6 Amazing Sour Cream Substitutes in Alfredo Sauce

For me, the creaminess is what makes Alfredo so seductive. And the magic of sour cream and melted cheese makes that happen. Still, it is always a good idea to have a few tricks up your sleeve in case you don’t have sour cream or just want to try to experiment with different ingredients. So, what are the best substitutes for sour cream in Alfredo sauce? 

Cream cheese and milk, milk and cornstarch, evaporated milk, Greek yogurt, heavy cream, and cottage cheese and milk are the best substitutes for sour cream in Alfredo sauce.

Alfredo sauce is a fantastic sauce that turns out delicious in many variations, so if you are worried that it won’t be as delicious with a sour cream substitute, I have great news! It will! In this article, I’ll give you some awesome ideas about what to use as a sour cream substitute in Alfredo sauce. 

Cream Cheese and Milk

Rich, silky, and decadently delicious, cream cheese and milk are by far the sour cream substitute for Alfredo sauce. With its thick consistency and expressively cheesy and slightly tangy flavor, this combo fits perfectly with the melted parmesan, which is the Alfredo sauce staple ingredient. 

Mix cream cheese and milk and adjust the amounts until you get a consistency similar to that of heavy cream. You will love the saltiness and slight tang of the cream cheese and the softness of the milk. You can also add some melted butter to make the mixture even smoother, but here are some more ways to make your Alfredo better!

Milk and Cornstarch 

Milk and cornstarch are simplicity embodied. They do so well together; you won’t believe it. In any pasta sauce, but especially in Alfredo, they create a sour cream-like consistency with the soft buttery flavor of the milk and the refined and smooth texture of the sour cream. 

The end result is definitely thinner than what you might expect, but it is easily solvable by increasing the parmesan amount for density. Still, you may miss the tang of the sour cream, and the sad news is a few lemon drops won’t do the trick here. 

Nevertheless, the milk and cornstarch combo is the perfect blank canvas for seasoning. So, why not try something new and exciting? I like to season this combination with salt, pepper, and some dried herbs, nothing too fancy, but still finger-licking delicious. 

Evaporated Milk 

Evaporated milk is another excellent candidate. It is buttery, nutty, creamy, and very smooth. It looks similar to heavy cream, but it is a little lighter. When substituting sour cream for evaporated milk in Alfredo sauce, the sauce may be a little thinner than what you expected but still pretty creamy. 

The liquid from the evaporated milk evaporates further, leaving behind the creamy part. If you still like your sauce thicker, you can up the parmesan amount and get a thick and creamy sauce. Add a few lemon drops for the tang, and you’re all set for a fine dining experience. 

Greek Yogurt 

Greek yogurt is a known sour cream replacement for many dishes. Sometimes it can be the best sour cream substitute, depending on what you use it for. It provides the same tang and consistency as sour cream, and it does great when heated up. 

The best thing when substituting sour cream for Greek yogurt is that you don’t need to make any adjustments to the amounts you use and add the same amount of Greek yogurt as you would do with sour cream. 

Sometimes, Greek yogurt can be a little thinner than sour cream, but not as significantly so that any adjustments are needed. 

Heavy Cream 

When talking about sour cream alternatives for Alfredo sauce, heavy cream is a must. It does excellent in Alfredo sauce, and some recipes even call for heavy cream instead of sour cream. Thick, rich, smooth, and buttery, heavy cream offers a certain sense of refinement and elegance to the Alfredo sauce. 

The sauce becomes a glossy mixture of deliciousness and is full of texture and richness. Still, heavy cream does not provide the tang of sour cream.

I’ve tried to compensate with lemon juice, but it didn’t turn out all that well, so I don’t recommend it. Even without the sour cream tang, the result will still be beyond delicious. 

Cottage Cheese 

When you don’t feel like experimenting all that much or going the extra mile for your sauce, cottage cheese would be more than enough to substitute for sour cream in your sauce. 

Cottage cheese provides the tang of sour cream offering an additional saltiness, perfectly complementing the milky creaminess of your Alfredo. To smoothen up the grainy texture of your cottage cheese, mix it with a bit of milk until it becomes creamy. You’ll probably get a consistency very similar to that of sour cream but don’t worry if you can’t smoothen it all the way. 

I love the occasional lump of cottage cheese in my Alfredo sauce! Do you? Tell me in the comments!