Homemade Dairy Free Heavy Cream (Vegan!)
Made with just 3 ingredients, this dairy free and vegan heavy cream is the best substitute for non-dairy creamer! Enjoy this in coffee, baking, sauces, and more. Only 3 net carbs per serving!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
Are you dairy free and having a hard time finding the perfect heavy cream substitute? Guess what?! I’ve got the perfect dairy free and vegan heavy cream recipe for you.
It’s made with 3 ingredients, and takes just 5 minutes to blend into a creamy, non-dairy creamer substitute! Use it for coffee, sauces, baking, and more! There are endless options to make this recipe work with your dairy free lifestyle.
Store-bought dairy free creamer just doesn’t measure up to this. Plant based milk like almond milk creamer, oat milk, and even regular coconut creamer, doesn’t have the same thickness, richness, or creaminess as regular heavy cream. My vegan heavy cream substitute does! It’s thick, creamy, smooth, and so so so delicious.
It tastes JUST like heavy cream. You will not be able to tell the difference. Make a batch and store it in the fridge for easy use every day.
If you want to make the most amazing coffee, first make this homemade cold brew, then add this creamer, and you are going to have the best coffee of your life!
Ingredient Notes
This dairy free heavy cream is made with soaked raw cashews, a can of coconut milk, and water. That’s it! Such simple ingredients! It gets so creamy and thick. You would never guess this wasn’t heavy cream.
- Raw Cashews: I like to get my raw cashews from the bulk bin at Sprouts. Make sure they are raw and not roasted or salted, as that would change the flavor entirely.
- Canned Coconut Milk: My favorite brand of coconut cream is Sprouts Brand Organic Coconut Cream. My 2nd favorite brand is Whole Foods 365 Organic Coconut Milk, which you can even buy on Amazon if you don’t have a Whole Foods near you.
- Water
Recipe Step by Step
- In your high-speed blender, add the entire contents of the canned coconut cream, your drained, soaked cashews, and water.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.
- The consistency should be exactly like heavy cream. If it is too thick, add more water until desired consistency.
Equipment
There are tons of ways you can store your coffee creamer, but here are the accessories I love for it!
- My Vitamix blends up the creamer perfectly! Highly highly recommend it!
- I love this glass creamer container to hold the creamer.
- I love these Erasable Labels that I keep on all my mason jar lids to write the contents and date.
Expert Tips
- If you need to do a quick soak of cashews, soak them in boiling hot water for 1 hour to soften them.
- My favorite brand of coconut cream is Sprouts Brand Organic Coconut Cream. My 2nd favorite brand is Whole Foods 365 Organic Coconut Milk, which you can even buy on Amazon if you don’t have a Whole Foods near you.
Serving Tips
- Coffee: I must insist you serve this over my cold brew coffee. The smoothest, most delicious coffee you’ll ever have! I like my creamer unsweetened with a more neutral flavor, otherwise, it gets me craving sugar. If you want a sweeter creamer, you can add your sweetener of choice! Monk fruit would keep it keto, or you could use soaked dates, date paste, maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, etc. To make it “french vanilla” add your favorite sweetener and 2 tsp of vanilla extract.
- Sauces: Use this vegan heavy cream substitute in any cream-based sauce that calls for heavy whipping cream.
- Baking: Does your recipe call for heavy cream? Swap it out for this dairy free version instead!
- Whipped Cream: If you want to make whipped cream, I have this super easy one-ingredient recipe!
Storage Tips
- I like storing my leftover dairy free heavy cream in this glass creamer dispenser. It will keep for at least 1 week in the fridge. This makes about 2.5 cups worth of creamer. I’ll keep 1 cup worth in the fridge, and store the rest in pint-size mason jars in the freezer.
Recipe FAQs
This dairy free heavy cream recipe is a perfect substitute for regular heavy cream. If you’re looking for a store-bought version in a pinch, the best alternative I’ve found is Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream.
Vegan heavy cream is made with just 3 ingredients! Raw cashews, water, and a can of coconut milk!
More Dairy Free Recipes
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Homemade Dairy Free Heavy Cream (Vegan!)
Ingredients
- 1 12.5-ounce can of unsweetened coconut cream (see notes for my favorite brands)
- 1.5 cups raw organic cashews, soaked in water overnight (see notes for quick soak method)
- 1 cup water, or more to desired consistency
Instructions
- In your high speed blender, add the entire contents of the canned coconut cream, your drained, soaked cashews, and water.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.
- The consistency should be exactly like heavy cream. If it is too thick, add more water until desired consistency.
Notes
Equipment
There are tons of ways you can store your coffee creamer, but here are the accessories I love for it!-
- My Vitamix blends up the creamer perfectly! Highly highly recommend it!
-
- I love this glass creamer container to hold the creamer
-
- I love these Erasable Labels that I keep on all my mason jar lids to write the contents and date
Expert Tips
-
- If you need to do a quick soak of cashews, soak them in boiling hot water for 1 hour to soften them.
-
- My favorite brand of coconut cream is Sprouts Brand Organic Coconut Cream. My 2nd favorite brand is Whole Foods 365 Organic Coconut Milk, which you can even buy on Amazon if you don’t have a Whole Foods near you.
Serving Tips
-
- Coffee: I must insist you serve this over my cold brew coffee. The smoothest, most delicious coffee you’ll ever have! I like my creamer unsweetened with a more neutral flavor, otherwise, it gets me craving sugar. If you want a sweeter creamer, you can add your sweetener of choice! Monk fruit would keep it keto, or you could use soaked dates, date paste, maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, etc. To make it “french vanilla” add your favorite sweetener and 2 tsp of vanilla extract.
-
- Sauces: Use this vegan heavy cream substitute in any cream-based sauce that calls for heavy whipping cream.
-
- Baking: Does your recipe call for heavy cream? Swap it out for this dairy free version instead!
-
- Whipped Cream: If you want to make whipped cream, I have this super easy one-ingredient recipe!
Storage Tips
-
- I like storing my leftover dairy free heavy cream in this glass creamer dispenser. It will keep for at least 1 week in the fridge. This makes about 2.5 cups worth of creamer. I’ll keep 1 cup worth in the fridge, and store the rest in pint-size mason jars in the freezer.
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41 Comments on “Homemade Dairy Free Heavy Cream (Vegan!)”
Your recipe sounds amazing & so delish, but sadly I’m allergic to cashews. Can you recommend another nut that would work? Thanks!
Darn, this is the only nut that works well for a heavy cream. I’ve tried a ton! Could you use coconut cream?
What is the serving size for the creamer? I absolutely love it! I couldn’t see it on your recipe. Thank you so much for your help.
2 tablespoons!
Popping back in to say I have made this so many times, I’ve lost count. I stopped using the “heavy” coconut cream as it changed texture too much once frozen. (I usually put half of the batch in the fridge, half in the freezer to keep it fresh.). I still add vanilla, and I upped the water to the 8 oz. you recommended. It’s truly a winner…perfect consistency from the fridge. Adding the water lowers the calories a bit, too, which is nice for me. :) I use 3-4T per large mug and my dark coffee is rich and creamy. The last batch, I added a bunch of cinnamon which was sooo good. And my current batch has both cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in it. No need for pumpkin spice lattes now…I get the same yumminess at home! I have shared the link to your recipe to so many friends…it is the most “bang for the buck” dairy-free recipe out there, especially for coffee drinkers! THANK YOU!!!!
Hi Nina! You are the sweetest! I am so thrilled to hear how much you love this recipe, and love all of your tricks and tweaks to make it perfect for you! The BEST!
Ok I can seriously see why you look forward to this cup of coffee every day!!! Hands down my favorite recipe! I did it just cream and cold brew and I also tried the blended mocha version! You are my favorite person on the Internet’s today!!!! ❤️ ☕️ 🥥 ❤️
Oh I love this! Thank you so much! Finding a non-dairy cream replacement is EVERYTHING!
I’ve been low-carb/Keto for a while and so switched from half-and-half to heavy cream in my coffee. After having some abdominal issues and getting some tests done, I’ve had to omit dairy (among other things) for the foreseeable future. I tried all manner of different vegan/plant-based creamers and none came close except for one. But I didn’t like that it was made out of oils and thickeners. Then I found this recipe!! I’ve made it twice now. The first time I was quite pleased with it (or I wouldn’t have made it again, right? Lol). However, the second time I added a splash of pure vanilla extract and that really put it in the amazing category. It added a depth to it without adding extra sweetness. The cashews balance out the coconut flavor, which is important for my coffee. :) THANK YOU so much for this simple, but life-changing recipe!
Nina! This is amazing! I am so happy you found this recipe and that I could help recreate that yummy, creamy fix we all love in our coffee! The vanilla sounds delicious! So honored to have you here!
P.S. I meant to tell you that Thrive Market sells an organic “heavy coconut cream” (brand is Let’s Do…Organic”) that is even thicker and creamier than regular coconut cream. I used that in my second batch, too, which also added to the amazingness! :)
Oooh! Good tip! I’ll have to check it out!
Could you replace the cashews with almonds?
I don’t think it would work with almonds Jessica. Cashews when soaked and blended turn into a creamy base that is used in lots of creamy non dairy recipes. Almonds don’t replicate the same creaminess at all.
I sure hope you like it though.
Will this whip up to set a no bake pie?
I don’t know if the consistency of the creamer would work for a pie Taylor. I do have a recipe for homemade whip cream using coconut cream. I think that might work better. Here is a link to it:
https://www.tasteslovely.com/homemade-dairy-free-heavy-cream-creamer/
I sure hope you like it!
Q—Where did you get the coffee strainer that fits in your mason jar?
Here is a link to the filter:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0776ZSV8P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?tag=tasteslovel-1-bg-20
I sure hope you enjoy the creamer Cari!
I love making this creamer, it’s delicious! Now that September has hit I want all things pumpkin lol thoughts on giving this a pumpkin twist?
I do have a pumpkin spiced latte:
https://www.tasteslovely.com/paleo-whole30-pumpkin-spice-latte/
I would probably just add pumpkin puree Jamie! It’s delicious.
Thank you!! Can’t wait to try your pumpkin spice latte recipe!
I love this creamer. The first time I made it, I used. Regular cashews and did the quick soak. It tasted good but had an gritty Texture. The next time I used raw unsalted cashews and did the overnight soak and it had a very creamy texture. I’m drinking it in my coffee right now😊
I am so glad you like my coffee creamer Paulette! I am glad it turned out so well for you with raw unsalted cashews. It’s so nice to have a healthy creamer with your coffee. Such a fun treat!
My husband looooves coffee but him and dairy are not friends! Lol so when I made him this with a few little add ins of sweetener & vanilla he was in love! Thank you for this recipe now we use it everyday he’s even started to make it him self!
I am so glad that you like my dairy free creamer Marina! Even better that your hubby likes it too! Your addition of sweeteners and vanilla sound delicious. I love that your hubby is making it himself. That is fantastic!
I love this creamer! It’s so creamy and delicious that it’s hard to believe it’s non dairy. I also love that the ingredients are shelf stable so I never have to worry about running out and I can make this any time. I might try freezing the excess in ice cube trays for easy cream cubes to pop into blended iced coffees this summer!
Thanks for another great recipe, Natalie!
I am so happy you liked my creamer Rose. It is lovely to be able to make it with ingredients on hand. Freezing it in ice cube trays is a brilliant idea!
Brilliant!! Just made it. I feel like it saved coffee for me. It’s creamy and tastes amazing.
Yeah! I am so glad that my homemade creamer saved coffee for you Brooke! That makes my day!
I just made this! So creamy and delicious! I don’t have the best blender options – so I started with my immersion blender but that didn’t seem to breakdown the cashews all the way – then in 2 parts I did it in my magic bullet (didn’t start with that cause it’s too small so had to do it in 2) Anyway that helped it and did the trick!
I also got the raw cashew pieces from tjs instead of the wholes figured since I didn’t have a super high powered blender that would be a better option for me! And I did the trick of soaking them in boiled hot water first- because i didn’t have patience to wait till tomorrow 😂
So glad you liked it Sarah!
Love this! However, I have a quick question…. I stored this in the fridge and it became more solid. I hadn’t warm it up to make it pourable. Does this always happen? Should I add more water when making it so it is thinner? Thanks for your help! BTW…. love your cold brew coffee too!
The heavy cream does harden in the fridge Mary. I usually just scoop it out and spoon it into the coffee and it melts instantly. If you would prefer you can add more water and it won’t get as solid. Personally I like it thick and don’t thin mine out.
Can’t wait to try this creamer in the morning! How do you thaw out the frozen cream in the jar? How long does it take to thaw out? Thank you for this recipe!
To thaw the creamer I usually take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge for a couple of days Alicia. I sure hope you like it!
Made this creamer today. I wanted a little flavor in mine, so I added about 1 T of monk fruit, 1 date, 1 T of vanilla, and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. It is good! I suggest you have a small glass of cold brew ready, and then you can taste and adjust as you go if needed. Next batch I plan to try some maple syrup in it too. Or you can even cut back on the water and add a flavored coffee syrup instead – although it won’t be as heathy and natural.
The addition of raw cashews is brilliant because it thickens the mixture and adds extra creaminess. Thanks Natalie! This recipe beats any other online coffee creamer recipe I have tried!
I am so happy you liked my creamer Kathy! I love all the tips you shared. It sounds like it turned out fantastic! I love your flavor additions, sounds delicious.
This looks & sounds divine! I’m curious as to how many mason jars you keep on hand to use? In light of the current food situation, I’m going to definitely make more items at home. Your nut butters, creamers & bone broth are definitely on the to do list! I’m trying to be wise in how many & which size to buy. I too have very limited space!
I usually make 1 or 2 mason jars at a time Brookann. Since the ingredients are shelf stable it is easier for me to store the items in my pantry than in my fridge.
You use both terms coconut milk and coconut cream. I know you can refrigerate a can of coconut milk and just use the thick cream from the top. Could you clarify what type of canned coconut milk or cream is best to use. Thanks.
Thanks for the question Paula. I always use coconut cream, but if you prefer you can use coconut milk. They are pretty much interchangeable, the coconut cream is richer which I prefer. I sure hope you like the creamer!