This quick 1 minute cashew cream recipe is a great vegan heavy cream replacement in both sweet and savory recipes (including baking!). Dairy free and so easy, this cashew cream is the perfect vegan cooking staple recipe to have in your back pocket for any recipe that requires heavy cream- literally!

jar of cashew cream

The perfect substitute for heavy cream: cashew cream

Cashew cream is one of those basic staple vegan recipes that you should know and have in your back pocket for whenever you need a heavy cream substitute- whether in baking or in cooking!

But don’t worry- making a cashew cream literally couldn’t be easier (so it’s a great basics recipe to know 😉 along with my creamy oat milk!). 

You only need 2 simple ingredients (you guessed it- cashews and water!) to make a fabulous dairy free substitute for heavy cream that can be used in anything from vegan cheesecakes to your favorite creamy soup recipes and pasta sauces, especially in my Marry Me Tofu recipe!

glass of heavy cashew cream

Literally, the texture and consistency is that of heavy cream. 

It’s even fabulous jazzed up with some garlic and fresh herbs when drizzled over a loaded vegan baked potato or roasted red cabbage steaks.

While the recipe is simple and easy, I want to also go over the different ratios for water to cashews, because this simple base recipe can be used for SO much, especially if you just make a few tweaks!

2 simple ingredients:

You truly only need these 2 ingredients:

  • Water
  • Raw cashews

There is NO need to soak your cashews. Cashews are naturally much softer than almonds (which require soaking), and yield a much thicker dairy free milk in general. They’re very easy to blend smooth in any high-speed blender.

cashews and water on a marble table

What does cashew cream taste like?

Like heavy cream, which comes from cows, cashew cream does have a bit of a sweeter flavor to it. Heavy cream naturally has some sugars occurring, which makes cashew cream a perfect substitute for any sweet or savory recipe that calls for heavy cream.

You can substitute in cashew cream 1:1, and you really won’t notice a difference in the result. Cashew cream is much more neutral in flavor than coconut cream (which you often will notice a coconut flavor too, especially if you’re sensitive to it).

Do I need to flavor the cashew cream for savory and sweet recipes?

While I provide an option to really enhance the cashew cream to be suited to whichever recipe you’re using it in, you really don’t need to.

Like with heavy cream, cashew cream can be just enjoyed as is when added to a recipe. However, I do give a few variations if you want to enhance the overall palate of your recipe.

Savory:

Blend the cashews and water together along with

  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

You can also blend the cashews instead with just pure vegetable broth!

Sweet:

Blend the cashews and water together along with 1 tsp vanilla extract.

overhead of vegan heavy cream

Overview: How to make cashew cream in 1 minute

How to know how thick to make the cashew cream?

In the recipe card, you’ll notice that I give a few different options for how much water to use. How much water you use will determine the thickness of your vegan heavy cream substitute. 

For cheesecakes: I recommend using 1 cup of water.

For sour cream substitute and sauces that you’ll thin with more liquid: I recommend using 1/2 cup of water.

For a half and half/slightly thinner consistency (great for dressings and to thicken soups): I recommend using 1 1/2 cups of water. 

spoon dripping the cashew cream
This consistency is 1 cup of cashews + 1 cup of water.

Can I use this cashew cream recipe in baking?

Absolutely! This vegan cashew cream recipe is a fantastic substitute for coconut cream in recipes like vegan cheesecakes, my vegan chocolate frosting, vegan chocolate pudding, and even vegan whipped cream.

Can I use cashew cream to make sour cream?

Yes, absolutely! So to make a quick sour cream substitute that you can make using cashew cream, simply blend in 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar, and use 1/2 cup of water to create a thicker base.

vegan cashew cream in a jar

What savory recipes can I use this cashew cream recipe in?

If you’re looking for creaminess in your dinner, then you’re going to want to use cashew cream! This vegan heavy cream substitute is great for:

How to store:

If you’re not using this cashew cream immediately, or you’d like to use it throughout the week, I recommend storing the cashew cream in an airtight SEALED glass container and in the fridge. It will last about 1 week in a cold fridge.

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

2 Ingredient Cashew Cream Recipe - for sweet & savory! pinterest pin

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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jar of cashew cream

2 Ingredient Cashew Cream Recipe – for cooking & baking!

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  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 1
  • Total Time: 1 minute
  • Yield: 1 cup 1x
  • Category: Sauces
  • Method: Blender
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This quick 1 minute cashew cream recipe is a great vegan heavy cream replacement in both sweet and savory recipes (including baking!).


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/21 1/2 cups filtered water
  • 1 cup (120 g) raw unsalted cashews

Instructions

  1. Add the water and cashews to a high speed blender or food processor. For a thicker cashew cream, use just 1/2 cup of water (for sour cream substitutes), for a true heavy cream substitute, use 1 cup of water, and for a slightly less thick cream substitute, use 1 1/2 cups of water) (see blog post for more variations).
  2. Blend the cashews and water together for about 30-60 seconds, until super creamy and smooth.
  3. Use in your recipe as instructed or store sealed in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

Savory variation:

  • 1/4 tspgarlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Sweet variation:

  • 1 tspvanilla extract