Basic Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is such a versatile recipe that can be used in place of cheese and cream in vegan recipes. Cashews make a good dairy substitute.

Common Dairy Substitutes

Often plant-based and vegan recipes come up with creative ways to replicate the creaminess in soup or cheesy flavors in fillings. Two common replacements are coconut milk and Cashew cream. I like the taste of coconut in sweet dishes. However, I don’t like using coconut milk in savory dishes where I don’t want the coconut flavor to come through.

So, that’s how I fell in love with making cashew cream! It’s really easy to blend up and cashews have a nice creamy, fatty texture that is similar to dairy. Plus, cashews have a pretty neutral taste, so it’s easy to spice it up with seasoning. I like to use nutritional yeast for cheesiness, smoked paprika for smokiness, and soy sauce for some umami.

Making Cashew Cream

The key to making creamy cashew cream is to use a high speed blender like a Vitamix. These blenders are an investment, but they are worth the money if you do a lot of cooking. Don’t worry, if that’s not in your budget, let’s talk about some tricks you can use to get a creamy sauce.

Soaking your cashews is one way to get a creamier sauce even if you don’t have the best blender. If you plan ahead, you can add the cashews to a bowl and cover with water. Then, let them soak overnight and drain them in the morning. The cashews will swell and be softer. The quicker version is to soak the cashews in in hot, almost boiling water. The warmer temperature will speed up the process. Then let them sit for 20-30 minutes, and drain off the water.

The most basic recipe I use is 1 cup of cashews to about 3/4 cup of water. Add more water to make it thinner and less water to make a thicker sauce. With a pinch of salt, then you have a blank slate for so many flavors. You could add vanilla for a sweeter version. Check out the full recipe below for my favorite cheesy sauce. Want to see how I use cashew cream in my recipes, check out some of these:

• Creamy Corn Chowder
• Peaches and Cashew Cream
• Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Basic Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is such a versatile recipe that can be used in place of cheese and cream in vegan recipes. Cashews make a great dairy substitute.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Course Sauce

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup cashews soaked
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• ½ tsp soy sauce
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

 

• For a creamier result, soak the cashews before blending them. You can soak them in hot water for 20-30 minutes or soak them overnight. Drain the cashews after soaking.
• To a high speed blender, add the cashews, water, nutritional yeast, all the spices, and soy sauce.
• Blend on high for 2-3 minutes or until the cashews become a creamy sauce.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper to taste.
• Store in an airtight container for 7-10 days in the fridge.

Notes

If you want to use this cashew cream in place of heavy cream, you can just blend the cashews, water, and salt for a basic cashew cream. Add more water for a thinner cream and less water for a thicker cream.