Vegan Avocado Crema, a simple plant-based take on avocado cream sauce using lime juice and cashews for a creamy consistency. Super easy and mega tasty!
Love avocado cream sauces but want to make it without the dairy? This plant-based avocado crema is packed with flavor and is the perfect topping for tacos, nachos, or bowls.
👉 Ready to learn how to make a vegan version of avocado cream sauce? Let’s do it!
🥑 Ingredients
- Avocado: a large, ripe avocado provides a soft texture and is the base of this crema sauce
- Cashews: raw, unsalted cashews are soaked and then blended with the avocado for a creamy consistency
- Lime juice: either fresh or bottled lime juice is used to add liquid and a burst of citrus flavor
- Garlic: 2 garlic cloves are added for flavor, but feel free to add more!
- Salt: a generous pinch of salt is added for flavor
- Olive oil: adds a smooth liquid consistency and helps the avocado keep for longer so it doesn’t brown
- Water: hot water is used to soak the cashews, then more is recommended if you want to thin the sauce
- Recommended tools: mixing bowl, high-powered blender or food processor
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Soak cashews
First, soak the cashews in hot water to hydrate them and make them soft before making the sauce.
To do this, add the cashews to a small bowl and fill it with hot water until the cashews are covered. Then let the cashews soak at least 15 minutes, more for softer cashews.
After the cashews have soaked, drain them and set aside.
2️⃣ Step Two: Blend crema ingredients
After the cashews have soaked, add them to a blender or food processor with the avocado, lime juice, garlic cloves, olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt.
Then blend to combine until the ingredients are well mixed and the crema is soft and uniform.
3️⃣ Step Three: Adjust crema consistency
Serve the thick crema as a dip or spread, or if you’d like a thinner crema sauce that you can drizzle then add a bit more water or oil until you reach the desired consistency.
❓ Recipe questions + quick tips
Traditional avocado crema sauces are made with sour cream. To make a crema without the dairy, simply use a vegan sour cream or substitute it with soaked cashews and oil for a creamy consistency.
While this recipe uses oil for a creamy consistency, you can make it oil-free by using water instead of oil. The crema will not last as long as the oil helps to keep the avocado from browning, so an oil-free version is best used when freshly made.
While this recipe uses cashews to create a creamy consistency, you can make vegan avocado sauce nut-free by using vegan sour cream or by blending it with white beans. Or you can simply make a crema with avocado, lime juice, and water to keep it simple.
💡 Ideas for serving
- As a dip. Serve on the side of fajitas or bowls as a dip or thick sauce, like in this Tofu Fajita Bowl.
- As a spread. Use as a spread in place of avocados on toast, pitas, or sandwiches, like this Arugula Avocado Toast.
- As a drizzling sauce. Thin out the dip to make it easy to drizzle on top of tacos or nachos, like on this Chili Lime Cauliflower Tacos.
🧊 How to store
- Refrigerator storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, drizzling a small amount of olive oil on top of the sauce to reduce browning from the avocado.
- Freezer storage: I do not recommend freezing this sauce as the consistency will not keep after thawing.
👉 More avocado sauce and dip recipes
Want more recipes with avocado? Try this Vegan Green Goddess Avocado Dip.
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Vegan Avocado Crema Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- ⅔ cup hot water
- 1 large ripe avocado, about 1 cup
- ¼ cup lime juice, from about 3 limes
- 2 single garlic cloves
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup olive oil, plus more as need for consistency
- Optional: additional water or oil, to thin sauce, as desired
Instructions
- Soak cashews: First, soak the cashews in hot water to hydrate them and make them soft before making the sauce. To do this, add the cashews to a small bowl and fill it with hot water until the cashews are covered. Then let sit at least 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.⅓ cup raw cashews, ⅔ cup hot water
- Blend crema ingredients: After the cashews have soaked, add them to a blender or food processor with the avocado, lime juice, garlic cloves, olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Then blend to combine until the ingredients are well mixed and the crema is soft and uniform.⅓ cup raw cashews, 1 large ripe avocado, ¼ cup lime juice, 2 single garlic cloves, 1 pinch salt and pepper, ½ cup olive oil
- Adjust crema consistency: Serve the thick crema as a dip or spread, or if you’d like a thinner crema sauce that you can drizzle then add a bit more water or oil until you reach the desired consistency.Optional: additional water or oil
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 high powered blender or food processor
Recipe Notes
- Make ahead: This crema sauce is best when fresh, but can be store for up to 3-4 days and used later. Freezing is not recommended.
- Leftovers and storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, drizzling a small amount of olive oil on top of the sauce to reduce browning from the avocado.
- Nutrition notes: Nutrition information is an estimate and does not include optional ingredients. This recipe uses only plant-based ingredients, which makes it suitable for vegan diets. It is also gluten free.
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