Vegan Cashew Lime Crema

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Cashew lime crema is a creamy, tangy, and easy dairy-free sauce perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, and soups. The recipe uses a few simple ingredients and is a great vegan alternative to sour cream and Mexican Crema.

Cashew crema in a glass with a spoon dipping in it and limes in the background.

Cashews have a mild flavor, and when blended with a liquid, they create a thick, creamy sauce. Add lime juice for a tangy flavor and just a pinch of salt to make an easy vegan crema.

The recipe is a great all-purpose dairy-free cream sauce to add to rice bowls, tacos, soups, curries, or to cool down spicy food. Try the cashew crema on a burrito bowl with tofu crumbles or walnut lentil tacos. For more cashew-based sauces, try creamy cilantro lime dressing, vegan ranch salad dressing, or roasted red pepper dressing.

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Recipe features
Ingredient notes
Tips
Variations
Video
How to Make Cashew Lime Crema
Serving Suggestion
Storage
Frequently asked questions
Related recipes
Recipe
Comments

Recipe features

Vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free, and plant-based!
Easy to make and great for meal prep!
Four simple ingredients, including water!

Ingredient notes

The recipe uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for the full list and exact measurements.

A bowl of salt, a glass of water, a lime, and a bowl of cashews.

Cashews - Use raw cashews, not roasted or salted. Raw cashews will give a mild, neutral flavor. Roasted cashews give a slight nutty roasted flavor. Raw whole cashews or cashew pieces will work.

Lime - Freshly squeezed is best to brighten up the mild cashew flavor. Lemon juice can be substituted.

Tips

If you want a thicker version and use less water than what's in the recipe card below, you may need to use a small blender (e.g., 24 ounces) or try doubling the recipe for a large high-speed blender.
If you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you may not need to soak your cashews. Soaking them does create a smoother crema. If you have a regular blender, soaking cashews overnight is recommended. The longer you soak them, the less work your blender needs to do. Overnight soaking is usually sufficient. The smoothness will depend on the blender and how long the cashews are soaked.

Variations

Enjoy the vegan cashew crema as is or try a different variation.

Add fresh cilantro, stir in chopped cilantro, or blend it into the crema.
Add a small clove or half of a large clove of garlic to the blender.
Stir in a salsa.
Try lemon juice instead of lime juice.
Add smoked paprika and ground cumin.
Try creamy vegan chipotle sauce with chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

Video

How to Make Cashew Lime Crema

Preferably, soak the cashews overnight. If you have a high-speed blender, you can use a quick soak method. See the frequently asked questions below on how to soak cashews.

Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust for lime juice and salt.

Blended cashew, water, lime juice, and salt in a blender.

Serving Suggestion

The dairy-free crema is a great option to add a bit of creaminess to a variety of Buddha bowls and so much more, but here are just a few suggestions.

Top Walnut Lentil Tacos with the crema.
Enjoy it on Vegan Taco Bowls, Vegan Tofu Burrito Bowls, or Vegan Black Bean Burrito Bowls.
Try it with Oil-Free Refried Beans.
Add it to Slow Cooker Quinoa Chili or Vegan Red Lentil Chili before serving.
Serve it with Red Lentil Dal or Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry.
Drizzle it on nachos, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, or quesadillas.

Storage

Store the vegan lime crema in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 7 days. Cashew dressing does thicken after being refrigerated. Add a splash of water to thin out.

Frequently asked questions

How to soak cashews?

Option one: Place the cashews in a container with enough water to cover them by 1 inch (the cashews will swell as they soak) and soak the nuts overnight (or about 8 hours). Place the container in the fridge if soaking overnight. Drain before using.
Option two: Boil enough water to cover the cashews by at least 1 inch and pour the hot water over the nuts in a heat-tolerant container. Soak for around 20 minutes on the counter. If you don't have a high-speed blender, you may need to soak them longer than 30 minutes. Drain before using.

Do I have to soak the cashews?

If you have a high-speed blender, you may not need to soak the cashews, but soaking them does give a smoother sauce.

Can I use cashew butter?

I haven't tried using cashew butter in the recipe, so I can't say for sure how well it would work. If the recipe calls for a ½ cup of raw cashews, I would try a ¼ cup of cashew butter, since raw cashews would be blended down. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until you get the right consistency. Just to be cautious, I would start with one tablespoon of lime juice. You can always add more. I wouldn't use a sweetened cashew butter. If the cashew butter has added salt, then I would skip the pinch of salt. Also, some cashew butters are made from roasted or baked cashews, so this will change the flavor of the crema.

Can I freeze cashew crema?

Yes, you can freeze cashew cream. Store it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for about 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. The texture does change. I whisk the crema to combine it back together, but it's not as smooth as being freshly made.