This cashew cream sour cream recipe is a delicious plant based alternative to traditional sour cream! It is rich, creamy, tangy, and the perfect thing to add to tacos, chili, nachos, or baked potatoes. It’s made in a blender with only 5 ingredients!
The best dairy free sour cream
Have you ever wondered if dairy free sour cream that’s actually tasty is a thing?
Well if you haven’t already guessed based on the title of this recipe, it is!
And it’s so delicious. Everything you’d want in a sour cream alternative – rich, creamy, and perfectly tangy.
There are some things that finding dairy free substitutes for can be tricky. Sour cream is so yummy to add to different meals (tacos, nachos, baked potatoes, etc!), but I’ve never fallen in love with any particular store bought version. They always seem to lack some tang and fall a little flat in the flavor / texture department.
But thanks the texture and mild flavor of raw cashews this homemade dairy free sour cream checks all the boxes, and I can’t wait for you to try it!
Why you’ll love this sour cream
It is:
- Rich & creamy
- Tangy
- Thick
- Versatile
- Easy to make
- Made with simple ingredients
- SO tasty!
Ingredients
This dairy free sour cream alternative is made with just a handful of simple pantry friendly ingredients.
- Raw cashews – I prefer raw cashews for this recipe because they are easy to soak and blend. They also offer a milder flavor than roasted cashews that’s easier to build upon. You could use roasted cashews in a pinch, but if you do make sure you soak them for a full 12-24 hours to sufficiently soften them, and keep in mind that the color will be darker and the flavor will be slightly different (more “nutty” tasting).
- Boiled water – Water that has just been boiled is used to both soak the cashews, and blend them into sour cream.
- Lemon juice & apple cider vinegar – A combination of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar give this sour cream substitute it’s bright and tangy flavor!
- Salt – I use Diamond kosher salt but you can use whatever you have on hand. If making a substitution keep in mind that kosher salt has a different structure than table salt, so you may want to reduce the amount slightly. If you’re not sure how much to use start with a lesser amount and adjust the salt to taste after blending.
- Garlic – One fresh garlic clove gives this non dairy sour cream a welcome boost of flavor!
I bought many of these vegan sour cream ingredients on Thrive Market – a membership based natural products website that is like a Whole Foods or Costco but based 100% online and with literally the BEST wholesale prices.
I have been a Thrive Market member for 7 years and over that period of time I have saved a projected $5,167! That is some serious savings.
How to make cashew cream sour cream
Like many homemade condiment recipes, there’s more than one way to make them. But for this recipe I’m showing you how to make vegan sour cream with cashews. They provide the most incredible creamy texture that is luscious and smooth. And their mild flavor is the perfect backdrop for the flavor enhancing ingredients that are added.
It’s so easy to make and takes very little hands on time.
Here’s the step-by-step
- Add raw cashews to a heat proof bowl and cover with just boiled water. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight – until cashews look pale and plump.
- Drain cashews and add to a high speed blender along with 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons just boiled water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and garlic.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Taste and add a little more salt or apple cider vinegar / lemon juice as desired.
- Use immediately or transfer to the refrigerator to until ready to use. It will firm up as it sits in the fridge. If you want to thin it out at all before using just mix in a little water until desired consistency is reached.
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, I definitely recommend soaking the cashews overnight for a smoother, creamier consistency.
Serving suggestions
This dairy free sour cream alternative would be delicious with:
How long will this sour cream keep in the refrigerator?
This dairy free sour cream should keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, and you can always freeze it if you haven’t used it up in that time!
Can you freeze this vegan sour cream?
Yep! Absolutely. It can be stored in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 months. You might want to re-blend it after thawing to get the smoothest consistency.
Love this dairy free sour cream recipe? Be sure to check out our other sauce and condiment recipes!
- Dairy Free Parmesan Cheese
- Nut Free Dairy Free Cheese Sauce
- Dairy Free French Onion Dip
- Homemade Stir Fry Sauce
- Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
- How to Make Cashew Cream
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!
PrintCashew Cream Sour Cream (Dairy Free)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/4 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This cashew cream sour cream recipe is a delicious plant based alternative to traditional sour cream! It is rich, creamy, tangy, and the perfect thing to add to tacos, chili, nachos, or baked potatoes. It’s made in a blender with only 5 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- Just boiled water to soak
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons just boiled water to blend sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 clove of garlic
Instructions
- Add raw cashews to a heat proof bowl and cover with just boiled water. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight – until cashews look pale and plump. If you don’t have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, I definitely recommend soaking the cashews overnight for a smoother, creamier consistency.
- Drain cashews and add to a high speed blender along with 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons just boiled water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and garlic. If the mixture is too stiff in the blender add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until it blends freely.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Taste and add a little more salt or apple cider vinegar / lemon juice as desired.
- Use immediately or transfer to the refrigerator to until ready to use. It will firm up more as it sits in the fridge. If you want to thin it out at all before using just mix in a little water until desired consistency is reached.
Notes
This dairy free sour cream should keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can always freeze it if you haven’t used it up in that time!
It can be stored in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 months. You might want to re-blend it after thawing to get the smoothest consistency.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Soaking time: 30 minutes
- Category: condiment
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: healthy
Ashley says
I’ve tried so many dairy free sour cream alternatives and none come close to this recipe. Easy to turn into a dip with added onion or herbs. So good!
Nyssa Tanner says
Okay must try turning this into a dip! That sounds so delicious. So glad you found a df sour cream you love with this recipe!