This easy creamy jalapeno sauce with tomatillos is my Tex-Mex/Southwest plant-based take on the classic. Made with cashews and tomatillos instead of sour cream for a naturally dairy-free verde-style sauce with more depth, creaminess, and tang. Ready in 20 minutes.
Try it along with my chile de arbol tomatillo salsa, cast-iron red salsa, or this creamy vegan Mexican queso salsa next!
🔍 A Quick Look: Creamy Jalapeño Sauce with Tomatillos
- 📝 Recipe Name: Creamy Jalapeño Sauce with Tomatillos
- 🕒 Total Time: 20 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Tomatillos, jalapeños, cashews, garlic, cilantro
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, oil-free optional
- ✨ Best For: Tacos, enchiladas, bowls, and dips
- 💕 Why You’ll Love It: Creamy, tangy, customizable, and takes almost no time to make
This was the first sauce I ever tested on tamales, and it didn’t disappoint! From there, it became one of those “put it on everything” staples that’s always in my fridge and on permanent meal prep rotation.
Because if there’s one thing I never run out of in my kitchen, it’s sauce. I drizzle sauces on almost everything, and this one is a favorite, especially on my healthy Mexican rice, rice for burritos, and grilled potato packets.
I’ve made this creamy jalapeño sauce recipe for years now and use it in many recipes. It's the sauce I use for my crispy potato tacos and signature vegan burrito mojados.
Why This Recipe Works
- This creamy jalapeño sauce is made with tomatillos and cashews, making it stand out from recipes with mayo or sour cream.
- The sauce takes just 20 minutes to prepare and is perfect for tacos, enchiladas, and dips.
- This recipe is customizable! Change it up with avocado for extra creaminess or serranos for more heat.
- Cashews make this salsa irresistibly creamy, without the need for any oil or dairy.
Why Cashews?
Traditional creamy jalapeño sauces use mayo or sour cream for texture. This version swaps mayo/sour cream/oil for cashews, which blend into an ultra-smooth, creamy base.
Think of it as creamy jalapeño sauce meets salsa verde. 🙂
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make this creamy jalapeno sauce with tomatillos recipe:
- Fresh tomatillos: Tomatillos vary in size, which is why I like to use a scale to weigh them as adding too much or too little will alter the taste.
- Jalapeños: If you want the salsa extra spicy, you can add in a few Serrano peppers.
- Cashews: Raw cashews prefered (unsalted and unroasted). I’ve tested using toasted pine nuts and walnuts and both substitutions work great.
- Onion: white or yellow, either works.
- Water + vegan bouillon cube: I like to use the Edward and Sons vegan bouillon cube with water. I also include an oil-free option in the recipe Notes.
See recipe card for full ingredients list.
Tested Tips
- Jalapeños: Choose ones without the white lines (threaded peppers are usually much hotter) this way you have more control over the heat. Also, you can remove seeds and membrane for milder heat.
- Cook tomatillos evenly: When cooking, make sure to cook the tomatillos until all areas are pale.
- Blending technique: If using a blender with a removable vent cap, remove before blending or leave it partially open to let steam escape. Start on low, then gradually increase to high. If your blender is fully sealed, allow the cooked vegetables to cool down before blending to avoid pressure buildup.
- Taste before serving: Salt levels vary so adjust right before you pour it out.
Variations
- Extra creamy: Add ½ ripe avocado or a dollop or two of cashew sour cream for an even creamier version.
- Spicier: Add a serrano pepper or more jalapeños.
- More flavors: Add in fresh lime juice, cumin, or a sprinkle of Mexican oregano.
- Roasted: Char tomatillos and jalapeños in a cast iron pan or broil for 10–12 minutes. (Use a touch of avocado oil if roasting.)
How to Make Creamy Jalapeño Sauce with Tomatillos
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeños, and broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2: Carefully add everything into a high-speed blender.
- Step 3: Blend until completely smooth and creamy (be careful when blending, see Notes in recipe card below).
- Step 4:. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour into a bowl or jar and serve warm or chilled
Serving Ideas
- Drizzle over bean and rice tacos, enchiladas, tamales, or these vegan nacho bowls.
- Top with my pickled carrots and jalapenos recipe.
- Drizzle over 7-layer taco dip, roasted potatoes, or Mexican bowls.
- Drizzle over crispy vegan taquitos or this slow cooker black bean soup.
- Serve as a dipping sauce with tortilla chips alongside my pinto bean salad and vegan nacho cheese sauce.
- Drizzle or use as a dip with Instant Pot refried beans, fajita veggies, and warm corn tortillas.
Storage & Meal Prep
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container or sealed glass jar up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Can freeze up to 2 months; re-blend after thawing for best texture.
- Meal prep tip: Make a double batch. This sauce keeps well and goes with almost everything.
This sauce complements most all of my vegan Mexican recipes. I especially like to drizzle it over my refried black beans from canned beans and stir in ¼–½ cup directly into the finished beans for extra flavor. Also, my air fryer sweet potato wedges are an amazing combo and if you like it spicy I definitely recommend pairing it with my chile de árbol salsa with tomatillos, the contrast is amazing!
Creamy Jalapeno Sauce with Tomatillos FAQs
No, this is a homemade Tex-Mex style creamy jalapeño sauce with tomatillos. It’s tangier and more complex than Taco Bell’s version. It’s not a copycat — it’s a better, fresher take.
No. Unlike traditional creamy jalapeño sauces that use mayo or sour cream, this version gets its creaminess from cashews, making it completely dairy-free and vegan.
It depends on how many jalapeños you use and if you keep the seeds. Start with 2–3 jalapeños with seeds removed for mild heat, or use 4+ with seeds for spicier. You can always add more heat with a serrano pepper or cayenne!
Suggested Pairings For Serving a Crowd
Serving a crowd? Try pairing this creamy jalapeno sauce recipe with these recipes, along with a big bowl of chips, of course!
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Creamy Jalapeno Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 tomatillos, medium size, 15-ounces worth, husks and stems removed and rinsed well (see Notes for more info on prepping tomatillos)
- 1 onion, large size, quartered
- 1 ½ cups water, or vegetable broth and omit the vegan bouillon cube
- 1 vegan bouillon cube
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 jalapeños, chopped with stems removed. Remove seeds too if you want less heat
- ½ cup cashews, raw cashews preferred (unroasted and unsalted)
- ¼ cup cilantro, optional, chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne, optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
- Squeeze of fresh lime, optional, for serving, taste before adding, as tomatillos are already tangy
Instructions
- Combine tomatillos, onion, water, bouillon cube, garlic, jalapeños, and cashews in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, partially cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatillos are soft and completely pale green in color.
- Add the cooked mixture, salt, and optional cilantro and cayenne to a blender.
- Blend until creamy and smooth (see Notes).
- Taste and adjust with salt as needed.
Video
Notes
- Tomatillo prep: Peel away the papery husk and rinse thoroughly under warm water to remove the sticky residue on the skin.
- Oil-free: Use an oil-free vegan bouillon cube or vegetable broth.
- Jalapeños: Choose ones without the white lines (threaded peppers are usually much hotter) this way you have more control over the heat. Also, you can remove seeds and membrane for milder heat.
- Cilantro: If you’re not a fan, you can leave it out.
- Blending technique: If using a blender with a removable vent cap, remove it before blending or leave it partially open to let steam escape. Start on low, then gradually increase to high. If your blender is fully sealed, let it cool a little bit before blending to avoid pressure buildup.
- Taste before serving: Salt levels vary so adjust right before you pour it out.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
I make this creamy tomatillo salsa all the time—it's one of my absolute favorites! The flavor from roasting everything together is incredible. And, it's perfect for drizzling on just about anything Mexican!