Move over, Ranch, there’s a new creamy dressing in town that’s stealing our hearts! This cheesy jalapeno cashew dressing is our new go-to for salads, wraps, and vegetable dips. It’s rich and creamy and has a subtle spicy kick!
The bonus? It just comes together 5 minutes with 9 simple ingredients. Grab your blender. Let’s do this!
Ingredients for Making Cashew Dressing
- Cash – this versatile nut creates a rich, creamy base that is naturally oil-free and neutral in flavor, allowing other flavors to shine!
- Water – the key to turning cashews into a dressing.
- Lemon juice – a large amount of lime (or lemon) juice gives this desired lightness to the dressing.
- Nutritional yeast + miso paste + Dijon mustard + sea salt – this combination of umami and salty flavors gives this dressing “oomph” that you may want to drink straight from the blender. You have been warned! 😉
- Maple syrup – we add a little maple syrup to balance the taste, especially the acidity of the lime.
- Garlic + jalapeño – these two ingredients add zing and spice! A moderate amount keeps the dressing well balanced and not overly spicy or bitter.
How to Make Vegan Cashew Jalapeño Dressing
Now that your ingredients are ready, dressing is a long way off! Simply add everything to a high speed blender again blend for a minute or two until very creamy and smooth. We don’t find soaking the cashews necessary, but you certainly can, adjusting the amount of water as needed!
If your dressing is not fully creamy, here are a few tips to solve the problem:
- Are you using a good quality, high speed blender? Some blenders are not powerful enough to blend the cashews into a creamy texture. We have had success with the Vitamix, Blendtec, and NutriBullet. If you are going to make dressings made from nuts, dairy-free milk, vegan cheesecakes, and similar recipes, it is worth investing in a high-quality machine! Check out our full blender review here for recommendations.
- Is the amount of dressing sufficient to cover the blades? If the ingredients do not fully cover the blender blades, the machine may have trouble achieving a smooth texture. Try doubling the amount of ingredients, or use a smaller blender like the NutriBullet.
We think you will LOVE this dress! It says:
Cream
“cheesy”
What tastes good
It is balanced
Slightly spicy
Various
& FAST + FAST!
Whether enjoyed in salads, wraps, or as a vegetable dip or chips, it adds a lot of flavor and richness. This dressing is especially amazing on our Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Taco Salad, or with Crispy Breaded Cauliflower Wings or Chickpea Shawarma Sandwiches!
Extra Dressing for Homemade Vegan Salad
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag the photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Hello, friends!
Services 12 (2-Tbsp food)
- 1 cup green cashews*
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon juice)
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp white miso paste (if soy-free, use chickpea miso)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Maple syrup
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, roughly chopped
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Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
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Use immediately at room temperature or transfer to a jar and refrigerate for 3-4 hours to chill. It will firm up in the fridge, so you can add more water later to thin it out if needed.
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Enjoy with salads, cauliflower wings, wraps, or as a vegetable dip. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
*We didn’t find that soaking the cashews was necessary, but you can soak them, if you like! If you are using soaked cashews, you may not need as much water to blend.
*If you don’t have nuts, you can try a combination of green sunflower seeds and hemp hearts, but we haven’t tested this method yet. Let us know in the comments if you test!
*Nutrition knowledge is a rough measure.
Serving: 1 (2-Tbsp) serving Calories: 70 Carbohydrates: 5 g Protein: 2.8 g Oil: 4.9 g Saturated Fats: 0.9 g Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.9 g Monounsaturated Fats: 2.6 g Trans Fats: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 171 mg Potassium: 112 mg Fiber: 0.8 g Sugar: 1.2 g Vitamin A: 3 IU Vitamin C: 3.1 mg Calcium: 8 mg Iron: 0.8 mg
