Cashew cream is a miraculous ingredient for dairy-free cooking. Its mild flavor works well as a replacement for cheese and cream and butter and even pastry cream. It took me a while to learn how to use it, but once I did, it became a staple of my cooking.
The recipe could not be easier: Soak raw cashews in water overnight. Blend 1 parts soaked raw cashews to 1 part water. You can keep the finished cashew cream in the fridge for up to a week, or store in the freezer for up to three months. For thicker cashew cream, blend 2 parts soaked raw cashews to 1 part water.
To make sweet cashew cream, blend 3 soaked dates or 1 tablespoon of coconut nectar (or maple syrup or coconut sugar) with the raw cashews. Add a couple drops of liquid stevia if it’s not sweet enough.
For savory cashew cream, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules per cup of raw cashews. For cheesy cashew cream, blend in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast per cup of raw cashews.
I use cashew cream to thicken sauces, as an egg-free base for vegan quiche and tarts, in frosting and to add moisture to sweet baked goods. I stir it into dairy-free cream soups to erase the flavor of coconut milk and blend it into fruit smoothies to give them a thick, creamy texture. It’s also great in coffee.
Vegan Cashew Cream
This versatile dairy-free cream works as a replacement for real cream in many recipes. It's great as a base for vegan quiche, in soups, baked goods and coffee. You can make thicker cashew cream by cutting the water in half.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- Pinch pink Himalayan salt (optional)
Instructions
Soak the cashews in 3-4 cups water overnight.
Put drained cashews in a blender or food processor with 1 cup fresh water. Blend until very smooth.
Add salt to taste.
Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
Notes
For sweet cashew cream, add 2-3 soaked dates before blending. For a savory cashew cream, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
Cashews and water are all you need to make cashew cream.
Soak 1 cup of raw cashews in 2-3 cups of water overnight.
The next day, drain the cashews, and put them in a food processor or high speed blender with 1 cup fresh water.
Blend at high speed until the cashews turn creamy.
Pour the cashew cream into a clean glass container.
Use cashew cream in place of regular cream. For thicker cashew cream, blend 1 cup soaked cashews with 1/2 cup water.
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