Vegan Vanilla Cashew Cream is the perfect accompaniment to any dessert. It’s delicious for pies, mousses, puddings and even a bowl of fresh fruit. This easy recipe comes together with just 5 ingredients and it comes together in seconds. It is dairy-free and gluten-free.
Easy Vegan Vanilla Cashew Cream
I have a few recipes that are so easy to make that I usually don’t share them. Vanilla Cashew Cream is one of them. Made with just a few ingredients, it’s super easy to whip up. I’ve been cooking vegetarian food for so long that I sometimes assume others know how to make these simple recipes too. But when I teach cooking classes, I realize that these recipes are not as familiar as I thought. I recently demonstrated this recipe in a class and the attendees were quite amazed by it.
what do you want
- raw cashews
- Medjugal date
- the water
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
See recipe card for exact amounts
How to Make Vegan Vanilla Cashew Cream
This recipe is so easy to make! You just throw everything together in a blender and blend until it’s smooth and creamy! A high-speed blender works best, but a regular blender will also work. I like to use my BlendTech twister jar, as I find it works better with thicker mixes.
A food processor fitted with an s-blade will also work, but may take a little longer to blend together smoothly. When trying to make cashew cream in a food processor in the past, I found that I often ended up with a sweet cashew butter. If this happens, add a little more water until your cream reaches the desired consistency.
Since all devices are different, you may need a little more water than what I have stated here. Start with ½ cup. If you find that your cream is not mixing well together, add a little more, one tablespoon at a time. The cream will thicken as it sits, especially if refrigerated.
Storing your cashew cream
Cashew cream will last about 5 days in the fridge. It can be frozen for several months. I like to whip up a batch and then put half in the freezer, so it’s ready when I’m there. When you melt your cashew cream, it may feel a bit thick and lumpy. Whisk it together until it’s smooth again. Add water as needed, a teaspoon at a time.
Serve your cashew cream
My favorite summer dessert is a big bowl of fresh cherries or strawberries with a dollop of vanilla cream. It’s delicious when layered into parfaits, too. And of course, it can be served on pie, cake, ice cream, mousse or whatever your favorite dessert is!
Work with raw cashews
Cashews are truly magical. Raw cashews can be mixed together with water and used to replace dairy in everything from salad dressings to cheese. I often wonder who invented this amazing technique.
Creamy cashews recipe can be made with any kind of cashews, raw type concept. Raw cashews are soft, and they have a mild flavor. Roasted cashews are not as soft, and they will give your recipe a roasted, almost burnt flavor.
Raw cashews aren’t technically raw. Cashews have to be heat-processed to remove their shells, which are poisonous. They are usually steamed or boiled in the process. They are called “raw” because they are not fried
Other nuts will work in recipes that call for raw cashews, but they may not blend as smoothly. Cashews are commonly used in these types of recipes because they are soft and blend well together. Hard nuts like almonds and macadamias need to be soaked for about 8 hours and can add a bit of grit to your recipe, as they can be difficult to blend completely.
Not all recipes call for soaking raw cashews, but I like to soak them for about 2 hours to soften them a bit. Then they should be washed and rinsed. High-speed blenders can sometimes blend unsoaked cashews smoothly, but I sometimes find some residue in my blendtake if I don’t soak them.
Medjugal date
There are two types of dates that I often see in the grocery store – Medjool and Degelet Noor. Deglet noor is the most popular, and they are often sold simply as “dates”.
Deglet Noor dates are small and firm with a sweet taste. Medjool dates are larger and chewier, with more of a caramel flavor. They are soft, so they lend themselves well to raw dessert recipes and creams. I like to soak them for about 15 minutes when using them in recipes where they need to be blended, like this one. (Make sure you remove the holes!)
Medjool dates are usually found in small containers in grocery stores, where nuts and dried fruits are often found. If you can’t find medjools, you can use deglet noors, but I would recommend soaking them a little longer to soften them.
Vegan Vanilla Cashew Cream
material
- 1 the cup raw cashews Soak for 2 hours and wash off
- 6 Medjugal dates Remove the hole, soak for 15 minutes, drain and rinse
- ½ the cup the water Plus more, if needed
- 1 table spoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
instructions
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Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick, add more water, one tablespoon at a time. Note that the cashew cream will thicken in the refrigerator.
Calories: 52kcal
