Did you know you could make a Mexican style crema with almonds?? That’s right, a delicious and smooth crema made without dairy! Most recipes call for cashews, but cashews are pretty expensive, so I stared using almonds instead and loved the result. In fact, I think almonds work better since they are not as sweet as cashews. This almond crema can be drizzled on your enchiladas, tacos, sopes, or pretty much any vegan Mexican dish.
The best part of this crema is that it is very versatile. You can add chipotle to it and drizzle it on pasta, or you could add roasted poblano to it and make poblano cream enchiladas. You could even omit the garlic, and add a banana to make an almond banana yogurt.
It is super easy to make and you don’t necessarily have to have a high powered blender. (I have a Vitamix 
, which was a wedding gift, that I love and use almost everyday.) If you do have a high powered blender, you can be lazy like me and make this crema without peeling or soaking the almonds. If you don’t have a high powered blender you will have to soak the nuts the night before, peel them, then blend them.
Mexican crema is much thiner than than sour cream, so if you’re looking for a sour cream recipe simply reduce the amount of liquid in this recipe. The possibilities are endless with this almond crema!
The Recipe: Almond Crema
If you have a high powered blender:
- Add nuts as is, just make sure to blend until the sauce is very smooth.
If you have a regular blender:
- Soak raw almonds for at least 8 hrs.
- Peel and blend.
Almond Crema
Ingredients
High Powered Blender Crema:
- ½ cup Almonds raw
- 1 clove Garlic
- ¾ cup Water
- ¼ cup Almond milk unsweetened ( or vegetable oil)
- 1 tbsp. Lemon juice fresh
Regular Blender Crema:
- ½ cup Almonds raw
- 1 clove Garlic
- ¼ - ½ cup Water
- ¼ cup Almond milk unsweetened (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tbsp. Lemon juice fresh
Preparation
High Powered Blender Crema:
- Place the almonds, garlic, water,almond milk, and lemon juice in the blender and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Regular Blender Crema:
- Boil water in a small pot and pour over almonds. Let sit overnight at room temperature.
- The following day peel the almonds. The skins should pop right off.
- Place the almonds, garlic, almond milk, and lemon juice in the blender. Add ¼ cup of water and process until smooth.
- If it is too thick, add the remaining ¼ cup of water.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Chef's Notes
If you don't mind using oil, use it in place of the almond milk for a smoother sauce.
