You are still looking for a good dairy-free alternative to cream cheese? Then look no more - 'cause you can easily make it yourself! This plantbased, fermented cream cheese with cashews, chives and red onion is just as good as the original but much healthier.
If I had known that making vegan cream cheese is that easy, I could have saved a lot of time looking for a tasty store-bought planbased alternative. And compared to some of those "cheese" products out there, the ingredients in this recipe are much healthier.
In my non-vegan years, I was not really a big cheese-lover, but my boyfriend is. Making vegan cheese sauce is not a big deal anymore (there are tons of recipes out there). However, making vegan cheese slices, shreds or cream cheese is something I haven't mastered yet. And I think just blending up some cashews and adding some spices doesn't bring you the results that you would expect when thinking of cream cheese. It's missing this ... tangy flavor ... the "cheesy-ness"! It would definitely not satisfy your "cheese"-cravings - at least that's the case for me and my boyfriend.
This plantbased cream cheese recipe is different. Yes, there are cashews in this one as well but also a bunch of probiotics - and that's the game changer! The fermentation process makes the cashew cream a bit "airy" and still creamy and it brings out this "tangy" flavor of a real cream cheese. Add in chopped up chives, red onions and some salt and your are good to go spread (unless, of course, you don't have any bread).
You might be thinking: "Fermentation? That sounds too complicated!" - don't fret! This recipe is actually pretty easy to make and requires just a few ingredients.
1. Soak cashews in water for a few hours.
2. Drain cashews and blend with filtered water and the contents of two probiotic capsulses.
3. Transfer the mixtures into a clean class, cover with a clean cloth and wait for 24 h.
That's it. At the end you simply add a few herbs and spices, but as you can see, there is not much active "cooking time" involved. So, what are you waiting for?!
If you try this vegan fermented cream cheese, let me know in the comments below or rate the recipe. You can also show me your creation on instagram (#veggiejam).
I'm gonna have breakfast now - whole grain bread with vegan cream cheese, yum!
Recipe
Vegan Fermented Cream Cheese
- Prep Time: 1680 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1690 minutes
Description
You are still looking for a good plantbased alternative to cream cheese? Then look no more - 'cause you can easily make it yourself! This plantbased, fermented cream cheese with cashews, chives and red onion is just as good as the original but much healthier.
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup cashews (160 g)
- 2 probiotic capsules*
- ⅓ - ½ cup filtered water (+ more for soaking)
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsp thinly sliced chives**
- 1 tbsp minced red onion
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in filtered water for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
- Drain the cashews and blend together with the water and the content of two probiotic capsules until creamy.
- Transfer the mixture to a clean glass***, cover with a clean cloth/towel, secure with a rubber band and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Fold in the salt, chives and red onion. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
*You can purchase probiotic capsules online (e.g. amazon). I use vegan ones that contain 10 billion active cultures per capsules.
**Not a big fan of chives? Not a problem. Go for whatever herb you prefer.
***Don't use any metal spoons to tranfer or stir the cashew mixture before the fermentation process as it will disturb the fermentation.
This post is also available in German (Deutsch).
Chelsea says
how long does this cream cheese last?
Melanie J says
It should last for 5-7 days in an air tight container in the fridge - unless you finish it before that 😉
Niki says
What kind of bread is the cashew cheese on? it all looks amazing!
Melanie J says
Thank you so much! It's pumpernickel bread - works so well with the cream cheese 🙂