This past week there was a coffee creamer shortage across Canada. I have no idea why, but I sure know that I didn’t like it. My sweet creamy coffee is a daily joy for me. Black coffee is not my thing (I don’t know how you people do it). Regular non-dairy milks are too thin and sometimes even curdle when you add them to coffee… ew.
This was a problem I had to resolve immediately, and so I hit the kitchen and set to making my own coffee creamer. And then it happened. Somehow, a magical combination of morning pre-coffee haze and a toss-things-into-the-blender approach resulted in the best cashew coffee creamer ever!! No seriously, no more store-bought for me, homemade cashew coffee creamer from now on. Yassssss!!
This is legit. This cashew coffee creamer is incredibly rich and creamy, so easy to make, totally customizable to your own taste preferences, and if you are lucky enough to have a high-powered blender (such as a Blendtec, Vitamix, or Breville) you can whip this up in the time it takes to boil the kettle. So as long as you have raw cashews on hand, you will never run out of delicious coffee creamer again!
Don’t worry, if you have a regular blender that isn’t quite as strong, you can still make cashew coffee creamer too, you will just need to set some time aside for soaking cashews.
If you do own a high-powered blender, this step isn’t necessary as the blender will be powerful to make a very smooth cream without soaking. If you do not own a high-powered blender, I recommend starting by softening the cashews for the creamiest coffee creamer.
To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for a minimum of 6 hours and up to 48 hours until very tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
The key is to blend way more than you think you need to. I blend mine for 3 – 5 minutes in my very high-powered blender to ensure maximum creaminess and no pulpiness is left. By the time I’m done the cashew cream is actually a little warm from the friction.
Pour into a bottle and store in the fridge until ready to use. That’s it! No straining needed. The cashews are a soft enough nut that they should turn into smooth creaminess and blend right in. Just give the creamer a shake before using, and stir into your coffee for dreamy perfection.
Make your own homemade non-dairy easy coffee cream recipe in just 5 minutes. Super rich and creamy. Customize to your own taste preferences for the best coffee creamer you'll ever taste!
- 1 cup raw cashews, softened if needed (see instructions)
- 1 1/4 - 2 cups water *see notes
- 1 - 6 tablespoons sweetener of choice- agave, maple syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, low calorie sweetener (optional) *see notes
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
If you do own a high-powered blender, this step isn't necessary as the blender will be powerful to make a very smooth cream without soaking. If you do not own a high-powered blender, I recommend starting by softening the cashews for the creamiest coffee creamer.
To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for a minimum of 6 hours and up to 48 hours until very tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
To make the best cashew coffee creamer: Add the cashews, water, sweetener (if using), vanilla extract (if using), and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and super creamy with no graininess. The key is to blend way more than you think you need to. I blend mine for 3 - 5 minutes in my very high-powered blender to ensure maximum creaminess and no pulpiness is left. By the time I'm done the cashew cream is actually a little warm from the friction.
Pour into a bottle and store in the fridge until ready to use, it should keep for about 1 week in the fridge. Always give the creamer a shake before using.
For the water: I recommend starting with 1 1/4 cups water which will make a very rich cream, and adding more water if needed to reach desired consistency.
For the flavourings: sweeteners and vanilla are optional. I recommend starting with smaller amounts of sweetener and vanilla to start as you can always add more to taste later.
My personal favourite proportions are 1 1/4 cups water, 4 tablespoons sweetener, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for an extra-rich sweet French vanilla creamer.
Bonus flavours: pick different coffee syrups or extracts for endless flavour combinations. Hazelnut, chocolate mint, and peppermint all sound super delish! Just make sure to check that it's vegan before purchasing.
*Calories are based on one serving (about 2 tablespoons) without added sugars since they can vary in calories.
Nutrition
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Bon appetegan!
Sam.
This sounds great! I like to try to stay Whole Foods, so I will use 2-3 soft dates for sweetener. Plus dates are nature’s caramels, so that should add a nice flavor. For those who don’t drink coffee everyday or otherwise would have trouble getting through a recipe in a week, I would think it could be frozen. Just put a cups worth of creamer into each cup in an ice cube tray, freeze and then store frozen cubes in a ziplock in the freezer. Then drop a cube into a cup of coffee or tea. If you don’t like it too hot the cube will cool it down to drinkable temp, Or if you don’t want to keep the coffee hot, just 15 or so seconds in the microwave should melt the creamer cube.
Great idea, Jim and so happy you love the creamer 🙂
Oh Sam, I LOVE this creamer! I use Monk Fruit sugar 1:1 and that makes it OK for me to use. I’ve had it on hand since the day you posted this recipe and given samples to friends, as well as the link to this page. You’ve got a real winner here! Thank you!!
Yay! So thrilled you enjoyed it, Terre 🙂
Hi Sam…this is delicious, Made it only using 1 Tabsp agave and a pinch of salt, Love it….best ever creamer.Thanks
Wonderful! So thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Hazel 🙂
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! WOW.. best replacement for half-n-half! …who’d a thunk there could be such a thing! Now that you’ve introduced me to this incredible alternative, I am now 100% vegan! (yes, coffee cream was the only thing keeping me on the dark side lol)
WOW!! That is so amazing, Jaclyn!!! So thrilled that I was able to help you jump over the last hurdle. 😀
Oh my goodness! I didn’t make this for coffee, but I used it as an ice cream base. I made it according to your Heavenly Cream instructions in your cookbook and declare it amazing! Thank you for for that you do to teach us that vegan food is wonderful!
Wow sounds delightful! You’re most welcome, Cindy 🙂
Sam – Thanks for saving my coffee from the boring dullness of only being black. I have type 2 diabetes and have not found anything as tasty and satisfying as this recipe. I have made a minor adjustment as I don’t want to pollute my body with artificial sweeteners and should not consume refined sugars. I just left the sweetener out of the mix and it came out WONDERFuL!!!!
Thank you for saving my coffee and giving me an alternative to eating more healthy. Please keep up the great work!!!
You’re most welcome, Glenn! I am thrilled that you can now enjoy creamy delicious vegan coffee 🙂
This is exactly what I needed TODAY! Wow, I don’t know why I didn’t think of cashew creme, but I’m sure glad YOU DID! Thank you for another great recipe, Sam!
You’re most welcome, Terre! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
So good and so easy – highly recommend!
Yay!! 🙂
I made this two days ago and love it! I usually buy a soy creamer but this is even better! It’s so creamy and so easy to make. I love that I trust all the ingredients in my coffee. Fantastic. Thanks for this recipe!
Thrilled you love it so much, Annice 🙂
Great recipe – thank you! I don’t buy commercial creamer in an effort to reduce waste, so it’s nice to have something richer to put in my coffee than the traditional nondairy milks I make at home.
Wonderful! I love super creamy coffee, and I agree, it’s so nice to be less wasteful now 🙂
I have a recipe similar on my blog and have been making it for months! Cashews are MAGIC and I can confirm that this recipe is DELICIOUS! I just wanted to leave a comment to say the picture you took of the coffee pour is beautiful! I love your blog Sam! Keep it up!
Aww thank you so much, Liv! 🙂
Hey Sam! I’ve been making this for 7 years of veganhood but I never throw out the soaking water – why do you think it’s necessary?? I have tried using new water but found the soaked version to have more flavor – but maybe I’m nuts!
Also!
Add shaved dark chocolate to the blender…… need I say more?
I’ve found mine keeps in the fridge for a week, so I’ve learned how much to make in a batch.
Such a great simple way to ditch creamer! Thanks Sam!
That’s a good point! I don’t usually soak the nuts as my blender is strong enough that I don’t have to, but when I do soak them I find the water goes all scuzzy so it was just my instinct to drain it. I suppose there is no need to tho, and if you enjoy it, go for it 🙂 Shaved dark chocolate sounds magical 🙂
When you soak the cashews do you keep in refrigerator or on the counter?
Either way works fine. I usually just leave mine on the counter overnight. 🙂
Thanks Sam
It’s good for creaminess but not very effective in countering the acidic bitterness that coffee often comes with. I love most of your recipes, but I’m probably not making this again.
Maybe buy a higher quality coffee? I don’t get an acidic bitterness with the coffee I have at home. Just a thought.
I suppose that’s something I could try but commercial plant-based coffee creamers smooth out the coffee in a way that this doesn’t. My guess is that this creamer will work for some and not for others.
I’ll have to give this creamer a try and report back. I do love my store-bought creamers so I’m eager to compare.
Hi Glenn, different coffees have different acidity levels. Buying a different brand of coffee will definitely help that. Here’s an article that can help you. Also commercial creamers usually have a ton of sugar in them and sugar cuts acidity as well, so you could try amping that up.
This looks amazing! How long will it keep in the fridge?
Oh I should have said! It will keep for about a week in the fridge. I will add it to the recipe notes 🙂
This is sooooo good!
Thank you for creating this!
I’m so glad I found your site! I went vegan because of health issues, but felt frustrated because most recipes are to complicated for me because of problems with my hands.. Finding your site felt like a miracle! I got your book yesterday and have a bunch of recipes flagged. None of the other books have more than 5 flags so that should say a lot. Thank you!
I’m so flattered, Heidi! I hope you love every recipe you try 🙂
I know I should make this before giving it five stars, but all of your recipes that I have made are five stars! I am going to whip some up later, because almost everything I have bought seems to curdle. I once bought a case from Amazon that I ended up throwing out, because it turned to sludge in my coffee. Sam to the rescue again. Dust off your cape girl: you are my hero.
Aww that’s amazing, Mari!!! So flattered you are enjoying my recipes so much 🙂 I have never had this curdle in my coffee at all, so I hope it works the same for you 🙂
Hey Sam!
Necessity is the mother of invention…thank you for your ongoing creative recipes!
Question:
Why the rinsing of the post-soaked cashews?
Thanks Vinny! I find the water always gets a bit scuzzy when soaking cashews, but if you are cool with using the water as it, go for it! 🙂
It also helps to get rid of the cashew taste if you rinse.