Milk, butter, heavy cream… All ingredients combined to prepare a cream sauce. But also ingredients "off-limits" for those requiring a dairy-free and vegan diet.
To bridge this gap, we created a cream sauce with two simple ingredients: Cashews and non-dairy milk.
When soaked and blended with milk, the cashews blend into one buttery, velvety, creamy base (hence cashew cream sauce)! Cashews also supply some pretty impressive nutrients, including healthy fat, potassium, vitamin E, amongst the many.
And not to mention, the sauce is super easy to make! It requires no pots, pans, or stovetop - just a bowl and powerful blender or food processor.
Find out how to make a dairy-free, vegan cashew cream recipe and countless ways to enjoy it!
Cashew Cream Sauce Recipe
Yield: approx. 8, 2-oz servings
Nutrition per serving: 80 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g protein, 4 g total carb, 1 g fiber
Prep time: 60 minutes (to soak)
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 65 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 cup of raw cashews
• 1 1/2 cups of non-dairy milk such as almond or cashew milk, unsweetened (plus a bit more as needed)
Instructions:
1. Soak cashews in about 1/2 cup of water, or enough to cover, for at least an hour or overnight. For a faster soak, cover cashews with hot water and soak for about 10 minutes. Drain off the water.
2. In a high-speed blender, process the cashews and non-dairy milk, scraping the sides as needed. Add more milk as needed until you achieve the desired consistency. This can depend on the end-product, including a thick vegan sour cream or pourable salad dressing.
How to Use Cashew Cream Sauce
Okay, so now what? While you may have already had intent on how to use the cashew cream sauce, there are so many diverse ways to enjoy it!
From rich pasta sauce to creamy pancake syrup, transform that cashew cream into one versatile condiment!
Coffee Creamer
Start the day the cashew creamer way! Add a splash of the cashew sauce for one creamy cup of joe. Feel free to flavor with honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt as desired.
Cream Soups
Looking for a creamy soup without the use and need of cream?
Simply puree the cashew cream into the preferred soup and season with favorite herbs and spices, including parsley and oregano.
Pasta and Pizza Sauce
Whether topping onto a pizza crust or noodles, cashew cream can be transformed into delicious pasta and pizza sauces.
This may include creamy red tomato, alfredo, and pesto sauces:
• Red tomato: Saute tomatoes and blend or mix in favorite red sauce.
• Alfredo: Combine nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Pesto: Blend with basil leaves, garlic, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, and parmesan cheese.
Sour Cream
For an easy vegan cashew sour cream, reduce milk added to the recipe to yield a thick product. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar for that "sour" taste.
Before serving, allow vegan sour cream set and thicken in the fridge for at least an hour. Top onto chilis, soups, baked potatoes, etc. It can also be used as a recipe ingredient, including this one-pan beef stroganoff recipe.
Salad Dressing
Salad dressing tends to be laden in added sugars, refined oils, and other unwanted ingredients. Until now!
The cashew cream sauce makes a delicious base for salad dressings, ranch included. Make an all-natural ranch dressing by mixing the following ingredients with the cream sauce:
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly chopped dill
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Experiment with herbs and other seasonings to truly enhance the flavor of your next salad!
Creamy Pancake Syrup
Mix the cashew sauce with maple syrup for a creamy pancake topping.
Drizzle cashew syrup atop cinnamon apple, sweet potato, and other favorite pancakes. The syrup would also be divine on these easy and delicious keto chaffles!
Cheese Sauce
For a dairy-free and vegan-friendly cheese sauce to indulge on, this cashew cream is it!
Simply add nutritional yeast, which offers a nutty and cheesy flavor, and other preferred seasonings and ingredients to satisfy your tastebuds. This may include Dijon mustard for a touch of tang or jalapenos for a spicy bite.
Top onto nachos, mix into mac and cheese, and whatever else you enjoy cheese sauce with!
Smoothies
Put the smooth back into smoothies! Blend the cashew cream with frozen fruits. Some delicious smoothie combinations include:
• Nutty monkey: banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder
• Banana split: banana, strawberry, pineapple
• Apple pie: cored apple, unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon, vanilla extract
• Green machine: avocado, mint, spinach, a splash of orange juice
• Spicy mango: mango, cayenne, honey, lemon juice
Add preferred protein powder as desired for greater thickness and protein content.
