Cheese! Such a difficult thing to give up when you are lactose intolerant or vegan. We are a vegetarian family but my toddler Luca and I don't tolerate dairy quite well. Still, I love cheese and together with my husband we are trying to develop some recipes to help with my cravings. This Vegan Cream Cheese it's one of my favourite breakfast. We enjoy it as a spread with fresh tomatoes, avocado or nuts. We serve it as well when making our famous Cheese Board for friends and family.

Which is the main ingredient for Vegan Cream Cheese?

The answer to this question will be different depending on who you ask. For us, after trying different ways to develop this recipe, the main ingredient is soaked cashews.

Cashews. If you are looking for a really smooth vegan cream cheese to use as a spread, our recommendation would be to use soaked cashews. Cashew nuts are an amazing source or protein and rich in selenium which is good for the skin.

Almonds. They are our second option when it comes to making Vegan Cream Cheese. It won't be as smooth as using cashews but the texture and taste are still really nice. Soak the almonds overnight. We recommend using raw Marcona almonds. They are an exceptional source of protein and especially good for your heart.

Tofu. If you are a tofu lover, then go for it! The texture you get from using firm tofu when making vegan cream cheese is smooth and light. Tofu is a plant-based protein. We use it a lot when cooking but we personally prefer the taste of tofu when it's cooked.

Ingredients

Cashews. They are so far out favourite nut when making vegan cream cheese for the smooth consistency that you get. You can use other nuts but the consistency will vary.

Yeast flakes or nutritional yeast. We add yeast flakes in order to give the cream cheese a bit of a cheesy taste. They are a source of vitamin B12.

Coconut milk. You will need a little bit of coconut milk to get that creamy consistency. We don't add too much as it will give the cream a coconut taste and we don't want that when making cream cheese.

Olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the one we use. We love having this vegan cream cheese for breakfast and we live in Spain, where olive oil is delicious and really good quality. Adding a little bit of it makes the vegan cream cheese deliver a Mediterranean flavour to your breakfast.

Lemon juice and white vinegar. Perfect ingredients to add the tangy flavour that the cream cheese requires.

Salt to taste.

If you want to make a spread with some fresh herbs, you can add oregano, dill, basil or thyme.

How to make Vegan Cream Cheese

Our Vegan Cream Cheese contains just natural ingredients and it's really simple to prepare.

Soak the cashews overnight or leave them in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the cashews and transfer into a blender jug or a food processor.
Add into the blender jug the rest of the ingredients and blend until you have a perfectly smooth consistency.
Keep the vegan cream cheese in the fridge for 5-6 days or freeze it.

How to serve our Vegan Cream Cheese

Summer. Spread on bread with fresh and juicy tomatoes on the top. A pinch of oregano sprinkled on the top and some extra virgin olive oil. This is one of our family top breakfasts.
Late summer. Spread on bread with thinly cut figs and topped with maple syrup. Fig season is quite short and we try to make the most of it. This is a perfect way to start your day.
It can be served as well with crackers, bagels or sandwich. Vegan cream cheese is the perfect spread to complete your snacks or lunches.

If you are looking for a sauce more than a spread, we recommend you to try our Vegan Cheese Sauce which we make with our Loaded Nachos all the time.