The Best Cashew Whipped Cream Recipe (3 Ingredients)

Top all of your favorite desserts with this light and fluffy cashew whipped cream! It is made with simple, whole food ingredients (no refined sugars) and is a breeze to make. Bonus: you can make it days ahead and store until ready to use.

Easy Vegan Whipped Cream

It is time to step up your plant-based desserts and I am here to help! Here is the good news: it’s as easy as adding a dollop of cashew whipped cream. Even better news? It is very simple to make.

Homemade cashew whipped cream is the perfect substitute for dairy whipped cream. It elevates any dessert, including cakes, pies, tarts, and fruit crumbles.I am also partial to including it for weekend breakfasts and brunches, on top of waffles, pancakes, scones, and granola 😊.

Recipe Benefits

• Soy-free
• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Grain-free
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free
• Refied sugar free
• Easy to make
• Paleo friendly

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Raw cashews
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla extract

You will also need some water, to soak and blend the cashews. I like to add a pinch of salt, too, to enhance the flavor and bring out the subtle sweetness of the whipped cream. It is optional.

Save Money: Use Cashew Pieces

You can save a significant amount of money by using cashew pieces (broken cashews) in place of whole cashews. They get blended anyway, so why not? They are what I use to make homemade cashew butter, too.

You can also acquire cashews for much less if you order them in bulk, online. I store mine in the freezer to keep them fresh.

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Quick-Soak the Cashews

Place the cashews in a medium bowl. Add enough water to cover the cashews by 1 inch (2.5 cm).

• If you prefer, you can soak the cashews overnight: Use cold or room temperature water. Let soak for a minimum of 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

Step Two: Drain the Cashews

Drain the cashews in a mesh sieve (discard soaking water). Rinse the cashews under cold water and drain again.

Step Three: Blend the Cashews

Place the drained cashews in a high-speed blender (such as a Blendtec, Vitamix, or Ninja) along with the fresh water, maple syrup, vanilla extract and optional salt.

Blend on high speed until completely smooth, stopping several times to scrape down the sides of the blender container.

Step Four: Chill

Spoon the cashew whipped cream into a bowl, jar or other container. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator until cold. It will become firmer as it chills.

Step Five (Optional): Whip It!

If you like, you can whip the cashew cream to make it more fluffy! The cashew cream will not expand to the same extent as whipped dairy heavy cream, but it does aerate it, increasing the volume and making it lighter and fluffier.

Place the chilled cashew cream in a medium mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Frost and Pipe With It

Taking the extra step of whipping transforms the cream into a perfect frosting for cakes and cupcakes. You can even pipe it!

Storage

Store the vegan whipped cream in a covered container in the refrigerator (fridge) for up to one week. 

FAQ & Tips

• What is the Taste & Texture of Cashew Whipped Cream? Cashew whipped cream has a creamy, lightly sweet flavor and rich consistency akin to whipped dairy cream.
• Can I Make the Cashew Whipped Cream Looser / Thinner? Yes! This recipe produces a medium-thick cream. You can make the cashew whipped cream looser by adding a tablespoon (or more) of water as the cashews are blended. Start by adding one additional tablespoon, adding more (n small increments), as desired.
• Can I Freeze Cashew Whipped Cream? Yes! Freeze the cashew whipped cream in a freezer safe bag or container. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. I recommend re-blending, whipping, or vigorously whisking the cashew cream to blend and aerate it.
• What Can I Use in Place of Maple Syrup? Use an equal amount of another liquid sweetener, such as brown rice syrup, agave nectar, date syrup (this will make the cream darker), or (if you do not follow a vegan diet) honey. You can also use an equal amount of granulated sweetener + 2 extra tablespoons of water. For example, coconut sugar, granulated cane sugar, or date sugar.

Flavor Variations

Vanilla is only one of many flavor options for the cream. Adding other flavors, such as the following, is a cinch:

• Coffee/Espresso Cashew Whipped Cream: Add a teaspoon (or more) of instant espresso powder to the blender when first blending the cream. Alternatively, replace some of the water with a shot of espresso, or chilled, strong-brewed coffee.
• Boozy Cashew Whipped Cream: Replace a tablespoon (maybe more 😉) of the water with the spirit of your choice, such as liqueur, whisky, or brandy.
• Citrus Cashew Whipped Cream: Replace up to 2 tablespoons of the water with lemon juice, lime juice, or orange juice and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest, lime zest or orange zest.
• Spiced Cashew Whipped Cream: Add 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon of ground spices, such as cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, or nutmeg.
• Peppermint Cashew Whipped Cream: Replace the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract (more or less, to taste).
• Chocolate Cashew Whipped Cream: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, plus an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the mix before blending.
• Molasses Cashew Whipped Cream: Replace the maple syrup with an equal amount of dark cooking molasses (not blackstrap molasses; it is too bitter and not very sweet).

Happy whipping!

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