Spicy and creamy, this chipotle cashew crema is amazing drizzled over tacos, tostadas, burrito bowls and more. Made with cashews, chipotles in adobo sauce and lime juice, this homemade chipotle lime sour cream is dairy-free, vegan and plant-based.
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This chipotle crema recipe is inspired by my base cashew sour cream recipe, one of the most versatile recipes on my website. Let's spice things up!
🎙 What people say about this recipe
"Wow!! This will become a staple in my house from now. The smoky flavor from the Chipotles and the creaminess from the cashews are are perfect blended. I love Chipotle, but this takes it a whole new level. Fabulous!"
- Kris
🧄 Very useful ingredient notes
Chipotle cashew cream is a quick homemade spicy crema that's easy to make.
- Raw cashews - unsalted raw, not roasted, cashews are important for this sour cream to be as fresh as clean tasting as possible. Cashews have a subtle sweetness and transform into an unbelievable cream when blended.
- Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce - chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeños which often are packaged in adobo sauce and canned. The peppers and the sauce are full of flavor and heat, so use with caution if you're sensitive to spice. Add one, blend, then taste. If you want it spicier, add more. Be mindful that the heat in this cream intensifies as it sits overnight.
- Fresh lime juice - fresh lime juice is preferred for a fresh acidity and brightness to cut through the richness of the cashews.
📋 Substitutions and variations
Here are some substitutions you can try for this recipe:
- Raw cashews - you can use roasted cashews as a substitute for raw cashews, but the flavor and taste will be different. Be sure to soak them first to hydrate and soften them, since roasted cashews are drier than raw cashews. If your roasted cashews are salted, then omit the added salt and taste it after blending. Add more salt, as needed. If you don't want to use cashews at all, try one of these alternative sour cream recipes and make these changes: add a chipotle pepper and substitute lime juice for the lemon juice
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - Instead of canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you can use chipotle tabasco sauce, chipotle pepper powder or a dried morita chipotle pepper that has been de-stemmed, de-seeded and rehydrated in hot water. But, adobo is the best!
- Fresh lime juice - use bottled lime juice instead. Or, use lemon juice.
- Apple cider vinegar - use white wine vinegar, distilled vinegar or extra lemon juice instead of ACV.
- Sea salt - use twice the amount of kosher salt (I recommend Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt) instead of sea salt, as kosher salt is about half as salty as sea salt. If you are SOS-free, omit the salt.
Want to switch up the flavors? Here are some variations to try with this recipe:
- Habanero crema - add a de-seeded habanero pepper when blending instead of chipotle, along with a pinch of onion powder to make my recipe for fresh tasting habanero crema or aioli
- Cilantro jalapeño lime crema - add diced jalapeños, fresh cilantro instead of habanero to make creamy cilantro lime jalapeño crema, which tastes like Chuy's creamy jalapeño ranch!
- Nut-free - make this nut-free by using sunflower seed kernels instead of cashews as a chipotle sauce, aioli or crema
🔪 Instructions
Step-by-step instructions for making plant-based cashew sour cream in a blender.
- Step 1: Soak your cashews in very hot water for 20 minutes. Then, drain and rinse cashews. See my Soaking Cashews 4 Ways post for alternate ways to soak your cashews.
- Step 2: Add drained cashews to high speed blender jar with chipotle pepper, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and fresh, cool water.
- Step 3: Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides, if necessary.
Expert tips
- Add cool water when blending cashews! I made the mistake of using hot water when making this recipe once. The cashew cream thickened so much I could barely get it out of the blender jar. So, be sure to use fresh cold or cool water when blending up your crema.
🥡 Make ahead and storage tips
Prepared chipotle cashew crema can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
❓ FAQ
Dairy sour cream is thick, tart and you use a spoon to scoop it. Mexican crema is typically a thinner consistency than sour cream and slightly sweet (not as tart/sour). It's not always pourable, but you can easily drizzle it.
Yes, typically chipotle crema is made of dairy milk or sour cream. But, there are dairy-free alternatives, like this recipe. Check the ingredients for milk products or ask your server.
Canned chipotle sauce (chipotles in adobo sauce, pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chipotle tabasco sauce) is vegan, since there are no animal products in it. However, if the chipotle sauce is creamy, it most likely has dairy in it and would not be vegan.
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
Drizzle this vegan chipotle crema on any of the typical suspects, like tacos, burrito bowls, nachos and tostadas. It's also really good as a salad dressing and on roasted or baked potatoes!
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📖 Recipe
Chipotle Cashew Crema (vegan chipotle lime cashew cream)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews 130g
- 1 cup boiling water for soaking cashews, this water will be thrown away
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup cool water to add to the blender
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce canned
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce canned
Instructions
Soak the Cashews
- Place cashews in a heat-proof bowl or glass measuring cup. Bring water to a boil in your electric kettle (or on the stove). Pour hot water over cashews so they are covered. Let the cashews soak on the counter for at least 20 minutes, but up to 2 hours. Then, drain and rinse. They are ready to use for your recipe.1 cup boiling water
Make the Sour Cream
- Drain and rinse soaked cashews. Then add cashews to a high speed blender, along with all remaining ingredients (lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, cool water, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce).1 cup raw cashews, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¾ cup cool water, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- Blend until smooth and creamy, about 60 seconds. Stop blender and scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, as needed. You may need to blend longer, if you still have pieces of cashew in the blender. Blend until it is completely smooth and no little chunks of cashew are present.
- Taste crema and adjust spiciness and thickness, as desired. If you want it thinner, add 1 tablespoon of water and blend. Keep in mind that this cream thickens as it cools. If it is not spicy enough for you, add another teaspoon of adobo sauce and/or another chipotle pepper and blend again. Keep in mind that this crema gets a little spicier as it rests in the refrigerator.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freeze leftover cashew cream for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Kris says
Wow!! This will become a staple in my house from now. The smoky flavor from the Chipotles and the creaminess from the cashews are are perfect blended. I love Chipotle, but this takes it a whole new level. Fabulous!
Abi Cowell says
I'm so glad you loved it, Kris!!