Homemade Vegan Sour Cream

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Creamy, tangy vegan sour cream made with cashews.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Type of Cashews to Use
• Adaptations
• Recipe
• Comments

Is this really a vegan food blog without a recipe for vegan sour cream?

The ingredients are simple - and you likely have most of them in your kitchen right now. Just raw cashews, lemon juice, ACV, and salt.

The trick to creamy cashew sour cream is to soak the cashews so they get nice and soft. See this post for more info & 3 methods on soaking cashews: How to Soak Cashews.

If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, soaking may not even be necessary but if you aren't sure, it can only help! The softer the cashew, the creamier the sour cream.

Add this dairy-free sour cream onto black bean tacos, swirl it into tomato soup, use it as a dip for veggies, and drizzle on top of black bean enchiladas or vegan tofu fajitas!

Ingredients

• Cashews: Raw is best. See the section below for more details.
• Water
• Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar: Both add a tangy element. You can use just lemon juice and omit the ACV if you prefer.
• Salt

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Equipment

I recommend using a food processor to make this recipe. A food processor tends to get less "clogged up" than a blender when making thick recipes, such as this one.

I've used this inexpensive Hamilton Beach Food Processor for years and love it.

You can use a blender if that's all you have, but it may take longer. Sometimes it helps to make a double batch so there is more substance for the blender to work with and move around.

With either machine, you will have to scrape down the sides often. I use a basic silicone spatula.

Type of Cashews to Use

The best cashews to use for making vegan sour cream are raw cashews.

If you are in a pinch, you can use roasted cashews but the flavor will be different - the "roasted" element will really come through. Raw cashews are pretty neutral, which is perfect for sour cream.

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Adaptations

• Out of apple cider vinegar? Just omit it! I do not recommend replacing the lemon juice with ACV though.
• Lime juice: I love making this recipe with lime juice instead of lemon juice, especially if I'm using it on tacos.
• Cashew-free sour cream: Use silken tofu and omit the water. If I'm in a pinch, I also like to add a little water and lemon juice to store-bought vegan cream cheese for a cheater-method.

Try this vegan ricotta next!

Recipe