef into strips 1 centimetre thick and chop the onion and mushrooms.
2. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and fry the beef for 3 minutes until browned.
3. Remove the beef, then cook the onion and mushrooms in the same pan for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the beef stock and simmer for 5 minutes until reduced by half.
5. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the sour cream, salt, and black pepper, then return the beef to the pan.
6. Heat through for 2 minutes without boiling.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 8 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Side · British

Sour Cream and Chive Potato Salad

A cold potato salad dressed with a mixture of sour cream, mayonnaise, and fresh chives.

25 min · serves 4

277kcal

4.3gprotein

17gfat

28gcarbs

Ingredients

• New potatoes 600 g
• Sour cream 150 g
• Mayonnaise 50 g
• Fresh chives 15 g
• Salt 4 g
• Black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes until tender.
2. Drain the potatoes and let them cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper together in a large bowl.
4. Chop the chives and stir them into the sour cream mixture.
5. Cut the cooled potatoes into 2-centimetre pieces and fold them into the dressing.

6 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Breakfast · British

Sour Cream Scones

Baked scones made with sour cream for a tender texture, served warm.

25 min · serves 4

407kcal

7.4gprotein

17gfat

56gcarbs

Ingredients

• Self-raising wheat flour 250 g
• Unsalted butter 50 g
• Caster sugar 30 g
• Sour cream 120 g
• Whole milk 50 g
• Salt 2 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with parchment.
2. Rub the butter into the flour, sugar, and salt using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the sour cream and milk to form a soft dough.
4. Pat the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 2 centimetres and cut out four rounds.
5. Place the rounds on the tray and bake for 12 minutes until light brown.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 6 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

Putting sour cream on a plate

One way to build a meal around sour cream, costed from the same records. Substitute freely; the method carries over.

Dairy: where sour cream sits

All figures are for 100 g. Check the form column before comparing a raw food with a cooked one.

What people ask about sour cream

How many calories are in 1 tbsp of sour cream?

USDA measures 1 tbsp of sour cream at 24 calories, or 198 calories for each 100 g. The record used is “Cream, sour, cultured” (FDC 171257).

How much protein is in sour cream?

0.3 g in 1 tbsp of sour cream, or 2.4 g per 100 g. That is 1 percent of the 50 g Daily Value.

Can you eat sour cream when trying to lose weight?

Weight change comes from the whole week’s intake. 1 tbsp of sour cream contributes 24 calories and 0.3 g of protein (5 percent of its energy), which means it needs a protein-rich partner on the plate.

Why does liquid pool on top of the sour cream?

That liquid is whey, which separates from the solids during storage. It is natural and safe. Do not drain it, as this alters the texture; instead, stir the liquid back into the cream to restore the original consistency.

Can you freeze sour cream for later cooking?

Freezing is not recommended because the emulsion breaks when thawed. The cream will separate into watery liquid and dry clumps. While still usable in baked goods, the texture becomes too grainy for raw toppings.

Sources

• Cream, sour, cultured — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171257
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9