Nuts & Seeds · 4 substitutes
Cashews Substitutes
Creamy tree nut that blends smoothly for dairy-free creams and sauces.
- 4
- Substitutes
- 3.5/5
- Avg quality
- 1
- Top-rated (5★)
- 9
- Use contexts
Best swap
The closest stand-in for Cashews is Macadamia Nuts, used at 1:1 ratio and rated 5/5 across 9 cooking contexts.
- 5/5
- Macadamia Nuts - top pick
- 4
- tested substitutes
- 3.5/5
- average quality across all swaps
- 3
- dietary options covered
Across the 135 ingredients we track, the typical ingredient has about 3.6 documented substitutes.
Common uses for Cashews: cashew cream, stir-fries, curries, vegan sauces, snacking. The best substitute usually depends on which of these functions, flavor, moisture, fat, binding, or leavening, you most need to preserve.
Every documented substitute for Cashews
Ranked by quality score (1–5, where 5 is virtually identical). Check the ratio and context tags before swapping, not every substitution is 1:1.
Even creamier than cashews. Excellent in vegan cream sauces.
Nut-free, blends smooth when soaked. Milder flavor.
Blanch almonds for creamiest results. Less rich than cashews.
Rich, slightly more intense flavor. Works in most cashew applications.
How the Cashews substitutes score
Quality rating (1–5) for each documented stand-in
- Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia Nuts
5 /5
- Sunflower Seeds (soaked, for sauces)
Sunflower Seeds (soaked, for sauces)
3 /5
- Soaked Almonds (for creamy sauces)
Soaked Almonds (for creamy sauces)
3 /5
- Brazil Nuts
Brazil Nuts
3 /5
What this shows Macadamia Nuts leads at 5/5; bars fall off as the trade-offs in flavour or texture grow.
Where Cashews ranks for swap options
Number of documented substitutes per ingredient, across the whole database
4 Bottom 48% higher than 48% of 135 ingredients we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ingredients we track. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainSubstitute editorial database · July 2026
Quick comparison
| # | Substitute | Ratio | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Macadamia Nuts | 1:1 ratio | 5/5 |
| 2 | Sunflower Seeds (soaked, for sauces) | 1:1 ratio (soaked) | 3/5 |
| 3 | Soaked Almonds (for creamy sauces) | 1:1 ratio (blanched) | 3/5 |
| 4 | Brazil Nuts | 1:1 ratio | 3/5 |
Choosing the right swap
Start with Macadamia Nuts, then adjust for what your recipe needs.
- Match the substitute’s context tag to your recipe, a swap that shines in baking can fall flat in a sauce.
- Respect the listed ratio. Many swaps are not 1:1, and over- or under-dosing is the most common reason a substitution disappoints.
- Working around a diet? 3 of these options carry dietary tags, filter by your need. Browse by diet
- Need the opposite lookup? Browse other Nuts & Seeds ingredients with overlapping swaps. More Nuts & Seeds
Quality scores reflect overall similarity to the original; expect small differences in texture or colour even with top-rated swaps.