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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cream cheese 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: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cream Cheese src
Image of Sour Cream src

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) .

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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol 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.

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