In my everyday life, a lot of the people I love, adore, and feed, don’t- do- dairy.

Some are vegans. Some are lactose intolerant. Some are just crazy diet kooks who think a little cream in their coffee is going to turn them into Godzilla.

People be cray-cray come swimsuit season…

I still love them. Obviously. But throwing dairy out of the cooking equation can make it dang hard to make them good food.

Solution: CASHEW CREAM. Mmmmm.

Do you guys know about this stuff? If so, yay! If not, let’s chat!

Cashew cream is something I learned to make a few years ago while working at a little vegan joint in the city. Since then I’ve become pretty much obsessed with the stuff.

You can blend it into soups, stews, or curries. You can mix it with fruit and a little honey. You can even make salad dressing out of the stuff! It’s the perfect dairy-free substitute for a lot of sweet and savory dishes.

It’s impossible to screw up; you literally just soak the cashews in water for a few hours, drain, add more water (and some sweetener, if desired) and blend.

I know a lot of people are probably already hip to this whole cashew cream making business, but if you’re not – grab your cashews and get on it.

P.S. I’ll be sharing a fresh, summer-y dessert featuring cashew cream tomorrow, so be prepared!

How To: Cashew Cream – Baker by Nature (*adapted from the recipe I learned years ago @ The Moonlight Dinner – now closed)

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons water (I’ve found this amount of water provides the perfect consistency, but add more if you’d like a more liquid cream)

1 – 2 tablespoons agave (or honey, if not serving vegans)

Instructions:

In a large bowl soak cashews for at least 2 hours (but not longer than 6 or they’ll get too mushy). Drain water and transfer cashews to blender or food processor. Add water, and sweetener if using, and blend until completely smooth. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a week (it may last longer, but we’ve never had it for more than a week, so I can vouch for sure).