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This vegan avocado crema is light, creamy, tangy, and easy to make. The condiment can be made in as little as 5 minutes. Use it to top tacos, burrito bowls, and so much more.
It's made with vegan yogurt, so no soaking cashews for this recipe. It's nut-free if you use a nut-free yogurt and it can be made quickly.
The avocado lime crema is similar to guacamole and uses some of the same base ingredients like avocado, lime juice, and salt. Our dairy-free version is made with vegan yogurt giving it a tangy flavor and making it silky smooth, similar to an avocado sour cream.
For more sauces try cashew dressing with cilantro, vegan lime crema, vegan chipotle sauce, or a simple guacamole.
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Recipe features
- Dairy-free, plant-based, gluten-free, oil-free, and can be nut-free!
- Easy and quick to make!
- Easy to customize!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The vegan avocado crema uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
Ripe avocado - One large ripe avocado is best for a creamy vegan avocado crema.
Vegan yogurt - Use plain unsweetened yogurt for the recipe. I also tried ¼ cup of plain unsweetened dairy-free milk, and it worked as a substitute but the crema was less tangy. I opt for soy or coconut yogurt because it's easy to find at my local store, but vegan sour cream can also be used.
Lime - Freshly squeezed lime juice is best but you can use lemon juice if needed. Add the zest of half the lime for a more intense lime flavor.
Garlic - Use one fresh clove of garlic for more flavor, but garlic powder can be used.
Water - Just a splash to get a smoother and thinner sauce.
Salt - Add to bring out the flavors, but adjust to suit your taste.
Tips
- The recipe can easily be doubled.
- Make sure to use ripe avocados, unripened don't blend well or taste as creamy.
- Add the zest of half the lime for a more intense lime flavor.
Variations
- Try blending in ¼ cup of fresh cilantro.
- For heat, add half of a jalapeño or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Try adding ground cumin.
- Instead of yogurt, plain unsweetened dairy-free milk can be used but it won't be as tangy. Vegan sour cream can also be used.
How to make vegan avocado crema
Since the recipe doesn't make a large quantity, a food processor, a small blender, or a high-speed blender with a tamper stick works well. With a regular blender or even a small blender, you may have to stop frequently to scrape the walls and push down the ingredients.
Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time for a thinner consistency. The food processor blended the ingredients well so I didn't need more than a tablespoon of water. I did need more if I used a blender.
Taste and adjust if needed, add more lime juice or salt.
Storage
Store the avocado lime crema in an airtight container for 2 days in the refrigerator. When I tested it with dairy-free milk, there was a little liquid separation the next day that had a slight brown color.
Frequently asked questions
To check for ripeness gently press the avocado (not too hard, as the avocado might bruise), it should be firm but give a little under the pressure. Ripe avocados are not too soft and mushy, nor too firm and hard. When you find a good one, check it for soft indentations. If you find soft spots, it may be overripe or bruised.
To speed up the ripening process, place the avocados in a brown paper bag with a couple of bananas. The time it takes to soften the avocados will vary depending on how much they need to ripen. It may take a couple of days or it could be ready overnight.
If the avocados are ready but you're not, then store them in the refrigerator. This will not halt the ripening, but it will slow it down.
It may be similar, but avocado lime crema and guacamole are not the same. Guacamole is usually mashed to be chunkier and often made with onions, jalapeño, and maybe tomatoes.
Avocado lime crema is a creamy sauce that is sometimes made with sour cream. Our dairy-free version uses dairy-free yogurt and blended to make it silky smooth.
Serving suggestions
The vegan avocado lime crema can be used as a topping for so many dishes, but here are a few suggestions.
- Tacos made with lentil walnut taco meat.
- Vegan burrito bowls with minced meat tofu.
- Enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, taquitos, or fajitas.
- Vegan fajita bowls with seasoned bell peppers and poblano peppers.
- Vegan black bean bowl with a mango corn salsa.
- Veggie taco bowl with lentil walnut taco meat.
- Vegan Southwest sweet potato bowl with black beans
- Use it as a dip for chips or veggies.
- Try it on a hummus cucumber sandwich piled with veggies.
- Use it as a salad dressing, thin it out more with a splash of water if it's too thick.
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe! If you did feel free to rate it and leave a comment.
Recipe
Vegan Avocado Crema
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan avocado crema is light, creamy, tangy, and easy to make. Use it to top tacos, burrito bowls, and so much more.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsweetened plain vegan yogurt
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lime, zested and juiced (zest of half the lime and 2 tablespoons of juice)
- 1-2 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Add everything to a food processor or a small blender, and use the zest of half the lime for a more intense lime flavor.
- Blend until smooth. To thin out the sauce add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and add more if needed.
- Taste and adjust if needed.
Notes
Make sure to use ripe avocados, unripened don't blend well.
Use 1 large ripe avocado or 2 small avocadoes.
If you use a blender you may need more water to thin out.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: dip
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: american
Marco says
Very easy and delicious! I’ll definitely make it again.
Allie says
I'm glad you liked the recipe and thank you for leaving a comment!