Cashew Cream Sauce is a savory sauce made from soaked cashews and a few other simple ingredients. This luscious sauce is a delicious dairy-free alternative that can be used for anything from pasta, to tacos, to pastries, you name it! It’s Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, and Vegan!
If you’re looking for ways to use your cashew cream sauce, try my Cashew Cream Veggie Pasta, Better than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, or my No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake!
Cashew cream sauce is a great dairy-free alternative to use when a recipe calls for heavy cream, milk, or lots of cheese.
It is especially helpful if you’re like me and you’re tired of using coconut cream as your dairy-free alternative and want to switch things up a bit! Don’t get me wrong, coconut cream is phenomenal and can be used to make incredible sauces, like my mouthwatering Coconut Curry or savory Mushroom Cream Sauce! However, if you haven’t tried cashew cream sauce yet, you’re in for a treat!
Cashew cream sauce is a MUST have! Beyond it tasting incredibly rich, velvety, and flavorsome, cashew cream has wonderful health benefits. It’s:
- Filled with heart-healthy essential fatty acids, which help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Packed with Protein: 5 grams of protein per ounce!
- Good source of copper and magnesium–important for bone health and maintenance of collagen and elastin in our bodies
- Antioxidant-rich with tons of Vitamin E and K
How to Make Cashew Cream Sauce
Making cashew cream sauce is quite easy! First, you need to soak raw cashews as the base for the sauce. Soaking the cashews helps soften them, which makes them easier to process and helps to increase their nutrient availability. There are several methods of soaking. Two primary methods are the cold soak or hot soak method.
Quick Hot Water Soaking Method (15 minute method) To Make Cashew Cream Sauce
This method is by far my favorite and the easiest! Simply bring enough water to cover the cashews to a boil. Then, pour the hot water over the cashews and allow the cashews to soak for 15-30 minutes. When preparing dinner, I like to do this step first while I tend to the other ingredients.
Cold Water Soaking Method To Make Cashew Cream Sauce
This method yields the same great results but takes a bit more time. With this method, simply place the cashews in a large bowl and cover them with cold purified water. Allow the cashews to soak for 2-3 hours at room temperature. When you are ready to use, pour out the water and process as you like.
It’s important to remember that you do not want to over-soak the cashews. Oversoaking causes the cashews to acquire a bitter taste and the water to become slimy, eliminating all the flavor from the cashew. If you are soaking the cashews overnight, be sure to change the water every 6-8 hours and keep the cashews covered in the fridge.
Making Cashew Cream Sauce
Once your cashews are done soaking, simply drain the cashews and blend with a few ingredients to make your cashew cream sauce!
The Base To Make Multipurpose Cashew Cream Sauce (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
- 2 cups cashews
- 1 1/2 cup water or broth
- 1/2 squeezed lemon (optional)
- 1 tsp salt (optional)
To Make thinner or creamier cashew cream add 2-5 tbsp non-dairy milk or coconut cream while blending.
Optional Add-Ins To Enhance Your Cashew Cream Sauce (cashew cream variations)
Garlicky Cashew Sauce: Add 2-4 cloves raw or roasted garlic
Savory Cashew Sauce: Season with black pepper, paprika, dried herbs like thyme and oregano, and onion powder (about 1/2 – 1 tsp of each). You can also add 1-2 cloves of garlic.
Cheesy Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce: Add 2-3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
Spicy Cashew Cream Sauce: Add a fresh pepper of choice (jalapeno, serrano, habanero), 1 tsp Cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp red crushed pepper flakes
Sweet Cashew Cream Sauce: Add 1/2 cup Coconut Cream, 1-2 tsp vanilla Extract, 2-4 tbsp Maple Syrup, and/or 1 tsp cinnamon
You can keep it simple or add all the ingredients! There is no way to mess up with cashew cream sauce, you’ll always get a rich delectable sauce!
Ways To Use Cashew Cream Sauce
Pasta: Of course you can use cashew cream sauce for pasta like in my Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta or Cashew Cream Veggie Pasta | Vegan + GF.
Use Cashew Cream as a Dairy-Free Alternative to Heavy Cream: I do this quite often and it’s amazing! Try for yourself with my Wild Rice Mushroom Soup, Dairy-Free Chicken Tikka Masala, or Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup.
Desserts: Cashew cream sauce is incredibly versatile and can be used to make luscious desserts! My No-Bake Matcha Oreo Cheesecake or No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake are great examples of cashew cream in desserts!
There are infinite ways you can use cashew cream sauce! Get creative and let me know what you make in the comments!
I Hope You Enjoy This Cashew Cream Sauce Recipe!
If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag #goodfoodbaddie, and share them with me on Instagram! I love hearing from you!
How To Make Cashew Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups cashews
- 1.5-2 cups water or broth, varies depending on desired thickness of cream
- 1/2 squeezed lemon (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
Optional Add-Ins
- Garlicky Cashew Sauce: Add 2-4 cloves raw or roasted garlic
- Savory Cashew Sauce: Season with black pepper, paprika, dried herbs like thyme and oregano, and onion powder (about 1/2 – 1 tsp of each). You can also add 1-2 cloves of garlic.
- Cheesy Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce: Add 2-3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- Spicy Cashew Cream Sauce: Add a fresh pepper of choice while blending (jalapeno, serrano, habanero), 1 tsp Cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp red crushed pepper flakes
- Sweet Cashew Cream Sauce: Add 1/2 cup Coconut Cream, 1-2 tsp vanilla Extract, 2-4 tbsp Maple Syrup, and/or 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Hot Soak Method
- Add raw cashews to a large bowl
- Bring medium pot of water to a boil (enough water to cover the cashew).
- Pour the hot water over the cashew and allow the cashews to soak for at least 15 minutes. (up to 30 minutes)
- After soaking, drain and transfer the cashews to a food processor or blender. Add the water or broth, lemon, and salt to the food processor. Add more water, broth, non-dairy milk, or coconut cream in as needed to reach the desired creamy consistency.
- Blend in any optional add-ins
- Use the Cashew Cream as desired. Transfer any remaining cashew cream to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Cold Soak Method
- Add raw cashews to a large bowl and cover the cashews with cold purified water. Allow the cashews to soak at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
- Drain the cashews when they are done soaking and blend with remaining ingredients.
- Blend in any optional add-ins
- Use the Cashew Cream as desired. Transfer any remaining cashew cream to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition:
- Serving: makes 2 cups, 6 servings
- Calories: 450
- Protein 10.7g
- The coconut cream is completely optional. I find the cashew cream does not need the addition of coconut cream, but if added it does make the cashew cream extra luscious.
- When blending the cashews with water/broth, be sure to blend thoroughly to achieve a smooth consistency. I blend my cashew cream for at least 1-2 minutes or until I reach a creamy consistency, without any cashew sediment lingering in the sauce.
- Do not oversoak the cashews. Oversoaking causes the cashews to acquire a bitter taste and the water to become slimy, eliminating the flavor from the cashew. If you want to try a longer method of soaking and/or are soaking the cashews overnight, be sure to change the water every 6-8 hours and keep the cashews covered in the fridge.
This Cashew Cream Sauce is perfect!
Thank you! I am so glad you like!
This looks fantastic and I love all the variations. Thank you for the recipe!
This looks so creamy and delicious!
With all of the add-in options this sauce is so versatile.
It truly is! I use this sauce for so many different dishes!