Smoky, spicy chipotle chile powder makes this vegan chipotle cream sauce perfect for topping tacos, enchiladas, and nachos. Really, you can use it anywhere you'd want a melty cheese sauce.
Cashew cream sauce is a magical thing. You can dress it up as a sweet topping for desserts with some maple syrup and vanilla or make it into a rich, savory sauce.
More cashew cream goodness: Spinach Artichoke Dip, Garlic Cashew Cream Sauce
About the cashews
The key to a good cashew cream sauce is soaking your cashews. You can use raw or roasted cashews, as long as you soak.
Your cashews really do need to soak for at least 10 to 15 minutes in hot water. Alternately, you can soak for four to eight hours in the fridge.
Once they're soaked, drain off that soaking liquid, and you're ready to make your sauce.
What kind of blender do I need?
You can make this sauce in a regular or high speed blender. The only real difference is time.
A high speed blender will get you creamy results in about 45 seconds to a minute of blending.
If you're using a regular blender, you'll need to blend for much longer. Just don't give up! Blend for around 45 seconds at a time, then stop and scrape down the sides, to get everything back down by the blades.
Stopping the blender does more than allow you to scrape. It also gives you blender's motor a rest. I do not recommend blending for an extended time without stopping. This can burn out your blender's motor, and then you won't have a blender!
Chipotle cashew cream sauce recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews - soaked 10-15 minutes in hot water
- ½ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons mild chipotle chili powder - Start with 1 ½, and add another ½ teaspoon if you want it a bit hotter.
- juice of 1 fresh lime
Instructions
- Combine all of your ingredients in your blender, and puree until smooth. You'll need to scrape down the sides occasionally to get things moving.
- If your cashew cream sauce is feeling just way too thick, you can add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce thins enough to puree evenly.
Mary
So delicious. I'm going to mix with mashed potatoes for potato tacos.
Becky Striepe
THAT is a genius idea!
Hannah
A girl after my own heart! People are always making cream sauces out of mayo, and I haaaaate mayo (whether it's vegan or not). Cashews cream is a great idea, and I bet it goes so well with the smokiness of chipotle.
Becky Striepe
Thank you Hannah!