At least 8 hours before you intend to enjoy, make your whipped cream base. Add cashews to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water by at least 1-2 inches. Let soak for at least 20 minutes, then drain out the water.
To a high-speed blender, add soaked cashews, fresh water, and melted refined coconut oil. Blend on high for at least 3 minutes until smooth, creamy, and completely incorporated.
Place the cashew cream base into a jar with a lid and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
When ready to serve, vigorously shake your jar for 10-15 seconds — this may be enough to whip your "cream", depending on blender speed and length of blending! If the whipped cream doesn’t look set enough, you can beat it with a whisk until it forms soft peaks – up to 2-3 minutes. If it still doesn't look set, you can VERY carefully use an immersion blender or electric mixer, but we found it can be easy to over-whip it and cause the fat to separate from the liquid.
Add the vanilla extract and optional powdered sugar and gently whisk once more. Avoid over-mixing!
Leftover whipped cream will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If the whipped cream has separated after refrigerating, gently whisk until it comes back together.
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Notes
*Recipe as written makes ~1 cup whipped cream. *Inspired by Mundus Foods Dairy-Free Whipped Cream, available at Market of Choice in Bend, Oregon. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.