Vegan Crema for Tacos

Looking for a creamy, flavorful, dairy free sauce to take your tacos to the next level? This list of vegan crema for tacos is all you need to complete a taco feast!

These vegan crema recipes are super easy to make, made with plant based ingredients, and are absolutely delicious!

Simple vegan crema for tacos

If you are looking for a simple, yet super flavorful vegan crema recipe you have come to the right place! This vegan crema starts with a creamy blend of cashews and tofu. It’s seasoned with citrus, fresh garlic, and a clever blend of spices to create the tangy, creamy flavor of traditional crema.

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More flavors of vegan crema for tacos

The traditional vegan crema recipe is absolutely perfect for topping off your tacos. Sometimes simple is all you need. But if you are seeking a more complex blend of flavor, why stop there?! Vegan crema is the perfect canvas to create an endless amount of incredible flavors that will transform your basic taco into a masterpiece.

Making an Indian inspired taco? Check out this cilantro mint vegan crema, complete with a healthy dose of chana masala spice! Want to really spice things up? The chipotle crema and vegan jalapeño avocado crema recipes are absolutely PERFECT for that! If you are looking for a whole new, uniquely flavored, vegan crema recipe, go with the black garlic vegan crema. This take on crema has a unique, slightly sweet, garlicky flavor profile that will add a new spin to any taco!

All you need is a high speed blender and 20 minutes to make your next Taco Tuesday absolute magic!

WHAT IS CREMA?

Before we get carried aways with flavored crema, lets talk about basic 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 these vegan, dairy free versions of crema are equally as delicious as the traditional crema, but they skip all of the dairy!

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CREMA FOR TACOS WITH CASHEWS

Making vegan crema for tacos can be super simple and does not require any pots and pans. All you need is a blender!

Buttermilk, heavy cream, or sour cream is often the base of traditional crema. To make these vegan crema recipes, you will be combine raw cashews with silken tofu or avocado 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 you 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 crema for tacos with very little time and effort!

USING CASHEWS AND TOFU FOR VEGAN CREMA

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.

USING CASHEWS AND AVOCADO FOR VEGAN CREMA

The combination of cashews AND avocado is a match made in heaven when it comes to creating a thick, creamy vegan crema for tacos. Avocado in itself is already super thick and creamy when mashed, but when you blend it with a batch of soaked raw cashews, you will create an even thicker, smoother base for your vegan crema!

Avocado also brings a nice dose of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals to the table! Making it the perfect addition to any vegan crema recipe.

WHAT SPICES DO I USE TO FLAVOR VEGAN CREMA

For these vegan crema for taco recipes you will be removing the dairy and replacing it with plant based ingredients. Cashew, tofu, and avocado 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 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.

Chipotle Vegan Crema For Tacos

Vegan chipotle crema is the perfect addition to your tacos! This vegan crema for tacos is sweet, smoky, spicy and incredibly flavorful! Vegan chipotle crema starts with an easy to make, creamy base made with cashews, tofu, citrus, and a blend of spices. But the explosion of flavor happens when you add chipotle adobo peppers, brown sugar, and vinegar to the blend!

Jalapeño avocado vegan crema for tacos

This vegan jalapeño avocado crema, is thick and creamy, made with simple, healthy ingredients, and dairy free! Made creamy with a blend of cashews and avocado, seasoned with cilantro, citrus and a medley of spices that will make your taste buds dance, and finished off with jalapeño, making this creamy crema nice and spicy.

Cilantro Mint Vegan Crema for Tacos

We all love Mexican cuisine, we all love Indian cuisine….but have every combined the two?…..This combination is mind-blowingly delicious to say the least. This cilantro mint vegan crema is the perfect condiment to bring a unique fusion of flavors to your plate! Curry tacos anyone?!

Cilantro mint vegan crema starts with a thick, creamy dairy free crema, made with the cashews, tofu, citrus, and a blend of spices…the Indian inspired flavor comes in strong with mint, cilantro, and Chana Masala spice mix. 

This cilantro mint vegan crema is tangy, fresh, with a hint of spice. It’s the perfect vegan condiment to complement many Mexican or Indian inspired dishes. Spread it on your naan bread, dip your yuca fries or samosas in it….or my personal favorite…top off a vegan curry chicken taco with this cilantro mint vegan crema.

Black Garlic Vegan Crema for Tacos

Have you had the mouth watering experience of eating black garlic? Well here’s your chance! The sweet, complex, unique flavor of black garlic is an absolute pleasure all on it’s own, but pairing with a rich, creamy vegan crema and now you really have something to help make any dish top notch!

Black garlic vegan crema is made with cashews, tofu, citrus, a blend of spices, garlic and of course, the star of the show, black garlic. This vegan crema is thick, creamy, and has a unique, complex flavor profile. Black garlic vegan crema is absolutely perfect for topping off your tacos, burritos, and enchiladas. It also makes the perfect condiment to dip your yuca fries and plantains in!

Ways to serve vegan crema

Of course you can serve your vegan crema with tacos! Vegan crema is perfect for cauliflower tacos, tofu tacos, or black bean sweet potato tacos. But vegan crema is not just for tacos of course! Any of these vegan crema recipes would be a delicious addition to veggie burgers, taco salads, or any of your favorite plant based meals. You can keep it super simple and dip your tortilla chips in vegan crema or drizzle it on top of a baked sweet potato. You can make your vegan crema drizzle extra pretty by using a squeeze bottle to drizzle it in a more controlled way!

Vegan crema is perfect for meal prep

Vegan crema is the perfect condiment to prepare in advance. Simply whip up a batch of any of these vegan cremas ahead of time and store in your fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an air tight container, such as a mason jar.

You can also store vegan crema in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just store in a freezer friendly container.