Herbed Cashew Cheese

Herbed cashew cheese! Oh man, I am so excited to share this recipe with you. I’ve tried a lot of diary-free cheeses over the last decade and none of them are as good as homemade cashew cheese. It’s tangy, creamy and incredibly delicious. If you’re a fan of spreadable herb cheese then you are going to LOVE this recipe.

I actually first shared this recipe with you back in 2013. But as my blog has come a long way since then, I figured it was time for a photograph and recipe makeover. That means I tested this one a few times over the past month to make it even better. We’ve been enjoying it on crackers, sandwiches and tossed with hot pasta for a simple weeknight dinner. It’s so, so good.

Let’s make it!

How to make Cashew Cheese

The base of this cheese is cashews, obviously. If you’re new here, then you might be surprised that pureed cashews are my favorite way of making dairy-free dreams come true. I use them for ricotta in my vegan lasagna, as cheese in the best ever chili cheese dip and as actual cheese in my vegan parmesan.

You’ll want to soak the cashews first as this makes them easier to blend. It’s not completely necessary, but it will take longer to puree to creamy if your cashews aren’t soaked. To quick soak, cover cashews with boiling water and let sit for at least 15-20 minutes to soften.

Then! Puree with water, lemon juice and probiotic powder (!) I know that seems like a weird ingredient, but it’s essentially just the inside of a probiotic capsule. Adding the probiotic powder to the cashew puree adds in a dose of yummy bacteria that are not only good for you, but make this cheese taste like actual cultured cheese! You don’t need to buy a special probiotic for this, almost any brand will work. You will likely need a few capsules to get to 1 teaspoon.

Cover and let sit out on the counter overnight. This is how the cheese is cultured; putting the cashew mixture in the fridge doesn’t allow the probiotics to bloom and do their thing. I usually prep this in the morning, let it sit out while I’m at the office, and then finish it when I arrive home at night.

Mix in the herbs, a little nutritional yeast and ta-da! Cashew cheese is served.

I can’t wait to hear what you think about this one!

I also highly encourage you to make this one tonight, because I’ve got the perfect sandwich to use it on — coming on Thursday.

Don’t you just want to dig in?

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