Cashew Cream

Cashew cream sits at the heart of rich, creamy, dairy-free versions of all manner of homemade foods.

It can be spooned as is onto desserts for a finishing touch, blended into sauces and gravies, incorporated into dips, even made into a faux yogurt.

I use it for my favorite mushroom biscuits and gravy, pumpkin pie dip, cashew "faux-gurt" yogurt, and so much more.

An additional beauty of it is that you can customize it as needed, making it thicker or thinner, sweeter, or flavored as desired. The base recipe is simply water and cashews. All you need is a little bit of hands-off time for soaking and a high-speed blender for the best (creamiest) outcome.

No straining required. This isn't nut milk. This is way easier than nut milk (and nut milk is easy).

Tips: (1) consider what ratio of cashew cream is best for your applications, and (2) make the amount that works best for your blender. Let me explain:

(1) As for ratio, some of my recipes (like this pumpkin pie dip) call for a 3:2 ratio, which means 3 parts cashews to 2 parts water, so that could be 1.5 cups cashews to 1 cup of water, 2 cups of cashews to 1 1/3 cups water, or 3 cups of cashews to 2 cups of water, etc. Others call for a 1:1 ratio, which is simply equal parts of cashews to water. If you make a thicker, 3:2 ratio, it can always be thinned out with more water as needed.

(2) I have a smaller, 4-cup capacity container for my Vitamix (in addition to the usual 8-cup container), so I can make smaller quantities if I need. I've found that a 4-cup recipe (2 cups cashews, 2 cups water) works best for the larger, 8-cup capacity containers as far as getting the cream as smooth as possible. The 4-cup containers can do smaller, 2-cup batches.

• 2 cups raw cashews

• filtered water, for soaking

• pinch of salt, for soaking

• 2 cups filtered water, for blending

Ingredients for 4 cups of 1:1 ratio cashew cream:

Cashew Cream

1. Soak the cashews: Place raw cashews into a glass or ceramic bowl or jar. Cover with filtered water, add a pinch of salt and stir to dissolve. Cover and let soak for 4 to 8 hours.

2. Drain the cashews after soaking. You can use a sieve or simply pour the water through your fingers (I like to save time on cleanup!).

3. Blend the cashews with the appropriate amount of filtered water depending on your desired ratio of thickness (1:1 vs. 3:2, etc.). For best results, use a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, and start by blending on low to break down the cashews a bit. Then increase to high, blending until smooth and consistent, with no little bits remaining. Scrape down sides with a spatula as needed (though this may not be necessary).

4. Transfer into a storage jar or container and refrigerate until needed. This will last in the fridge for about 1 week.

Makes 3 to 4 cups

Instructions

Use like cream or heavy cream in various recipe applications. (Try this one!) This works in savory and sweet applications of all kinds.

You can even simply sweeten it with maple syrup, add a pinch of salt, and optional vanilla for a lovely addition to breakfasts, desserts, or other sweet treats. Delightful on pancakes, scones, cakes, etc.

Last updated: October 17, 2024

Ingredients for 3+ cups of 3:2 ratio cashew cream:

• 2 cups raw cashews

• filtered water, for soaking

• pinch of salt, for soaking

• 1 1/3 cups filtered water, for blending