Does sour cream contain lactose?
Sour cream is lower in lactose than some dairy products, containing around 2g of lactose per 100mL.
Last updated 31/01/2025
Sour cream is a versatile and delicious dairy product, used in dishes like baked potato, Mexican food and even some baking goods such as cheesecakes.
It’s created through a process involving the addition of a culture to cream, which is then heated to around 20°C and left to ferment for 12 to 14 hours. This fermentation produces lactic acid, resulting in a mildly sour flavour and a thicker texture than regular cream. A light version of sour cream, containing only 18% milk fat, is also available. Despite its lower fat content, it’s made using a similar process to regular sour cream, though it tends to have a slightly thinner consistency.
Because sour cream is cultured, its lactose content is lower than some other dairy products, sitting at around 2 grams per 100mL[1]. For context, milk has about 12 grams per 250ml serving and hard cheeses contain virtually no lactose.
This means that if you are lactose intolerant, depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may be able to experiment with sour cream and see how your gut reacts.
For more information on lactose intolerance, see Intolerance and allergies | Lactose Intolerance Symptoms - Dairy Australia.
References
[1] Food Standards Australia New Zealand. AU22 - 2022 Australian Food Composition Database (Release 2).
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