Cashew Sour Cream

I knew you could make nut butters out of cashews, but I didn't know that it could be whipped into a super creamy substance that is perfect for dipping apples in.

It's not sweetened at all, which is why it's such a good match with fruit.

I just used Lindsey's recipe over at Cafe Johnsonia. She uses it in places you'd normally find dairy sour cream, such as on Mexican food or on chili, and even tosses a pasta salad in it. Please look at the pictures on her blog. PLEASE. They are so beautiful. And much more appetizing than my blurry phone pictures.

I had an unopened can of Planter's lightly salted cashews, a few lemons on my counter, and water, so I thought I'd test out this recipe out of curiosity.

I swear it's good even though the picture is terrible. 

I blended 1 can of Planter's lightly salted cashews, the juice of 1 small lemon (a scant 1/4 cup), and about 3/4 cups water, added gradually as needed. 

Blend on low, add water as needed, and gradually raise the speed of the blender until it turns a creamy color and has sort of a "dense whipped" consistency.

It's tangy from the lemon juice, just like sour cream or Greek yogurt are tangy. Use less lemon if you want. 

Cashews are naturally kind of sweet, so I liked it to dip apples in it just the way it was. You could sweeten it a little, maybe with honey or raw sugar, and spread on graham crackers as a snack. I'd like to try it on a savory dish, like with meat or pasta, like Lindsey suggests. 

When I make Pad Thai, I have to use cashews in place of peanuts because I'm allergic, and cashews are the closest in texture to peanuts. You could definitely make a sauce out of the cashew sour cream for your Thai dishes, too!