Vegan Sour Cream Recipe: Easy Cashew Sour Cream

Vegan sour cream, sometimes called plant-based sour cream, is a dairy-free, tangy condiment with a creamy texture that is supposed to mimic the flavor and feel of regular sour cream. Sour cream’s traditional tangy element comes from a type of acid, like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. The creamy base can be anything from soaked cashews.

If you’re gluten-free or soy-free, a cashew base is an option, as tofu is soy-based and some tofu contains wheat gluten in the form of flavoring. If you’re nut-free, the tofu base is a better option. The best vegan sour cream is one that aligns with your dietary needs.

You can use this sour cream substitute the same way you would the real thing, including topping carbohydrates like baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes. You can use a dollop of vegan sour cream on Mexican-style classics like vegan tacos, nachos, a black bean burrito, quesadillas, and enchiladas, as well as mixed into sauces, salad dressings, and dips. If you store it in an airtight container, vegan sour cream can last between seven and 10 days.

While vegan sour cream has its own perks and advantages, there are some key differences between regular sour cream and the vegan alternative:

• Taste: Vegan sour cream made with raw cashews or tofu tastes differently than the traditional version. That’s because dairy has a scientific reaction when combined with acid, whereas vegan base options do not. However, since sour cream is usually mixed in with other things, you might not even notice.
• Preparation: Making regular sour cream requires very little labor time and simple ingredients. The sour cream alternative calls for more ingredients and also a more complex method. Normal sour cream requires a jar, whisk, and measuring vessels. For dairy-free sour cream, you’ll need those same things, plus a high-speed blender or food processor, a bowl for soaking raw cashews, and a pot for boiling water.
• Shelf life: Homemade regular sour cream will last in the refrigerator for two weeks, while the vegan kind lasts a week to 10 days. Store-bought varieties of either dairy or non-dairy sour cream can last a little longer because of preservatives.
• Nutrition value: If you’re making your sour cream substitute with tofu, you will be getting calcium much like you would the dairy version, but the same can’t be said for a cashew base. Both tofu and cashews have a decent amount of potassium, but without the dairy, you don’t get B vitamins that naturally occur in milk and cream. You can, however, add supplements to your homemade vegan sour cream.

The following tips will help you make vegan sour cream:

• Soak the cashews: If you’re making cashew sour cream, there are a couple of methods for soaking cashews. You can either soak them in boiling water for about four hours prior to using them, or you can soak them in cold water in the refrigerator overnight. If you don’t soak your cashews, you won’t get the creamy consistency, even if you use a high-powered blender.
• Be consistent: Sour cream also comes in many different consistencies, so if the recipe you use is too thick, you can thin it out with some water.
• Find flavor: If you want flavored sour cream, add ingredients like chives or vegetables. Adding veggies is helpful if your vegan sour cream is on the thicker side. Some recipes call for nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.