Creamy Vegan Cilantro Lime Crema Recipe You’ll Be Obsessed With
This post is all about how to make a vegan cilantro lime crema recipe.
Get ready to learn the easiest sauce and dressing recipe that can work on basically all of your favorite dishes!
Cilantro crema is new to my weekly rotation but I am so grateful I came across it. It’s the perfect sauce to batch on a Sunday and drizzle over weeknight dinners, meal preps, and boring salads. I also dipped my fair share of tortilla chips in it as I perfected this recipe.
This vegan version is packed with greens, a touch of protein, a comforting creamy base, and a surprising tangy twist from the lime.
If you have 10 minutes to spare, you will end up with the most versatile and tasty sauce to use on all of your favorite dishes!
*This recipe is inspired by Latin American, Tex-Mex, and Southwestern cuisine.
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How to make cilantro crema
If you need a last-minute salad dressing or a healthy dip for a party you only need a few ingredients and a blender to make this cilantro crema that’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
All you need to do is:
- Wash and prep your ingredients
- Throw it in a blender (;
- Enjoy!
I promise this recipe is SO easy and you will be shocked at how good it tastes when it took you so little time to prepare it!
What to put cilantro lime crema on
The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to this healthy sauce, dressing, or dip!
Whatever you want to call it you will love it on:
- Drizzle it on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos
- Spread it on veggie wraps, sandwiches and burgers
- Use it as a dip for tortilla chips, veggie sticks, fries or pita bread
- Add some extra water to turn it into a salad dressing
- Drizzle it on top of nourish bowls (similar to salads but these are a bit more hearty. The base is normally something like quinoa or potatoes rather than salad greens)
- Drizzle it on a baked potato/sweet potato as an alternative to sour cream
- Enhance your roasted vegetables with this sauce. I think it would be really yummy on roasted brussel sprouts, carrots, asparagus or potatoes)
- Use it to marinate protein
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Vegan cilantro lime crema ingredients
Cashews: Cashews make this dip creamy but keep it dairy-free! Traditionally, cilantro crema is made with sour cream or greek yogurt but for a vegan version you can use cashews! You won’t notice an overwhelming nutty flavor because the other ingredients over power it. Cashews work great as a base for so many vegan sauces and dips. (vegan yogurt or silken tofu are great substitutions!)
Lime: Opt for fresh lime juice if you can! If you don’t have limes, lemon juice can work as well. Not only does the lime add a nice tang to the dip but it will also help to keep the avocado in the dip fresh.
Avocado: If you ever want to make a vegan creamy sauce from scratch, adding avocado is the secret to achieve that!
Cilantro: One of the most important ingredients in this recipe! Pro tip: when storing cilantro in the fridge you can add it to a glass jar of water like you would a bouquet of flowers. This will keep it fresher for longer!
Cumin: I love adding cumin to cilantro crema because it gives the sauce a bit of a kick. Cumin takes the recipe from a sour cream substitute to it’s own zesty category.
Garlic: You can never go wrong with adding a bit of garlic to really any recipe. Feel free to use fresh garlic but this recipe will include garlic powder since it will probably be in most people’s pantries.
Olive oil: Use whatever oil you prefer or have on hand. I somehow ran out of my usual olive oil right before making this recipe so I used avocado oil instead and it worked great!
Jalapeno: Add some spice to your dip! This ingredient is technically optional so adjust things to your preferred spice level. If you don’t have jalapeno you can add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
Salt: Salt will help to keep your cilantro crema fresh in the fridge and will help to draw out all of the flavors of the dish.
Water: A bit of water helps to get the blender or food processor working. It also helps to thin the sauce out a bit which is great if you want to use your cilantro crema as a dressing rather than as a dipping sauce.
Tools you will need: A food processor or a blender. I personally use a blender and it works great but use what you have! This is the blender I use.
Vegan Cilantro Lime Crema
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw cashews Soak them for 2-4 hours, or you can boil them for 10 minutes
- 1/2 cup Water Add more for a thinner consistency and less for a thicker consistency
- 1 cup Fresh cilantro Feel free to include the stems
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Garlic salt 1 clove of garlic is ok too
- 1/2 Jalapeño Optional, add more for extra spice
- 1/2 Avocado
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend them until the consistency is smooth and creamy.
- Taste test and add more of whichever ingredients you prefer to get your desired balance.
- Chill it in an airtight container in the fridge. This allows the flavors to settle together.
- Enjoy it on salads, tacos, or simply by itself as a chip dip!
Video
Storage suggestions for cilantro crema
This recipe makes a pretty good amount of cilantro crema, definitely enough to have for a family dinner and meal prep the next day.
This sauce really needs to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge though! The lime and salt will keep the avocado looking fresh and green but it can start to turn brown after a while.
I love these mini sauce containers when I bring cilantro crema dressing on the go. But just to keep it in the fridge I would suggest a mason jar.
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FAQs about making cilantro lime crema
Can I make cilantro crema without dairy?
Yep! You can use cashews, silken tofu, or plant-based yogurt instead of sour cream or crema. You will still get the creamy texture without the dairy.
Why is my cilantro crema thick?
Add a bit of extra water, lime juice or olive oil to thin it out. Add ingredients gradually as you try to find your desired texture.
Why is my cilantro crema runny?
You may have accidentally added to much liquid. Try to use less water next time you make this recipe or you can blend in more cashews/tofu to thicken it up.
What can I use instead of cilantro?
Some people think cilantro tastes like soap! If you have a family member or friend that can’t stand cilantro try to use parsley or basil. You can follow the same recipe as if you were using cilantro.
Vegan avocado cilantro crema
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! It’s a great sauce recipe to have in your back pocket when you want to add a twist to your usual dinner meals.
Enjoy this recipe and check back soon as this recipe has left me inspired and wanting to come up with even more simple plant-based dressings using fresh herbs that you can whip up quickly!
What do you like to add cilantro crema to? Let us know in the comments below! I’m sure others in the community would love to learn from you as well.
Stay well,
Maggie
This post was all about dairy-free cilantro crema.
Other plant-based recipes and tips you may like:
Copy These 15 Minute Easy Plant Based Meal Prep Ideas
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The Best Vegan Protein Bars You Need to Stash in Your Gym Bag}
The Best Foods To Dehydrate For Snacks
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