This Dairy-Free Heavy Cream recipe, made with whole raw cashews, lemon, salt and vinegar is the perfect replacement for cream in soups, sauces and more!
Dairy-Free Heavy Cream
If you need a dairy-free heavy cream replacement, this cashew based cream is delicious! Pureed raw cashews make a wonderful dairy-free replacement to cream or sour cream for those with allergies. The puree has a creamy but mild flavor which works great in any recipe that usually calls for cream. This sauce is also great for thickening cream based soups or sauces.
I shared this recipe from this Sweet Potato Soup recipe, and thought it needed to have it’s own post. This recipe is from Danielle Walker’s new cookbook Healthy in a Hurry, which features gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free recipes. All her recipes are SOLID! When I tried this cream in my soup, I knew this would be my new dairy-free cream replacement, when coconut cream is not a good option.
A few ways to use Dairy Free Heavy Cream
- Replace the sour cream in this creamy zucchini soup.
- Top this sweet potato turkey chili.
- Or over this black bean soup.
- Stir it into this Slow Cooker Butternut Pear Soup.
- Top your tacos.
More Cashew Recipes
Dairy-Free Heavy Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄4 cups whole raw cashews, about 185 g
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the cashews with water to cover.
- Cover and let soak at room temperature for 4 hours. Drain the nuts, rinse well, and drain again.
- Transfer them to a high-speed blender, add the water, lemon juice, salt, and vinegar, and blend on high speed for about 1 minute, until very smooth and creamy. There should be no visible bits of cashew.
- If needed, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and blend again for 30 seconds.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days.
This recipe was super-easy and resulted in a delicious vegan substitute for heavy cream. i have used it in sauces, but think it would work well with a little sweetener for fruit or desserts.
Could this be substituted for the cream necessary for french toast?
I made this and used it in the Sausage and Kale soup. This is an excellent substitute for cream and tasted great!
Can this be frozen for use later?
I was also wondering this. I looked online and people say you can freeze it, but the fats from the cashews will separate so it may look weird. You can stir it or put it in the blender again. I froze my extra cream in just over 1/4 c increments so I can thaw for soups. Hopefully it works out ok!
Sounds intriguing! I’m curious if a heavy duty food processor would work in place of a high speed blender?
Not sure if it would be as smooth
Can I use roasted salted cashews? Would it give a nice additional flavor?
Raw is best
Hi,
I couldn’t find raw where I was shopping and used roasted salted cashews. It still turned out awesome!
Very interesting! Can this recipe be frozen?