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–+ servings
cashew garlic sauce in jar with sauce in spoon

Creamy Garlic Sauce with Cashews (Diary-Free)

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamy garlic sauce, dairy-free sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
soaking time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 63kcal
Author: Cindy Rainey
This creamy garlic sauce with cashews is the perfect topping to drizzle on veggies, pizza, or soup. It's vegan; so you can be sure it's dairy-free as well.
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Equipment

  • high-speed blender

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cashews raw and unsalted
  • hot water to cover drain when fully soaked
  • 1 cup water for blending
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Soak the unsalted cashews in very hot water for 30 minutes. Drain the water.
  • Add soaked and drained cashews along with 1 cup water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion and garlic powders, and salt to a high-speed blender.
  • Blend on high for about 3 minutes or until creamy and smooth.

Notes

If you can only find roasted and salted cashews, your sauce might not be as creamy. Try these steps to ensure a creamy and tasty garlic sauce:
  1. Put cashews in a strainer and rinse well to remove the salt. You might need to wait to add the additional salt in the ingredient list till AFTER the sauce is prepared.
  2. Soak the cashews for 2 hours so that they will blend well and your sauce will be creamy and smooth.
If you want to use fresh garlic, use 1 peeled clove.
If you want a thicker sauce (like for a dip or pizza sauce), use 1/2 cup water to blend. You can always add in a little more if necessary.
This can stored tightly covered in your refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg