I made an amazing discovery: vegan cream cheese that tastes just like dairy cream cheese. Now, I am not typically talented in vegan cheesemaking, but I chanced upon this recipe as I tried to follow a recipe for vegan ricotta, and I couldn’t believe how much it tasted just like cream cheese! Not just that, but it’s smooth and spreads like the creamy cream cheese we know. It’s inspired me to try my hand at vegan cheesemaking, so look out for more recipes in the future.

VEGAN CREAM CHEESE RECIPE

Cook Time: 30 minutes + 4 or more hours for the ingredients to meld
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 35 minutes + 4 or more hours for the ingredients to meld
Serving Size: 2 tbsp
Total Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews
1 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp pink himalayan salt

1. Pour about 2 cups of boiling water over the cashews. Allow to sit for 1 hour.
2. Prepare the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt.
3. When the cashews are finished softening, add them to a high-speed blender with the 1 cup of water and blend for 2-3 minutes. *
4. In a pot, add the mixture and turn on the stove on medium heat. Stir frequently. I use a spatula because it scraps the sides.
5. After 5 or so minutes you should begin to see small bubbles form. Add the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt and stir continuously for another minute or two until a softish peanut butter consistency.
6. Put in a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This process is important because it will still be very acidic in the beginning. It takes time for the flavors to absorbs and make the cream cheese flavor!

*If you don’t have a high-speed blender, I am not sure how long you should blend. I would try at least 4-5 minutes. The cream cheese will still be good, just as not as smooth.