Cilantro Lime Cashew Crema
This cilantro lime cashew crema is the perfect dairy free sauce for tacos, burrito bowls, salads or a dip with your favorite veggies. It’s easy to make and made with 5 simple ingredients.
I’ve been putting this cilantro lime cashew crema on everything from cauliflower tacos, salmon tacos, to taco salads and more for a while now, so it’s finally time to get a single recipe for it!
This recipe is so easy to make, made with just 5 ingredients plus water, super creamy without any dairy and perfect in a variety of recipes.
You can make it super thick and use as a dip with your favorite veggies, or thin it out to use a dressing on salads. I love it with my gluten free fish tacos or ground beef taco bowls!
If you like spice, add in some jalapeno or roasted red pepper flakes. I love it just as is.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Vegan
- Easy to make
- 5 ingredients
- Healthy
- Gluten free
Key ingredients
CASHEWS. You need 1 cup of raw cashews to make this cashew crema. For the best flavor and texture, I don’t recommend roasted or salted cashews.
Roasted cashews will give this sauce a very nutty flavor, whereas raw cashews will be very mild and the prominent flavors will be cilantro and lime.
CILANTRO. Essential ingredient here! If you don’t like cilantro or think it tastes like soap, I’d suggest my cashew queso instead!
LIME. About two limes freshly juiced will add just the right amount of tang to this recipe.
SALT. Not too much, but a bit of salt helps balance out all of the flavors.
GARLIC. One clove of garlic or about 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic. Feel free to add more if you want a stronger garlic flavor. Otherwise, the prominent flavors are lime and cilantro.
WATER. Water is needed to help everything blend together.
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How to make cilantro lime cashew crema
Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for soak for 30 minutes.
Drain and rinse the cashews and add to a high speed blender.
Add in all remaining ingredients. Start with 3/4 cup of water and add more as needed. Blend until completely smooth, about 1 full minute to ensure there are no cashew bits left.
Taste and adjust flavors as desired. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add in more water. Transfer to a sealed jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Do I need to soak cashews?
If you have a high speed blender like a vitamix, you can get away with not soaking, but for best results I do recommend soaking the cashews in boiling water before blending.
This will help ensure they blend completely and you end up with a really smooth cilantro lime crema without any cashew bits.
Overall, you definitely should soak your cashews if you have a regular blender, but with a high speed blender it will be ok without soaking.
How to store
Once prepared, this cashew crema will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an air tight container or jar. It will thicken a bit as it sits, so I like to whisk it up with a bit of water to thin it out depending on what I’m using it for. Then serve it with my steak and rice bowls!
More sauces you’ll love!
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Cilantro Lime Cashew Crema
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3/4-1 cup water
- ⅔ cup cilantro
- 3 tablespoons lime juice about 2 limes
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large clove garlic
Instructions
- Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the cashews and add to a high speed blender.
- Add in all remaining ingredients. Start with 3/4 cup of water and add more as needed.
- Blend until completely smooth, about 1 full minute to ensure there are no cashew bits left.
- Taste and adjust flavors as desired. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add in more water.
- Transfer to a sealed jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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