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4.8 from 24 reviews |
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Cilantro-Lime Garlic Cashew Sauce
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no bake/raw, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free
By
This creamy cashew sauce doesn't contain a lick of dairy cream, but you won't miss it one bit. Pour it all over my Next Level Enchiladas for a real treat! I recommend using a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix, for the smoothest sauce. This sauce is adapted from my Cilantro-Avocado Cream Sauce.
Yield
1 1/2 cups (375 mL)
Soak time
1-8 hours
Prep time
Cook time
0 Minutes
Total time
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/2 cup water, or as needed
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons avocado
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:
- Add the cashews into a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 1 hour. Alternatively, you can soak the cashews in room temperature water for 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain and rinse the soaked cashews.
- Add all of the cashew cream ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend on high until a super smooth sauce forms. If using a Vitamix, use the tamper to get things moving. If your blender is having a hard time blending, you can add a splash more water to help things along.
Nutrition Information
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{ 90 comments… read them below or add one }
Just this morning I thought “I’d like to find more raw sauce recipes.” This one looks yum! (I already love the avocado one it’s based off. Thanks!
I’m unable to print the photos — and I like having a photo with my recipes that I print out. Can this be fixed??
Will this keep in fridge for a while?
Likely not so long, because of the avocado. While you do keep it in the fridge, make sure to put it in an airtight container.
Actually, the lime would help to keep it looking fresh, so I would give it about 3 days in the fridge. But It would definitely work if you made it the night before!
I’ve heard that if you throw the whole avocado pit into your avocado dish at the end, it will keep it green in the fridge! Just remove before serving. I’m going to make this tonight and I’ll do a test :)
Like The Doctor said, there’s no need to put the pit back in because the lime will do the job.
It makes sense if you’ve left your avocado solid (just sliced it or whatever) but the lime does the same job here and it saves having to pick out and pit from a cream like this!
Looks scrumptious Angela! Just bought your cookbook. Can’t wait :) Hugs Karen
How long can you leave cashew cream in the fridge?
I’m wondering it you have a suggestion for replacing the avocado. We have an allergy in my house (yes the horror!!!), but I’d love to make this. Do you think leaving it out would be fine? Thanks for any help!
I am also allergic to avocado. It sucks. My favorite substitution is extra cashew cream OR mayo of my choice. I make a lot of Angela’s recipes and never had a problem just leaving the avocados out. Hope that helps. :)
I made it with out the avocado too, because I forgot it at the store and wanted to try it right away. It was more like a dressing than a thick cream but was super tasty. :)
Hi Natasha, the avocado gives the cashew cream “body” and a bit of a smoother texture, however you can most likely leave it out with decent results. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I made this sauce for my faux-fish tacos with no avocado because I prefer to have my avo in big slices in the tacos. It turned out beautifully, not quite as thick as in the pictures, but really creamy and delicious. I added a bit of ACV to up the tanginess and it tasted just like a sour cream based sauce.
This looks yummy. I can’t believe there are pple out there who dislike cilantro
I made this last night thinking I would top enchiladas, I didn’t get that far though. I can’t stop eating this! I ate most of it last night then put a big dollop on my salad today. I used a balsamic vinaigrette which turned into a creamy vinaigrette with this dreamy concoction. I dreamed about what I would put the rest on tonight for dinner and ended up wolfing it down with corn chips. The only other thing I would have put it on is a spoon – seriously, it’s that good! People are asking if it would keep in the fridge, I would be shocked if it lasted more that 2 days – thanks for the fabulous recipe, I’ll make it again next week when I get around to the enchiladas!
Hi Deborah, thanks for the awesome comment. I’m so happy to hear the enchiladas were a hit!
My sentiments exactly. My first thought was “would it be bad if I just sat down and ate this all right now?” So good. I did keep it for the enchiladas, everyone was wowed by this recipe…it’s less than a week later and we’re doing it again, only this time I’m doubling the cilantro lime sauce to have with wraps, as dip, on a spoon….
Hi,
The cilantro cashew cream sauce looks really good. Was wondering if you can freeze it.
Hi Bette, I’ve never tried freezing it before, so I’m not sure. I’d recommend freezing a very small portion (maybe in an ice cube tray), thawing it, and then seeing how it tastes. If you decide to give it a try, please let me know how it turns out!
Hi Bette, I’m wondering how well this will freeze too- did you end up giving it a go?
I made this tonight to go with the Next Level Vegan Enchiladas, and it’s fabulous. Very, very easy to make and so delicious! I’ll definitely be adding this to my go-to things to make!
Love this! I made an awesome black bean, quinoa and Kale breakfast bowl with this sauce on top. perfect compliment.
Hi Kate, that sounds delicious! I’m glad you liked the sauce. :)
This is delicious and beautiful! Batch 1 was on enchiladas. Batch 2 will be for topping veggie chili today!
This looks great! Cilantro and lime is one of the best combinations.
This looks so delicious, Angela! I already made your cashew sour cream a while ago, but I love that you added avocado to this one. :-)
If your not a fan of cilantro can you just omit it from this recipe or will it throw off the entire texture of the sauce? Need to know asap thx
Hi Ateel, you can definitely omit the cilantro, and just adjust the other ingredients to taste if needed. Hope you enjoy!
Hi, it’s my first time posting on your site although I have been a lover of your creativity for quite some time now. My cookbook is tagged and seasoned as much as the recipes!
About the cashew cream sauce here, how long do you think it will stay in the fridge? My neighbour has some leftovers from 2 weeks ago… I tend to push the ‘best before’ limits, but maybe not so much in this case? Thanks!
Angela, you are a genius. Your recipes are no fail for me. I Have made many of your recipes for guests without having tried them beforehand and they never disappoint. Thank you so much!!!
Aw, thank you for the kind words, Lissette!
This is the best sauce that ever happened to any Mexican dish I will ever make from now on. Honestly, SO DELICIOUS! The hubby, kids and friends approve.
Ah, I’m so glad everyone loves it, Hannah!
Is there a good substitute for cashew, if you are allergic? Thanks!
I tried sunflower seeds tonight (soaked them as I did the cashews) — worked great.
I made this today… it is AAAAAAMAAAAAZING!!! SO so delicious!!!
I would also like to know a good substitute for cashews since my son is allergic.
I’ve heard that raw almonds can be substituted for cashews in recipes like this, but I haven’t tried it myself.
This will definitely be a new staple for me. I could eat the whole thing directly from the bowl ! Absolutely delicious.
This sauce is a game changer… I will now make this sauce for any Mexican dish or even dipping taco chips in. Literally had to lick my plate clean.
I’m glad to hear it was such a hit, Ashley!!
This sauce is my reason for eating lunch early today!
Great with the enchiladas but also totally usable with chips or salad. Yum!
Amazing. I didn’t follow the recipe in terms of measurements, and it is so delicious. Mine is likely more garlic based. I think this would be good with any Mexican dish.
This was great! Not a vegan but wanted to give it a try anyway. My mother in law even asked me for the recipe. Making it again
I’m glad it was a hit, Grace! :)
Love everything about this sauce! I use it as a topping for the DIY Burrito Bowl and everyone I have fed it to has raved about it.
What a great combo! I’m so happy to hear it’s a hit, Christine! :)
I’ve made this several times now to go with the next level enchiladas. I’ve made it with and without the avocado and I prefer it without. Very delicious.
This is one of the best things ever happened to me in my entire life. And I do have a happy life:)… Thank you so much!
LOL, I’m happy to hear that, Noriega!
You can freeze cashew cream. I froze in small containers. Came out just fine!
I’m not vegan but my boyfriend is. It’s been an adventure learning to cook meals we can both enjoy. I keep coming back to this recipe, I’ve made it 5 or 6 times now. It is AMAZING!!! This versatile sauce makes any meal gourmet. My boyfriend just got home and saw the cashews soaking on the counter, his eyes lit up – “cilantro cashew sauce?!!!!!!”
Aww, too cute that he saw the cashews and got excited! I’m so pleased you guys are loving this recipe. :)
I made this a few hours ago in preparation for the vegan enchiladas. This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your website, and I am beyond impressed! I kind of want to eat all of it now, but I know it’ll be worth it if I wait. I’m so excited for tonight!
I hope the enchiladas were a hit, Kasandra!
I got my hubby to make this tonite but he had some troubles- he was such a small batch that the vitamin wouldn’t blend it, even after adding some more water. I just added more avocado (ended up using 2 avocados since they were too mushy to garnish with & but more lime juice)- turned out fantastic & the kids gobbled up the enchiladas & sauce! Need to make a double batch next time! Didn’t seem anyone else had the problem my hubby had- any ideas? He had no problems with the cashew cream as its a bigger amount. We have the new wider vitamix but haven’t had it long so still learning! Any tips would be loved!
I have a Vitamix and and didn’t have any trouble. Did you add the water? Mine was too thick so I had to add extra water and use the tamper. Delish:)
We found this recipe to be kind of a pain (really difficult to blend), and not worth it when guacamole has a similar flavor profile but better. I don’t really get why this exists. Wouldn’t recommend.
I would recommend giving it a try. I have made it a handful of times and it has not been bad once. It was simple with the vitamix, just add water to thin it out.
This recipe is amazing. I was slightly hesitant as I am only just transitioning to vegan and have never been a ‘creative’ vegetarian. I have been using it on my burritos to replace the cheese and as a sauce for my veg. Yum yum yum!
Oh, I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Elli. Experimenting with new foods can be both fun, and scary! So it’s wonderful to hear this recipe is a count in the “win” column. :)
can’t wait to try it,cashews soaking
This was so good – both my husband and I have become sensitive to dairy in the last year so looking for alternatives. I only have a food processor so took awhile to get it smooth. Currently eating it on some roasted veg!
Can this be frozen…..if so for how long.
Hi Joyce, I haven’t personally tried freezing it before, but I’d recommend freezing a very small portion (maybe in an ice cube tray), thawing it, and then seeing how it tastes. If that works then it’ll probably work for a larger portion too. Please let us know how it goes!
This was my first completely vegan supper I’ve ever prepared for my family (Enchilada Recipe from this site). My picky meat and dairy loving husband loved it. Even my toddler was impressed (I didn’t use the spicier ingredients). We eat guacamole a lot so this was a great, healthy alternative to cheese and guacamole. I plan on using it in veggies and other dishes!
I’m so, so happy to hear the recipes were a hit with everyone, Chels! :)
Can you sub the cashews with soy-heavy cream and how much do you think that would equal? It’s sweeter I think since there’s sugar but I figure the cashews are there for that function… When you’re poor cashews are super expensive, I can buy 3 times more soy cream for the same amount of cashews >.<
Hey Amanda, I’m sorry Im not sure as I haven’t used soy heavy cream before. I would probably reduce the liquid called for in the recipe if you try it out. If you try anything please let us know how it goes!
Seriously delicious! I doubled recipe added entire large avocado and large jalapeno and seeds for a kick.
That’s a great idea!
This sauce look yummy! Going to try using as pasta sauce instead of my boring plain avocado sauce.😋
My kiddos are allergic to lime – do you have a good substitute recommendation? Thx!
Hi Molly, You could try subbing lemon or a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar? Or simply omit it all together and see what you think before adding anything in its place.
Ah.may.ZING! My first cashew cream and this is stupendous :D It’s gonna be a very high bar to match for future recipes.
I’m thrilled you love it so much…thank you!
This was delicious. We put it in coleslaw and topped it off on our soft tacos. I didn’t have avocados on hand so I substituted hummus for the extra creamy texture and it came out beautifully! Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Oh I love the idea of adding it to coleslaw! Good call :)
Yum! Does this freeze well? Perhaps in ice cube trays? Thank you.
Hey Clea, Good question! My regular cashew cream recipe freezes quite well (I like to freeze it in silicone ice cub trays for easy removal), but I haven’t tried freezing this one before. Im a bit hesitant how the flavour would be since there’s fresh cilantro and avocado in there. If you try to freeze it, I would suggest freezing just a small portion and then thawing it to see if the flavours or texture changes (rather than potentially ruining a large amount). If you try anything I’d love to hear how it goes!
This cashew cream is amazing! I made it to accompany roasted cauliflower tacos but it is also wonderful as a dip for tortilla chips. It kept well in the fridge for a few days.
No way, I made this combo the other week..we must be on the same wavelength! Love it :) It’s so good right? I could pour it on everything.
LOVE this recipe. Tried a few different nut based cream-like recipes and this by far, my FAV. I added more lime , but that was due to me wanting more tang. So so good. Used it on jackfruit tacos, and used it with some veggies as dip. Definately a great staple.
Do you know how long it can stay in the fridge for?
Thanks
Ana
Hey Ana, It should be good for 4-5 days possibly longer as long as it tastes fine to you!
This looks delicious.
Just about to make this for my daughter’s birthday to go with the enchiladas but realise she hates coriander!
Is there another herb I could use in the cashew cream?
Thank you.
Hey Tessa, Oh that’s a tricky one! You could always leave it out or you could try a bit of parsley (though I haven’t tried it myself…it may overpower quite easily).
This is delicious. It’s a great dip, salad dressing or snappy sauce to doctor up anything that needs a kick of flavor.
I made this Last night. It was delicious! This is my first time making a sauce with cashews and this did not disappoint. The only comment