December 8, 2023

Vegan Chipotle Crema : sweet and spicy

Name: Vegan Chipotle Crema : sweet and spicy
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water; 8 oz silken tofu; 1/4 cup water; 1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce or 2 tsp of chipotle pepper adobo sauce; 1 tbsp brown sugar (can substitute white sugar or other sweetener); 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (can substitute other vinegar); 1 lemon, juiced; 1 lime, juiced; 1 clove of garlic; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/8 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp cumin powder; 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

This vegan chipotle crema is the perfect way to add a TON of flavor to your tacos, enchiladas, or any Mexican inspired dish! This plant based, dairy free crema is sweet, smokey, spicy and absolutely delicious!

This vegan chipotle crema starts with an easy to make, creamy base made with cashews, tofu, citrus, and a clever blend of spices. But the explosion of flavor happens when you add chipotle adobo peppers, brown sugar, and vinegar to the blend!

All you need is a blender and a little bit of time to create this sweet and spicy vegan chipotle crema. Make any simple meal extra special with this baby!

Jump to Recipe

WHAT IS CREMA?

Traditional crema is a smooth, creamy, tangy condiment that is very similar to sour cream. It is perfect for adding complexity and flavor to a dish or for cooling down a meal that is a bit too spicy. As delicious as crema is, if you are avoiding dairy, it will not be an option for you.

Luckily this vegan, dairy free version of crema is equally as delicious as the traditional crema, but it skips all of the dairy!

How to make vegan chipotle crema

Making this vegan chipotle crema is super simple, does not require any pots and pans. All you need is a blender!

Instead of using buttermilk, heavy cream, or sour cream, which is often the base of traditional crema, you will be using a combination of raw cashews and silken tofu to create that thick and creamy texture.

You will begin by soaking your raw cashews in hot water. Cashews are a relatively soft nut as is. But when soak them in hot water you can really soften them, making them the perfect ingredient to create a thick, creamy, dairy free cream. You want to soak your cashews for a minimum of 15 minutes, but the longer the better!

Once your cashews have been properly soaked, you will simply place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. That’s it! Delicious, creamy vegan chipotle crema with very little time and effort!

Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce

The star of this sweet and spicy vegan crema recipe are, hands down, the chipotle peppers. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are absolute magic when it comes to creating a smoky, spicy, complex flavor. Chipotle peppers are jalapeño peppers that have been smoked and dehydrated. The adobo sauce is a rich, flavorful sauce make of tomato, vinegar, and other spices. Combine the two and you have a tiny little can that is LOADED with flavor.

But easy does it when it comes to chipotle peppers…these babies are SPICY. For this recipe you should start with half a chipotle pepper OR just 2 tsp of the adobo sauce. That might not seem like much, but trust me it is! Just that small amount will add a ton of flavor and spicy to your vegan chipotle crema.

chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for vegan chipotle crema recipe

WHY CASHEWS AND TOFU

Many vegan crema recipes call for cashes OR tofu. But combining the two is my favorite way to make creamy vegan crema. Combining cashews with tofu makes your dairy free crema super thick and creamy. Adding tofu to the mix also adds a nice dose of plant based protein and nutrients! Because of this, I feel the combination of cashews AND tofu is idle.

cashews and tofu for vegan chipotle crema

WHAT SPICES DO I USE TO FLAVOR VEGAN CREMA

For this vegan chipotle crema recipe you will be removing the dairy and replacing it with plant based ingredients. Cashew and tofu can create the creamy texture of the missing dairy, but what about the flavor?

Creating a cream-like flavor with plant based ingredients is totally possible! You just have to use the right balance of ingredients.

ADD CITRUS TO YOUR VEGAN CREMA

Adding citrus to your vegan chipotle crema is very important when you are trying to create that tangy flavor that is in traditional crema. For this recipe you will add a combination of lemon and lime juice to do so. Feel free to add even more citrus juice to your crema than the recipe calls for if desired!

HOW TO CREATE A MORE COMPLEX FLAVOR FOR YOUR VEGAN CREMA

You can create a simple and delicious vegan crema using just salt, lime, and garlic…but why not add a couple of extra spices to really make this vegan crema something to talk about?!

For this vegan crema recipe you will be adding fresh garlic, onion powder, cumin, salt, and nutritional yeast. The combination of the spices develop a delicious, well rounded flavor.

Nutritional yeast is a vegan, nutrient dense, yeast that adds a cheese like flavor to a dish. Because of this, it is the perfect addition when creating a plant based recipe that traditionally calls for dairy.

ingredients in blender for vegan chipotle crema

HOW TO SERVE VEGAN CHIPOTLE CREMA

This vegan chipotle crema recipe is very versatile and is the perfect addition to many dishes. I personally love this sweet and spicy vegan crema for tacos. You can make a basic taco and make is an amazing taco with this flavorful condiment. You can also keep it simple and just serve it with tortilla chips or yuca fries. This vegan chipotle crema is perfect for giving enchiladas and burritos a sweet and spicy kick!