One of the hardest things for me to give up when I went dairy-free was my daily splash of half-and-half in my morning coffee. I’d tried all the plant-based alternative creamers and milks in the supermarket, and wasn’t a fan. I eventually just decided that I was going to have to be mostly dairy-free, except for my daily half-and-half. After all, life is too short to drink my coffee black.
And then, one day, I was out of half-and-half, and I did a desperate Google search for a plant-based coffee creamer recipe that I could make using pantry staples. A lot of recipes called for coconut milk or coconut oil (love coconut, but I’m a coffee purist, so no go) or almond milk (which I know from experience has some separation issues in hot coffee). And then I stumbled onto Cashew Coffee Creamer on Kitchen Treaty, and I thought, “Well, that’s something I’ve never tried before!” and went for it.
The resulting dairy-free creamer changed my life! It looks like half-and-half. It’s thick, fatty, and creamy like half-and-half. It doesn’t separate or curdle. It doesn’t taste like coconut. It. Was. Perfect. Better than any of those $5-a-pint plant-based coffee creamers on the market. With that first blitz in my blender, a love affair with cashew cream was born.
Cashew cream is going to change your life!
A rich, dairy-free cream made from nothing but raw cashews and water—it sound so simple, but cashew cream is pure magic! After soaking the cashews in boiling water, you blend them into a deliciously smooth cream that will be a cornerstone of your kitchen. Cashew cream is a great alternative to dairy because it really is incredibly close in texture and fattiness to regular cow’s milk dairy. We have a full post all about the benefits of cashew cream, so make sure to read that to see all the ways cashew cream can be used. It is incredibly versatile!
This dairy-free coffee creamer recipe is the one that started my whole love affair with cashew cream. I took one sip of my first cup of coffee doctored up with cashew cream, and I knew that I could make this dairy-free thing work for me. I’ve since tweaked this recipe to get it just to my liking, but you might need to tweak it (more or less sweetener, no vanilla, etc.) until you can make your perfect dairy-free cuppa. Enjoy!
Cashew Coffee Creamer
This plant-based Cashew Coffee Creamer is almost as good as the regular kind - you won't even miss the dairy!
Adapted from Kitchen Treaty.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- Water
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Place cashews in a bowl or jar (I like using a wide-mouth quart mason jar) and cover with water. Let soak overnight (at least 6 hours).
- Once soaking is finished, drain and rinse the cashews, and place in the basin of a high-powered blender. Add in two cups of water, the maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt, and blend on high until very smooth—about three minutes.
- Store in covered container in the fridge for up to 10 days. The cream will get thicker as it cools.
Notes
Quick soak method: Cover cashews with boiling water and let sit 1 hour before proceeding.
Super quick method: Place cashews and three cups of water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse before proceeding.
You may want to add more or less maple syrup depending on how sweet you like your cup of coffee.
Cashew creamer does tend to separate from coffee when it’s cold out of the fridge. I like to warm mine up just to take the chill out, and then mix it with my coffee. No separation issues!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 40 Serving Size: 1 tablespoonAmount Per Serving: Calories: 30Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 28mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
