Flavorful cashew cream sauce is a lovely dip or topping for tacos or chili. This recipe for cashew cream makes a perfect base for creamy dips and sauces, like Spinach Artichoke Dip!
Cashew cream sauce is super versatile, and it's also incredibly easy to make. You only need a handful of ingredients and a blender to do it.
Let's do this.
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What kind of cashews do you need?
Most cashew cream sauce recipes call for raw cashews, but I have a secret to tell you.
You really don't have to splash out for raw cashews, if you don't want to.
Yes, raw cashews will blend up more easily, but you can absolutely use roasted cashews. Trust me. If you use roasted cashews, just add 5 minutes to the soaking time to soften them a bit more. You also may need to do a bit more blending. But it will totally work!
Do I have to soak the cashews?
You definitely do.
Soaking your cashews softens them, so that they blend more easily. I don't recommend skipping the soaking step in this or any other cashew cream recipe.
Many recipes will tell you that you need to soak your cashews overnight, and this isn't true, either. I don't recommend making this recipe for cashew (or any other) without soaking, but you don't need to soak for 8+ hours to get a smooth, creamy sauce.
The trick to cutting the soaking time down from hours to minutes, though, is to use hot water.
To soak your cashews, cover them in enough hot water so that they are totally submerged. Then, figure out your soaking time.
- If you're using a high speed blender, you only need to soak for 10 minutes.
- For a regular blender, soak for 15 minutes.
- If you are using roasted cashews, add 5 minutes to your soaking time.
When the soaking time is up, drain your cashews and discard the soaking water. The soaking water gets kind of slimy and funky, so I do not recommend using it for anything other than watering a plant.
Blending tips
Once you finish soaking and draining, it's time to blend! This step will vary depending on your blender. Here are the deets.
In a high speed blender, you should be able to get a nice, smooth cashew cream in just 1-2 minutes of blending. Make sure that you stop every 30-60 seconds to scrape down the sides of your blender, so all of the cashews hit that blade!
In a regular blender, this process will take longer, but it will work. Just don't quit! Keep blending in 1-minute increments, until you have a velvety-smooth cashew cream sauce. When you take those blending breaks, make sure to scrape down the sides of your blender, so you'll end up with an even texture.
Storage directions
Your finished garlic cashew cream will keep for around three days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
You can also freeze it for up to 6 months. Just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then give it a whisk before adding to your recipe of choice.
What do you use cashew cream for?
Here are some stellar ways to use cashew cream sauce!
- to make the sauce base for spinach-artichoke pasta
- straight up as a sauce for pasta -- It's almost like a garlicky alfredo!
- for making spinach artichoke dip rich and creamy
- as a topping for your favorite vegan chili
- drizzled over tacos
- as the sauce for a Burrito Bowl
It works well as a replacement for heavy cream in savory recipes, like soups and sauces.
You can also use it anywhere you'd use vegan mayo or vegan sour cream. It's seriously versatile and a staple in my own kitchen.
Cashew cream sauce recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews - soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes, then drained (see note)
- ½ cup water - NOT the soaking water
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the cashew cream ingredients in your blender, and puree until smooth (see note).
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Marge
FABULOUS. I knew I'd love it and so I kept careful track so I can replicate it.
1C cashew halves & pieces = 5.27z (I did 5z and a drop more. My oldish scale measures in 2z increments. If there's a nice replacement that's made in USA, please tell me. I soaked them for 15M in boiled water.
3 large garlic cloves = 1z total
2T lemon juice
I'll add a little black pepper and no salt. I cooked an 8.8z box of Barilla chickpea rotini in salted water.
The sauce is DELICIOUS. Maybe next time I'll roast the garlic first. This is pretty strong raw garlic, which I love but roasted might be better and I'd roast 2z of raw.
I'll end up eating half the box, which doesn't seem so filling but the dressing is more filling than one might think. I have a nice amount left. Next time maybe I double it and freeze a bunch. I'd say this batch was 1C or maybe 1.25C.
Thanks, Becky! I'll be making this again for sure!
Becky Striepe
Thank you so much for doing these conversions and your experience, Marge!
Marge
Tonight I had more pasta & sauce but also used the sauce to add oomph to an impulse buy at Costco today, namely, salmon stuffed with crabmeat. That was a great combo.