• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Howe We Live logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • By Category
      • Appetizers
      • Breads & Muffins
      • Breakfast/Brunch
      • Christmas
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Main Courses
      • Sides
      • Soups/Salads
    • By Cooking Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Instant Pot
      • Meal Prep
      • One Pan
      • Sheet Pan
      • Slow Cooker
    • By Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Eggs
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Poultry
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
  • Resources
    • Book Recommendations
    • Cookbook Recommendations
    • Balanced Eating As a Family
    • Kitchen Hacks & Tips
    • Lifestyle
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes
  • Resources
  • Shop My Favorites
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Easy Vegan Cashew Cream

    Easy Vegan Cashew Cream

    Published: Dec 29, 2020 by Andrea Howe · This post may contain affiliate links.

    19 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Cashew cream sauce is a versatile alternative to dairy dips and legume-based hummus. Learn how to make cashew cream at home, with tips on how to change up the flavor for different uses! 

    cashew cream sauce in a silver container surrounded by chips

    Cashews have seem to become an all-purpose nut these days, and I’m not complaining. They’re mild in flavor, soft in texture and full of essential nutrients, including a healthy dose of protein and healthy fats. Cashews can be used for grain-free crusts, added in smoothies, or used as a non-dairy, non-legume alternative to sour cream and hummus.

    I love it as a creamy topping to my cauliflower rice and sweet potato dish. And it’s also delicious in place of ricotta in my zucchini rolls.

    Since the original recipe was buried within another recipe, I decided to separate it out and showcase this beautifully versatile dip and sauce on its own.

    Ingredients

    • Cashews (raw and unsalted preferred)
    • Water
    • Olive Oil
    • Flavorings of your choice (maple syrup to make sweet, citrus and salt & pepper to make savory)
    woman spooning cashew cream sauce onto sweet potato on a white plate

    How to Make Cashew Cream Sauce

    All the details are below, but making this sauce couldn’t be easier. All it involves is soaking the cashews for a bit, tossing them in a food processor and adding your chosen flavoring.

    pouring water over a white bowl filled with cashews

    You begin by soaking your raw cashews in some warm water, for at least an hour. If you soak them longer, say, overnight, they will absorb even more water and yield a creamier texture, so if you have the time, allow them a nice long soak.

    white bowl filled with water and cashews
    straining water out of bowl filled with cashews

    When soaking is complete, drain and set aside.

    If you want a savory cashew cream sauce, you’ll need to balance out the inherent sweetness of the cashews. You achieve this by adding citrus, in the form of lemons and/or limes. I like both, but use what you have on hand. This will give the cream some bite.

    cutting a lime in half on a wooden cutting board
    Pouring water into a measuring cup over a food processor filled with cashews

    Add your cashews, along with your water, into the food processor fitted with the chopping blade.

    If you’ve left your cashews soak for a long time, they’ll retain more water, therefore you’ll need to use less water. A safe place to start is with ¼ cup, and go from there. Just like when you make hummus, you’ll add olive oil as you go, to suit your liking.
    Squeeze in your citrus, as well as a heavy pinch of salt, at least ¼ tsp, and pulse till nice and smooth, scraping the sides to fully incorporate, as needed.

    scooping out cashew cream sauce out of food processor into bowl

    Store your cashew cream sauce covered in the fridge for up to 10 days.

    Ways to Use Cashew Cream

    • Use it as a topping for sweet potatoes
    • A dip for fresh veggies and chips
    • To replace ricotta cheese in lasagnas or fresh veggie rolls
    • A filling for wraps, in place of mayo or hummus
    • My favorite way is to fill a roasted sweet potato with spinach, and then top with cashew cream and some slivered almondswoman spooning sautéed spinach on a sweet potato on a white plate
      woman sprinkling slivered almonds on a sweet potato

    How To Make Your Cashew Cream Sweet

    I’ve shared how to make a yummy savory sauce out of cashews, but don’t think it doesn’t also work to make it sweet!

    To go for a more sweet sauce or dip, simply add 1-2 tablespoon of maple syrup (or preferred sweetener) to the cashews, and blend as directed.

    You could also add a teaspoon of vanilla, or even some cinnamon or nutmeg if you’re trying to warm it up. Because cashews are naturally sweet, they blend up into a beautiful dessert like dip you can use for things like fresh fruits.

    bowl of cashew cream dip surrounded by veggie chips

    Cashew Cream Sauce

    Cashew cream sauce is a versatile alternative to dairy dips and legume-based hummus. Learn how to make cashew cream at home, with tips on how to change up the flavor for different uses! 
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author:Andrea

    Equipment

    • Food Processor or High Speed Blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw cashews soaked in warm water for at least 1-2 hours
    • Juice of ½ lime and ½ lemon
    • ¼ tsp salt to taste
    • ¼-1/2 cup filtered water
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Drain cashews, and place in food processor or high speed blender, with the chopping blade attachment. Add remaining ingredients, and pulse till cashews are nice and creamy, adding more water and juice of lemon and lime till desired consistency and taste.

    Notes

    Note that if you soak your cashews longer, like overnight, they will retain a lot more water and will therefore require less water to make smooth. The cashews will also blend up finer if you soak them longer.
    Depending on the juiciness of your citrus, you may need to add more or less than ½ of each lemon or lime.
    To make a sweet cashew cream, add 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup in place of citrus juice and salt & pepper.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.25Cups | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Howe.We.Live or tag #HoweWeLiveRecipes!
    « Ultimate Guide To Making The Best Smoothies At Home
    My Life Hacks 2020 List »

    About Andrea Howe

    Andrea Howe is the recipe developer and photographer of Howe We Live. She is also a seasoned home cook of over 20 years, for her family of 5. Andrea has spent over 10 years in the food industry, writing for various publications including Babble and Disney. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Taste of Home, Yahoo, Buzzfeed and ABC News.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laura Ruggeri says

      May 03, 2016 at 5:19 am

      HI Kristen,
      I love your recipe for cashew cream. Thank you for posting it!

      Also, I love your glass water filter, too. I have been looking for one. Can you tell me about it? The brand name and whether you like it or not?

      Thank you,
      Laura

      Reply
    2. kristen says

      March 11, 2015 at 7:47 am

      Hey Andrea! I’m just getting caught up on all your blog posts. Love everything as usual, amazing Mama. 🙂 I am *so* going to try this cashew cream!

      Also, I wondered if you could tell me more about your stack of gold bracelets. I love them!

      Reply
    3. the Blah Blah Blahger says

      February 17, 2015 at 4:32 pm

      What kind of flavor does this have? I’m intrigued!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Caucasian women sitting on a kitchen counter smiling, holding a glass of white wine

    Welcome to Howe We Live. I’m Andrea, a passionate home cook and mother of 3. I’ve been cooking and writing about healthy eating for almost a decade, and my number one goal here is to help you develop the tools needed to throw together a great meal at home that is both delicious, and healthy-ish. All eaters are welcome here! Read More

    Latest Posts

    • 6 Sweet and Savory Cottage Cheese Toast Ideas
    • Miso Butter Salmon – Quick & Easy!
    • Nourishing Fiesta Salad Recipe
    • Easy Creamy Protein Hummus
    • Creamy Spicy Ranch Dressing
    • Homemade Air Fryer Taquitos

    Top Posts

    • picture of 2 glasses filled with coconut pineapple margarita
      Coconut Pineapple Margarita Recipe
    • white plate with top sirloin steak tips and potatoes served on top, with a fork set to the side
      Beef Sirloin Tip Steak With Garlic Butter Potatoes
    • brown rice and turkey meatballs in a cast iron skillet
      Skillet Turkey Meatballs & Rice
    • A piece of chicken cutlet cooked in air fryer dipped in ranch dressing
      Chicken Cutlets In the Air Fryer

    As Featured In:

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • About

    Newsletter & Contact

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Contact

    Notable Links

    • Recipes by Category
    • Shop Clean Beauty

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 · Howe We Live · Privacy Policy