Sour Cream (Vegan)
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups raw cashews, soaked 4 hours or boiled 15 min
- ⅓ cup water
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp sugar (optional, balances tang)
Equipments:
Features:
Gluten-Free
Meal Prep Friendly
Grain-Free
Soy-Free
Oil-Free
Nutrition:
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Soak the cashews the full 4 hours, or boil them for a faster softening — under-soaked cashews leave a gritty texture no amount of blending can fully smooth out.
Instructions:
- Soak the cashews: Cover cashews with cold water and soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight. For a quick version, boil for 15 minutes until softened. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Blend: Add the soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 60–90 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed, until completely smooth and creamy with no grainy texture.
- Taste and adjust: Taste and adjust — add more lemon juice for extra tang, more salt for depth, or a pinch of sugar to round out the flavor. The texture should be thick and spoonable, similar to dairy sour cream.
- Chill: Transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. It thickens further as it chills.
- Serve: Use anywhere you’d use regular sour cream — on tacos, baked potatoes, in dips, soups, or baked goods.
Tips: The quality of your blender makes a big difference here. A high-speed blender like a Vitamix gives the silkiest, smoothest result. Soak time is crucial — under-soaked cashews will leave a grainy texture no matter how long you blend.
Quick soak: Boil cashews in water for 15 minutes as a shortcut if you forgot to soak overnight.
Swaps: Sunflower seeds make a great nut-free alternative with a similar thick, creamy texture. Use the same quantities and soak the same way.
How to use: Perfect on tacos, burritos, baked potatoes, soups, chili, nachos, or anywhere you’d use regular sour cream. Also works beautifully as a base for creamy dressings and dips.
Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed glass jar up to 1 week. Stir before serving as it may thicken more in the fridge — add a splash of water and stir to loosen if needed.
A few ingredients do most of the work in this recipe. The lemon juice adds acidity that brightens and balances the dish. The apple cider vinegar adds tang that cuts through richness and balances the flavors. The ½ cups raw cashews blends into a rich, creamy base that stands in for dairy. The ½ tsp onion powder adds sweetness and depth as it cooks down.
Sour Cream (Vegan)
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups raw cashews, soaked 4 hours or boiled 15 min
- ⅓ cup water
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp sugar (optional, balances tang)
Equipments:
Features:
Why These Ingredients:
A few ingredients do most of the work in this recipe. The lemon juice adds acidity that brightens and balances the dish. The apple cider vinegar adds tang that cuts through richness and balances the flavors. The ½ cups raw cashews blends into a rich, creamy base that stands in for dairy. The ½ tsp onion powder adds sweetness and depth as it cooks down.
Prep:
Soak the cashews the full 4 hours, or boil them for a faster softening — under-soaked cashews leave a gritty texture no amount of blending can fully smooth out.
Instructions:
- Soak the cashews: Cover cashews with cold water and soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight. For a quick version, boil for 15 minutes until softened. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Blend: Add the soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 60–90 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed, until completely smooth and creamy with no grainy texture.
- Taste and adjust: Taste and adjust — add more lemon juice for extra tang, more salt for depth, or a pinch of sugar to round out the flavor. The texture should be thick and spoonable, similar to dairy sour cream.
- Chill: Transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. It thickens further as it chills.
- Serve: Use anywhere you’d use regular sour cream — on tacos, baked potatoes, in dips, soups, or baked goods.
