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This perfectly tangy and creamy cashew cream cheese is naturally cultured with probiotics! Just 2 ingredients are required to make the best vegan cream cheese!
This cashew cream cheese is by far one of the recipes I have been making the most. It is super simple, rich and tangy, and incredibly versatile. It can be used on toast, bagels, stirred into pasta, and more! Plus, it’s cultured and packed with healthful bacteria!
⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It’s super easy: Just blend the cashews with water, stir in the probiotics, and let it ferment. Nothing more!
- It’s naturally cultured: Meaning this vegan cream cheese is PACKED with good bacteria, helping with digestion and improving immunity.
- It’s incredibly versatile: Use it to make sweet or savory dips, pasta sauces, and dips, or use it as is on toast or bagels.
🥛 Ingredient Notes
This vegan cream cheese recipe requires just 2 ingredients:
- Cashews – Use raw cashews. As opposed to roasted cashews, raw cashews have a very neutral flavor, making them perfect for this recipe.
- Probiotics – To help the cream ferment. I used Acidophilus capsules, but almost every type of probiotic will work.
- Sea salt – Optional, but it helps enhance the overall flavor.
🥣 How to Make Vegan Cream Cheese
This recipe consists of two steps: blending the cashews into a cream and culturing it.
Make the cream
First, soak raw cashews overnight or for at least 6 hours. This step softens the cashews and helps get a super creamy texture.
Once cashews are soaked, drain them and transfer them to a high-speed blender (or food processor). Add water and blend until smooth. You should get a thick and smooth texture.
Fermentation
Next comes fermentation. Transfer the cashew cream to a clean jar or bowl and stir in two capsules of probiotics. Simply open the capsules and add the powder to the cashew cream. If you have probiotics in powdered form, use about 1/8 of a teaspoon.
For information: the probiotics capsules I use here are the Advanced Acidophilus Plus and contain 500M microorganisms. You don’t have to use this specific strain, but if your probiotics are stronger than that, use less.
Finally, cover the jar or bowl with plastic film to touch (the plastic film should be in contact with the cashew cream to prevent it from drying on top) and let ferment at room temperature for 12-48H.
During summer, 12 hours is enough for the cream to get a tangy flavor. During winter, it might take up to 48 hours. You know the cashew cream is done when it has a light texture with small air bubbles and a tangy flavor.
Note About The Consistency
You can easily adjust the consistency of your cashew cream by increasing or decreasing the amount of water.
- For a thick and spreadable cream cheese: use the recommended amount in the recipe. This yields cream cheese that can be used in sandwiches, on toast, etc.
- For a slightly softer texture: add an extra 1/4 cup of water. This will give you a cashew cream that is perfect to use as a dip.
🥯 Where to Use It
This cultured cashew cream cheese is so versatile! It can be used in:
- Sandwiches or bagels
- Toasts: For example, in this Cream Cheese & Roasted Pumpkin Toast.
- Burgers: To add freshness and subtle cheesiness.
- Mashed potatoes: Incorporate a few tablespoons of cashew cream cheese into mashed potatoes for extra creaminess and a hint of tanginess.
- Bakes or lasagna
🥬 How to Flavor It
Now comes the fun part: flavoring the cream cheese! You can opt for the following:
- Original: Simply season with salt for a plain version.
- Chives & Garlic: Stir in 1/3 cup of finely chopped chives and 3 cloves of garlic, minced.
- Smoky: Add 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp ground cumin. You can also add a few drops of liquid smoke.
- Seaweed: Stir in 3 tablespoons of finely chopped rehydrated seaweed.
- Be creative: You can also make a sweet version by adding cacao powder, cinnamon, or raisins!
💬 FAQ
Yes, if you are in a hurry, you can omit the probiotics and add 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Alternatively, you could replace the water with vegan yogurt.
You probably let it ferment for too long or at a too-warm temperature. Next time, let the cream cheese ferment in a colder room.
Depending on the temperature and probiotics used, it can take up to 48 hours for the cream cheese to get a tangy flavor. Let it ferment for another 10-12 hours and taste it.
Unfortunately, no, I didn’t get good results with it.
This vegan cream cheese will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
I hope you are going to love this vegan cream cheese! It’s a MUST-HAVE recipe for anyone trying to reduce their dairy consumption!
🧀 More Cultured Vegan Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
The Best Vegan Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 capsules probiotics I used Solgar's Advanced Acidophilus Plus
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Drain the cashews and transfer them to a high-speed blender. Add the water and blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until the cashew cream is very smooth.
- Next, transfer the cashew cream to a clean jar or glass bowl. Open the probiotics capsules and add the powder to the cashew cream. Use a wooden spoon to stir.
- Cover the cashew cream with plastic film to touch and let ferment in a dark place, at room temperature, for 12-48 hours. During warm months, the cashew cream just needs about 12 hours to ferment, while in the winter, it can take up to 48 hours. You know the cashew cream is ready when you see small air bubbles have formed. It should have a tangy flavor but should not taste sour.
- Once fermented, refrigerate the cashew cream for at least 2 hours before using it, as it tastes better chilled. Add salt to taste and use in sandwiches, toasts, bagels, etc.
- This fermented cashew cream cheese will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Original: Simply season with salt for a plain version.
- Chives & Garlic: Stir in 1/3 cup of finely chopped chives and 3 cloves of garlic, minced.
- Smoky: Add 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp ground cumin. You can also add a few drops of liquid smoke.
- Seaweed: Stir in 3 tablespoons of finely chopped rehydrated seaweed.
- Be creative: You can also make a sweet version by adding cacao powder, cinnamon, or raisins!
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
🧀 25 Mind-Blowing Vegan Cheese Recipes!
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