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Dairy-Free Sour Cream – cashew based

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RAW / VEGAN / GLUTEN-FREE

If you are aiming to eat a high raw diet and/or don’t eat dairy products… this is a perfect replacement.  My sister LOVES sour cream and that might even be putting it mildly.  The other day while she was visiting, I asked her to give this a try.

raw vegan Dairy-Free Sour Cream - cashew based

I will be honest, I held my breath, crossed my fingers and even crossed my toes… She dipped the spoon into the bowl, raised it to her lips, they parted… the spoon went in… the spoon came out… she raised her eyebrows… she smiled! she LIKED it, she really liked it! Shew!  My sis can be a tough sell so after receiving her stamp of approval, I had an extra bounce in my step for the rest of the day. :)

INGREDIENTS

So what makes this “sour cream” so special? Cashews! Once soaked, the cashews blend into the creamiest texture. They also have a very neutral flavor which is the perfect foundation to add a few more ingredients to make this taste much like real cream cheese.  And did you know that cashews are rich in copper, which helps in the metabolism of iron, aids in the formation of red blood cells, and helps in keeping the bones and immune system healthy? It is also vital for the nervous and skeletal system of the body. A deficiency of copper in the body may result in osteoporosis, irregular heartbeats, and anemia. (source)

TECHNIQUE

The ingredients are simple and so is the technique but there is one key bit of info that we must talk about. And that is the blender. You will want to use a high-powered blender to create that ultimate sour cream texture. Lumpy sour cream just won’t cut it. If you own a lower end model, it may take a tad bit longer to blend. If the mixture starts to get too warm during the blending process, turn the unit off and let things cool down before proceeding.

The best way to test the texture is to rub a bit of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger. If you detect any grit, keep blending.  You can substitute cashews for the almonds, but the soak time will be a bit longer and you will need to remove their skins after soaking.  Either nut works beautifully.   I hope you enjoy this simple yet delicious recipe. blessings, amie sue

Oh, I must share… see the wooden bowl in the photos?  My husband, Bob, turned out that bowl on our lathe. My grandfather taught us both to make pens on a lathe and it was long after that were we took lessons on how to create bowls. Never stiffle creativity! You never know were it might present itself.

raw vegan Dairy-Free Sour Cream - cashew based in a wooden bowlIngredients:

Yields 1 3/4 cup

Preparation:

  1. After soaking the cashews, drain and rinse.
    • The purpose of soaking the cashews is to remove some of the phytic acid (which will help with digestion) and to soften them so they will blend into a smooth cream.
  2. In a high-powered blender combine the cashews, water, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, and salt.
    • Blend until creamy and you don’t feel any grit when you rub it between your fingers.
    • Depending on the blender, this process can take 1-4 minutes.
    • If you don’t have apple cider vinegar you can use coconut vinegar or lemon juice.
  3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

19 thoughts on “Dairy-Free Sour Cream – cashew based

  1. Carol Avila-Elder says:

    Where do I get these dishes!?

    By the way, thanks for the great recipe too! :-)

    • amie-sue says:

      Are you referring to the bowl Carol? I got it at Home Goods. Do you have one of those stores in your neck of the woods? I have a dish fetish, bad bad bad. haha Have a blessed weekend, amie sue

      3/27/18 – I changed the photos which means I used a new bowl. :)

  2. Yulia says:

    How about fermenting it to get probiotic bacteria? I’ve tried one once, it was really good. I’ve heard you’d need to put less vinegar and leave it in a dark place, but I’m not sure for how long.

    • amie-sue says:

      Oh yes for sure. I have used probiotics in it as well and fermented it for about 24 hours, depending on how strong I wanted the flavor. This recipe is for a quick sour cream. amie sue

  3. Amity says:

    I wanted to make a suggestion for your sight.
    See I have you on my e-mail and when you did your series on Mexican food I literally made everything for an all out Mexican night. Really fun but It was way more than could be eaten all at once unlike SAD food even for 9+ people. What it did do is make me want more groupings.
    Please Please Please (if possible) make a way to let me look at asian inspired,mexican,or just dinner groupings so I don’t have to jump pack and forth to every sub heading looking for the sauce to put on my Tacos, “noodles”, or wraps :)

    • amie-sue says:

      Thanks for the feed-back Amity. I will do my best with you suggestion. I don’t always create themed recipes but when I do I will group them or connect them. Have a great day, amie sue

  4. paz says:

    hello, thank you very much for all your marvellous receipts, they are really fantastic! this is the very best raw-web ever! :)

    Please, what could you use instead of cashews? I’m alergic to them, and I see they are used in a lot of receipts. (I am also alergic to brazil-coconuts).

    Thank you very much for your help :)

    • amie-sue says:

      Why thank you Paz, I appreciate your kind words. You can use almonds that have their skins removed for this recipe. Can you eat those? Have a blessed evening, amie sue

      • paz says:

        thanks a lot Amie! yes, I can eat almonds and many other nuts (but cashews & brasil-nuts). But I wonder if there is a ‘mix’ (maybe zucchini with almonds, nuts, hazelnuts…) or any combination to get a similar cashew taste and texture… I know that’s not easy but as you are so creative I wonder if you could ‘find’ something to replace! Thank you very much :)

  5. Mario says:

    Awesome recipe. Always something I was looking for and later saw that it is normal to do this in our indian “neighborhood”.
    Yesterday I modified it with some more water and different herbs, to have an awesome salad dressing.

    Greetings from Mauritius
    Mario

    • amie-sue says:

      Yes, this recipe is very adaptable to creating whatever flavor you want. :) Have a wonderful week Mario.

  6. Irm says:

    Hi Amie Sue

    This is really a delicious recipe! Can I use this one for clotted cream or can you advise me a better one?

    Greetings,

    Irm

  7. Diana says:

    Just made this using lime juice instead of vinegar. Perfect. Thank you! xx

  8. idgie6 says:

    Hi Amie-sue,
    I would like to freeze the sour cream for future use. Will that work ok? Thanks!
    Laura

    • amie-sue says:

      Good day Laura,

      Yes, you can freeze it. Once thawed it might be a good idea to pop it back in the blender to smooth it out. :) blessings, amie sue

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