At least that is what happens according this chef, who made a video sharing his technique—that then got picked up everywhere, because everyone wants rich, delicious cream minus the insane amount of fat and calories. So when my editor asked if I’d try making this vegan onion cream myself, I was like, HECK YES! I knew the stuff was going to be amazing, because everyone on the internet said so. In fact, I was already compiling a running list of all the velvety pastas, sauces, and soups that I could now make completely guilt-free. (Vegan onion fettucine alfredo, OMG.) MORE: 25-Minute Meal: Gluten-Free Vegan Quinoa Tacos Off I went to the corner store to buy three huge sweet onions, which is what the chef recommended. I then proceeded to follow the slightly vague instructions, which went something like this:

  1. Place the whole, unpeeled onions in an oven-safe dish. Drizzle with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees until the inside of the onions is completely soft. FYI: The chef said this would take 45 minutes, but it took me about an hour and a half. The above photo shows what they’ll look like when you take them out.2. Let the onions sit until they’re cool enough to handle. Remove the skins and discard, then toss the onion flesh in a blender.3. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. The chef said “to taste,” but I don’t know how much olive oil, lemon juice, and salt you’re supposed to add to roasted onions to make them taste like cream. So I did three tablespoons of oil, the juice of half a small lemon, and a few generous pinches of salt.4. Blend away for a minute or two, or until completely smooth. If you want an extra silky texture (which I did), run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.5. Use like cream. Here’s a shot of the final product, looking more like a delicious bowl of baby food than cream. I like purees though, so the appearance didn’t deter me at all. MORE: The Best Fake Packaged Cheeses Ranked But when I tried it, I was kind of disappointed. It tasted exactly like any sane person would expect it to taste: Pureed roasted onions. Which is great! But it’s not cream. The texture wasn’t really there, either. Rather than being smooth and unctuous, it was thin and even a little watery. Maybe I needed to add more olive oil, but since the recipe didn’t give a specific amount, how was I supposed to know? All in all, it’s tasty stuff and maybe even worth making again. I could see myself drizzling it over roasted anything, or adding it to grain bowls, or even stirring it into soup. But not using it as a substitute for cream.