Cashew Cream
Last Updated on September 29, 2024 by Krista Reseck
Cashew cream is such a versatile alternative to heavy cream or half and half. It’s a versatile alternative to dairy milk.
Use it for a creamy addition to vegan potato soup, tomato soup, corn chowder, or anywhere else you want a creamy touch.
Add it to mashed potatoes instead of milk and vegan butter.
Use cashew cream to make a creamy gravy or mushroom sauce. It thickens as it cooks so you may not need to add flour or cornstarch.
Put it in a squeeze bottle and drizzle on beans, tacos, enchiladas, or bowl meals.
Cashew cream makes a great base for a creamy herb salad dressing or a cumin-lime sauce to drizzle on a burrito bowl.
Use less water and it creates a velvety smooth base for a dip or cashew sour cream. Dollop cashew sour cream on Vegan Zucchini Fritters.
Use cashew cream as an ingredient in vegan pumpkin pie–it helps to thicken the filling.
Add more water and you have delicious cashew milk to put on cereal or use in cooking.
See what I mean by versatile!
How to Make Cashew Cream
And the good news is that cashew cream is very easy to make.
Rinse raw cashews in a fine mesh strainer. Transfer to a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling over high heat.
Drain and rinse. Transfer to a blender and add ¾ cup water.
Process until very smooth, about 2 minutes in a high-speed blender.
In just ten minutes you have made cashew cream!
Use within 7-10 days. Or freeze in ice cube trays for later.
Tips
- Cashew cream will thicken as it cools.
- Cashew cream will thicken when cooked.
- If you have trouble digesting cashews, try soaking them for two to three hours first. Then rinse, drain, and heat them in water.
- To reduce the amount of fat, blend in some tofu.
How to Use Cashew Cream Instead of Heavy Cream
Thanks to Cook’s Illustrated for determining these substitution ratios for using cashew cream instead of heavy cream or half-and-half.
- Heavy cream substitute: ¼ cup cashew cream + ¾ cup water = 1 cup heavy cream.
- Half-and-half substitute: 2 tablespoons cashew cream + ¾ cup water = 1 cup half-and-half.
Cashew cream will start out thinner than heavy cream or half-and-half. As it cooks, it will thicken.
If using cashew cream to replace heavy cream and eggs, omit the water. The cashew cream will help thicken the dish when cooked. (You may need to add some ground chia seeds or ground flaxseeds as well.)
4 Reasons to Boil the Cashews
- It’s faster. It takes five minutes instead of one to eight hours for the cashews to soak.
- It kills bacteria, which helps the cashew cream last longer.
- It improves the color. Boiled cashews are whiter, which makes a whiter cashew cream.
- It softens the cashews, making them easier to blend into a smooth consistency.
Variations
- Sweet Cashew Cream: Add monk fruit sweetener, maple syrup, or your favorite sweetener to taste. If desired, add vanilla and a dash of salt. Drizzle over fruit crisps, waffles, or hot cereal.
- Savory Cashew Cream: Add garlic, onion powder, and/or nutritional yeast. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. If desired, add fresh or dried herbs. Drizzle over salad, bowl meals, or beans.
- Cashew Milk: Add 2-3 cups of water, to taste. Shake before using. Use within 10 days.
Other Ways to Use Cashews
Cashew Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews rinsed
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- Cover raw rinsed cashews with water and bring to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Drain and rinse.
- Process in a blender with 1 cup water until smooth, about 90 seconds in a high-speed blender.
- Pour into a pint jar or glass container. Cover and refrigerate up to 10 days. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.
Notes
- Extra-Thick Cashew Cream: Decrease water to ½ cup.
- Sweet Cashew Cream: Add monk fruit sweetener, maple syrup, or your favorite sweetener to taste. If desired, add vanilla and a dash of salt. Drizzle over fruit crisps, waffles, or hot cereal.
- Savory Cashew Cream: Add garlic, onion powder, and/or nutritional yeast. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. If desired, add fresh or dried herbs. Drizzle over salad, bowl meals, or beans.
- Cashew Milk: Add 2-3 cups of water, to taste. Shake before using. Use within 10 days.
- Cashew cream will thicken as it cools.
- Cashew cream will thicken when cooked.
- Heavy cream substitute: ¼ cup cashew cream + ¾ cup water = 1 cup heavy cream.
- Half-and-half substitute: 2 tablespoons cashew cream + ¾ cup water = 1 cup half-and-half.
- Cashew cream will start out thinner than heavy cream or half-and-half. As it cooks, it will thicken.
- If using cashew cream to replace heavy cream and eggs, omit the water. The cashew cream will help thicken the dish when cooked. (You may need to add some ground chia seeds or ground flaxseeds as well.)
- Use it as a base for a creamy herb salad dressing or a cumin-lime sauce to drizzle on a burrito bowl.
- Put in a squeeze bottle and drizzle on beans, tacos, enchiladas, or bowl meals.
- To reduce the amount of fat, blend in some tofu.
- Cashews and other nuts blend best when there’s enough to cover the blender blades. That’s why 1 cup works better than ½ cup. This is also more efficient. This recipe makes enough for 2 recipes of Creamy Herb Dressing or one recipe of Herb Dressing plus cashew cream for other uses.
- Drizzle on Veggie Power Bowls. Or use in Creamy Herb Dressing. Or stir into potato soup; heat to thicken.
