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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of buttermilk and sour cream is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

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.


Image of Buttermilk src
Image of Sour Cream src

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

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids,

Buttermilk Sour Cream
beta-carotene 7 UG 25 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 4 UG

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 %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol 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.

Compare Food