If you like guacamole, say hello to version 2.0. This vegan avocado cream sauce is smooth and rich with a spicy kick! All you need is 5 minutes and 6 ingredients.
Drop everything you were about to do and make this.
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📖 About
As verified sauce gurus, we were recently on the hunt for another recipe to enjoy over our tacos, enchiladas, and black bean soup.
We only had one rule. This sauce must be creamy and nut free!
Before you get carried away, we're still suckers for the creaminess of cashew nuts (especially in cheese). But, we want our meals to be accessible for everyone (it's the Broke Bank way).
Sadly, nuts are a no-go in many work places and schools nowadays. So, our solution?
Avocado! Cashew nuts have met their match.
Don't just limit this sauce to Mexican food either. We love it as a dip with potato wedges, drizzled on a sweet potato salad, or on top of egg cups.
The verdict is in. It works on everything.
Avocado cream sauce is bright in both color and taste. Cilantro brings a herbaceous feel, lime gives you all the tang you need, and avocado makes it buttery smooth.
This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and can be easily made oil-free.
🍲 Key ingredients
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
Avocado
Taste: describe avocados in one word? Pfft, easy — butter. Seriously though, we're not sure how this stone fruit is even real. When ripe, avocados turn any sauce creamy and rich.
Health: the fat content too often scares people away from avocados. But, we have a news flash! They contain healthy monounsaturated fats in addition to over 20 other vitamins and minerals! Does that sound like a food you should be afraid of?
Lime
Taste: the creaminess of avocado means this recipe needs a little tang (lime to the rescue!). It's zesty and tart, which helps create a well-rounded and refreshing sauce.
Health: while you hear most people in the health & wellness sphere boasting about some version of lemon-ginger or lemon-mint water, don't forget about limes! They're rich in antioxidants, which help keep you disease-free.
Jalapeño
Taste: we love spicy foods (maybe a little too much). But, we can't help it! Jalapeño adds the perfect kick and fresh flavor. The Scoville Heat Units (SHU) come in around 2500-8000, which is actually quite mild on the larger spicy pepper scale.
Fun fact: the name jalapeño comes from the capital city of Veracruz, Xalapa. This ciudad is also known as "jalapa." Think you can connect the dots?
Cilantro
Taste: providing notes of citrus with hints of spice, cilantro gives this sauce so much more depth. It almost makes it seem like there's more than 6 ingredients...
Fun fact: the entire plant is edible (yes, you heard that right). Stems, leaves, seeds, and roots. Note: they're not interchangeable when used in recipes.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: slice and de-seed your jalapeño (leave the seeds in if you like more spice). Then, de-pit both avocados and scoop out their flesh into a high-speed blender or food processor. Throw in everything else except the olive oil and water.
Step 2: blend on medium-high until you achieve a smooth consistency. Then, turn your blender down to low-medium and add in the olive oil slowly followed by the water to your desired consistency.
Step 3: taste and adjust the seasonings to your preferences. Add jalapeño for more kick, water to thin, lime juice for more tang, or salt to bring out the flavors.
Step 4: Serve this sauce with tacos, burritos, empanadas, or sweet potato fries! If you have leftovers, transfer your avocado cream sauce to a mason jar or airtight container for storage.
🌡️ Storage
Fridge: this sauce lasts in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. The lime juice helps to keep the avocado from turning brown. To be honest, it rarely lasts this long in our fridge and it probably won't in yours either.
💭 Pro tips
Time to share our tips and tricks we learned while perfecting this recipe for you:
- For a more delicate drizzle, we put this sauce in a squeeze tube.
- It's best to choose extremely ripe avocados. Look for them on sale at the grocery store.
- If you don't like spice, make sure to seed your jalapeño or leave it out completely.
- If you don't like cilantro, this sauce is still excellent without it.
🍴 Tasting notes
We put our avocado cream sauce on everything, and we have a feeling you will too. It's:
- Creamy
- Zesty
- Tangy
- Herbaceous
If you try this recipe, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Avocado Cream Sauce
Equipment
- High speed blender or food processor
- Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados ($0.34)
- 1 fresh jalapeño, de-seeded ($0.04)
- ¾ cup cilantro ($0.20)
- 4 tbsp lime juice ($0.24)
- 3 cloves garlic ($0.08)
- ¼ cup olive oil ($0.34)
- 1-2 tsp of salt ($0.01)
- ¼ cup water to thin (or to preference) ($0.00)
Instructions
- First, slice and de-seed your jalapeño. Then, de-pit the avocados and scoop out the flesh into a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients in except the olive oil and water.
- Blend on high until you achieve a smooth consistency, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Turn back on to low-medium and add in the olive oil slowly.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preferences. Add jalapeño for more kick, water to thin, lime juice for more tang, or salt to bring out the flavors.
- Transfer your avocado cream sauce to a mason jar or airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Serve with tacos, burritos, empanadas, or sweet potato fries!
Notes
- Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price or calories of our recipes.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate.
- Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe-to-recipe.
- All prices are in USD.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more creamy sauces and dressings, check out our:
- Creamy vegan Caesar for a perfect mix of richness, zest, and tang.
- Jalapeño nacho cheese sauce to change your mind about dairy-free cheese.
- Spicy chili garlic aioli to make any meal stand out in under 5 minutes.
- Creamy cilantro lime dressing made with cashews for another take on this sauce.
💬 FAQ
This sauce isn't overly spicy. We would rate it about a 3/10. You can always add or take away the jalapeño depending on your preferences.
If you followed the recipe correctly, your sauce should be quite thick and creamy. If you want it thicker still, add in more avocado.
The oil in this recipe isn't necessary, but we find it balances the sauce out. If you want to make it oil-free, add more water in or increase the amount of avocado.
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