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Today we are going to talk about a life-changing vegan “food” that is my Vegan Cream Sauce. Before I was vegan or Plant-based, I had a serious addiction to queso’s, white sauces, and just cheese!
When I found out I could make something healthy, satiating, and just as tasty as real cheese with nuts… I was in shock! I can make cheese with nuts?! What the heck is nutritional yeast?! This opened a door of lots of new possibilities for me and hence how I figured out how to make the perfect vegan cream sauce with a few years of practice.
After you make this recipe, you will also be instantly hooked!
If you’re wondering what a vegan cream sauce is, it is a delicious delicacy of rich, creamy, nutty goodness that can be savory or sweet.
Here is a quick list of some incredible dishes to drizzle (or drench) the sauce on:
- Mac and cheese & Alfredo pasta – yes you read that right!
- Veggie dip- carrots, celery, and cucumber, oh my!
- Fruit dip- strawberries and cream anyone?
- Chip dip-ditch the plastic nacho cheese for some nutrition and creamy satiating dairy-free cheese
So you ask, why make this delectable, heavenly cream sauce? Well, because it’s versatile, easy breezy to make, and much healthier for you than real dairy products but with the same great taste!
This is so much better than original dairy products because of the healthy fats and non-bloating effects it has on the body.
This cream can also cruelty-free with the fact that it can save millions of cows a year by just mixing up a few ingredients in a blender and voila!
You can make the Vegan Cream Sauce thicker, thinner, sweeter, and ‘cheesier’- whatever your little heart desires.
Below is my BASIC but incredible recipe for the creamy goodness you will forever thank me for. There are many vegan nut creams out there in the sea of recipes so I am thankful you decided to check out mine.
A Few Notes to make the Most Amazing Vegan Cream Sauce
There is one important factor that will make this sauce a saucy cream and that is to include a ‘nut base’.
Have fun with this creation and explore with different variations and flavor profiles because there are no strict rules when making this exquisite sauce.
I have tested several different nut bases for this recipe, and below are the ones I have tried.
Tip: Please be sure to soak your nuts because they sometimes contain chemicals and phytic acid that can be hard to break down in the body causing uncomfortable stomach pain. Read more about it here.
Different Base Nut variations:
Walnuts–
Walnuts are great for the sauce because they have a more earthy yet buttery taste. This nut is perfect for pasta, veggie dips, and a vegan parmesan taste. Walnuts are a perfect staple for every pantry because of the many health benefits they contain like high fiber content.
Pistachios–
Pistachios are an amazing salty, cheesy, smooth, addicting and pricy nut. They make a perfect addition to any dish, sweet dessert, and of course this sauce. Although it can be pricey at times, it’s one of the best complimentary nuts to add for an extra boost of saltiness and added health benefits. I would highly recommend adding a small amount to any of the sauces with a more dominate nut (walnuts or cashews) as a base.
Cashews-
Last but not least, one of America’s favorite nuts, cashews. Cashews are my favorite base nut for the cream sauce because of their rich, creamy, cheesy, and sweet flavor. You can use cashews in a sweet or savory cream which is why they are my favorite. These also take the least amount of time to soak and are easily accessible. I always buy raw unsalted cashews because they taste the best and you can control the amount of salt in the cream.
I have a nut sensitivity, can I still make this cream?
Absolutely! You are welcome to swap out the nut base for pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, cooked cauliflower or butter beans instead. I haven’t tried these but if you do and you love it, please let us know how it worked for you in the comments below!
Cashew Cream Sauce
A creamy Vegan cream sauce thats dairy free and versaltile for sweet and savory dishes.
- 1/2 cup Cashews or other Nut
- 2 TBS Pistachios (optional, adds saltiness)
- 1/2 cup Water or milk
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 TBS Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Garlic Clove or 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Salt (start small and add more as you go)
Optional Ingredients to add
- Pepper
- oregano
- parsley
- onion powder
- 1 TBS Buttery Spread
Soak cashews and pistachios for the appropriate amount of time (around 30 minutes in HOT water), drain and rinse them, add to a high-speed blender.
Add water, lemon juice, salt, Nutritional yeast. This is also the time to add any of the optional spices or butter.
Blend on the highest speed for 30 -60 seconds untill smooth.
The sauce should be runny yet thick like a smoothie. When you place in the fridge, it should firm up a bit to make it more 'spreadable'. To make it runnier, add more water or milk. Taste and adjust as needed!
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 5 days – if it lasts that long 😉
This heavenly, tasty, dreamy Vegan Cream Sauce is so easy to make and versatile to anyone vegan or not! Your friends, husband, wife, kids and of course you, will love this cream. Please let me know if you tried it and what kind of variations you want to try.
If you want to make this recipe later and don’t want to forget it, Pin now so you always have it!
Xoxo,
Dacia
And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.” Genesis 1:29
