Heavy Cream vs. Sour Cream
Nutrition comparison of Heavy Cream and Sour Cream
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
heavy cream
versus
sour cream
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in heavy cream and sour cream:
- Both heavy cream and sour cream are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
- Heavy cream has signficantly more Vitamin D than sour cream.
- Sour cream has more niacin.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Heavy Cream (Cream, fluid, heavy whipping) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both heavy cream and sour cream are high in calories. Heavy cream has 72% more calories than sour cream - heavy cream has 340 calories per 100 grams and sour cream has 198 calories.
| Heavy Cream | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 3% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 3% | 9% |
| Fat | 93% | 86% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both heavy cream and sour cream are low in carbohydrates - heavy cream has 2.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and sour cream has 4.6g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Heavy cream and sour cream contain similar amounts of sugar - heavy cream has 2.9g of sugar per 100 grams and sour cream has 3.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Heavy cream and sour cream contain similar amounts of protein - heavy cream has 2.8g of protein per 100 grams and sour cream has 2.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both heavy cream and sour cream are high in saturated fat. Heavy cream has 127% more saturated fat than sour cream - heavy cream has 23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sour cream has 10.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Sour cream has 36% less trans fat than heavy cream - heavy cream has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and sour cream has 0.8g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Sour cream has 48% less cholesterol than heavy cream - heavy cream has 113mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and sour cream has 59mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Heavy cream and sour cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - heavy cream has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sour cream has 0.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both heavy cream and sour cream are high in Vitamin A. Heavy cream has 231% more Vitamin A than sour cream - heavy cream has 411ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sour cream has 124ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Heavy cream has signficantly more Vitamin D than sour cream - heavy cream has 63iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sour cream does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Heavy cream and sour cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - heavy cream has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sour cream has 0.38mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Heavy cream and sour cream contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - heavy cream has 3.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sour cream has 1.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sour cream has more niacin. Both heavy cream and sour cream contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Heavy Cream | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.02 MG | 0.02 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.188 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Niacin | 0.064 MG | 0.093 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.495 MG | 0.472 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.035 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 6 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.16 UG | 0.21 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both heavy cream and sour cream are high in calcium. Sour cream has 53% more calcium than heavy cream - heavy cream has 66mg of calcium per 100 grams and sour cream has 101mg of calcium.
iron
Heavy cream and sour cream contain similar amounts of iron - heavy cream has 0.1mg of iron per 100 grams and sour cream has 0.07mg of iron.
potassium
Heavy cream and sour cream contain similar amounts of potassium - heavy cream has 95mg of potassium per 100 grams and sour cream has 125mg 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,
| Heavy Cream | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 72 UG | 25 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both heavy cream and sour cream contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA.
| Heavy Cream | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.128 G | 0.074 G |
| EPA | 0.009 G | 0.006 G |
| DPA | 0.02 G | 0.011 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.157 G | 0.092 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both heavy cream and sour cream contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Heavy Cream | Sour Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.039 G | 0.018 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.294 G | 0.648 G |
| Total | 1.333 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: Heavy Cream (Cream, fluid, heavy whipping) and Sour Cream (Cream, sour, cultured) .
Heavy Cream 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 heavy cream or sour cream contain more calories in 100 grams?Both heavy cream and sour cream are high in calories. Heavy cream has 70% more calories than sour cream - heavy cream has 340 calories in 100g and sour cream has 198 calories.
Does heavy cream or sour cream contain more calcium?
Both heavy cream and sour cream are high in calcium. Sour cream has 50% more calcium than heavy cream - heavy cream has 66mg of calcium in 100 grams and sour cream has 101mg of calcium.