My Love Affair with Cashew Creme

In my early twenties, even as a vegetarian, I probably clogged more than a few of my arteries with the amount of heavy cream I used in my cooking.  I loved rich, creamy soups, sauces and desserts, and butter and cream were staples in my fridge.  In fact, dairy is perhaps the hardest thing for people to give up when they go vegan, presenting an even greater challenge than giving up meat.  Usually, people make the switch from dairy to soy milk, but soy just doesn't seem to cut it - it's not rich enough and has that soy "off" taste.  So what else is there?

That's where cashew creme comes to the rescue!  Made in about 30 seconds in a high-speed blender, cashew creme can be used in dishes sweet to savory from desserts to soups and sauces.  And while using nuts may sound like a high-calorie alternative, consider that cashew creme has about 200 calories per cup to heavy cream's 820.  That's less than one-fourth of the calories of heavy cream, not to mention the total lack of cholesterol.  Sure, it may not be something you want to pour over your cereal when a lower-calorie alternative (like almond, rice or soy milk) may be available, but it is unbeatable when you need that extra richness.

So how do you make it?  Very easily.  Start with one cup of raw, unsalted cashews (cashew pieces are fine) and place in a high-speed blender with about 3 cups of water.  Blend for about 60 seconds until it is absolutely white and creamy.  It can now be used in a variety of dishes, but here are two basic sauces to give you an idea of its possibilities.

Vegan Bechamel Sauce (Basic White Sauce)


Pour the Cashew Creme in a saucepan.  Over medium heat, allow the creme to come to a low simmer.  It will thicken beautifully on its own without the addition of flour or needing to first make a roux.  Season it with salt, white pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste for a basic bechamel sauce. If desired, a clove of garlic can be added while pureeing the cashews.  

Creamy Pesto Sauce


In Italy, heavy cream is frequently added to pesto sauce (typically made with lots of olive oil) to make it creamy.  This sauce features cashew creme as a lower-fat and calorie alternative to olive oil to yield a similar creamy pesto sauce.


In a blender or food processor, combine and process briefly:

2 cups packed sweet basil leaves
3 - 6 cloves garlic
2 - 3 Tbs. nutritional yeast flakes
1 Tbs. miso or 1 tsp. salt (the miso contributes a cheesy flavor)
2 Tbs. pine nuts, optional

Pour into this 1/2 to 1 cup Cashew Creme until the desired consistency is reached.  If desired, this can be gently heated in a saucepan until warm; it will thicken slightly when heated.

Pour over pasta and enjoy.