Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese (Gluten-Free)

A thick and creamy vegan cashew cheese that is ready in a few minutes with only wholesome, plant-based ingredients. This cheese has a quick soak option and makes a delicious pasta sauce, salad dressing, pizza topping and so much more.

I love a good homemade cashew cheese, but it had been a hot minute since I’d made really good one for a recipe. A couple of years ago, I felt like I made cashew cheese all the time, this was when they were really seeing a boom in interest, and I was all over it. Since then, there have been so many delicious plant-based cheeses in the shops that I had turned to those instead. That said, there are still a few not-so-good cheeses, so try a few out before making up your mind.

But if you want something really special (at a fraction of the price) make your own Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese. This cheese is:

• Saucy and smooth
• Rich and tasty
• Creamy
• Cheesy but not overwhelming
• Easy to make
• Made whole from healthly wholefoods
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free

I love using this Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese for my homemade pizzas or stirred into pasta. It is also great spread on toast to go with some veggies, smeared into sandwiches, baked as a tasty gnocchi sauce, in wraps, to add to my veggies and so much more. I pretty much use this cheese sauce for everything.

What goes into this Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese?

• Cashew nuts: these are essential for this cashew cheese. You can buy them in bulk which makes this recipe and others a lot more budget friendly. I also buy them broken which is cheaper than buying them whole. Soak the nuts until soft and then blend away (more information on soaking below).
• Nutritional yeast: this is important for the cheese flavour. You can buy this in most shops and health food stores now and a pot goes a long way.
• Salt: for the flavour.
• Garlic powder: rather than fresh garlic which would not work quite so well, garlic powder or granules add that lovely heat and garlicky flavour to this cheese.
• Lemon juice: for a lovely tang and freshness.
• Water: to help the cheese blend to the creamiest but still thick, consistency and texture.

To make this Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese all you do is blend together all of the ingredients (as shown in this video) until really smooth and creamy and then store in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days. It really is so good; you will be going back for more.

How to soak your cashew nuts? The soaking is essential for the texture so don’t skip this step otherwise you will end up with a soggy nut butter. There are two ways I like to soak mine:

• Traditional soak: when I remember and have time I always use this method as they turn the creamiest. Add them to a bowl, submerge with plenty of filtered water and then cover with a cloth and leave on the side for 6-8 hours at room temperature. Then drain and rinse them before using the soaked cashews in a recipe.
• Quick soak: this only takes 15 minutes and is great when you are in a hurry or forgot to soak them the night before. Simply add them to a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil with a lid on. Once boiling, remove from the heat, keep the lid on and allow the cashews to sit for 15 minutes until turning white and swollen. Drain and rinse the cashews as before.

Now the cashews are soaked, there is no excuse not to make this delicious creamy, cheesy and flavoursome Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese. It is packed with natural wholefoods, so much tangy cheesy flavour and is a really versatile recipe. Watch this space for my new favourite pizza recipe using this cheese and, in the meantime, try this cashew cheese with:

• Serve it on top of my Hassleback Squash with Herby Tahini
• Stir it into this Tomato Pesto and Gnocchi Traybake
• Spoon it over my Hummus Pesto and Tomato Puff Pastry Tarts
• Spread it over my No-Yeast Everything Bagels
• Smear it inside my Mushroom and Butterbean Chickpea Flatbreads

Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese (Gluten-Free)

• Servings: 1 small jar (250g)
• Time: 10 minutes plus soaking
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A thick and creamy vegan cashew cheese that is ready in a few minutes with only wholesome, plant-based ingredients. This cheese has a quick soak option and makes a delicious pasta sauce, salad dressing, pizza topping and so much more.

Ingredients

• 200g cashew nuts, soaked
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 3-4 tbsp water

Directions

1. Soak the cashews: either cover the cashews in filtered water and leave, covered for 6-8 hours or overnight. Or, add the cashews to a saucepan, bring to the boil with a lid on then remove from the heat and allow the cashews to soak (lid on) for 15-20 minutes. Now drain and rinse the cashews.
2. Add them to a high-speed blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until really smooth and creamy. Stop to scrape down the sides as necessary and season to taste.
3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.

I hope you will love this Easy Vegan Homemade Cashew Cheese so please let me know what you think in the comments below and tag me in your cheese – I love seeing your creations! I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I am also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With homemade cashew cheese love x