Spicy and creamy, this vegan chipotle crema is so delicious 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.
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.
Notes
Makes about 2 cups (16 ounces)I use a Blendtec high speed blender with the Twister Jar for this recipe. The Twister jar is a smaller jar designed for thick mixtures like hummus, nut butters, etc.I have not attempted this recipe in a food processor. If you use a food processor, my recommendations would be to soak your cashews in hot water for 2 hours beforehand and process as long as you need to to get a smooth consistency.