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 a savory 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 of cashew cream, 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.
Make your own, quick and easy cashew cream with just a few ingredients—raw cashews, lemon juice, and your favorite additions—as a plant-based, vegan, gluten-free base to replace cheese, cream, sour cream, and more in cooking.
Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 3 hours. Or do the quick soak method by soaking for 15 minutes in boiling water.
Drain cashews.
Place cashews in blender or food processor with lemon juice, 1 cup fresh water, and optional ingredients as desired—depending on your preference for use in savory or sweet dishes.
Process cashews until very smooth. May have to pause and scrape down sides a few times. Texture should be thick and creamy.
Remove from blender and place in an airtight container. Chill for up to 5 days. Makes 3 cups (12 servings, ¼-cup each).
Notes
Use in place of cheese, sour cream, or cream cheese in pastas, casseroles, dips, desserts, and sauces. Excellent as a topping for salads and tacos. May add additional flavorings to suit recipes, such as herbs and green onions for salad dressings, and cinnamon for a sweet topping.
Prep Time:5 minutes (plus 3 hours soaking time)
Category:Dip
Cuisine:American
Nutrition
Serving Size:1 serving
Calories:126
Sugar:1 g
Sodium:3 mg
Fat:10 g
Saturated Fat:2 g
Carbohydrates:8 g
Fiber:1 g
Protein:4 g
Cholesterol:0 mg
For recipes featuring cashew cream, check out the following: