Vegan cream cheese recipe for your bagel fix

This plant-based cream cheese is going to be a favourite, whether you’re vegan or not. Many of us are looking for ways to change towards a more plant-based diet, and cheese always seems a kind of stumbling block.

Of course we’re lucky in South Africa, with vegan cheese suppliers (Irene’s Gourmet, Urban Vegan, and Fauxmage to name a few) that are flourishing and offer a wide range. At the same time, it’s easy to get creative in the kitchen, and make your own fresh cream cheese, completely dairy free.

Cashews are fantastic for creating a subtle nutty flavour and creamy texture. It creates the perfect base for a variety of toppings on your bagels to create a festive breakfast or lunch table.

The narrow base of the 2 litre jug that is used here works perfect for blending this type of recipes (spreads, hummus, nut butter, etc), creating a smooth texture. The silicon spatula is a super handy tool to scoop everything out of the jug into the jar, no wonder we’ve listed is as one of our favourite accessories!  

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews
• 2 Tbsp coconut yoghurt (optional)
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

Optional :

• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp chopped chives

METHOD :

1. Soak the cashew for 4+ hours in cold water or 1 hour in boiling water.
2. Drain the water and transfer the cashews to the blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth and add more salt or nutritional yeast if needed.
3. Scoop the cream cheese into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Enjoy with bagels (try this Vegan Paleo Bagel recipe to make your own!), crudités and sandwiches.

This recipe was made with the OmniBlend I - 2ltr Pro.