Last Updated on September 17, 2024
A Creamy Vegan Cashew Cheese that is so creamy, delicious and is a great alternative to a dairy cheese.
I was a huge lover of cheese, but with my allergies to dairy I had to find something that I would enjoy just as much as cheese.
Over 25 years of experimenting with the premade vegan cheeses and different homemade vegan cheeses, this is by far my favorite vegan cheese!
What I love about this vegan cheese is that you can use it just as you would a dairy cheese, warm or cold.
Here are a few ways to use this flavorful cheese.
Add it to your favorite pasta.
Dollop the cheese on top of shredded or baked potatoes.
Scoop the cheese onto your favorite steamed vegetables.
Or try this cheese as a chip or cracker dip.
You can use this cheese as you would a dairy cheese.
The possibilities are endless!!
Ingredients needed for the cheese
- Raw Cashews – The mild flavor of the raw cashew makes it so versatile to use as the base of a vegan cheese.
- Oil – In this recipe I have used olive oil and avocado oil, both work well.
- Tomato Paste – The tomato paste gives the cheese some of it’s color as well as flavor.
- Tomato Sauce or Pasta Sauce – Use a tomato sauce or pasta sauce for this vegan cheese.
- Mustard – A plain yellow mustard adds more color and little tang to the cheese.
- Seasoning – Salt and minced garlic is added for more flavor, turmeric is added for more color, and Italian seasoning is added for flavor.
- Peppers – Red, orange, or yellow bell pepper adds flavor to this cheese. If you would like to add more heat, add any hot peppers of your choice with the bell peppers.
- Onion – A fresh onion or powdered onion will work in this cheese.
- Broth – Use your favorite vegetable broth to blend everything together.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps to thicken the cheese.
How to make A Creamy Vegan Cashew Cheese
In a small mixing bowl, add water to the raw cashews and leave them to soak for 4 to 6 hours.
After soaking, drain, rinse, and set aside the cashews.
Clean and chop the red pepper and small onion, set aside.
In a medium sized pan, saute the red pepper, onion, minced garlic in oil until the vegetables slightly brown or caramelize. Set aside to cool.
Add the cashews, oil, tomato paste, mustard, pasta sauce, and all the seasonings to a high speed blender.
Next add the cooled sauteed vegetables to the blender.
Measure the vegetable broth in a large measuring cup and add the cornstarch, mixing until there are no lumps.
Start the blender on the lowest speed and slowly add the vegetable broth mixture to the blender.
After the broth has been added, continue to increase the speed to the highest speed.
Continue at the highest speed for about 1 minute.
Now slowly decrease the speed until you get to off.
Check the consistency of the cheese, if not creamy enough continue blending until smooth.
After the cheese blended and smooth, pour into a medium sauce pan.
Cook on a medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, this will thicken the cheese.
After 5 to 10 minutes, remove from heat, set aside to let the mixture cool.
Pour any left over cheese into a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
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A Creamy Vegan Cashew Cheese
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Raw Cashews
- 2 tsp Oil Olive or avocado oil.
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Yellow Mustard
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 Cup Pasta Sauce or tomato sauce
Saute these 4 together.
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1/2 Bell Pepper Red, orange, or yellow.
- 1 Small Onion Or 1 tsp Onion Powder
Mix the broth and cornstarch together until well blended.
- 1 Tbsp Organic Cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, add water to the raw cashews and leave them to soak for 4 to 6 hours.
- After soaking, drain, rinse, and set aside the cashews.
- Clean and chop the red pepper and small onion, set aside.
- In a medium sized pan, saute the red pepper, onion, minced garlic in oil until the vegetables slightly brown or caramelize. Set aside to cool.
- Add the cashews, oil, tomato paste, mustard, pasta sauce, and all the seasonings to a high speed blender.
- Next add the cooled sauteed vegetables to the blender.
- Measure the vegetable broth in a large measuring cup and add the cornstarch, mixing until there are no lumps.
- Start the blender on the lowest speed and slowly add the vegetable broth mixture to the blender.
- After the broth has been added, continue to increase the speed to the highest speed.
- Continue at the highest speed for about 1 minute.
- Now slowly decrease the speed until you get to off.
- Check the consistency of the cheese, if not creamy enough continue blending until smooth.
- After the cheese is well blended and smooth, pour into a medium sauce pan.
- Cook on a medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, this will thicken the cheese.
- After 5 to 10 minutes, remove from heat, set aside to let the mixture cool.
- Pour any left over cheese into a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
