Cashews, rich in potassium, calcium, vitamins B and E, and a readily available nut, are a great snack between meals. Besides eating them plain, cashews offer many other culinary uses, making them a must-try for cashew lovers.

Cashew Cream Cheese

Cashews can be used to make a variety of sauces, including one called cashew cream cheese. It tastes similar to real cream cheese, but without any dairy, making it a vegetarian version perfect for spreading on bagels or toast! Here’s how to make cashew cream cheese.

Ingredients:

1 cup unseasoned raw cashews
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

• The night before making cashew cream cheese, fill a bowl with drinking water and soak the cashews in the water for 4-8 hours before using.
• Place the softened cashews, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. You may need to stop a few times to scrape down any stuck ingredients and continue blending. If it’s too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and blend again.
• Taste to see if more lemon juice or salt is needed, and adjust the flavor to your liking. Consume quickly or store in a crisper and refrigerate. It will keep for about 4 days.

Cashew Milk

Whether you don’t like milk for some reason or are lactose intolerant and can’t drink milk, try delicious cashew milk. It’s incredibly flavorful! See the recipe below.

Cashew Frosting

Cashews, a common frosting on cakes, can also be made with cashews, giving them a nutty, fragrant flavor. Here’s how to make cashew frosting.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unflavored cashews
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add 1-3 tablespoons of water to adjust.

Cashew Mayonnaise

Those who cannot eat eggs due to allergies or other reasons may not be able to enjoy traditional egg-based mayonnaise. However, you can still make your own eggless cashew mayonnaise and use it just like traditional mayonnaise, such as drizzling it over salads. Here’s how to make cashew mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unseasoned raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves (optional)

Instructions:

After softening the cashews, blend them with the other ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Taste to see if more salt or lemon juice is needed, and adjust to taste.

Cashew Pesto

This Italian pesto typically uses pine nuts, but you can also use cashews instead for a different flavor. See the recipe below.

Cashew Cheese Dip

This cashew cheese dip is delicious with tortilla chips or chips, and it’s easy to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups feta cheese (crushed)
• 1/2 cup lightly salted cashews
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 3 tablespoons seeded green olives (optional)

You can also add your favorite dried herbs, such as basil or oregano.

Instructions:

Place all ingredients except the green olives in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Add the green olives and continue blending until smooth.