Roasted Garlic Cashew Cream Sauce

Learn how to make this easy, vegan Roasted Garlic Cashew Cream Sauce with just 4 ingredients and only 5 minutes of hands-on time! It's luscious, creamy and goes great on just about everything!

Use it as a dip, dressing or for a drizzle of flavor! From bowls, to salads, to pasta, you'll want to keep this sauce on hand at all times to pair with a number of different meals!

Cashews are a wonderful base for a creamy, vegan sauce. In this recipe, we're pairing cashews with roasted garlic for an incredibly flavorful, yet simple sauce.

All you have to do is:

• Soak the cashews for 4-8 hours.
• Blend them up with roasted garlic, water and salt.
• Say hello to a creamy, flavorful, dairy free and gluten free sauce!

It's seriously that easy to make a cashew cream sauce that pairs well with everything from bowls, to veggies, to noodles!

This sauce is so versatile, you'll want to keep it on hand at all times. Luckily it will stay good in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It's also incredibly easy to make, so you can make it over and over again!

Jump to:

• Ingredients + equipment
• Step by step instructions
• Tips, tricks and frequently asked questions
• Ways to use it
• More vegan sauces
• Recipe

Ingredients + equipment

• Unsalted Cashews - both raw and roasted will work for this recipe. Raw cashews will give the sauce a more neutral flavor and really highlight the roasted garlic. Whereas roasted cashews will give the cream sauce a more nutty flavor. Both great options, totally your preference!
• Head of Garlic
• Olive Oil - just a little drizzle for the roasted garlic!
• Sea Salt - kosher salt or table salt will also work, sea salt is simply my preference in this recipe.
• Blender or Food Processor - I use a NutriBullet high speed blender to make all of my cashew sauces. It works perfect to blend the nuts into a creamy sauce!

Step by step instructions

1. Cover one cup of unsalted cashews with water. Allow the cashews to soak for 4-8 hours, or overnight.
2. Remove the outer papery layers from the head of garlic. Cut ¼ inch off of the head of garlic, so that the cloves are exposed. Place on a piece of foil. Drizzle olive oil over the head of garlic, rubbing the oil into the exposed garlic cloves.
3. Wrap the foil up and around the head of garlic. Place in a 400°F preheated oven and roast for 30-40 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, open the foil and allow the garlic to cool for 15-20 minutes.
5. Press the roasted garlic cloves out of the peel and into a blender. Drain the water from the cashews and add them to the blender with water and salt.
6. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Tips, tricks and frequently asked questions

• The amount of water you add to the sauce will determine the consistency. If you're looking for a thicker sauce, start by only adding ¼ cup water, then add 1-2 tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
• How long does cashew cream last in the fridge? This cashew cream sauce will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.
• Can you freeze cashew cream sauce? Yes, this sauce can be frozen for up to 6 months. I recommend freezing the sauce in ice cube trays or small salad dressing containers. This way, you can only defrost the amount needed. To defrost the sauce, simply place it in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. After this time, give it a good shake or whisk to refresh and combine the ingredients.
• Why do you need to soak cashews? The soaking process is used to soften the cashews. Once the cashews are softened, then blended, this is what creates the ultra-creamy sauce!
• In a hurry? Here's how you can soak cashews in 20 minutes! Add the cashews to a small pot, cover the cashews with water. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pot from the heat and cover. Wait 15 minutes, then remove the lid from the pot and drain the cashews.
• Is cashew cream healthier than cream? While both are high in fat, cashew cream is higher in unsaturated fat, the heart healthy stuff, whereas dairy cream is higher in saturated fat. Cashews are also a source of complete nutrition, where the calories come from protein, carbohydrates and fat. Whereas, most of the calories in dairy cream come from fat.
• How much sauce does this recipe make? This recipe makes 12 ounces, or 1 ½ cups of sauce.
• Head to this post on how to roast garlic for even more tips and tricks, including how to roast garlic in an air fryer in half the time!

Ways to use it

1. As a bowl topper - this is my favorite way to use the sauce. (No surprise there!) It’s seriously delicious drizzled over any of these bowls:
   • Cauliflower Shawarma Bowls
   • Roasted Broccoli Bowls
   • Za'atar Roasted Sweet Potato Bowls
   • Lemon Herb Greek Quinoa Bowl
   • Roasted Summer Squash Quinoa Bowls
   • Chicken Shawarma Bowls
   • Greek Beef Bowls
2. Drizzled over a salad - use this cashew sauce as a creamy salad dressing or drizzle it over this Chicken Shawarma Salad.
3. With roasted or grilled veggies - any roasted or grilled vegetables are even better when drizzled, dunked or dipped into this wonderful cashew cream sauce! Fill these Stuffed Baked Potatoes with roasted veggies, then drizzle with this sauce for the ultimate vegan comfort food!
4. As a dip for fresh vegetables - ditch the ranch dressing and instead dip your carrots, celery and peppers into this creamy roasted garlic sauce!
5. Toss it with noodles - pasta noodles, rice noodles or zoodles, you pick! This cashew cream sauce is delicious tossed with rice noodles and veggies as a meal or with zoodles for a side dish or the base of a bowl. Toss it with spaghetti and penne pasta for a quick and easy pasta dinner!
6. Drizzle it over pizza - there is nothing better than roasted garlic goodness on top of pizza!
7. Dunk your meatballs in it - allow me to introduce you to THE BEST plant-based appetizer, incredibly juicy Vegan Meatballs dipped in this cashew cream sauce. Truly a match made in Italian plant-based heaven! Looking for a low carb option? Dip these Keto Meatballs into the sauce!

More vegan sauces

Be sure to try these other delicious vegan sauces & salad dressings!

• Creamy Vegan Cashew Chipotle Sauce - if you're looking for a cashew cream sauce with a kick, this is the sauce for you! This was the most popular recipe on the blog in 2020 and it always has a spot in my refrigerator!
• Poblano Cashew Ranch Dressing - this is the dressing that started my love affair with making cashew sauces!
• Almond Butter Turmeric Salad Dressing - this is no ordinary salad dressing, this is a salad dressing with an explosion of flavor AND it's super healthy!!
• Zhoug Sauce – this spicy cilantro sauce will add a delicious zing to bowls, salads, pasta or sandwiches!
• Harissa Tahini Sauce - this easy 4 ingredient sauce is made in just 5 minutes and adds incredible flavor to buddha bowls and salads!
• Marinara Sauce - this is truly THE BEST marinara sauce, perfect for Italian pasta or meatball bowls!

Recipe