Naturally sweet, creamy goodness made from … cashews? Believe it. One of the best takeaways from the raw food crowd.
Soak the raw nuts in water for a few hours, drain, then give them a whirr in a powerful blender (Vitamix) to get a whipped cream texture. My daughter and I like to build parfaits with yogurt, a dab of chia pudding, cashew cream, and chopped bittersweet chocolate. Store in the refrigerator and use it for a week, in parfaits, over berries, or as a booster to your smoothie.
Cashew Cream
makes 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 medjool date, pitted
- a few drops vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
-
Drain and rinse cashews with fresh water. Combine the soaked cashews (no water), almond milk, date, vanilla, and salt in a powerful blender. Purée until creamy, about a minute. (Using the Vitamix, I set the speed to "Variable", and go through three cycles of moving the speed from low to high.)
Recipe Notes / Tips
- Use raw cashews, pieces or whole, the ones that look almost white (not roasted or salted)
- Blend cashews with frozen fruit and coconut oil for a dessert with more density—see recipe for Strawberry Cashew Creams
- One of my favorite yogurts is Straus Organic Plain Yogurt made with whole milk
