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Overhead view of a spoonful of kefir sour cream over a jar with more sour cream.

Easy Kefir Sour Cream

You are here: Home / Recipes / Condiments & Sauces / Easy Kefir Sour Cream
Last Modified: February 11, 2021 // by Tracy Ariza, DDS // February 11, 2021 I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. Learn more here.

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A tasty way to add probiotic goodness to your life, kefir sour cream is super easy to make and tastes delicious! It's the perfect gut-friendly condiment that goes great with potatoes, tacos, soups, and just about anything you can think of! #thethingswellmake #kefir #sourcream #homemadesourcream #probiotic

A tasty way to add probiotic goodness to your life, kefir sour cream is super easy to make and tastes delicious!

Overhead view of a spoonful of kefir sour cream over a jar with more sour cream.

Kefir sour cream may just my be favorite of all of the kefir goodies that I have made myself over the years. Not only is it tasty, but it is super easy to make!

Using kefir grains

The first time I made it was by accident. I was trying to make some sort of kefir ice cream (aka. Frozen kefir). To make a smoother ice cream, I wanted to add more fat content to the recipe. To achieve that, I added some kefir grains to a heavy whipping cream. The idea was to make a kefirized cream to incorporate into the recipe. (If you don’t know what kefir grains are, I explain more about them in my post about how to make kefir.)

Kefir grains will thicken milk into a delicious yogurt-like product, known as kefir. Milk kefir is, however, generally thinner than yogurt.

  • straining out the kefir grains with a stainless steel strainer
    Kefir grains
  • Making kefir with kefir grains
    Milk fermented with kefir grains.

After leaving the kefir grains in the cream overnight, I was surprised to find an almost solid mass of kefirized cream

I loved the resulting cream, but it was very difficult to remove my kefir grains from the solid mass. (Normally, you strain the grains from the milk so that you can reuse them in your next batches.)

Using ready made kefir

After the messy, albeit delicious, first attempt a kefirizing cream, I was determined to find an easier way to make it. I decided to try using a sort of second fermentation, like people often do when making water kefir and kombucha.

Guess what? It worked! I ended up with a smooth and creamy kefir sour cream that was delicious.

Ingredients

The ingredients are just as simple as the recipe itself. You only need some milk kéfir and some heavy whipping cream. You can use a lighter cream, but keep in mind that the resulting product will be thinner than if you use a heavier cream. The higher the fat content, the thicker the resulting sour cream!

Overhead view of the ingredients for kefir sour cream: cream and kefir

Procedure

This may just be my easiest recipe on the blog. (Although I do have a few that are pretty simple. Have you tried my 5-minute watermelon sorbet?)

Just mix together the kefir and the whipping cream, and you should immediately notice that the cream begins to thicken. I’m not sure if it would thicken right away, in the same way, if you are using store bought milk kefir vs. homemade. That said, store-bought should work fine if you allow it time to ferment.

Mix together the ingredients fully with a spoon. You want the milk kefir to be fully incorporated into the cream mixture.

While it should thicken immediately, it probably won’t be very sour yet. You can use it immediately in place of mascarpone in recipes, but if you want something sourer, you need to ferment it more.

  • Pouring cream into a jar
    Cream
  • pouring milk kefir into a jar with cream
    Milk kefir
  • The thickened cream mixture on a spoon.
    It thickens immediately!

Fermenting the mixture

To get a sour “sour cream,” we need to allow the mixture to ferment for a while.

Fermenting is a simple process, it just takes a little time and patience. All you need to do is to cover it and leave it at room temperature for several hours or, even better, several days. The longer you allow it to ferment, the more sour it will get.

You may also notice that with time, some of the whey will separate out. (It’s a pale yellow liquid that will float on top of the cream.) You can either mix it back into the cream or pour it off to remove it. (By removing it, your cream will be slightly thicker.)

Once you are happy with the level of tartness, you can slow the fermentation process by moving your kefir sour cream to the fridge.

How to use it

The cool thing about kefir sour cream is that it is very versatile. If you use it before it gets sour, it is almost like mascarpone, and can be used for desserts!

  • Try mixing it with cocoa powder and honey to make a filling similar to the chocolate mascarpone filling used in my heart-shaped chocolate ravioli.
  • It can be worked into other desserts too like cheesecakes or ice cream.

It makes a great garnish. You can also use it in any recipe that would normally call for sour cream.

  • I like to use it as a topping for Mexican recipes like carnitas.
  • It’s delicious on baked potatoes and/or baked sweet potatoes. (Bonus recipe below the recipe card.)
Overhead view of homemade kefir sour cream in a baked sweet potato

How long does it keep?

Because it has been fermented, kefir sour cream will keep a long time. (It will keep much longer than the cream would have kept had it not been fermented.)

Even outside of the fridge, it generally doesn’t go bad, it just gets sourer and sourer with time. Eventually, you may find it too sour to enjoy. (It likely won’t last that long anyway, as it’s delicious!)

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Overhead view of homemade kefir sour cream in a baked sweet potato

Easy Kefir Sour Cream

A tasty way to add probiotic goodness to your life, kefir sour cream is super easy to make and tastes delicious!
4.5 from 2 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
fermentation time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 16 Tablespoons
Calories: 44kcal
Author: Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

  • 200 ml heavy cream (.85 cups)
  • 2 Tablespoons milk kefir (30ml)
Switch units back – Convert units

Instructions

  • Mix together the heavy cream with the milk kefir in a jar. The heavier the cream, the thicker your resulting sour cream will be. You can keep experimenting to get the consistency that you want with the cream you are using. If you want to end up with a thinner sour cream, you can also bring down the fat content of the cream by mixing it with some milk.
  • The cream should immediately begin to thicken. At first, it won't be sour, but you could use it in place of mascarpone in recipes.

Fermenting the cream

  • To sour the cream, it needs to be fermented. Cover the jar, and allow it to rest at room temperature. At first, allow it to ferment overnight.
  • In the morning, taste the kefir sour cream. If you want it to be sourer, leave it out to ferment longer.
  • Once you've achieved the level of sourness that you want, use it right away or store it in the fridge for later. Storing it in the fridge will slow down the fermentation process and keep it from getting sourer as quickly.

Notes

How to use it

Kefir sour cream is very versatile. If you use it before it gets sour, it is almost like mascarpone, and can be used for desserts.
It also makes a great garnish. You can also use it in any recipe that would normally call for sour cream. It goes especially well as a garnish for Mexican recipes or served atop baked potatoes and/or baked sweet potatoes.

How long does it keep?

Because it has been fermented, kefir sour cream will keep a long time. (It will keep much longer than the cream would have kept had it not been fermented.)
Even outside of the fridge, it generally doesn’t go bad, it just gets sourer and sourer with time. Eventually, you may find it too sour to enjoy. (It likely won’t last that long anyway, as it’s delicious!)
Course Condiments, DIY Pantry Foods, Side dishes
Cuisine global
Special Diets Gluten Free, Low Salt, Vegetarian
Keyword frozen kefir, sour cream
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @thethingswellmake or tag #thethingswellmake!
Serving: 1Tablespoon | Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 9mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 188IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Baked sweet potatoes

As a bonus, I’ll teach you how I make my baked sweet potatoes. They’re the perfect accompaniment to the sour cream.

Baked sweet potatoes are very simple to make. All you have to do is to clean the potatoes and prick them with a fork to help let steam escape and prevent them from exploding.

baking sweet potatoes on the grill of an oven

Place them on the wire rack of the oven, above a lined tray to catch any drips, and turn the heat up to around 400ºF (200ºC).

After around 30 minutes, start checking on the sweet potatoes to see if they are starting to soften. When they do begin to soften, turn off the heat of the oven. Leave the sweet potatoes in the oven to finish cooking while you finish up the rest of your meal.

Once ready, slice the sweet potato open. Serve it topped with your homemade kefir sour cream.

Category: Condiments & Sauces

About Tracy Ariza, DDS

Tracy Ariza, B.A., D.D.S., left dentistry and the United States to found Oh, The Things We'll Make!, writing to you from the Spanish Riviera. She loves making things herself in order to keep control of what goes in them. While far from perfect, she strives each day to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Liana Barreto

    January 19, 2017 at 7:53 PM

    Tracy,
    I am going to start my first production tonight. I got your advices. Thanks a lot.

    Reply
  2. Becky

    August 10, 2016 at 1:10 AM

    Doing a second ferment with a lid on the jar(and the grains out of the kefir milk) makes the kefir less sour.

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      August 11, 2016 at 9:06 AM

      Hi Becky,
      Thanks for your tip.
      That’s an interesting observation!
      That’s sort of how I make my regular kefir. I usually strain the kefir, and then put it in a jar with a lid in the fridge. It does get bubbly, so I guess it does do a bit of a second fermentation, and I love the way it tastes. 🙂

      Reply
    • Becky

      September 13, 2016 at 3:50 AM

      I meant to say that this advice was for Gaye, for regular kefir milk. It definitely helps it to not be too sour. You then put it in the fridge after the second ferment.

      Reply
      • Tracy Ariza

        September 13, 2016 at 10:43 AM

        Ha, OK. I get it now. 🙂
        Great advice!

        Reply
  3. Gaye Murrell

    November 6, 2014 at 12:23 AM

    i am so pleased I came across your blog. That is a great way to use up my milk kefir. Definitely going to make to today. I find drinking the milk kefir far too sour, and always add blended mixed berries, almonds and chai seeds to make it sweeter. Do you have any other suggestions to add to the kefir to make it more pleasant to drink. Thanking you. Gaye

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      November 6, 2014 at 7:14 PM

      Thanks for your comment, Gaye! I’m glad you are here!
      To get my son to drink it, I add it into smoothies. For him bananas are enough to sweeten it up, so I often make him smoothies with strawberries, bananas, kefir and spinach. That’s about the only way to get him to eat something like spinach. 😉
      If you find your kefir is too sour, though, maybe you could try fermenting it less time, or using less/smaller grains for the same amount of milk. Are you making your own milk kefir with kefir grains?

      Reply
  4. wendy

    October 31, 2014 at 3:00 AM

    Are you using milk kefir or kefir grains in the heavy cream?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      November 4, 2014 at 3:53 AM

      I’m using the milk kefir that I obtained using the grains. You can use the kefir grains in the cream directly, but it’s hard to get them out of the cream once it thickens.

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Tracy!

I love making my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings.
Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, but I always love having control of the ingredients!​
Oh, the things we'll make!...

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