This super easy to make vegan Cashew Cream Cheese is going to be your new best friend in the kitchen! It's a super versatile recipe that can be used as an easy cream cheese spread, thinned out to become a sour cream analog, or spiced or herbed up to be fancy.
Made with a few whole food ingredients, this easy cashew cheese recipe might be one of the hardest working in my vegan repertoire. Expect it to pop up everywhere in various guises.. but here it is in all it's classic vegan creamy cheesy goodness.
I like to spoon this yummy cashew cream cheese into pasta or use for dipping crispbreads into, or to top my yummy parsnip latkes or with my scrummy smoked salmon carrot 'lox' . It makes a brilliant alternative wherever you would use a traditional cream cheese! If you want to go a step further, I use it as a base for these Easy Vegan Cheese Balls which are perfect as canapes!
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🧀Ingredients
- Cashews - the backbone of this recipe is raw cashews, that are soaked, then blended up with other ingredients. Something about the bland smoothness of cashews, rich with natural nut oils, really lends them to making vegan cream cheese!
- Nutritional Yeast- cheesy and flakey, this hardworking vegan ingredient is deployed here for a delicious cheese flavour. Use one fortified with B12 for added nutritional benefits!
- Dijon Mustard- There is something about the combination of dijon mustard, lemon and nutritional yeast that combines to create a savory, cheesy flavor!
- Garlic- A hint of garlic takes this simple vegan cheese into a savoury direction that is irresistible. You can use garlic powder if you wish, however I find fresh garlic nicer.
- Lemon Juice - other more complicated vegan cheeses use probiotics to create a tang, but in this quick recipe it's kept simple with fresh lemon juice. You can substitute the lemon juice with apple cider vinegar if you wish.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
It's pretty easy to make this vegan cashew cream cheese recipe: follow along for the best results.
- Either put boiling water over the cashews and leave for 2-3 hours to fully hydrate, or gently simmer the cashews for 15 minutes and leave to cool.
2. Drain the soaked cashews and add to a high powered blender with the other ingredients and a little water. Blend.
3. Blend a few times, stopping to push the splashes down back into the blender. Keep blending until creamy.
4. Taste test and add more nutritonal yeast, lemon juice or salt to taste. Use immediately or store in an airtight jar or container.
Hint: To get a really creamy texture you might need to blend 3-4 times for 30-45 seconds- or more depending on your blender.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
- No Cashews or Nuts: Head over to this handy recipe for Sunflower Seed Sour Cream from Very Veganish and use a little less water to achieve a similar result.
- Extra Herby: Add in chives, parsley or basil for a herbal cheese.
- Spicy: Add hot smoked paprika, or some jalapenos to the mixture.
- This great recipe is also perfect as a base for Vegan Cheese Balls
- Extra Creamy: Some people prefer a super creamy textured cheese and add in some coconut oil. If you wish to do this add 1 tablespoon and blend.
- Sweeter Cream Cheese: For cream cheese you can use in a recipe such as vegan cream cheese frosting, omit the garlic and dijon mustard. Cashews are naturally quite sweet so you don't need to add sugar.
- If you want to add an extra element of savory tang, try adding a tablespoon of white miso paste. This also adds good-for-you vegan probiotics to the cheese.
🔪Equipment
For the best result to make the vegan cheese you will need a good, high-speed blender. I love my Magimix jug blender because it's sturdy and quiet. You can also choose to use a food processor, however I find my blender gets a better creamy texture.
🫙Storage
This delicious creamy spread can be stored for up to 3 weeks in an airtight jar in the fridge. You can also freeze the cheese for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before using.
Top tip
This recipe is great wherever you would traditionally use regular cream cheese in a savory recipe. Omit the garlic and Dijon mustard for a sweet cream cheese.
❓FAQ
Yes, simply add extra water when blending the cheese and use where you would like a rich cheesy sauce.
You can make a similar cheese using sunflower seeds. Soak the sunflower seeds in the same way for a similar effect.
If you thin this recipe out with some water, it can become a more cream-like texture suitable for drizzling on soups or adding to potatoes.
More Dips and snacks...
Love snacking and dipping?
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📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 140 g cashews (1 cup)
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1 lemon )
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon flakey sea salt (or to taste. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more as needed. )
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Soak cashews in water for 6 hours, or soak in boiling water for 1 hour. Drain.
- Add all ingredients into a blender and blend. Keep pushing down the sides to ensure all is blended up well
- You might need to blend 3-4 times depending on the strength of your blender.
- When you are happy with the consistency, put the cream cheese into an airtight container and keep in the fridge.
Notes
- Keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks
-
- Extra Herby: Add in chives, parsley or basil for a herbal cheese.
- Spicy: Add hot smoked paprika, or some jalapenos to the mixture.
- Extra Creamy: Some people prefer a super creamy textured cheese and add in some coconut oil. If you wish to do this add 1 tablespoon and blend.
- Sweeter Cream Cheese: For cream cheese you can use in a recipe such as vegan cream cheese frosting, omit the garlic and dijon mustard. Cashews are naturally quite sweet so you don't need to add sugar.
- If you want to add an extra element of savory tang, try adding a tablespoon of white miso paste. This also adds good-for-you vegan probiotics to the cheese.
Susanne says
I have made this several times and I get rave reviews. This is simple, easy and is delicious. I use much more garlic than what the recipe calls for. I find I need to add water to get it it smooth and creamy. Absolutely delicious!
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I' so glad you like this recipe. Extra garlic is always a good idea too! And thank you for the tip with the water, I'll add it to the notes in the recipe. x
Rachelle says
Amazing and super simple recipe! My first try turned out awesome. I didn't have any dijon mustard but didn't feel like I needed it. Lots of room to experiment with adding extra flavours. Thank you!