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Here are all the best cashew recipes that show the versatility of this nut! You can use them whole or blend them to make creamy sauces, cashew butter, and more.
Looking for ways to use cashews? You’re in luck, because it’s one of the most versatile nuts there is! Cashews taste great whole, but here’s a secret: soak and blend them, and they turn into a rich and creamy sauce that revivals the likes of sour cream and mayonnaise.
As two cookbook authors and recipe experts, we love using this ingredient in our recipes. So here are our best cashew recipes for using this delicious and nutritious nut! Try creamy cashew cilantro sauce to top tacos or sweet potatoes, as a creamy vegan alfredo sauce, or mixed with spices in spicy cashew lettuce wraps. Oh, and did we mention our cashew queso?
And now, our top cashew recipes!
Here's the basic cashew recipe that started it all: cashew cream! Blend together soaked cashews, water, and salt, and it's rich and creamy, perfect for adding body to soups, pasta sauces, and dolloping chili. It’s basically non-dairy sour cream, mayo, heavy cream, and yogurt all in one!
Here's a perfect spread for breakfast, lunch and snacks: cashew butter! This protein-packed plant based nut butter is creamy and lightly sweet, and tasty smeared on just about anything. There’s a unique sweetness about it that’s almost, dare we say it, better than peanut butter? (Sorry, PB.) Making it homemade results in all natural butter with no added sugars, oils or preservatives.
Craving that glorious comfort food, without the dairy? Try this vegan mac and cheese recipe! Our rendition explodes with creamy decadence using only whole food ingredients like cashews, sweet potato, and canned artichokes to make a cheesy sauce that is just as satisfying as the real thing!
Try this spiced cashews recipe! This simple idea gives a crunchy, candy-like coating to the exterior of nuts. And the spices make the cashews irresistible: cinnamon, chili powder, and bit of cayenne make an intriguing mix of sweet, savory and spicy!
These delicious and healthy cashew lettuce wraps are full of plant based protein that will keep you full for hours! The filling features this nutritious nut and tofu, sauteed with soy sauce, chili powder and a little Sriracha to maximize the zesty flavor. Add brown rice and it's an easy dinner that you'll want to make again and again.
Another great cashew recipe? Use it in energy bars! These cashew no bake energy bars are a lightly sweet healthy snack, loaded with protein-packed nuts and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. The main idea is to blend the nuts with Medjool dates until they form a sticky dough, then roll them out into homemade Larabars. They're perfect for quick and easy breakfasts and snacks!
You'll never believe this one's a cashew recipe! Your noodles are destined for greatness with this cashew fettuccine alfredo. It’s impossibly creamy and luscious, made with protein-packed cashews and nutrient-rich cauliflower. One reader said: "YUM! I love it! It’s super easy to make. I made it again 2 days later!”
Meet our favorite sauce: this bright green cilantro sauce. And guess what? It’s 100% plant-based too, so it works for all sorts of eaters! This sauce is made of soaked cashews blended with a bit of water, and it magically turns into a creamy sauce. Add cilantro and lime, and it's irresistibly tangy. It's perfect for dolloping baked sweet potatoes or tacos.
Here’s a plant-based cashew recipe everyone around the table will love: vegan broccoli soup! This cozy bowl is lusciously creamy and bursting with flavor. But there is no cheddar cheese or vegan dairy substitutes: just simple ingredients like cashews and vegetables! The entire soup can be made in just over 30 minutes,
Did you know you can use cashews in pesto in place of pinenuts? This substitute makes it so much more affordable: and it's just as delicious. This recipe is savory, garlicky, creamy, peppery, and you can slather a smear on anything. Use it for pesto pasta or throw it on a pesto pizza for maximum flavor.
Meet vegan spinach artichoke dip, the snack that no one will believe is plant-based! It’s easy to whip up and requires no special dairy substitutes, just a few regular ingredients like cashews to form a cheesy base. Creamy and bursting with flavor, it will make a splash at your next gathering (it has at many of ours).
Here's another one of those creamy cashew recipes: this one makes them into ranch dressing! Most ranch dressings are made with a lot of mayonnaise, but this one uses cashew cream to stay dairy-free. You'll soak the cashews, then blend them with water and salt to create the creamy base.
Did you know you can make crackers out of cashews? These crackers are made all of whole foods, with no refined flour at all. But most importantly, they're simply delicious! The homemade crackers recipe requires only whole cashews, almonds, egg, and salt: just four ingredients! They make for the perfect crispy crackers for snacking.
Our readers go crazy over this soup: and you'd never know it's made with cashews! Cashews make a creamy sauce for tender wild rice, cozy carrots and onions, and white beans. It's vegan and gluten-free, but we've found eaters of all kinds love it!
Yes, it’s possible to mimic the flavor and texture of nacho cheese without dairy. This cashew queso sauce tastes so creamy and delicious, no one will believe it’s got no actual cheese. It will have you swearing off processed nacho cheese forever. (Try it on our Vegan Nachos.)
Potato salad with no mayo? This spin tastes just like the classic, with mustard, dill pickles, and a creamy sauce. What makes it creamy? You guessed it: cashew cream! Here is replaces may in the best classic American style potato salad: a tangy mix with celery, green onion, and dill pickles.
This corn chowder has set a new bar for vegan soup recipes. It’s so seriously creamy, with a savory undertone that seems undeniably meaty. Contrast that with the sweetness of the corn and, well, it’s pretty darn perfect. The secret to the rich creamy body: cashews!
Also try Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup.
This easy vegan spaghetti has a superb marinara sauce of garlic, shallots, and capers , which turns out tangy and savory. To make it creamy without dairy? Add a bit of cashew cream. It comes out as a creamy tomato sauce that's a bit like vodka sauce.
Another great cashew recipe? Throw a handful into a smoothie This glowing green smoothie has the best flavor. It’s perfectly sweet tart, starring green apples, lots of spinach, and protein-packed cashews.
Ice cream made with cashews? Yes this vegan ice cream is creamy, delicious, and made with all whole foods: no additives or preservatives. It has a luscious creamy texture and it tastes like real vanilla ice cream (no weird aftertastes, either!). In fact, it’s the best vegan ice cream we’ve tried.
A few more ideas
These aren’t enough? Outside of the recipes above, here are a few more with cashews that can help you use up a bag:
- This Vegetarian Meatloaf uses cashews to help create a meaty texture.
- These Spanish Patatas Bravas use a creamy cashew-based sauce.
- These Vegan Meatballs and Vegan Parmesan Cheese are both made with cashews!
Frequently asked questions
Soaking cashews is recommended for recipes where you want a creamy texture, like cashew cream or vegan cheese. For other uses like roasted snacks or adding to stir-fries, soaking is not necessary.
Cashews can be used in various ways. You can add them to trail mix, blend them into smoothies, sprinkle them on salads, or make your own cashew butter for toast or dipping fruits and veggies.
Yes! Cashews are a great base for vegan desserts like cheesecakes, ice cream, or energy bites.
20 Tasty Cashew Recipes
This cashew fettuccine alfredo tastes decadent, but the creamy sauce is filled with healthy plant based ingredients. An easy dinner in under 30 minutes! Or, scroll up for all our favorite cashew recipes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine noodles (use gluten-free, legume, or zucchini noodles if desired)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small head cauliflower (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), enough for 6 cups florets
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Finely chopped parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Mince the garlic. Chop the cauliflower.
- Make the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is al dente (start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside). Then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Meanwhile, start the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven, pot, or saucepan (that has a cover) over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and cashews and saute for 4 minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the vegetable broth, onion powder, black pepper, nutmeg and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes on medium high heat until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Blend the sauce: Carefully transfer the contents to a blender and add the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon more black pepper. Blend on high until a smooth sauce forms.
- Serve: Pour about 5 cups into 1 pound pasta (1 cup will be left over), or use it to taste. Top with finely chopped parsley and serve immediately.
These look like great recipes! I’m excited to try them. Just a note that Mayo doesn’t have dairy in it, it seems there is some confusion about this as several of your recipes refer to leaving mayo out to avoid dairy. It does of course have eggs, making it not vegan friendly, but no dairy!
There is also Vegenaise by Follow Your Heart which tastes nearly identical to Best Foods/Hellman’s mayo so you can make it truly vegan.