Soak Your Cashews
Some of you readers read the title of this post, and thought, “I already know about this.” Some of you readers read the title of this post and thought, “Soaked Cashews? Weird.” And finally, some of you readers still haven’t read the title of this post.
I’m writing, assuming that you’re in that second group of readers.
Now, being a blog author myself, I also take the time to read lots of other websites. I read all kids of posts, from the meat-eating cowgirl to the vegan dancer. I enjoy the variety! The newest technique that I’ve picked up is soaking cashew nuts, overnight.
As it turns out, one can easily blend the soaking-wet nuts (appetizing!) into a variety of different recipes.
With soaked cashews, you could make a quenelle (egg-shaped blob) of vegan cashew cheese! All I did was blend soaked cashews, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper. Since I added the sesame seed paste, my version tastes similar to hummus. Although you can go many ways with this spread. I found recipes that called for soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and even Tabasco.
Orrr, you could make a Vegan Cheesecake Bite! This little nibblet uses the soaked cashews along with frozen banana to achieve a texture that is . . . frankly nothing like cheesecake. But, it is good! After I took this picture, I added coco powder to the mixing bowl and made it even better. 
The best thing to make with your soaked cashews is cashew cream. It’s a really simple blend of cashew nuts, maple syrup, maybe some vanilla, but most definitely a pinch of salt. The flavor is stronger than a typical peanut butter or almond butter. My own version used roasted cashews, so technically, it isn’t raw (which completely defeats the purpose for the raw foodists who invented the stuff).
Some say to use soaked cashews for the “cream,” and some say to use raw. I used soaked. Consequently, my version was smooth and nut-buttery. However, I’ve heard that using raw nuts will result in a fluffy, whipped texture, hence “cashew cream.”
Maybe you aren’t in the second group of readers, and maybe you aren’t the vegan dancer (it’s okay, neither am I). Either way, you can definitely steal these recipes! They’re something new to try, and they can all be made in less than ten minutes. 
Cashew Cream
I’d be totally wrong not to credit Kelsey for introducing me to cashew cream. Thanks, Kelsey! Next time I make this, I’ll experiment with raw cashews.
4 0z raw (or soaked) cashews
1/2 – 2/3 cup water (start with 1/2 and add more if needed)
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 big pinch of kosher salt
Add everything to your food processor and blend until fluffy/ smooth. A food processor or magic bullet is essential. I wouldn’t make it any other way. The cashew cream will keep freshly in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
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Oh my WORD that cheesecake tart is gorgeous! No wait, “gorgeous” doesn’t even begin to cut it.
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I didn’t know about soaked cashews until less than a year ago; it’s such an awesome discovery
P.S. You have great photography skills, girl!
HI, good morning,
Cheesecake is great. enjoy………..I too…………enjoy the cake.
I may die if I don’t get a food processor soon. As soon as I do, I am going to eat a balanced diet of nut butters 24/7
Haha! Mine was a christmas present . . . and so was my KitchenAid stand mixer . . . and the ice cream attachment.
(All on separate Christmases!)
Oh oh oh, can you do it with peanuts too? Though roasted peanuts in my opinion taste and smell great. Would it make it easier to blend? (Cheesecake looks lovely!)
Wei-Wei
PS: I like your “meat-eating cowgirl to vegan dancer” concept. It makes me feel better about reading vegan blogs
I haven’t tried it with peanuts, but Heater Eats Almond Butter made it with macadamia nuts, so I bet you could.
Yum! Love cashews =)
The cashew cream looks great, and you are so right…soaked cashews are so incredibly versatile!
That cheesecake bite looks like a photo straight from some gourmet food magazine…are you sure you’re only 17?
Everything looks so tasty, and I love making various recipes with soaked cashews. Friends are always amazed then they ask what the frosting or whipped cream topping is, and I tell them it’s cashews, water, and maple syrup. So easy…so good!
Haha, thank you Heather! It is a cool trick.
. . . and a lot easier than whipping cream.
mmm…. cashew cream sounds so good. I only have a $20 Hamilton Beach blender from Wal-mart though… should I invest in a food processor? Because I was wanting to make nut butters, hummus, and of course vegan banana soft serves as well. Thanks!
Hmmm . . . I’ve honestly never attempted to make those things in a blender, I don’t know how it would turn out. However, I’d bet that you could get pretty good results! You may have to add a little more liquid than you want though.
I DO recommend a food processor anyway. Those machines will save you a LOT of time with certain tasks. I have a KitchenAid <3 one, that I asked for as a Christmas present. And, I was actually going to post about how much I love it pretty soon.
The cashew cream sounds delish! I definitely need to try it. Beautiful photos, I was really surprised when I saw that you took that photo of the cheesecake. Great job!
I’m glad everyone seems to be liking that picture! It’s actually my least favorite, haha.
Never heard of soaking cashews. I can’t wait to try this!