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This hands-off, incredibly easy to make creamy vegan cashew cream is a great dairy-free alternative to cream or sour cream in savory recipes.
What is cashew cream?
What is cashew cream?Simply put, cashew cream is soaked raw cashews blended up into a silky-smooth sauce or cream. To make this vegan sauce, all that’s required are raw cashew and water. Although, you can make it savory or sweet by adding of your choice of flavorings.
Why You’ll Love This Cashew Cream Recipe
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Versatile: it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes and can be as thick or as thin as you need.
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Deliciously dairy-free: cashew cream is a great option for when you need to make a dish dairy free, but don’t want to sacrifice flavor. Perfect for when you’re serving a group of people with different dietary needs.
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Pantry-staple: keep raw cashews stocked in your pantry and you can make a creamy base for fillings, sauces, dressings, spreads and more, anytime.
Helpful Equipment
How to Make Vegan Cashew Cream
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Soak raw cashews in water for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
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Drain the cashews then add then to a high-powered blender or food processor along with fresh water and any seasonings you would like to use. For a savory cashew cream, I like to add a garlic clove and salt. For a sweet cashew cream, I add pitted dates and a bit of salt.
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Blend the cashews until ultra-creamy, scraping down the sides of the blender bowl occasionally.
How to Store Vegan Cashew Cream
Homemade cashew cream is good for 1 week stored in and airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Cashew Cream?
Yes, you can freeze cashew cream. Store in a zipper-lock bag or freeze in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a bag; freeze for up to 4 months. The texture may be slightly grainy, but it is still safe to eat. Give it a good whisk or re-blend to bring it back to it’s creamy consistency.
How to Use Vegan Cashew Cream
Check out this post for 8 Ways to Use Cashew Cream!
Make your cashew cream thicker or thinner by checking out this nut-to-liquid ratio over on Oh, Lady Cakes.
Cashew Cream Recipe Variations
- Make it sweet: blend in a pitted date or two, a dash of maple syrup, honey or sugar.
- Make it savory: blend in a fresh garlic clove, salt and pepper.
- Sweet spice: to a sweet cashew cream, blend in some ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Vegan Cashew Cream Recipe FAQs
How do you ensure a creamy cashew cream?
Be sure to soak your cashews for the full 2 hours, and if that still isn’t doing the trick, employ a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix, Ninja, or Blendtec.
Can I use roasted cashews instead of raw cashews?
No, it is best to use raw cashews here. Roasted cashews are crunchier in texture and don’t absorb/expand when soaked in water, leading to a less creamy and far less thick puree.
Can I make this into cashew sour cream?
Yes, to make a “cashew sour cream” simply swap out 1 tablespoon of water for 1 tablespoon of whiter vinegar during the blending process. Don’t use the date or the garlic so the tanginess comes through. Give it a taste and add additional vinegar until the desired tanginess is reached.
Vegan Cashew Cream Recipe
Description
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Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 10 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic savory
- 4 pitted medjool dates sweet
Instructions
- Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Set aside, at room temperature, and let soak for 2 hours.
- Rinse and drain, then transfer to a high powered blender or food processor with 10 tablespoons water, garlic or dates, and salt; purée until smooth.
- Store refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to a week or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
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