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This dairy-free alternative to heavy cream is incredibly easy to make and it’s so much healthier! Better yet, it takes just two ingredients: raw cashews and water.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical when giving this a try, but was delighted at the results. The cream is rich and makes an excellent substitute for half and half in coffee, along with recipes, like soups and stews, that call for half and half or heavy cream.
What’s even better is that it’s low in calories (just 30 per tablespoon) and bad stuff like cholesterol and saturated fat. Love!
You can also make it thicker or thinner by adjusting the amount of water you use. Note, though, that it will not make whipped cream (sorry!). But it will make a somewhat frothy thick cream you can dollop on hot cocoa.
To make it, add one cup of raw, unsalted cashews to a bowl and pour in one cup of water. Let the cashews soak for several hours (at least three).
After soaking, drain the cashews and add them to a high speed blender with a cup and a quarter of clean water. (For thicker cream, we use one cup of water.) Puree on high till you achieve a smooth consistency.
If you don’t have a powerful blender, there may be some tiny, unprocessed bits of cashew in the cream. You can strain it through a sieve or some cheese cloth to remove those, if desired.
At that point, the cashew cream is ready to use! It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Cashew Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, unsalted
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Add cashews and water to a bowl. Let soak for at least three hours and up to six hours.
- Drain the cashews and add them to a high speed blender with 1¼ cups of clean water. Puree on high till you achieve a smooth consistency and no bits of cashew remain (see Notes).
- Use immediately or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Notes
- To accelerate the soaking process, use hot water when soaking the cashews.
- Experts recommend the Vitamix 5200 as the best high speed blender. It is expensive, but worth it if you use a blender frequently for smoothies, etc. It will ensure no bits of cashew remain in your cream. If you don’t use a blender that frequently, see this article on the best blenders, including budget options.
- The cream can be strained through cheese cloth or a sieve to remove any remaining bits of cashew, if needed.