

Blend with more water, garlic, Dijon mustard, and Kalamata olives for a Caesar salad dressing, as seen in my Caesar Salad Recipe.Make the perfect Alfredo sauce by cooking fettuccine, draining the pasta, and tossing with this cashew cheese and about 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water to achieve the right consistency.
CASHEW MILK CHEESE MAC
Then, toss with macaroni for cheddar mac & cheese. Make a “cheddar” cashew cheese by blending with a little dried turmeric and some extra water.Thin with more water and pour into a food-grade squirt bottle to make a pretty cashew cheese garnish, as seen in the Spicy Quinoa Taco Bowl.Make an extra firm cheese spread by stirring in an extra tablespoon of nutritional yeast until dissolved, and even some Italian herbs like rosemary and sage.Now that you have a whole jar of cashew cheese, how do you use the stuff?! Obviously, you can just spread onto crackers and enjoy, but if you’re feeling a little more daring… If stored in a sealed jar, the cheese will last for about a week in the refrigerator.

You can easily thin it out (such as for pasta sauces) by adding more water. The final texture will be solid, but spreadable. The texture improves and the flavors meld together perfectly. I don’t know exactly why, but cashew cheeses become much better after refrigerating for several hours. Spoon the cheese into a jar or container and refrigerate. In all, it’s an extremely flavorful base recipe that can be pulled in a million different directions. The nutritional yeast adds a distinctly cheesy taste, the garlic and salt intensify the flavors, while the acid from the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar brighten things up. I’ve found this specific list of ingredients to be the perfect combo. If it’s wayyyy too thick, add a little more water. This will likely be very thick and you will need to manage the speed to ensure that it continues blending.

Then, drain the cashews and add all ingredients (cashews, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt) to a high-powered blender like a Vitamix and blend until smooth. This is incredibly important because it will soften the cashews, allowing them to be fully blended – no one likes little chunks of cashews in their sauces. For extra heat, blend a tablespoon of pickled jalapeños or a chipotle pepper from a can of chipotles in adobo into the cheese.Soak the cashews! Place about 1 1/2 cups of cashews in a container with warm water and soak for at least 2 hours. I love to serve this variation as a loaded queso dip with guac, pico de gallo, and black beans! Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, to taste. If you don’t have sweet potato on hand, swap in carrots or butternut squash. Here are a few of my favorite variations: Though I love this recipe as written, I also like to change it up from time to time. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, adding more liquid as needed. Add the nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, cashews, and vinegar, along with water, extra-virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt. When they’re tender, transfer them to a high-speed blender. To make this cashew cheese recipe, start by boiling the potatoes.

Apple cider vinegar – It gives this vegan cheese a bright, tangy finish.Garlic and onion powder – They add delicious depth of flavor.Nutritional yeast – It gives this dairy-free cheese the nutty, savory flavor of the real thing!.Sweet potatoes – You couldn’t make a cheddar-style cheese sauce without an orange ingredient! Sweet potato gives this recipe its vibrant color, and it adds a light sweetness that’s delicious with the rich, tangy flavors here.Yukon gold potatoes and cashews – They’re the key ingredients for giving vegan cheese recipes oozy, creamy texture.This dairy-free cheese is not only delicious – it’s good for you, too! Unlike processed vegan cheese that you might find at grocery stores, it’s made of a short list of whole foods ingredients. Once you have it on hand, you’ll find endless ways to use it, and you won’t be able to get enough! Serve this vegan cheese as a dip with tortilla chips or fresh veggies, toss it with pasta to make vegan mac and cheese, top it onto a baked potato, or drizzle it over chips to make a vegan nacho platter. We only got halfway through the first batch before we decided to make a second. Last time I made it, we stood at the counter, scooping it up with tortilla chips. Even Jack – the biggest real cheese lover I know – adores this recipe. You don’t have to be vegan to fall for this vegan cheese recipe! It’s creamy, tangy, and rich, with a crave-worthy oozy texture just like that of dairy-based cheese sauce.
