Vegan Jalapeño Avocado Crema (dairy free)
Looking for the perfect way to top off your tacos, nachos, or enchiladas? This vegan jalapeño avocado crema recipe is it!
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.
Did I mention you can have this delicious plant based crema ready in under 20 minutes?! That’s right. With this vegan jalapeño avocado crema you can quickly and easily take Taco Tuesday to the next level!
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What is crema?
Traditional crema is a 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 jalapeño avocado crema
Making this vegan jalapeño crema is super simple, does not require any pots and pans. All you need an a cutting board, knife and blender!
Instead of using heavy cream, sour cream, or buttermilk, which is often included in traditional crema, you will be using cashews and avocado to create that thick and creamy texture.
You will begin by soaking your raw cashews. Cashews are a relatively soft nut by nature. But when soak them in hot water you can really soften them, making them the perfect ingredient to create a thick, 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 jalapeño avocado crema with very little time and effort!
What spices do I use to flavor vegan crema
For this vegan jalapeño avocado crema recipe you will be removing the dairy and replacing it with plant based ingredients. Cashew 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 jalapeño avocado 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 blow this vegan crema out of the water?!
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.
How to serve vegan jalapeño avocado crema
This vegan jalapeño avocado crema recipe is very versatile and is the perfect addition to many dishes. I personally love this vegan crema for tacos. You can make a super simple taco and really jazz it up with this flavorful condiment. You can also keep it simple and just serve it with tortilla chips. This vegan jalapeño avocado crema is perfect for topping off enchiladas or burritos as well. Or you can simply serve it along side vegetables as a healthy, delicious dip. Sky is the limit!
Vegan jalapeño avocado crema
Equipment
- high speed blender
- knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water
- 1 small avocado
- 1/2 cup water more if needed
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 fresh jalapeño more or less to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
Instructions
Prepare your cashews
- Start by soaking your cashews in hot water. Soak cashews for at least 15 minutes, but the longer the better. The softer they are the easier they will blend.
Blend ingredients
- Once you have soaked your cashews for at least 15 minutes, drain the water.
- Place cashews and all of the ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth
- **you may need to stop the blender and push the ingredients down with a spatula several times to properly blend. Add a touch of extra water if necessary to blend ingredients into a smooth consistency
- Once your crema is smooth and creamy, serve and enjoy!
- Serve with chips or on top of tacos, enchilada, or burritos
