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Smooth white cashew cream sauce pouring off a spoon into a blue bowl

Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce Recipe


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5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Make this easy Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce to use in multiple ways; sweet or savory!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups organic raw cashew or cashew halves
  • Purified water for soaking + extra purified water for blending
  • Juice of 1/4 of Lemon
  • Dash of sea salt (optional)
  • For thinner Cashew Cream or Creamer – An additional 2-4 Tablespoons coconut milk, almond, or cashew milk to be added later. See notes
  • Optional add -ins:
    • Savory – 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or chili (for spicy version). 2-3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (for cheesy), 1 garlic clove and spices such as paprika, cayenne, etc. (blended in with cashews savory sauce), onion powder and fresh or dried herbs for a creamy dressing.
    • Sweet– 2 Tablespoons maple syrup , 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and/or ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Place the cashews in large bowl or jar. Cover with purified water for 6 to 12 hours. The longer they soak the easier to digest. But the water will also evaporate more so the sauce will be easier to blend. See notes below for quick 10 minute version.
  2. After soaking, drain the water. Place cashews in a high power blender. Add 1 1/4 cup purified water, lemon juice, and blend until a creamy sauce is formed. Stop blender and scrape sides often.
  3. If the sauce is too thick or gritty for your liking, add in 1/4 – 1/2 cup more water and blend again.
  4. Blend until creamy.
  5. If you want to make it more like a milk/creamer texture, then once you’ve thinned it out the second time, add in 2-4 Tablespoons of non dairy milk of your choice or purified water. Blend again. Free free to add in sweetener of choice. See notes for more texture options.
  6. Optional sweet & savory add -ins : 1/2 tsp black pepper or chili (for spicy version). 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast (for cheesy), 2 tbsp maple syrup and/or 1 tsp vanilla extract (for sweet). 1 garlic clove (blended in with cashews for garlicky sauce). optional for savory sauce use broth instead of milk.
  7. Keeps well in fridge for a 2-4 days or freeze in small batches for later use.

Notes

QUICK 10 MINUTE Soak/Boil option – Place raw cashews and three cups of water in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 10 minutes then drain and rinse. Your nuts can then be added to the blender to continue. Adapted method from Wholefully.

Extra thick –>  If you want it extra thick like a hummus or frosting, then don’t add much liquid back in. start with 1/2 to 2/3 cup water or milk.

Want to make a savory cashew cream sauce extra flavorful? Replace the water added to the blender with vegetable broth. FOR EXTRA CREAMY –  Soak at least 12 hrs or try the quick version. Be sure to use  a high powered blender.

This sauce freezes well. So if you want to make more, just keep half in freezer until ready to serve. Thaw out in fridge overnight.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: sauce
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 cup
  • Calories: 150
  • Sugar: 1.7g
  • Fat: 12g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 7g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 5g