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Cashew cream is a versatile ingredient when it comes to dairy-free cooking. It adds a wonderful creaminess to soups, sauces, pasta dishes and so much more. Plus, it has just 2 simple ingredients!
In dairy-free cooking, coconut cream is often used to replicate real cream. But, if you don’t like the taste of coconut or you’re allergic, cashew cream is a great alternative because of its neutral taste and creamy texture.
This simple recipe acts as an all-purpose base that you can use with sweet recipes such as blueberry dairy-free pancakes or savory dishes like creamy lemon pasta, which makes it really versatile!
Ingredients
- Raw cashews – make sure they’re raw and not roasted. Using raw means they’ll have little to no taste (which is what we’re after).
- Water – Just the right amount helps turn the cashews into the most delicious cream when blended.
- Pinch of salt.
How to Make Cashew Cream
Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water until completely covered. Let them soak for 30 minutes to soften.
Drain and rinse the cashews before adding to the base of your blender along with fresh water and a tiny pinch of salt.
Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Depending on the power of your blender, you may need to scrape down the sides or use the tamper (if your blender has one) to get it completely smooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, although the ingredients are the same, they’re different because they use different ratios of ingredients to yield different results.
A blender will yield the creamiest results, but you can also make this in a food processor just make sure to scrape down the sides in between processing so that it gets as creamy as possible. Soaking them longer will also make them easier to blend.
Store in a glass jar or container in the fridge for no more than 1 week. You can also freeze the cream by pouring it into a silicone tray. Then when you’re ready to use it, pop them out and defrost them overnight in the fridge or throw them into something warm, like roasted tomato soup, to use right away.
How to Use Cashew Cream
The options are endless, but you can use it in our dairy-free chicken corn chowder, 1-Pot Butternut Squash Risotto, or Creamy Lemon Pasta. It’s delicious added to crispy smashed potatoes, Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes, taco soup, or creamy potato soup.
You can also use it on top of desserts like apple and blueberry crumble or between layers of oat flour crepes.
2-Ingredient Cashew Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ¾ cup fresh water
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water until completely covered. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes to soften. The longer they soak, the easier they'll blend.
- Drain and rinse the cashews before adding to the base of your blender along with the fresh water and a tiny pinch of salt.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Depending on the power of your blender, you may need to scrape down the sides or use the tamper (if your blender has one) to get it completely smooth.
- Makes 1½ cups of cashew cream.
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