One cup of sour cream weighs 230 g, poured, according to the USDA. Sour cream is cultured cream — cream fermented with lactic acid bacteria — and its cup weight of 230 g sits between milk and cream cheese, reflecting its 20 percent fat and its thick, spoonable texture. The figure matters for dips, baking, tacos and stroganoff, where sour cream is measured by the cup and the weight decides the richness and the tang. All weights on this page are approximate; the USDA lists sour cream at about 230 g per cup, while the King Arthur chart rounds it to 227 g, so verify with a scale when precision matters.
Sour Cream: weight and measurement table
The table below gives the weight of sour cream in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the USDA figure of 230 g per cup, poured. Every figure is approximate — poured is a technique, not a machine setting — so when the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.
| Amount | Weight (approx.) |
| --- | --- |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.8 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.4 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 57.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 76.7 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 115 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 172.5 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 230 g |
| 2 cups | 460 g |
| 100 g | 0.4 cups |
There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 100 g and you only have measuring cups, that is about 0.4 cups. Keep the cups to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.
What is Sour Cream?
Sour cream is cultured cream with a tangy flavour and thick texture. Cream is inoculated with lactic acid bacteria, which ferment the lactose into lactic acid, thickening the cream and giving it its characteristic tang. It is used for dips, baking, tacos and stroganoff, and it brings three things to a dish: fat, which adds richness; moisture, which keeps bakes soft; and acidity, which reacts with baking soda and tenderises the crumb. Full-fat sour cream is about 20 percent fat, while light sour cream is about half that, with added thickeners to mimic the texture. It should be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks of opening, and it should not be frozen for dolloping, because freezing separates its texture.
How to measure Sour Cream correctly
Sour Cream is measured poured, and the method matters more than most cooks realise. For dry ingredients, spoon the ingredient into the measure with a smaller spoon, letting it fall loosely, then sweep a knife across the top to level it — never dip the measuring cup into the bag, because dipping compresses the ingredient and adds up to 20 percent. For liquids, pour into a liquid measuring jug and read the level at eye height, or weigh directly into the bowl, which is the most accurate method of all. The USDA figure used on this page is 230 g per cup, and it is the figure the site's converters use, so the numbers here and the numbers in the tool always agree. Confidence in this figure is high.
A note on the published figures
USDA lists sour cream at about 230 g per cup; King Arthur rounds it to 227 g.
Worked examples
A sour cream coffee cake
A coffee cake uses 1 cup of sour cream — 230 g — in a batter with 2 cups of flour and 2 eggs. The weight matters because the sour cream is the cake's moisture and tenderness: 230 g of sour cream against 240 g of flour gives a cake that stays moist for days, while a cup too little gives a dry crumb. Weighing the sour cream keeps the ratio exact, and it also lets you scale the recipe — a half batch needs 115 g, and a double batch needs 460 g. The cake is baked in a bundt tin for 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean, and the sour cream's acidity reacts with the baking soda in the recipe to give lift.
A stroganoff for four
A stroganoff for four is finished with 1 cup of sour cream — 230 g — stirred into the sauce off the heat. The weight is useful because the sauce's richness depends on it: 230 g of sour cream against 500 g of beef and mushrooms gives a silky, tangy sauce, while a cup too much makes it thin and overly sour. The sour cream is stirred in gradually, off the heat, because boiling it would curdle it into grainy flecks. The sauce is seasoned at the end, because the sour cream's tang changes the balance, and the stroganoff is served over egg noodles with a sprinkle of parsley.
A dip for a party
A dip for a party uses 2 cups of sour cream — 460 g — mixed with onion soup mix and chives. The weight matters because the dip's thickness depends on it: 460 g of sour cream gives a dip that clings to a chip without sliding off, while a cup too much makes it runny. Weighing the sour cream also tells you how much to make — 460 g serves about eight people at a generous portion, and a double batch needs 920 g, or two standard tubs. The dip is chilled for an hour before serving, which lets the flavours meld, and it is served with crisps, crudités and bread.
Curdling and how to prevent it
Sour cream curdles when it is heated too fast, and the reason is its protein. Sour cream's proteins are stable at room temperature, but when they are heated quickly — dropped into a boiling sauce, for example — they tighten, squeeze out water, and separate into grainy flecks. The fat does not help: at 20 percent fat, sour cream has less fat than heavy cream, so it is less stable under heat. The practical rules are simple: always take the pan off the heat before stirring sour cream in, and temper it first by mixing a spoonful of the hot sauce into the sour cream, then stirring the warmed sour cream into the pan. Full-fat sour cream is more stable than light, because the extra fat protects the proteins, so use full-fat in any dish that will be heated. And never boil a sauce after the sour cream goes in — warm it gently, and serve it as soon as it is hot. For baking, curdling is not a concern, because the sour cream is mixed into a batter and baked slowly, which sets the proteins gradually instead of shocking them.
What to use instead
If you run out of sour cream, these are the tested substitutes from our substitution data, with the ratio and the case where each one does not work. Use the ratio by weight where it is given, and check the warning before you commit the batter.
Sour cream to Heavy cream: 1:1 in baking (richer, less tangy). Do not use a substitute where the recipe needs whipped cream, and do not boil yogurt or sour cream.
Sour cream to Yogurt: 1:1. Do not swap a hard aged cheese for a soft fresh one in a sauce — it will not melt the same way.
Sour cream to Cream cheese: 1:1 (softer, tangier). Do not swap a hard aged cheese for a soft fresh one in a sauce — it will not melt the same way.
Sour cream to Mayonnaise: 1:1. Do not use mayonnaise where the spread will be heated — it splits.
The golden rule for any substitution is to match the job, not just the ingredient: a substitute that works in a sauce may fail in a cake, because the two recipes ask different things of the ingredient. When in doubt, use a recipe written for the substitute rather than adapting one written for the original.
Storage
Refrigerate; use within 2 weeks of opening. That is the headline, but the details matter. Store sour cream in an airtight container, away from heat, light and strong smells — dry ingredients absorb odours readily, and a bag of flour stored next to the spices will taste of them within a week. Label the container with the date you opened it, so you know how long it has been there, and check it before you bake: if it smells off, tastes bitter, or shows any sign of moisture or insects, discard it. Buying in smaller quantities and using it promptly is better than buying in bulk and storing it for a year, because every ingredient loses flavour with time, even the ones that never truly go bad.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of sour cream?
One cup of sour cream weighs 230 g, poured, according to the USDA. The King Arthur chart rounds it to 227 g. One tablespoon weighs 14.4 g and one teaspoon weighs 4.8 g.
How many tablespoons of sour cream are in 100 g?
There are about 7 tablespoons in 100 g of sour cream (100 divided by 14.4 is 6.9). A standard 230 g tub holds about 16 tablespoons, which is exactly 1 cup.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes, 1:1 by weight in most cases. Greek yogurt weighs 15.3 g per tablespoon against sour cream's 14.4 g, and it brings a similar tang. It works well in baking, dips and toppings, but it is leaner, so the result will be less rich, and it curdles more easily in hot sauces.
Why does sour cream curdle in hot food?
Its proteins tighten and separate when heated quickly. To prevent it, take the pan off the heat before stirring it in, and temper it first by mixing a spoonful of hot sauce into the sour cream. Full-fat sour cream is more stable than light versions.
How long does sour cream last once opened?
About 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge, sealed tightly. Discard it if it smells sharply sour beyond its normal tang, tastes bitter, or shows mould. Do not freeze it for dolloping — it separates and turns grainy.
Related pages
If you cook with this ingredient regularly, these pages will help: the cups to grams converter for any amount, the ingredient density lookup for the full table of 120 ingredients, the Sour Cream cups to grams page for cup conversions, the Sour Cream grams to cups page for working backwards from grams, and the Sour Cream tablespoons to grams page for spoon measures. You may also want Yogurt, Cream Cheese.