Avocado Crema

5 from 6 votes

This effortless avocado crema is a dream condiment–all the luscious indulgence of classic Mexican crema made vibrant, fresh, and plant-based! Ultra creamy yet light, rich yet tangy, this versatile sauce can be used in lieu of sour cream or guacamole in virtually any recipe.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: (about 1 ½ cups)

Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

3 small or 2 med-large ripe avocados (don’t discard pits!)
3 oz / 85g (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) vegan sour cream (see Note 1)
½ to 1 small jalapeño, roughly chopped (see Note 2)
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 to 5 tablespoons (60 to 75 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice (see Note 3)
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaping cup (18) cilantro leaves and tender stems
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

In a food processor (or a small-capacity blender), add the avocado flesh, sour cream, jalapeño, garlic, 4 tablespoons (60 mL) lime juice, cumin, cilantro, several cracks of pepper, and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (see Note 4).
Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides. Taste, adding more lime juice or salt to taste.
Store leftovers in a jar or container with an avocado pit on top (this slows down browning). Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Notes

In the RPL kitchen, our favorite vegan sour cream is from Violife. We also have had decent results with Follow Your Heart, Kite Hill Foods, and Tofutti sour cream. If you don’t have access to vegan sour cream, use a creamy and tangy coconut yogurt. Brands we like: Culina, CocoJune, GT’s Cocoyo, and Pillars. For a non-coconut base that’s still thick, try Kite Hill’s Greek-style yogurt.
For mild heat, remove the seeds and membranes first and use ½ of the pepper.
You will need 2 to 3 medium limes.
I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt (unless otherwise stated in my recipes). If using sea salt or table salt, use less salt, starting with about half the amount.

Nutrition