Cashew cream is a luscious dairy free wonder that can be used to replace heavy cream in savory to sweet recipes alike. Made with just water and raw cashews, it’s quick and easy to whip up. It will transform the way you look at dairy free cooking, and make your life easier and more delicious!
The best cashew cream
Cashew cream is 1000% my most cherished substitution for heavy cream in dairy free recipes.
I’ve been using it for a long time in everything from soup to pasta, salad dressings, condiments, and beyond.
In all my years of cooking it’s the closest thing I have found to mimic the texture and flavor of actual cream!
The flavor of raw cashews is mild, which makes it the perfect starting point to add whatever other ingredients you want to highlight in a recipe without overtaking the other flavors.
And did I mention the texture?!
Silky smooth, and OH-SO-CREAMY. Like out of this world creamy.
It is truly a match made in heaven if you’re searching for a dairy free alternative and don’t want to sacrifice the enjoyment of your meals!
Why you’ll love this recipe
It is:
👉🏼 So easy to make – just 2 ingredients! For a basic batch, all you need is raw cashews and water. It can then be added to recipes instead of dairy or coconut milk, or spiced up with other ingredients to make a stand-alone sauce. I have included some suggestions for ingredients that can be added in a section below.
👉🏼 Versatile and convenient – The perfect match for any recipe where you usually use cream. Keeping a jar handy in your refrigerator to use throughout the week is a great weekday meal hack!
👉🏼 Extraordinarily creamy – Once blended, the texture is truly outstanding. So convincingly creamy that whomever you’re serving will likely have no idea that the recipe is dairy free!
What can you make with cashew cream?
The list is literally almost endless!
Cashew cream can be used in so many different types of recipes, essentially anywhere you would typically use heavy cream.
In the section near the bottom of this post, I’ve included a list of our favorite recipes on NK that use raw cashews as a substitute for dairy.
Ingredient highlights
Raw cashews
Raw cashews are the star ingredient of cashew cream.
Their soft texture and mild flavor make them ideal for creating the perfect substitute for heavy cream. I don’t recommend using roasted cashews instead of raw, they won’t yield to blending with water in the same way!
How to make gloriously creamy cashew cream
To make cashew cream at home, all you need is raw cashews, water, and a blender. After cashews are soaked, the recipe comes together in just 5 minutes!
Step 1: Soak cashews
In a heat-proof bowl, cover cashews with just boiled water to soak for 15-30 minutes. Alternatively, cashews can be soaked overnight in room-temperature water.
The photo on the right shows what they should like like after being properly soaked. They are paler in color and appear more plump!
Step 2: Drain cashews and blend
Drain cashews and add to blender container with 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water – depending on desired thickness.
Step 3: Store or use immediately!
Once made, cashew cream can be used immediately or stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Thick vs thin cashew cream
As mentioned in the recipe card below, you can adjust the amount of water used in your cashew cream to vary the level of thickness. 1/2 cup of water will yield a cashew cream that is close to the texture of sour cream, and increasing to 3/4 cup water will result in a more pourable consistency.
These photos show cashew cream made with 1/2 cup of water.
These photos show cashew cream made with 3/4 cup of water.
How to fast track the soaking process
Pro tip: Instead of skipping the soaking altogether (which I don’t recommend – you won’t achieve the same blissful creaminess), my favorite shortcut when I don’t have extra time is to simmer the cashews in water on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes.
This option speeds up the process of softening the cashews and still provides excellent results and texture!
Can you freeze cashew cream?
Yes!
If you have extra cashew cream you know you won’t use before it goes bad, pop it in an air-tight container and freeze until you’re ready to thaw and use.
If it has separated slightly during the thawing process, you may need to briefly re-blend it to emulsify again after thawing.
Recipes on Nyssa’s Kitchen that use cashew cream instead of dairy
To keep my recipes streamlined and easy to make I often include the blending of cashews into other ingredients in the recipe instead of making a batch of cashew cream on its own and then adding it to the recipe.
As you get more comfortable using cashews instead of dairy you’ll be able to make those simple swaps, too! But of course you can always just keep it on hand to add to recipes the same way you’d add dairy.
Check out all of the NK recipes that use cashews here!
Dips, condiments, and sauces
- Mayo-less Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
- Dairy Free Sour Cream
- Creamy Cashew Queso
- 5-Ingredient Cashew Beet Dip
- French Onion Dip
- Dill Pickle Dip
- Smoked Salmon Dip
- Cashew Cream Queso Fundido with Ground Beef
- Make Ahead Gravy
Soups
- White Bean and Kale Soup
- Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup
- Shepherds Pie Soup
- White Chicken Chili
- Dairy Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Chicken and Vegetable Soup
- Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana
- Pumpkin Turkey Chili
- Dairy Free Corn Chowder
Pastas
- Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta
- Vodka Pasta Sauce
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Dairy Free Fettuccine Alfredo
- Cashew Cream Mushroom and Kale Pasta
- Dairy Free Mushroom Stroganoff
- Chicken Sausage Pasta
If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!
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Seriously Easy 2-Ingredient Cashew Cream
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Cashew cream is a luscious dairy free wonder that can be used to replace heavy cream in savory to sweet recipes alike. Made with just water and raw cashews, it’s quick and easy to whip up. It will transform the way you look at dairy free / vegan cooking, and make your life easier and more delicious! Vegan, Whole30 compatible, and paleo friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- Hot water to soak
- 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water, depending on desired thickness
Instructions
- Soak cashews. In a heat proof bowl, cover cashews with just boiled water to soak for 15-30 minutes until pale and plump in appearance. Alternatively, cashews can be soaked overnight in room temperature water. For an even faster option, simmer cashews in a small saucepan on the stove top for 5-10 minutes until pale and plump.
- Drain cashews and blend. Drain cashews and add to blender container with 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water – depending on desired thickness. 1/2 cup of water will yield cashew cream that is close to the consistency of sour cream. Use 3/4 cup water (or more) for a more pour-able consistency. Blend on high, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until completely smooth and creamy. An additional tablespoon of water can be added at a time to ensure smooth blending.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days until ready to use. Can be used to substitute heavy cream in a variety of recipes. We particularly love it for soups, pasta sauces, and pan sauces! See the blog post above for recipe recommendations and flavor variations.
Notes
Cashew cream can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for 4-5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
See blog post for serving suggestions and flavor variations!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Dairy Free
Plaga says
I need this on everything in my life. Right now.
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes girl!! You would love it!