Buttermilk vs. Sour Cream
Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Sour Cream
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
buttermilk
versus
sour cream
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in buttermilk and sour cream:
- Both sour cream and buttermilk are high in calcium.
- Buttermilk has 4.3 times less cholesterol than sour cream.
- Buttermilk has more Vitamin B12.
- Buttermilk has signficantly more Vitamin D than sour cream.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, sour cream has more dpa than buttermilk.
- Sour cream is a great source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Sour cream is high in calories and buttermilk has 69% less calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories per 100 grams and buttermilk has 62 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to sour cream per calorie. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for sour cream, 5:9:86 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Buttermilk | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 9% |
| Fat | 48% | 86% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both sour cream and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - sour cream has 4.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Sour cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of sugar - sour cream has 3.4g of sugar per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sour cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of protein - sour cream has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and buttermilk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sour cream is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 81% less saturated fat than sour cream - sour cream has 10.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both sour cream and buttermilk are low in trans fat - sour cream has 0.8g of trans fat per 100 grams and buttermilk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Buttermilk has 4.3 times less cholesterol than sour cream - sour cream has 59mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sour cream has more Vitamin C than buttermilk - sour cream has 0.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and buttermilk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sour cream is a great source of Vitamin A and it has 164% more Vitamin A than buttermilk - sour cream has 124ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Buttermilk has signficantly more Vitamin D than sour cream - buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sour cream does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sour cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sour cream has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sour cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sour cream has 1.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Buttermilk has more Vitamin B12. Both buttermilk and sour cream contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Buttermilk | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.047 MG | 0.02 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.172 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Niacin | 0.09 MG | 0.093 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.472 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 6 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.46 UG | 0.21 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both sour cream and buttermilk are high in calcium. Buttermilk has 14% more calcium than sour cream - sour cream has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.
iron
Sour cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of iron - sour cream has 0.07mg of iron per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Sour cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of potassium - sour cream has 125mg of potassium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 135mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, sour cream has more DPA than buttermilk per 100 grams. Both buttermilk and sour cream contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Buttermilk | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.076 G | 0.074 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.006 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.011 G |
| Total | 0.076 G | 0.092 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sour cream has more linoleic acid than buttermilk per 100 grams.
| Buttermilk | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.122 G | 0.648 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.018 G |
| Total | 0.122 G | 0.666 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) .
Buttermilk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sour Cream g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sour cream or buttermilk contain more calories in 100 grams?Sour cream is high in calories and buttermilk has 70% less calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories in 100g and buttermilk has 62 calories.
Does sour cream or buttermilk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both sour cream and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - sour cream has 4.6g of carbs for 100g and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
Does sour cream or buttermilk contain more calcium?
Both sour cream and buttermilk are high in calcium. Buttermilk has 10% more calcium than sour cream - sour cream has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.