Sumptuously thick and creamy, this cashew cream sauce is a quick, easy dairy-free alternative to heavy cream. Versatile and mild in flavour, it can be adapted for savoury dishes or sweetened for desserts. You can leave it luxuriously thick for dolloping or thin it to a pouring consistency to use as a sauce or in soups and pastas.
Why you will love this Cashew Cream sauce recipe
Cashew cream is one of the most useful staples to keep in a plant-based kitchen. Here’s why it quickly becomes indispensable:
- Ready in minutes, especially with a high-speed blender.
- Mild, adaptable flavour that complements sweet and savoury dishes.
- Made from just cashews and water, so it’s simple and pantry-friendly.
- Performs many of the same functions as dairy cream — thickening, enriching and emulsifying.
- Contains healthy fats that add richness and satiety to meals.
If you miss the texture and creaminess dairy used to provide, cashew cream is a reliable plant-based substitute. It gives the same indulgent mouthfeel and mixes easily into sauces, soups, bakes and desserts.
How can you use cashew cream?
Because cashews are so mild, the cream they form becomes a neutral base you can customise. Use it to:
- Thin with vegetable stock and seasonings to make pasta sauces like alfredo or carbonara-style vegan sauces.
- Dollop thick cashew cream on baked potatoes, stuffed peppers or grain bowls as a dairy-free alternative to soured cream.
- Sweeten and pour over crumbles, puddings or fruit for a creamy dessert sauce.
- Blend with herbs and garlic to make dips and spreads, or add mustard and stock to create a savoury pie sauce.
Ingredients
This recipe gives the basic, neutral cashew cream — perfect as a base to flavour later. For the simplest version you need:
- Raw cashews – buy cashews labelled “raw” (these have been processed to be safe to eat). Do not use roasted or salted nuts for this neutral cream.
- Water – for soaking and for blending. The basic ratio here is equal weights of cashews to water for a thick cream; add more water or use nut milk/vegetable stock to thin the sauce and add flavour.
- A pinch of salt to round out the flavour.
Adjust amounts in the printable recipe card below to suit your batch size.
Basic Instructions
1. Soak the cashews to soften them: either 15 minutes in boiling water for a quick method, or 4–8 hours in cold water for best texture. The softer the nuts, the smoother the cream.
2. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Add them to a blender with fresh water (equal weight to cashews for a thick cream) and a pinch of salt.
3. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. High-speed blenders will take about a minute; regular blenders may need longer or softer, longer-soaked cashews.
4. Adjust consistency with more water or nut milk. Season and flavour as desired.
Variations
Keep a jar of plain cashew cream in the fridge and dress it up as needed. A few popular variations:
- Sweet: Blend in 1–2 teaspoons of maple or date syrup and ½–1 teaspoon vanilla extract for a dessert cream. A splash of coconut milk enriches the texture.
- Cheesy: Stir in 1–4 tablespoons nutritional yeast or warm in grated vegan cheese for a cheesy sauce.
- Garlic: Add 1 teaspoon garlic powder or use roasted garlic cloves for a deep, mellow garlic flavour.
- Mustard: Whisk in mustard and a splash of vegetable stock for a robust savoury sauce suitable for casseroles.
- Pesto: Add a handful of spinach and a spoonful of pesto for a green pasta sauce or tart filling.
- Smoky: A pinch of smoked paprika turns it into a smoky cream perfect for tacos or roasted vegetables.
Serving Suggestions
Use cashew cream anywhere you’d use dairy cream or soured cream. Dollop onto roasted vegetables, stir into pasta, fold into soups for extra silkiness, or sweeten and pour over fruit desserts. Keep a neutral jar in the fridge and flavour to match each recipe.
Cashew Cream FAQs
Is cashew cream healthy?
The basic cream is simply cashews and water, offering plant-based fats and a modest amount of protein. It’s a healthier dairy-free option for many people, though calorie content is still significant due to the nuts.
Can I make cashew cream in a food processor?
Yes, but it won’t be as silky smooth as a high-speed blender. If using a food processor, soak the cashews longer and consider simmering them briefly until very soft before blending.
Can you make cashew cream without soaking?
A very powerful blender may handle unsoaked cashews, but soaking improves smoothness and reduces blender time. Quick 15-minute hot-water soaking is a good compromise.
How long does cashew cream keep?
Stored in a sealed container in the fridge, it will keep for about one week.
Can you freeze cashew cream?
Freezing is not ideal: the texture often separates and becomes watery on thawing. Use fresh for the best creaminess.
Recipe
Cashew Cream
Sumptuously thick and creamy — a neutral, endlessly adaptable dairy-free cream. Thin with nut milk or stock for sauces, or keep thick for dolloping.
Prep time: 5 mins (plus soaking)
Total time: 20 mins (including short soak)
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 60 g cashews, soaked at least 4 hours in cold water or 15 minutes in boiling water
- 60 g (approx. 60 ml) fresh water for blending (more to thin)
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Drain the soaked cashews and rinse well.
- Place the cashews in a blender. Add the fresh water and a pinch of salt.
- Blend until completely smooth and thick and creamy. High-speed blenders will achieve the best texture; blend longer as needed with lower-powered machines.
- Adjust consistency with more water, nut milk or vegetable stock. Season or flavour as needed.
Notes
- Soaking softens the cashews and yields a smoother cream. If time is short, use the boiling-water method for 15 minutes.
- To thin, add liquid a tablespoon at a time. Replace some or all of the water with nut milk for extra creaminess or stock for savoury applications.
- Store in the fridge for up to one week in a sealed container.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 83 kcal | Carbohydrates: 5 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 7 g | Fiber: 1 g
If you enjoyed this cashew cream recipe, try using it in pasta sauces, casseroles, tarts or desserts — once you learn this simple base, you’ll find countless ways to enrich plant-based meals.
More recipes and inspiration are available on the site; follow the author’s recipe collection for similar vegan and gluten-free ideas.