Get ready for the ultimate dairy free, creamy red pepper cashew dip. It's bursting with flavor and ready in under 15 minutes! Crisp fresh red bell pepper, tangy lemon, and a blend of spices are just the ticket. Combined with a smooth cashew base and a touch of nutritional yeast for a subtle, cheesy depth that makes this dip irresistibly savory.
Simply toss everything in a blender and in a few minutes you've got a silky smooth delicious, flavor packed dip that's excellent for crunchy crackers, or adding a pop of flavor to your favorite snack board. Serve it as the star of your next veggie tray and watch it disappear! No cooking required.
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🍽Equipment
To make this super simple red pepper dip all you need is a blender. I absolutely love my Nutri Bullet high speed blender for this and every other blended recipe I create. It makes everything perfectly creamy and smooth every time.
🥘Ingredients
- Raw Unsalted Cashews
- Red Bell Pepper
- Water
- Nutritional Yeast
- Lemon Juice
- White Miso Paste (Soy Sauce or Tamari will work too)
- Dijon Mustard
- Maple Syrup
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Granules or Powder
- Onion Powder
- Dried Dill (Fresh works too)
- Salt
⏲️ Advance Preparation
Soak cashews in water for 30 minutes or overnight. Want the speedy version? Boil cashews in water for 10 minutes then drain and rinse the cashews with cool water before adding to blender. Be sure not to skip this step, soaking the cashews softens them creating the smoothest, creamiest base.
Sciencey stuff: Nuts contain enzyme inhibitors that can restrict our ability to digest the nutrients they contain (Booooo!). Soaking neutralizes these inhibitors, releasing the full nutrient potential and is known to make them easier to digest! (Yayyyyyyy!) So soak those nuts first!
🔪Instructions
1.) Prepare and measure out all ingredients and soak or boil cashews.
2.) Place all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. The Nutri Bullet Pro that I used does this in one minute, some blenders may require additional time. Simply give it a quick taste and blend further for optimal smoothness if needed.
3.) Pour into a beautiful bowl and serve with your favorite crackers, or veggie tray! We love it with Simple Mills Tomato Basil Crackers. It's especially good with red, yellow, and orange bell pepper slices too!
🥕Pairing Ideas
- Crackers
- Pita Bread wedges
- Sliced Peppers
- Fresh Veggie Platter
- Tortilla Chips
- Pretzels (you know, those flat ones?)
🥪Creative Uses
- Use as a sandwich or sub spread
💭Pro Tip
Don't have a high powered blender? You may find it necessary to adjust with additional water to reach that perfectly creamy consistency. If, so simply add an additional 1 Tablespoon of water at a time, as needed, and taste for desired creaminess!
Prefer fresh dill add it after blending to preserve its brightness and prevent bitterness.
Rule of Thumb: Use 3x the amount of fresh herbs when substituting for dried. So, for the ¼ teaspoon dried dill, use ¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill.
📖Variations & Substitutions
If you're out of miso or prefer soy-free options:
- Tamari: Add ½ teaspoon for a salty, umami boost. It won't replicate miso’s fermented depth but works well.
- Soy Sauce (if not gluten-free): Also a suitable alternative, Use ½ teaspoon to replace the miso paste.
🧊Storage & Meal Prep Tips
Refrigeration: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator and give it a good stir before use.
Serving: This dip is meant to be served cold or at room temperature.
📋FAQ's
In any blended dip calling for raw cashews it's better to soak, or boil, them as instructed. It causes the cashews to soften and swell which is necessary to achieve that perfect smooth creaminess.
We're not big fans of spice around here so I haven't tried it, but if spiciness is your thing I'd start with a pinch of cayenne or a dash of your favorite hot sauce and taste as you go. If you try this let us know in the comments how it turned out!
Yes, the taste and texture will be altered slightly, but a good substitute for nuts would be an equal amount of canned white cannellini beans. Rinse and drain the beans first then once your dip is blended and add additional water 1 Tablespoon at a time, if needed, to achieve your desired consistency.
Absolutely! This dip is wonderful served right away, however, making a day in advance allows all those wonderful flavors to mingle even more!
👩🏻🍳Creating the shot: A behind the scenes look
What really happened
So what really happened was that I forgot to take photos of me creating the shot! Sorry for that! But, hey, now I have a reason to make it again!!
As for the final outcome, Chris was golfing and when he got home I was cleaning up the photo area and I said, "Hey, try the dip that's on the kitchen counter and let me know your thoughts." A few minutes later I went into the kitchen and he had eaten the entire bowl 😒. But, I'll take a compliment any way I can get it, even if I didn't get any dip 😂.
Hope you enjoy this recipe just as much as Chris did!
💬Did you enjoy this recipe?
If you give this Creamy Red Pepper Cashew Dip a try, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a review below or share your own twist in the comments—your feedback and creativity make this space even more delicious!
Print
Creamy Red Pepper Cashew Dip (Plant Based, Fast Appetizer)
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Get ready for the ultimate creamy, cheesy, dairy free red pepper cashew dip that is bursting with flavor and ready in under 15 minutes!
Ingredients
1 Cup Raw Unsalted Cashews soaked in hot water
1 Cup Red Bell Pepper (Raw) chopped
3 Tablespoons Water
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Miso (See Notes for Substitutions)
1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ teaspoon dried Dill (See Notes if using Fresh Dill)
⅛ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak cashews in water for 30 minutes or overnight. Want the speedy version? Boil cashews in water for 10 minutes then drain and rinse the cashews with cool water before adding to blender. Be sure not to skip this step, soaking the cashews softens them creating the smoothest, creamiest base.
- Place all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. The Nutri Bullet Pro that I used does this in one minute, some blenders may require additional time. Simply give it a quick taste and blend further for optimal smoothness if needed.
- Pour into a beautiful bowl and serve with your favorite crackers, or veggie tray! We love it with Simple Mills Tomato Basil Crackers. It's especially good with red, yellow, and orange bell pepper slices too!
Notes
Miso Sub: Tamari: Add ½ teaspoon for a salty, umami boost. It won't replicate miso’s fermented depth but works well.
Miso Sub: Soy Sauce (if not gluten-free): Also a suitable alternative, Use ½ teaspoon to replace the miso paste.
If you prefer using fresh dill add it after blending to preserve its brightness and prevent bitterness. Rule of Thumb: Use 3x the amount of fresh herbs when substituting for dried. So, for the ¼ teaspoon dried dill, use ¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill.
Depending on the power of your blender you may find it necessary to adjust the consistency with additional water. If, so simply add an additional 1 Tablespoon of water at a time, as needed, and taste for desired creaminess!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer Dip
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Plant Based
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