There are some great sour creams on the market these days, but my favorite is a simple homemade version made from nourishing ingredients like creamy cashews and tangy lemons.
This is one of those throw everything in the blender and you’re done kind of recipes, so it’s very easy to do and making a big batch of this on the weekends means I can easily add a cool and creamy dollop to whatever I’m making for dinner that week.
It’s great on chili, tacos, and dal, and I also like to use it as the base for quick salad dressings or creamy pasta sauces.
You can also turn this into a flavorful dip with some garlic powder, fresh chives, and black pepper or serve on baked potatoes with a pat of vegan butter for a classic homestyle side dish.
I also really like using this as a mayo replacement on sandwiches or as a sauce in wraps.
However you choose to serve it, I hope you this dairy-free vegan sour cream!
– Nicole
Vegan Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups cashews raw
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- 2 tbsp white rice vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 4 tsp olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ tsp yellow mustard
Instructions
- Measure out 2 cups of raw cashews and place in a bowl. Cover with room temperature water and soak overnight or what I usually do when I'm short on time: cover with boiling hot water and let sit for 30 minutes-1 hour. The longer the better, but even 15 minutes is better than nothing. This will create a smooth, silky consistency 🙂
- Then drain the water from the cashews and and add them to a to a high-powered blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend for 40 seconds to 1 minute or until very smooth and creamy.
- Taste and add another pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon until it tastes perfect to you. Remember, it's always best to add a little bit at a time rather than to add too much all at once, so taste and adjust as desired.
- At this point, it's ready to serve as is but it will thicken up considerably in the fridge. I like when sour cream is cool, thick, and creamy so I think it's best when after it's been chilling in the fridge for several hours or overnight. When you're ready to serve, dollop on nachos, tacos, chili, or baked potatoes and enjoy.
Notes
Hey! I’m Nicole and I make practical vegan recipes for REAL life. I cook with simple, easy to find ingredients and I’m passionate about creating delicious plant-based meals that everyone will love!
I hope you enjoy my recipes and videos :) Happy Cooking!
Find me on: Instagram
This is the best vegan sour cream recipe that I have tried, and I have tried several. Per your instructions in the recipe, I made some adjustments to taste, but the ingredients in this recipe were spot on. Excited to put on my tacos, etc. !
Author
AHHHHH!! This makes me so happy! I’m thrilled that you liked it as much as I do. I’ve been using it on everything recently so I’m really glad you’re enjoying it. Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Sorry if the answer is obvious but…
The ingredients say 2 cups of cashews and 1 cup of water
But then the method says soak 1 cup of cashews – am I soaking them in the 1 cup of water then Discarding the water and what do I do with the other cup of cashews
Or
Do I soak 1 cup of water then blend that 1 cup of cashews with 1 cup of unsoaked cashews and a cup of water
Author
Hey Lucy, so sorry for the confusion. Not sure how that slipped past me but I’m fixing it immediately. Both cups are meant to go into the blender! Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂 Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Love, Nicole