Vegan sour cream – Thick, rich and tangy cashew sour cream is made with simple, plant-based ingredients and ready in minutes! It’s the perfect diary-free sour cream substitute!
I love simplicity and am always looking for ways to share them here. And this vegan cashew based ‘sour cream’ is another wonderful addition to the recipe collection!
With only 5 ingredients and so easy to make, you’re going to love this tangy, creamy condiment.
It’s whole food, plant based sour cream substitute that’s soy-free, non-dairy, and cleaner than any sour cream you will purchase in the grocery store, vegan or not!
Trust me when I say, you won’t miss a thing!
Ingredients You’ll Need
In this recipe raw cashews, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt are blended until creamy smooth. It takes 10 minutes to make and will last up to 5 or 6 days in the refrigerator.
Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Raw cashews
- Water
- Lemon
- Apple cider vinegar
- Mineral salt
Soak The Cashews
It is recommended to soak the cashews before processing. I know we snack on nuts without soaking or eat them in our foods without going through this process but it does have some advantages.
Soaking cashews will increase enzyme activity, offer greater absorption of the food’s nutrients by the body and help to increase digestibility. Plus, it does help soften them up ensuring a creamy consistency. But please don’t panic if you don’t have time to go through this process, you’ll be just fine if you don’t.
Soak in 1 of 2 ways:
- Soak cashews covered with 2 – 3 inches of water for 2 – 3 hours, overnight is great too but not necessary for cashews.
- For a faster soak, add them to hot water and let soak for 5 – 10 minutes (this is my preferred method).
How To Make Vegan Sour Cream
- Soak the cashews to soften them up a bit.
- Once cashews have been soaked, place them in a high-speed or personal blender along with the water, lemon juice/apple cider vinegar and pinch of salt.
- Process until creamy smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
And that’s it, thick and creamy vegan sour cream in minutes!
Serving Suggestions
So now to the good stuff! Use anywhere you would normally use sour cream. Here are some of my favorite options:
- Soup & Chili: Try adding a dollop on Cuban Black Bean Soup, Texas Three Bean Chili, Easy Vegetable Chili or Quinoa Chili Verde
- Tacos: Add a dollop to this Raw Taco Salad, Street Tacos, or Vegan Black Bean Tacos
- Veggie Bowls: It’s perfect added to this Vegan Burrito Bowl or deconstructed Nacho Bowl.
- Baking: Use in baking whenever sour cream is called for like this Sour Cream Banana Bundt Cake from VeganYumYum.
- Dips: When making ranch or onion dip let this be your go to sour cream.
- For creaming: Try using it in stroganoff recipes or blend in your Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
- Fruits: Make a sour cream fruit topping by adding maple syrup and dash of vanilla for a sweet, tangy dessert. Or use this Sweet Cashew Cream recipe which uses dates to sweeten.
If you try this vegan sour cream recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintVEGAN CASHEW SOUR CREAM
This vegan cashew ‘sour cream’ can be used anywhere traditional sour cream is used. Place a dollop on chili, baked potatoes, soup, and more. You can also use it in baking when called for.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes 1 ¼ Cup 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- generous pinch of mineral salt
Instructions
Soak the cashew in 1 of 2 ways, then drain and rinse well.
- Soak cashews covered with 2 – 3 inches of water for 2 – 3 hours, overnight is great too but not necessary for cashews.
- For a faster soak, add them to hot water, not boiling, and let soak for 5 – 10 minutes.
In high-speed or personal blender, add all ingredients and blend until nice and creamy, stopping to scrap down the sides every now and then. Add a tad more water as needed to create desired consistency.
Sour cream is best refrigerated for at least an hour before serving, but will do fine if served right away. Sour cream will thicken upon being chilled.
Makes about 1 ¼ cup. Will keep in refrigerator for 5 – 6 days.
Notes
Variations:
- Use lime instead of lemon and add a few sprigs of cilantro at the end for a Lime Cilantro Sour Cream.
- Try adding a few dill fronds and 1 tablespoon dijon mustard for a Dill Sour Cream.
Adding extra water will depend on how long you’ve soaked your nuts. The longer you soak, the more water they’ll absorb making for less extra liquids needed. Less water will result in a thicker sour cream while more water makes it thinner. If you feel you’ve put in too much liquids, add a few more cashews and blend until smooth. Keep in mind that refrigerating will also thicken your cream.
Equipment: I love and recommend the Nutri Bullet (<< affiliate link) for small jobs like this. It’s compact and works fantastic! For more of my favorite cooking tools, shop my kitchen essentials.
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Sharon says
Thx for the great recipe Julie! Just a note about blenders etc. I have a vitamix but have found that it struggles as the quantity is too small for the large jug. I usually use my magic bullet for this and it works really well. Have been thinking of getting a smaller jug for my vitamix for recipes like this.
★★★★★
Scott says
I am trying it on veggie burrito as a substitute for sour cream, I tasted it out of the blender and I like it, I am a huge cashew fan so now suprise. I can’t wate to taste it in the burrito with guaq, and slasa
★★★★★
Margaret says
Made this yesterday and it taste wonderful. I guess it helps that I like all the ingredients used in the recipe. This is definitely a keeper for me. I mixed mine in my Blentec and it was creamy as heck! Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Lana says
Sour cream came out well! Mine was slightly on the grittier side, which I’m fine with, the taste was a perfect accompaniment to chili. Next time I’ll experiment with adding more tart.
Thanks Julie for the awesome recipes!
Khat says
Wasted a whole cup of cashews. Unless one needs the most expensive blender, which should be listed, it doesn’t get smooth. I tried my processor and scraped it into my Ninja blender with same results. Gritty. Going back to lemon juice and silk tofu.
Tiffany says
I have a ninja too and get excellent results but instead of the blender , I use a smoothie cup if u have that attachment give it a try.
★★★★★
Nic says
Add more liquid to eliminate the grit. I had the same issue, at first, with my food processor.
Wavey says
Hi Julie,
I love this recipe! I have one question – Can I freeze this? Have you tried freezing the sour cream?
I’m asking because I would like to serve it with chili and would like to prepare it beforehand so I have less cooking time.
★★★★★
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
So glad you love it! Yes, it does freeze well, just let it thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours before using. Great idea, I’ll update the recipe to include the info. Cheers :)
Wavey says
Thank you, I will try this
★★★★★
Kathryn says
I tried the recipe and loved it. I will use it again. I did not soak my nuts as I have a vitamix and it is not necessary with it. I used more lemon in place of AC. I used Cashew milk I made yesterday. It worked beautifully. I will make this again. Thank you for sharing it.
Jenny says
Is the half cup of water for the soaking? Or does it go into the blender?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Great question! The 1/2 cup of water goes into the blender. Enjoy!
sassygirl says
i’m trying this recipe today.
after the cashews are finished soaking, so you drain them of the water before blending?
thanks!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Yes, drain the cashews before blending. Enjoy!
Andrew says
Hello it’s me, I am also visiting this website daily, this site is really pleasant and the
viewers are truly sharing pleasant thoughts.
Anonymous says
What brand food processor do you have?? And which ninja do you have the doesn't do the job?
[email protected] says
I have the Cuisinart Elite 12 cup. The Ninja I have is not the one with the base (which would work fine), it's the portable one.
Barbara Miller says
can you use roasted cashews from the bin at the grocery store to make the cashew cream?
[email protected] says
I've only used raw cashews and recommend sticking with those. But you can try the roasted ones and see how it goes. The flavor will be different but it may not be a thing. If you do attempt using roasted cashews, you can skip the soaking. Would love to know how it goes! :)
[email protected] says
At least you tried it! I appreciate your response, negative or not. When recreating vegan versions of an original you can't always expect it to taste the same. For myself, I love this sour cream for many reasons and appreciate it for what it is, blended cashews with a few extra ingredients. I don't care for it alone but LOVE a good dollop on chili, black bean soup, taco salads, tacos, burritos, etc. It adds an extra zest and creaminess in place of diary and other highly processed cheeses and creams. As with all things, to each their own! :)
Anonymous says
Maybe I was too harsh. The recipe, like it says, is purely basic. Add some garlic and onion powder, nutritional yeast, and refrigerate (!!!) and it gets better. Still nothing like the picture/real sour cream, though.
Marsh says
MAYBE you were too harsh? Talk about an understatement! I think the most fitting word would be just plain RUDE. I give you a little credit for your second comment, but why on earth did you feel compelled to post such a hateful comment in the first place? There are ways to voice your opinion without resorting to being a condescending jerk.
And might I remind you, Julie is doing all this work and sharing her recipes for FREE. It doesn’t cost you anything, and yet you felt the uncontrollable need to attack her. What’s that all about?
Julie, you are providing such a great site for people like me who want (and need) to include more vegan options in my diet. I’m very thankful and also glad that the vast majority of your readership is in that same camp.
veganmiam.com says
Gorgeous minimalistic photos, Julie! Raw cashews are great for creamy sauces & bases! I love simplicity, too! Happy Monday!
[email protected] says
Thank you so much Rika! Happy Monday :)
Morgan Haldeman says
How does yours look so creamy? I'm guessing the type of blender really makes a difference. Mine wouldn't blend down past the grainy stage… but still tasted delicious!
[email protected] says
A good food processor will help with that. You can try blending for five minutes or so to see if that helps. At least the flavor is great!
Morgan Haldeman says
Perhaps my Ninja just doesn't cut it. Longing for the day when I can get a Vitamix! :) Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
[email protected] says
I have the Ninja as well and love it for my smoothies, but it just won't do this job. It requires a high speed blender or food processer. I'd love a Vitamix one day myself..until then my food processor is the work horse of the kitchen. :)
[email protected] says
And your very welcome!
Alisun says
How long does this keep in the fridge??
[email protected] says
It will keep for 5 – 6 days.