Cashew cream is one of the easiest things to make and can be directly substituted for whipping cream in many recipes. This is a no strain, no hassle recipe that we use on the weekly!
Moving to a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavour. I mean, it’s fabulous if a person wants to completely convert, but honestly, any movement in the direction to eat more plants is a good thing. There is zero down-side. Everyone benefits, including your health, the environment, the animals and your pocket book (when you look at it from a zoomed out perspective… this cashew cream may not be saving you any money but overall, eating plant-based is less expensive).
Anyhow, back to this cream. One of the kitchen staples that I am so grateful to own is a Vitamix blender. Having a high-powered blender is such a plus when making recipes like this! As you will see below, making cashew cream is as easy as 1-2 (there is no 3). Unlike almond milk, cashews don’t need to be strained through a cheesecloth which in my world is a big plus. To be honest I’ve stopped making almond milk, I wasn’t patient enough sadly.
If you’re in a hurry you can soak the cashews in boiling water instead for 30 minutes, drain and blend according to the instructions; however, I find a marginally better result with soaking them overnight. Don’t soak them for longer than 12 hours as they start to turn a dark brown/grey colour and become bitter. Also, be sure to buy raw cashews, not cashews that are roasted. You can find these at bulk stores or health stores like Nature’s Fare Markets (I’ve even seen them at Walmart). Lastly, you can play around with the water proportions in the recipe, adding more if you find that you want a slightly thinner cream.
I add this to soups, pastas, baked goods, sauces…
Happy Cooking!
xo
Tori
Easy Cashew Cream
Cashew cream that requires no straining and zero hassle with only 2 steps! This yields 1 1/3 cups of cashew cream.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
Instructions
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In a large jar or medium bowl, cover the cashews in enough water to cover them completely and soak the cashews in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Do not exceed 12 hours. Drain the cashews. Alternately, you can soak the cashews in boiled water for 30 minutes and drain.
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Add the cashews and the 1 cup of water to a high speed blender and blend until very smooth, 3-4 minutes. Add more water if desired to get your desired consistency. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Hi Tori, question for you. I have a recipe that calls for ricotta cheese. What could I substitute so that this recipe would not contain a dairy product. The recipe is a macaroni using a cauliflower based sauce, but then ricotta is added.
Loving your blog and learning so much!
Hi Joan, it really depends on the recipe. I’ve see firm tofu used when it is crumbled but it really depends on what you are adding it to! I think that vegansupply.ca has a vegan ricotta if you want to check it out!
Oh and thank you so much for the sweet comment I really appreciate it! Take care Joan! Tori
Omg! This was quick and so easy! I’ll be doing this again for sure!
I made this tho to substitute the milk from the pie free pumpkin pie recipe on your blog. I realised today it’s Canadian Thanksgiving down here in Australia and we are making a brisket so why not add a traditional yummy item with a few changes! I’ll let you know how it goes but the filling with the cashew cream YUM! ( had to try before baking it!!)
I’m recently diagnosed as lactose intolerant (at 40!). This recipe will be bookmarked FOREVER lol! I hope there’s more cashew based dairy alternatives, but until then, this recipe will be my go-to! Thanks!!!
Can’t wait to make this!
Can it be frozen if we make too it in bulk?
I haven’t tried it before unfortunately! If you give it a go I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Can I use a food processor instead of a blender? My blender is not super powerful so I think it might not work well for this but I would love to try it!
Hi Tori,
I love your book and your website, I want to know if I can use in anyway recipes for replace 15% or 35% cream!?
Thank!
Hello. Boy, that looks nice and easy! To pick your brain a little, any idea if I could use this in a candy recipe where one boils a mixture including sugar and ‘heavy cream’ for quite a while? Thanks!
Hi Kathy! I haven’t tried – it’s a great question! I’m not sure how it would stand up to that much heat but would love to know if you try!