Cream Cheese vs. Sour Cream
Nutrition comparison of Cream Cheese and Sour Cream
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cream cheese
versus
sour cream
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cream cheese and sour cream:
- Both sour cream and cream cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both sour cream and cream cheese are high in calories. Cream cheese has 77% more calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories per 100 grams and cream cheese has 350 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cream cheese is lighter in carbs and similar to sour cream for protein and fat. Cream cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 7:6:87 and for sour cream, 5:10:85 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cream Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 6% | 10% |
| Fat | 87% | 85% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sour cream and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - sour cream has 4.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Sour cream and cream cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - sour cream has 3.4g of sugar per 100 grams and cream cheese has 3.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cream cheese has 152% more protein than sour cream - sour cream has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sour cream and cream cheese are high in saturated fat. Cream cheese has 99% more saturated fat than sour cream - sour cream has 10.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 20.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Sour cream and cream cheese contain similar amounts of trans fat - sour cream has 0.8g of trans fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 1.2g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Sour cream has 42% less cholesterol than cream cheese - sour cream has 59mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cream cheese has 101mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sour cream has more Vitamin C than cream cheese - sour cream has 0.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Both sour cream and cream cheese are high in Vitamin A. Cream cheese has 148% more Vitamin A than sour cream - sour cream has 124ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cream cheese has 308ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sour cream and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sour cream has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.86mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sour cream and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sour cream has 1.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cream cheese has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Both cream cheese and sour cream contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Cream Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.02 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.23 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Niacin | 0.091 MG | 0.093 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.517 MG | 0.472 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.056 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 6 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.22 UG | 0.21 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both sour cream and cream cheese are high in calcium. Sour cream has a little more calcium (4%) than cream cheese by weight - sour cream has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.
iron
Sour cream and cream cheese contain similar amounts of iron - sour cream has 0.07mg of iron per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.11mg of iron.
potassium
Sour cream and cream cheese contain similar amounts of potassium - sour cream has 125mg of potassium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 132mg 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, both cream cheese and sour cream contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Cream Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 59 UG | 25 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 7 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both cream cheese and sour cream contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA.
| Cream Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.131 G | 0.074 G |
| EPA | 0.01 G | 0.006 G |
| DPA | 0.02 G | 0.011 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.161 G | 0.092 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cream cheese and sour cream contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cream Cheese | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.036 G | 0.018 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.212 G | 0.648 G |
| Total | 1.248 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: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) .
Cream Cheese 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 % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 cream cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both sour cream and cream cheese are high in calories. Cream cheese has 80% more calories than sour cream - sour cream has 198 calories in 100g and cream cheese has 350 calories.
Does sour cream or cream cheese contain more calcium?
Both sour cream and cream cheese are high in calcium. Sour cream has a little more calcium ( 0%) than cream cheese by weight - sour cream has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.