Easiest Ever Basic Cashew Cream Recipe
This basic cashew cream recipe is a creamy and versatile alternative to dairy cream! You need just 2 ingredients and 5 minutes...but the variations are endless. Use this cashew cream to make delicious vegan cream sauces and other dairy free recipes.
Equipment
- High Speed Blender you can use a regular blender if you soak first, see note!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt halve for sweet uses
Optional flavourings (sweet or savoury)
- freshly squeezed lemon juice adds brightness and tang
- nutritional yeast adds cheesy umami
- garlic or onion powder for savoury depth and umami
- fresh herbs great for making sauces and dressings
- spices try curry powder!
- pure vanilla extract
- maple syrup
Instructions
- Place cashews, water and salt in a high speed blender. If you're using any optional flavourings, add those too. Blend on high speed for a full minute until silky and smooth.
- Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. It thickens as it sits, but you can loosen it up with a bit of water.
Notes
There are SO many ways to vary this basic recipe! See the post for variations to make it thicker or thinner, and ways to use it.
If your blender isn’t strong, OR if you are trying to blend up a very small amount, like a half cup of cashews, soaking IS better as it will help hydrate the cashews, making them much easier to blend. If soaking at room temperature, you need ideally 4 hours or overnight.
Want to soak cashews quickly? Do a hot soak! Boil the kettle, and once it’s boiled, pour hot water over the cashews in a heatproof boil and let soak for 30 minutes. Soaking also mutes the flavour of cashews even further so the cashew cream will be more neutral.