Vegan Cashew Cheese
Soaked cashews, lemon, and time create a spreadable cream cheese without any dairy products.
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cook/bake time
- –
- Total
- 4 hr 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
Soaked cashews, lemon, and time create a spreadable cream cheese without any dairy products. Cashews are the starchiest and mildest of nuts. When soaked and blended, they yield a cream that is almost indistinguishable from cream cheese. If you allow it twelve hours of fermentation, you even get the tanginess.
Why this works
Cashews contain around 45 percent fat and comparatively little fiber, which is why they can be blended into a smooth cream, whereas almonds or hazelnuts remain grainy. Soaking does two things. The cell walls soften so the blender breaks them down more easily, and the nuts absorb water needed for the emulsion. Four hours in cold water is the minimum. Hot water shortens this to thirty minutes, but it costs a little freshness in flavor. The acidity comes either directly from lemon or, much more interestingly, from fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria from a probiotic capsule convert the available sugars into lactic acid over twelve hours at room temperature, and this is the exact same process that gives real cream cheese its flavor.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Soak cashews
Pour plenty of cold water over the nuts and let them stand for four hours, preferably overnight. They will become visibly lighter and can be crushed between your fingers. If you are in a hurry, thirty minutes in boiling water works, but it costs a little freshness in flavor.
- 2
Drain and blend
Pour away the soaking water, as it contains dissolved tannins and tastes bitter, and blend the nuts with fresh water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic. Blend for two full minutes on the highest setting, scraping down the sides in between.
- 3
Adjust consistency
The cream should be thick and perfectly smooth. If it still feels grainy between your fingers, blend for another minute. It is better to blend too long than too short, as there is no bitterness threshold here unlike with pesto. If it is too firm, add water a tablespoon at a time.
- 4
Fold in herbs and chill
Fold in the herbs and chill the cream for at least two hours. It will firm up significantly and become spreadable instead of pourable. Fresh out of the blender, it always seems too thin.
Our best tips
- Discard the soaking water. It contains dissolved tannins and makes the cream bitter, so use fresh water for blending.
