How to Make Yummy Dairy Free Sour Cream with Cashews!

Welcome to another delicious adventure in the kitchen! If you’ve ever thought that going dairy-free meant giving up on creamy, tangy sour cream, think again. Today, we’re diving into the exciting world of plant-based cooking with a recipe that’s sure to become a staple in your household: Dairy-Free Sour Cream made with Cashews!

Whether you're lactose intolerant, vegan, or just looking to add more plant-based options to your diet, this recipe is your new best friend. Grab your apron and let’s get ready to transform humble cashews into a luscious, velvety sour cream that will elevate your tacos, baked potatoes, and dips to a whole new level of yum. Let’s get blending!

Where to buy cashews in bulk

Bulk bins are a great place to score deals!

Before we jump into the recipe, let’s talk about how to get the best deal on cashews. Nuts can be expensive and raw cashews may not be available at your local grocery store.

The best place to buy them is at a store with a bulk food section, such as Winco, Whole Foods, or Sprouts. Raw cashew pieces are even better because these are usually cheaper than whole cashews.

Here is a price comparison from different stores:

• Winco: $4.88/lb for cashew pieces

• Sprouts: $5.99/lb for whole cashews

• Walmart: $8.98/14 oz ($10.24/lb) for whole cashews

• The Nut Garden: $23.40/5 lbs ($4.68/lb) for cashew pieces

  • This company has the best price I’ve found online for raw cashews.

Dairy Free Cashew Sour Cream

Okay, let’s get started! Here is what you’ll need for this recipe.

Ingredient List:

• 1 cup of raw cashews

• 5 tsp of lemon juice

• 5 tsp of apple cider vinegar

• ½ cup of water (+ enough to cover and soak the cashews)

This recipe makes approximately 1 3/4 cups of sour cream, depending on how much water you add.

Instructions:

1. Soak the cashews.

   1. Long Soak - If you have time, you can soak the cashews in water overnight or all day (approx. 8 hours). This will help to soften the cashews and help them absorb more water for a creamy sour cream.

   2. Quick Soak - I’m a bit impatient, so I usually opt for the quick soak method. Heat up water in the microwave. Add raw cashews to a bowl and pour hot water over them, enough to cover the nuts. Put a plate on top of the bowl and let sit covered for 20 minutes.

2. Drain the cashews and add to a blender.

3. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and water to the blender. The above measurements are my personal taste preference and consistency. For a thicker sour cream, add less water. For a runnier sour cream, add more. I would recommend adding the lemon juice and vinegar 1 tsp at a time, blending and taste testing as you go. You’re looking for a slight tangy bite to the flavor.

4. Serve over tacos, baked potatoes, chili, and more! It is also great as a substitute for vegan mayo in recipes or the secret to a creamy pasta sauce.

This recipe makes about 1 3/4 cups of sour cream. I used some to top my tacos before taking this picture :)

Yummy plant-based tacos! This demonstrates how much cream I add to each one. It is about 1/2 tbsp.

Freezer Instructions

This cashew sour cream freezes beautifully!

When I make sour cream, I whip up a batch and freeze it as individual portions using a ice cube tray. After using some for dinner, I was able to freeze the rest as 13 cubes. One cube is about 2 tbsp, enough to top 4 tacos or 2 bowls of chili. You don’t need a lot to add a little bit of flavor to your dish.

Place the ice cube tray in the freezer and freeze overnight. Then, pop the cubes out into a reusable bag.

Transfer to a bag and grab a cube as needed!

When you are ready to use a frozen sour cream cube, defrost it in the fridge overnight or pop it in the microwave for 15 second intervals and stir. Don’t overcook it. Add a little water if necessary.

One cube defrosted from the freezer.

If you plan to use this recipe as an ingredient in another recipe, use this handy guide:

• 1 cup = 8 cubes (16 tbsp)

• 1/2 cup = 4 cubes (8 tbsp)

• 1/4 cup = 2 cubes (4 tbsp)

Cost Breakdown

This recipe is delicious on plant-based chili!

Let’s see the cost breakdown of this recipe!

Here is how much I spent on ingredients:

• Cashew Pieces - $2.44 ($4.88/lb)

• Lemon Juice - $0.12 ($2.17 for 15 oz. bottle)

• Apple Cider Vinegar - $0.06 ($2.32 for 32 oz. bottle)

• Total: $2.62

But you’re not going to just eat this plain! I mean you could, but that’s not cost effective. So, what does it come out to per serving? One frozen cube is about 2 tbsp. To make it easy, let's say each serving is 1 tbsp.

1.75 cups equals 28 tbsp.

That means that each tbsp serving costs approximately $0.10!! Now that’s how you stretch a dollar.

And there you have it, folks! Your very own dairy-free sour cream made with the magic of cashews. Who knew something so creamy and delicious could come from such humble nuts? Whether you’re topping off a baked potato or adding a dollop to your favorite chili, this luscious creation is sure to become a staple in your kitchen and take up permanent residence in your freezer.

We hope you enjoyed this culinary adventure and feel empowered to experiment more with plant-based alternatives. Remember, the kitchen is your playground – so don't be afraid to get creative and make these recipes your own. If you tried this recipe, tell us how it turned out by dropping a comment below!

Until next time, happy cooking and bon appétit!