How to Make Cashew Cream
Find out how to make cashew cream, a perfect heavy cream substitute for plant-based eaters! This non-dairy cream substitute is ready in minutes and makes any dish creamier and more delicious!
Let me introduce you to my favorite secret-weapon ingredient: Cashew Cream
If you haven’t used Cashew Cream before, be prepared for your world to change. An easy mimic for every creamy, dreamy recipe you can come up with- minus the cholesterol and dairy!
How to Make Cashew Cream
I know it sounds weird but trust me when I say this does not taste anything like cashews. It’s a blank canvas just waiting to be turned into your favorite dish. For those of you looking to decrease your dairy intake, you can easily sub cashew cream any place heavy cream is called for. Add a bit to tomato sauce and basil for a creamy pasta pomodoro or my personal favorite, 1/2 cashew cream and 1/2 pumpkin puree for an easy pumpkin fettuccine.
The beauty of this 2-ingredient recipe is that it’s not just for pasta, it’s a great stand in for creamy salad dressings, ice-cream, soup, lasagna and more.
How to make: Cashew Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 30 minutes
- 1/2 cup water
- pinch salt, optional
Instructions
- Soak cashews in water for at least 30 minutes, ideally for at least 2 hours. If I know I am going to use cashews for dinner, I will place them in water either at night or in the morning before work.
- Drain and rinse cashews.
- Place in a high-powered blender with 1/2 cup fresh water and pinch of salt (if using) and puree until very, very smooth. (In my Blend-Tec, this takes about 1 minute, in older blenders it may take up to 5)
Nutrition
The key to a creamy cashew sauce is soaking the nuts beforehand. Ideally, you would soak the cashews for at least 2 hours, but it can work with a quick soak of 30 minutes. You will just need to puree your cream a bit longer. If you know you’re going to be using them for dinner, soak them before you leave for work.