Cashew Cream

4.50 from 2 votes

Cashew cream is a versatile non-dairy alternative to dairy cream, heavy cream, and half-and-half.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Course: Sauce, Seasoning

Cuisine: American

Keyword: condiment, sauce, gluten-free, oil-free, plant-based, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: tablespoons

Calories: 36kcal

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.

Variations:

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.

Tips:

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.