How to Make Cashew Cream

We absolutely LOVE cashew cream! It’s a staple in our households and we use it in a lot of our dishes (check out our baked mac n cheese recipe) for an extra creamy texture. It’s also delicious in soups, as a dip, and served on top of all things Mexican!

It may sound daunting at first, but it’s actually really easy to make and only uses a few (simple) ingredients. You will surprise even your non-vegan guests with how delicious and flavorful this cream is!

To make cashew cream, all you really need is cashews and water but lemon juice and salt add a little extra flavor. For the best flavor, make sure the cashews are raw and unsalted (but in a pinch, you can use any you have on hand). It is also very important to soak the cashews prior to making the cashew cream — this helps make it extra creamy! We suggest soaking the cashews for at least two hours. If you are in a time crunch, you can pour boiling water over the cashews and soak for 20 minutes (alternatively, you can boil the cashews for a just few minutes if you’re really in a time crunch and have a high-powered blender)!

Some optional add-ins are garlic and onion powder (for some extra flavor) or nutritional yeast if you’re looking for more of a cheesy taste! Just blend all of the ingredients together and voilà — you are done! We suggest using a high-speed blender or food processor for best results. Check out our favorites here! So, get those cashews soaked and get started. The opportunities with cashew cream are endless!

Here are a few of our favorite recipes using cashew cream:

Slow-Cooker Creamy Corn Chowder

Baked Mac & Cheese

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Cashew Cream

A must have staple for your refrigerator!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hrs

Cook Time 1 min

Total Time 2 hrs 1 min

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews + 2 cups water, for soaking
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Place the cashews in a medium-sized bowl.
• Cover in the 2 cups of room temperature water. Soak for at least 2 hours. *See notes for alternative options.
• Drain and rinse cashews.
• Add soaked cashews, 1/2 cup water, lemon juice & salt to a high speed blender & blend until creamy (may need to stop blending and scrape the sides often).
• Transfer to a Tupperware and refrigerate (you can keep this in the fridge for about a week).

Notes

• For the best flavor, make sure the cashews are raw and unsalted (but in a pinch, you can use any you have on hand).
• It is also very important to soak the cashews prior to making the cashew cream — this helps make it extra creamy! We suggest soaking the cashews for at least two hours. If you are in a time crunch, you can pour boiling water over the cashews and soak for 20 minutes – alternatively, you can boil the cashews for a just few minutes if you’re really in a time crunch and you’re using a powerful blender!