Creamy Vegan Cashew Sauce (Hidden Veggie Crema)
This Creamy Vegan Cashew Sauce (Hidden Veggie Crema) is a rich, dairy-free sauce made with blended cashews and roasted vegetables. It’s smooth, flavorful, easy to make in a blender, and perfect for pasta, bowls, and more. It’s even picky-eater-approved.
Some recipes become instant favorites in our home, but what really takes them over the top is a drizzle of this creamy cashew crema. My husband and I love it most on Broccoli and Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.
When I want something a little more flexible, I pour it over Sweet Potato Bowls. It’s the perfect way to turn simple ingredients into a comforting dinner that feels anything but ordinary.
Spotlight on This Creamy Vegan Cashew Sauce
- Perfect for a plant-based diet: This vegan cashew crema sauce is completely dairy-free, making it ideal for those with lactose intolerance or anyone looking for a wholesome plant-based option.
- It’s ultra creamy: Blended cashews create a rich, velvety texture, while nutritional yeast adds a subtle cheesy flavor without any dairy.
- It contains hidden vegetables: A simple and delicious way to sneak in extra veggies, perfect for picky eaters and busy moms looking to boost nutrition without a fight.
- It’s simple to make: Everything comes together in a blender for an easy, no-fuss sauce that fits seamlessly into busy weeknights.
- It’s incredibly versatile: Use it for pasta, grain bowls, tacos, roasted veggies, or as a dip to instantly elevate any meal.
How to Eat This Sauce
There are countless ways to use this cashew sauce in your cooking. Here are just a few ideas:
As a dip: This sauce is perfect for dipping raw veggies, tortilla chips, or even pita bread. Its creamy texture and flavorful taste make it an excellent option for parties or snacking.
As a dressing: For best results, thin the sauce out with a little water or olive oil and use it as a salad dressing. It adds a delicious and healthy twist to any salad and is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies.
As a topping: Drizzle the sauce over roasted vegetables, this Vegan Sweet Potato Hash, or even over baked potatoes. It adds a delicious, creamy flavor and makes any dish feel more indulgent.
As a sauce: Use this sauce as a substitute for sour cream or mayonnaise in your favorite recipes. It works great as a topping for tacos, these pressure cooker black beans, or on a veggie burger.
As a spread: Spread this sauce on sandwiches or wraps for a tasty and healthy twist on your favorite lunchtime staples. It’s a great way to add some extra veggies to your diet while still enjoying the foods you love.
The Ingredients
Soaked cashews: You’ll want to make sure they are soft. You can achieve this by soaking them in water overnight or in hot water for at least 20 minutes.
Spices: This includes onion powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Sweet potato and carrots: While this is definitely optional, add in roasted carrots and roasted sweet potato to not only thicken the sauce but also to add flavor and nutrients.
Avocado oil: You’ll use this healthy oil to toss into your vegetables to roast.
Vegetable stock: You can also replace this with water; however, it is highly recommended to use broth for its unique flavor.
Nutritional yeast: This is quite simply one of the best vegan versions of cheese out there. That’s because nutritional yeast isn’t processed, and it’s packed with nutrients, like amino acids.
Lime juice: This adds a great citrusy flavor to this cashew cream recipe. You could also use lemon juice if needed.
Garlic: There’s no such thing as a sauce without garlic, am I right? Make sure to use fresh garlic instead of powdered versions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soaking softens the cashews, making the crema extra smooth and creamy. If you’re short on time, you can use boiling water to quick-soak them for about 20 minutes.
Yes, however, I recommend a high-speed blender which will produce a creamier sauce.
It’s versatile! Drizzle it over tacos, grain bowls, roasted veggies, or use it as a dip for fresh veggies or pita bread.
While I do recommend eating this fresh, you can absolutely freeze leftovers! Freeze in small portions (like in silicone molds or ice cube trays) and thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
Yes! Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and chili powder to the blender before blending.
This cashew sauce is rich, creamy, and slightly savory with a subtle cheesy flavor from the nutritional yeast. The roasted vegetables add a natural sweetness and depth, while the garlic and seasoning bring it all together for a smooth, well-balanced sauce that tastes comforting and satisfying without any dairy.
The Instructions
Step one: If your cashews are not soft, you will want to make sure to soak them first.
Simply place the cashews in a deep, glass bowl and add either hot or boiling water to the bowl until they are completely covered for at least 20 minutes. Or, place lukewarm water over the cashews, and place them in the fridge overnight.
Step two: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the sweet potato chunks and carrot chunks onto a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 17 minutes. Skip this step if you are not adding roasted vegetables.
Step three: Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender in the following order: drained cashews, roasted vegetables, garlic, nutritional yeast, lime juice, vegetable stock, spices, salt, and pepper. Blend until you have a very creamy sauce.
Side note: if you are not adding roasted vegetables, add a little bit less broth.
Enjoy immediately!
Storage
Transfer the completely cooled cashew sauce to a mason jar or an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
The crema thickens in the fridge, so you may need to add a splash of veggie stock to make it thinner.
How to Reheat
Remove the lid, and place a paper towel over the mason jar. Microwave the crema for 30 seconds, stir, and reheat for another 20 seconds. Continue until the desired temperature is reached.
Tips and Modifications
To speed up the softening process, soak the raw cashews in hot/boiling water for 20 minutes.
You can leave the roasted vegetables (carrots and sweet potato chunks) out of this recipe, but you might need less broth.
Optional: Add in 1 deseeded jalapeno to kick up the heat.
If you are looking for a thinner sauce, add additional vegetable broth.
Enjoy This Sauce With These Tasty Recipes
Pressure Cooker Spiced Black Beans
Plant-Based Sweet Potato Bowls
Creamy Vegan Cashew Sauce (Hidden Veggie Crema)
Equipment
- 1 lined, sheet pan
- 1 small, deep glass bowl
- 1 high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil *For the roasted potato chunks and carrots
- ¼ cup peeled, cubed sweet potato chunks
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¾ cup soft cashews *soaked overnight in water
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup vegetable stock *water can work, also
- Juice from 1 lime
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon of the following spices: onion powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional:
- pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- If your cashews are not soft, you will want to make sure to soak them first. Simply place the cashews in a deep, glass bowl and add either hot or boiling water to the bowl until they are completely covered, for at least 20 minutes. Or, place lukewarm water over the cashews, and place them in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the sweet potato chunks and carrot chunks onto a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 17 minutes. Skip this step if you are not adding roasted vegetables.
- Place all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender in this order: drained cashews, roasted vegetables, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, lime juice, vegetable stock, spices, and optional red pepper flakes. Add more salt as desired. Blend until you have a very creamy sauce. Side note: if you are not adding roasted vegetables, add a little bit less broth.
- Eat immediately!
