How to Make Cashew Cream

If you’re new to the plant-based lifestyle, you might not have heard about the classic staple, cashew cream. This simple concoction can work wonders in the kitchen. It makes a nice neutral base to replace cheese, cream, sour cream, and more in recipes like casseroles, pizzas, pasta dishes, tacos, sandwiches, wraps and sauces. Plus, it makes a wonderful, flavorful dip or spread, once you add a few ingredients to jazz it up. 

You can make cashew cream for savory dishes, such as tacos, casseroles, or enchiladas. Or make a slightly sweeter cashew cream for sweeter dishes, such as fruit desserts, cream-filled pies and pastries, fruit dips, and sweet toppings. It’s so easy to make cashew cream, too. With essentially three ingredients—cashews, water, and lemons—you can make up a batch, and then add other ingredients to make it sweet (agave, vanilla) or savory (garlic, pepper, sea salt). Make a batch and keep it in the fridge all week long to use in your favorite dishes, including lasagna, pizza, tacos, fruit pies and parfaits all week long.

Follow along with my step-by-step guide for how to make cashew cream below, or jump to the recipe here.

What you’ll need to make Cashew Cream:

2 cups raw cashews
Water
1 small lemon, juiced

Optional Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic (for savory recipes)
Pinch sea salt and white pepper (for savory recipes)
1 tablespoon agave syrup or coconut palm sugar (for sweet recipes)
1 teaspoon vanilla (for sweet recipes)

Equipment:
Small bowl
Food processor or blender
Storage container

Step-By-Step Guide:

Get the full recipe for cashew cream here.

Try one of my favorite plant-based recipes using this plant-based staple:

For recipes featuring cashew cream, check out the following:

Lentil Patties with Basil Arugula Cashew Cream
Easy Cauliflower Chickpea Tacos
Vegan Baked Mediterranean Lasagna

For other how-to guides, check out:

How to Make Vegan Mayonnaise
How to Make Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
How to Make Vegan Avocado Crema
How to Make Homemade Corn Tortillas

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