This vegan cream recipe is for sour cream. This cashew sour cream is easy to make and perfect for finishing savory and sweet dishes or cooking with.
Ingredients
- Cashews. Look for raw, unroasted, and unseasoned cashews. If you don’t find raw cashews, you could use slivered almonds or even macadamias.
- Lemon juice
- Apple cider vinegar, vinegar makes it a little more acidic, and the vinegary flavor goes away. You could totally skip it or substitute it with rice vinegar or other mild ones.
- Pinch of salt
How to make cashew sour cream?
Making this plant-based sour cream is as easy as putting all the ingredients in the blender and letting it run until you have the perfect texture. I like it thick, but you can adjust it to your taste by adding a bit more water.
🔥 Whether to soak or not the nuts If you soak the cashews you will have a creamier and smoother consistency. Soaking cashews is a good idea if you don't have a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec. Another advantage of soaking the nuts is that the vegan sour cream comes together faster and you don't have to adjust the recipe. If you don't soak the nuts it can take a little longer to get the classic smooth and creamy consistency of the sour cream.
How to use the vegan sour cream recipe
This vegan sour cream is very versatile and can be used to finish any dish that calls for a dollop or two, like tacos, burritos, three-bean chili, or authentic Mexican tortilla soup. It is also delicious if you use it to finish baked potatoes or loaded sweet potatoes with lentils and salsa verde.
You can use it to cook and make creamy pasta, for example, creamy vegan vodka sauce, or add it to a vegetable ragu to make it creamier.
Give this recipe a twist
- Make it sweet. In Mexico, it is very common to finish desserts with a spoonful of tangy sour cream or use it as the base of desserts, like the typical strawberries with cream, Fresas con Crema. If you are going to use it in a sweet dish, mix the cashew cream with a teaspoon of vanilla and granulated sugar to taste.
- Make it spicy. Blend this cream with a tablespoon of chipotle powder or any other spicy chili powder.
- Make it herby. Blend with parsley, chives, or the fresh herbs of your choice.
- Make it tangier. Blend with pickled jalapeños and finish nachos or use it as a dip.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, coconut cream or cashew cream? Both are very good, and each one has a characteristic flavor that matches the main ingredient. You can use one or the other.
Is cashew cream healthier than regular sour cream? For me, who follow a dairy-free and vegan diet, yes. But like everything in life, it’s a matter of taste.
What do vegans use instead of cream? This recipe for cashew cream is the perfect dairy-free substitute for cream.
Which are good store-bought options? Companies like Tofutti, Kite Hill, Follow Your Heart, and Daiya offer vegan sour cream, which can be found in the refrigerated section of many grocery stores.
Vegan sour cream substitute
Coconut Yogurt: Unsweetened, plain coconut yogurt is a good alternative. It’s creamy and tangy, similar to sour cream.
Cashew-Based Creams: Some brands offer cashew-based creams that mimic the texture and taste of dairy sour cream.
Mexican Crema: made with tofu, shallots, and other 2 ingredients.
Vegan cashew sour cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, unroasted and unsalted unsalted cashews
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Put the nuts in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak from 1 hour to 3 hours.
- Rinse and put in the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until you have the consistency you want.
Notes
You can substitute apple cider vinegar with rice vinegar or another mild vinegar.
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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I’m Ale Graf, a Mexican living in Texas and the creator of AleCooks and Piloncillo&Vainilla. I share easy, family-friendly recipes—some Mexican, mostly plant-based—that can be enjoyed all day, every day. My focus is on recipes that bring people together around the table, making mealtime simple, delicious and meaningful. I’m also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino, and my recipes have been featured in numerous online magazines and publications.
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