WARNING: This shiz is like crack, you will want more. You will dream about it and you will make it again and again. You will probably even want to roll it up and smoke it. It’s that good (I’ve never actually done crack or smoked cashew cheese, for the record).
Not only is this vegan cashew cheese delish times infinity, it’s super versatile so you can easily have a batch in your fridge at all times, use it many a different way and it will never get old and go bad from being ignored.
You can put it on pizza or crumble it on a big green salad. Try it in a sandwich or use it in lasagna. Use it as a topping for Roasted Kabocha Squash. Use your imagination and get creative. Because creative is sexy.
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CASHEW CHEESE RECIPE
Makes 1 cup (210g)
Soy free / gluten free
WHAT YOU NEED
1 cup cashews (130g) soaked in 3 cups (709 ml) of water for at least 1 hour.
2 teaspoons lemon juice (10ml)
1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
2 turns fresh black pepper
1/4 cup water (60ml)
HOW TO DO IT
-
Soak, drain and rinse cashews.
-
Place in a food processor, along with lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
-
Pulse for about 1 minute to combine ingredients.
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Add water and process until completely smooth, about 2 -4 minutes.
- Is it seriously that simple? Yes lovers, it is. xo
Notes
-
Turn off the food processor and scrape down the mixture from the sides a couple of times while processing (but be sure to turn off your food processor before you do this. Seems obvious but we’ve all had our blonde moments).
-
This is an awesome base recipe. From here, feel free to play around and add other yummy ingredients (Chives and garlic sound awesome to me!)
- If all you have are roasted cashews, you can use them. The reason I use raw cashews is because they are most nutritious in their raw form.
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Stupidly easy and deliciously yummy.
We barely get any vegan alternatives here in India. Not even mock-meat.
It would be really kind and generous of you to post another main course recipe sans the mock meat. Or how to make soy/tofu taste like it 😉
Glad you like it Pooja!
We will keep posting yummy vegan recipes right here and I will definitely keep your request in mind about the mock meats!
Be sure to sign up for our newsletters if you haven’t already!
Cheers and yummy food 🙂
Made this for a vegan lady who came to stay. Really simple to make. Was so good I will make it for my family even after she is gone!
This is awesome, Judith!
SO happy it was a hit.
xo
Molly
I’m a vegan from India, it’s pretty darn difficult when I’m at college in the hostel to maintain a vegan diet, but when I’m home and cooking, it’s definitely easier, though still relatively hard. I intend to chronicle my meals on instagram for the next two months, if you wish you can follow me at platetoplateblog
🙂
Here’s my tofu bacon recipe:
Ingredients:
-[Smoked] Extra firm tofu (smoked is the best, as firm as possible)
-2 cups water with a lot of salt in it (very salty to the taste)
-frying oil
1. Slice the tofu into thin pieces
2. Put in salted water so all the pieces are covered (add more salt water as necessary). Put somewhere cool like a fridge for at least an hour; overnight is good.
3. Drain water from tofu and pat dry with a clean towel.
4. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large frying pan.
5. Fry tofu slices until they start to get browned, or until brown if you like your bacon extra crispy.
6. I eat them straight as a hangover sure, or they are awesome on an English Muffin with a touch of mustard and a pinch of black salt (to give the eggy taste – for us recent vegans who still miss various tastes). Enjoy!
would this be unroasted cashews?????
Hi Kitty,
Yes, I used cashews that were not roasted 🙂
M
But technically all cashews are roasted, it’s required to remove them from shells. Some are just more roasted than the others. Thats pretty much the deal for all nuts, unless you grow them yourself.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us, I just blogged about it on my blog. It was delish!
Awesome sauce! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
I added 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to this, and it helped with the texture! keeps it nice and firm in the fridge. Also, I added garlic powder and herbs to make it seem like an herb and garlic cream cheese!
Good to know Silvana. I bet the garlic and herbs made it divine!
I’ve made this just now and added 2 teaspoons of Olive Oil and some tomato garlic puree. It tastes gorgeous – perfect for pasta. This is a great base to make all kinds of things including soup! That’s my Autumn menu sorted!
Thank you for letting us know. Glad it worked out and you like it!
How do you get it to the state where it can crumble?
Hi Toni – If you want it crumbly, try adding less water. Let me know how it turns out!
This is not cheese
Exactly the point lol.
great detective work
I know! That’s the best part!
Hello, notcheese! Nice to meet you!
Thank you.. I am making right it now! Then, I will probably post a video with some of my variations, giving you the credit for the original recipe ; )
@monicasancio:disqus it would be cool to see your video. Thanks for the comment =)
what other nut can I use beside cashews?
@0155e0ced7f5a95df474f40918cdca53:disqus cashews work best because they are the creamiest. However, if you are allergic you can try sunflower seeds but be sure to soak them for at least an hour. You could also try walnuts. If you use walnuts, you won’t have to soak them.
Adding nutritional yeast will give it a more cheese-like taste. just a suggestion. 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion! I love nooch! It does make things cheesy 🙂
I put too much water – so the ideal solution would be to soak more cashews and blend it all together when they’re ready?
Hi Jeannie -You got it. I would just add a little at a time until it has reached a good consistency. The consistency should be slightly thicker than ricotta.
Let me know how it turns out!
Do you think using a Vitamix blender would work in lieu of a food processor?
@margueritepatricia:disqus – I think a Vitamix would work , yes 😉
Just make sure to pulse it instead of steady blending so that it doesn’t become too creamy.
Let me know how it turns out!
Just came across your recipe…I am allergic to citrus. Is the lemon necessary? If so, can you suggest an alternative. Thanks
Hi Grace –
Swap out the lemon juice with Apple Cider Vinegar 🙂 Let me know how it goes.
would cashew meal work? that’s all I have available now.
@disqus_GlZtMTRYRg:disqus – I have never used cashew meal for this recipe. Since cashew meal is more like a flour the texture will be softer. I recommend using cashews but you could give it a shot!
Let me know how it turns out if you try it 😉
Molly
Has ANYONE tried this recipee with roasted cashews? Where i live raw nuts are reeaallyy expensive but roasted ones are on sale often, so i just brought a bunch 🙂
@disqus_gRs13MHl1A:disqus – You can use roasted cashews. There are more health benefits if you use raw cashews but if you have a bunch of roasted cashews then I say, Use them up! Let me know how it turns out!
is there a spot to find nutritional info??
@grace_neal:disqus – I have not calculated the nutritional info. I am generally against the traditional nutrition label because they do not include micronutrients (like phytochemicals), only macronutrients (like fat and protein) so it doesn’t give the whole picture.
Seems good. I have to try it, for a vegan pizza 🙂
I’m not much of a cook. Can I use a blender instead, or do it without technology?
@johnmcderp:disqus – As long as you soak the cashews for at least an hour a blender will work 🙂
I have put this on pizza and it is AMAZING!! Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks 🙂
Can I use a mixer instead? It turns out we don’t have a blender/food processor at home (I thought we do).
@johnmcderp:disqus – Do you mean a hand mixer? If that’s what you have then I think it would be difficult. Let me know though.
Yes, a hand mixer. Would it still be possible to make something with it? :
@johnmcderp:disqus – I don’t think a hand mixer will work. You could give it a shot but I’m thinking that it will just mix the cashews around instead of blending them up.
Can you put this in polenta in place of the butter? Has anyone tried that? Sounds kind of good to me and it may give it that creamy texture. I’m having a dinner party Friday night and thinking about adding a little to my recipe.
@disqus_VE6Lot7IQT:disqus – hi Theresa! I haven’t used this to replace butter but give it a shot! Experimenting is the best way to find out! Let me know how it turns out!
I will let you know. I’m having two other (non-vegan) couples over for dinner and I really want them to enjoy the food. Thx!
@disqus_VE6Lot7IQT:disqus – have you tried this recipe? It always does well with non-vegans. I look forward to hearing about your dinner! https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/fall-mushroom-stroganoff/
if you want them to enjoy the food serve them steak. not cashew steaks.
I just made a trial run replacing cashew cheese for butter in the polenta. It worked! Very creamy and it has the consistency of butter. I will use this for my dinner party. I’m very glad I found this site! Thank you.
@disqus_VE6Lot7IQT:disqus – Awesome! Thank you for posting a pic -it looks delicious!
So happy you found us too!
xo
Molly
I have just made this and omg it’s amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this yummy recipe, I’m hooked! I put one clove of garlic and some chives in mine. Its so yummy with tomato on toast or on corn crackers!
Hi Simone- garlic and chives sound amazing!!!!!!!
Well played! Thank you so much for letting me know!
I just made this and I love how it tastes like a mild cheddar! Trying to find a substitute for cheese has been one long terrifying path. I can make this and flavor it however I want for a fraction of the price. I split my batch in half and made a garlic variety using garlic olive oil and a hickory variety with Liquid Smoke. This is going to be a summer mainstay in my diet!
@disqus_q85WvTIXtB:disqus – Hi Sarah! SO happy you like it! Wooooot. You are spot on with the different flavor ideas and I LOVE that you made two flavors out of one batch! Very crafty. xo
Hey,
It’s me again. We got a blender/food processor (it’s a 2 in 1), and I finally made the cashew vegan “cheese” 🙂 I used 130 grams of cashew and followed everything. It tastes a lot like mashed potatoes though, but not exactly.
It’s really nice. I made a pizza with it, and it is the first pizza I ever made by myself. Also it’s the first pizza I ate since I became a vegan (it was one of my favorite foods before that). I made some pictures!
I put lots of ketchup underneath, red pepper, black pepper, savory, rosemary and some olives. I really wish I put tomatoes, but didn’t have any at the time. It became a little bit buff, but it tasted just like “real” pizza… only without the meat. I also used just about 1/4 of the “cheese” I made 🙂
Thank you very much for this awesome recipe!
@johnmcderp:disqus – Hi John. So happy to hear back from you! Thank you for the report. It’s funny that you say it tastes like mashed potatoes! I haven’t heard that one before! I am working on a nut cheese book. You can sign up here to get updates at the bottom of this recipe.
What did I do wrong? I followed instructions and used a food processor but it’s not blending and the consistency is small chunks of nuts (semi creamy) but definitely not blended enough. I even went longer then 5 minutes to get it to blend more. Help!
@LisaV22:disqus – Is the blade to your food processor dull? That’s where I would start. Let me know!
I had to mix up the concoction a bit throughout the blending process. I also soaked my cashews in hot water which I believe helped soften them up faster.
This is delicious! One question tho what should the consistency be? The picture looks like you can form a ball but mine turned out very soft And more creamy.
Hi Gloria- So glad you like it! The consistency sort of depends on how long you soak the cashews. The longer you soak them, the creamier it will be. If you want it a little more firm, next time, add the water a bit at a time and stop when the desired consistency of reached 🙂
Hi. Two things. First I made your cashew mixture. You’re right. Totally fantastic. I added some garlic and olive oil (and a little “nooch”) and used as Alfredo sauce on pasta. My 7 year old grandson loved it and has already asked for it again. Thank you. I’m not a vegan but have recently become lactose intolerant to the point where I can’t even eat butter. I’m Italian and the thought of living without cheese drives me crazy. This recipe has made me happy beyond belief. The other thing I really need to know is can I make this ahead in larger batches and freeze it? Also, how long can it store in the refrigerator? Again thank you for having “hope” again.
HI there – so happy you liked it!
It will store in the refrigerator for about a week and you can absolutely freeze it!
I’m in the midst of making a little vegan nut cheese book. Sign up here to find out when it’s ready: https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/vegan-cheese-signup-page/
xo
I made the basic version of this today using an Omega juicer. I didn’t add water because I wanted it just a little thicker, and it’s so good it’s absolutely better than cream cheese. I love it, and I’m totally sick with envy of your site! Thanks for making your recipes so accessible and fun to read.
@cheekybirds:disqus – LOVE it! Thanks for posting. xo
Thank you for this recipe 🙂
I’ve been looking for a simple ‘cheese’ recipe. This one is very tasty!! I saw people’s comments of using olive oil to make pasta sauce. I tried it & added Italian spices. It turned out great! 🙂
I soaked the cashews for 2hrs and added a little more water in the blender to make it creamier.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing – so happy you found it! xo
So I tried this recipe a few months ago. Although delicious, it definitely didn’t remind me of cheese. I guess I can understand how people can use this to get kind of the consistency as cheese balls (the ones usually with nuts around them), or simply substitute one addiction for another. However, when I made this, it definitely didn’t taste anything like cheese. Still, it’s good, and I make a lot of it as-is.
The reason why I found this website is because I someday want to go vegan. I’m making small steps. However, to make this more cheese like, I added 2 tbsp of milk, and 1 tsp of salt. It’s incredible how much cheese like it is now with just a little milk. However, it’s still not cheese. All my vegan friends are really impressed when I tell them it’s not cheese. They began to order jars of this stuff, and honestly, it’s been taking a lot of my free time to complete all orders. I call it Nut So Cheesy After All. 🙂 Cheers.
If you add milk is not vegan! so if you add milk then you might as well just have cheese? I do not see the difference. I hope you are not giving that to your vegan friends.
I have an AMAZING cheese recipe that also uses cashews and this one, my friend, does taste like mozzarella. Let me know if you want it, I can send it to you (via FB or email). I tried uploading the image here but it won’t let me. I think it’s great you are trying to go vegan.
Yes pls! [email protected] / jaredletterman at outlook dot com. I saw this soy based mozzarella at a Trader Joe’s. The texture seemed amazing in the packaging. Kind of hesitated on the price though, hehe.
But if your adding milk…it’s not vegan. I don’t know if ur vegans friends would be happy about that. Unless you mean coconut milk, or soy milk or almond milk.
If I mix this up in the Vitamix, do I still have to soak the cashews? Thanks.
Give it a go without – it should be fine 🙂
Give it a go without – it should work fine 🙂
Delicious. 🙂
Yayayayaya!!! xo
It’s like cream cheese. We spread it in celery…perfect. A definite keeper… 🙂
soaking the cashews first makes them more bio-available during digestion
Amazing, just started soaking some cashews, cheese for pasta in an hour THANK YOU
Katie
how did it turn out!?
Oh so excited. Our local coop had a pre-packaged variety with Habanero mixed in, and it was wonderful. I can’t find it in the store any longer so I am excited to see an easy recipe to start to play with…I do still crave that product and find my self roaming the aisles in hopes it appears again. But now I can try it at home.
Thank you
Moki
How did it turn out, Moki?
Molly
Yayyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m gonna whip up a batch. Headed to the kitchen to soak the nuts now.
Update: Just made this. Like others I altered half of it and made it into a dip for vegetables. Awesome. The rest I left plain. It feels like cheese in but doesn’t really taste like cheese. Maybe tomorrow. It’s good nonetheless. Thanks again.
Hey Saundra,
Thanks for the update, love!
First attempt at cashew cheese with this recipe today. Pure success!!!! My vegan roommate and I both approve! Incredible! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Evin,
So happy you enjoyed it! Whoot!
xo
Molly
I just finished making another recipe for cashew cheese, and went online to see if I can freeze it. That is how I found your site.
The other recipe added nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, garlic and dijon mustard, to your recipe. It is very good, but more like a dip because of the flavors.
I am going to make your recipe next time! The only thing I might add is the nutritional yeast, for that cheesy flavor.
So glad that I found your site! I have signed up for your newsletter. I’m a new (4 months now) salmontarian (that’s pescatarian who only eats wild-caught salmon) who would like to be vegan some day.
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hey Sue,
So glad you found me! Welcome to the crew.
If you ever have questions feel free to email me!
[email protected]
xo
Molly
hello – i just made this and its very tasty! only thing is the consistency isnt what i wanted, it still has bits of cashew in it – i was hoping it would be a creamy spread like hummus. i used a vitamix that is practically brand new so it cant be that the blades are dull. i also soaked my cashews overnight in the fridge. should i have soaked them on the counter instead? is it ok to leave them out on the counter soaking overnight if covered? thank you!! very tasty though
Hey Allison – Yup, soaking them in the fridge could be the hiccup.
It’s much better to leave them soaking out on the counter overnight, that way the water can really soak into the cashews and it will lead to a creamy texture when blended.
Let me know when you try it next time!
love the recipe! hate the crack “jokes” 🙁
How do you make a pizza w this? Isnt it creamy. Please let me know. New to vegan and hav no idea how this can go on pizza. Does ir melt? Or do u spread it on after cooked? Confused
Hey Ashleigh –
Think will be the texture of ricotta cheese.
It is delish on pizza, but it doesn’t melt, so keep that in mind.
Use it on pizza as you would regular cheese. Put the sauce, the toppings, and then dollop the cashew cheese on top of everything and spread on as best you can. And then bake!
It’s not the same as melty cheese, but it’s still super tasty.
xo
Molly
I just made this. I have to say it was easy, delicious and better than any vegan cheese I’ve bought! My grandson was over, tried it and loved it too! Thanks for sharing😊
Hey Toni –
So happy to hear!
It’s amazing how delicious and easy it is, isn’t it?
xo
Molly
So true! I had to come back, because I’m making it again today😊 Family loved it. Thanks again for posting!
I started using this in my lasagna! So much better than store bought vegan cheeses!
How long should I soak the cashews for?
Hi Amy –
Soak them for at least 10 minutes, but you can soak them up to 24 hours.
xo
Molly
I love this!! Just made it and it was so delicious I had to stop myself eating it by the spoonful straight from the blender! It’s by far the nicest vegan cheese I’ve had so far. Thank you!
I’m already excited to see what new flavours I can add to it next time I make it – I’m thinking a little sun dried tomato paste would be nice…
Hey Rhiannon –
SO glad you like it! YES to Sun Dried Tomato!
xo
Molly
I made some for a party adding a layer of pesto and a layer of sun-dried tomato puree. Served with rice and nut crackers. Even non-vegan friends loved it!
I also use it as the base for spinach/artichoke/jalepeno dip that I bake. I increase the nutritional yeast, ACV, and add coconut milk to make it runnier and creamier.
Does this go well as a replacement for a lot of different dishes that you would normally use cheese?? My hubby and I are looking for a really good cheese sub, (cheese was his favorite thing before becoming vegan) but we aren’t very fond of the store bought brands. I can’t stand the weird flavors they have and he doesn’t really like all the weird ingredients that are in some of those fake cheeses.
Hi Caitlin –
This is one the best sub cheeses around. It’s simple, delish and versatile.
I also have a cheesy sauce that’s solid. I stay away from store bought vegan cheese because they all have a weird taste and lots of ingredients.
Have you joined my private Facebook page? There’s loads of inspiration and it’s an amazing group of people.
Here’s the link to join if you like.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cleanfooddirtygirl/
Sounds great, the hubs and I will definitely be trying this recipe soon!!
And I would love to join the facebook group. Great idea!!
Yayaya – see you over there!
Amazing! My family is just tipping our toes into the vegan lifestyle. Hell, half the time they don’t even know it. This recipe was a perfect example. Left it out on the counter with some decoy crackers. Sat back and watched. They ate it like it was going to disappear in front of their eyes if they didn’t shove it into their mouths faster. For those of you just experimenting, the flavor and texture (to me) is very much like hummus.
Can’t believe I waited so long to make cashew cheese, this is delicious…. and so easy, and all natural, HEALTHY, even!
Mine is grainier than I’d like it to be, which I’m blaming on my 22 year old food processor blade, but still it is yumtastic. Can’t wait to put it on my smashed potatoes at lunch today.
Thanks for the fab recipe! xox
Hey Melissa –
Awesome! Grainy or not, it’s still delish!
xo
Molly
What is shelf life in fridge? And best way to store it?
Hey Lindsey –
It will last about 5 days, stored in the fridge in a glass or plastic container.
xo
Molly
Fudge. only have 1/2 cup of cashews…so will only make a half batch…except…my two choices are my big old Ninja (which needs more to work with) or my li’l ol generic counter model suitable for blending bananas and berries, but not doing such a great job on my cashews. 🙁
Good luck with your cashew cheese! I would go with the first choice 😉
xo
Molly
Hello! Can almonds be substituted in this recipe?
Yes!
It won’t be exactly the same – but it will still be yummy.
xo
Molly
Ok! Thank you! Can’t wait to try! xx
One thing I like about having an old Oster blender with a strong motor is the blade screws on to standard wide mouth mason jars and a smaller jar works perfectly for this or salad dressings… kind of like a nutribullet but more versatile
I think it’s even better with a generous helping of nutritional yeast…very cheesy-like! 🙂
That works too!
Just in case some people soaked their cashews for 12 hours and more, they might turn a bit purple yet you can remove that and then mix them 🙂 I’ve just tried it and it tastes really good besides the over soaking!
Thanks for this recipe
Thanks for the tip Aya! xoxo
You are welcome! Thanks for what you’re doing! It rocks!!! 😀
How much nutritional yeast should I add to your standard recipe? And thanks for the many tips and exchanges.
Stay well.
Hi Alex, feel free to add as much or as little nutritional yeast as you’d like, maybe starting with a tablespoon or so and adding more if you want even more of a cheesy flavor.;)
Meghann
Team Dirty Girl
You get that texture by using a food processor instead of a blender, right?
Once I use my Vitamix to make it, it’s like a cashew sauce. You can spread it over a bread but it’s not hard ..
Hi Efi, yes, Molly recommends using a food processor, but a blender can work too. You can always use a bit more or less water than the recipe calls for if you’d like it to be thicker or thinner. Also, the longer you soak the cashews before blending them, the creamier they will be. 😉
Meghann
Team Dirty Girl