This is probably the easiest recipe you’ll ever see me post but since it’s becoming a frequently made item in my home so I thought it was worth posting.  We’re mostly dairy free these days, after realizing that both of us had issues with it after an elimination diet (to look for sensitivities).  Since then, I’ve also realized that certain dairy products (as well as wheat) for me lead to binge eating behavior and as someone who has worked really hard to have a healthy relationship with food, I’m not interested in keeping those triggers in my life.

So long story short, cashew cream is a fantastic occasional substitute for sour cream (and it even can stand in partially for making a cream cheese frosting – I shit you not).  You might be wondering why I don’t just go out and buy a dairy free sour cream (there’s plenty out there today).  The reason I don’t go that route is because #1 I like to make things from scratch when I can and #2 fake versions of foods are usually filled with lots of yucky stuff, like extra sugar, extra salt, preservatives and processed soy.  No thanks!

I should warn you, if you’re someone who eats a lot of dairy, you’d probably try this and be like “this tastes nothing like sour cream, she’s nuts!!”.  But if you’ve been off the stuff for a while and just want a little bit of creaminess to dollop on top of your chilli, or to top on your baked potato?  I’ve got you covered!

Ingredients
1 cup raw whole unsalted cashews
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
sea salt to taste

Directions
Soak your cashews in water for at least 6-8 hours.  This will soften them so they’ll be super creamy and also remove some of the phytic acid (which interferes with digestion and magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron absorption).

After soaking, rinse and drain the cashews and then put all ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Scrape down the sides with a spatula if necessary.

Chill for an hour before serving.   The cashew cream will stay good in the fridge for a week but I don’t think it’ll be in there that long!

Stay tuned, in a few days, I’ll be posting a recipe that makes great use of this stuff! Winter comfort food coming right up!