Nitrate & Nitrite Free Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese
Creamy, tangy, and surprisingly rich, this cashew-based spread delivers everything you want from a classic cream cheese — without any dairy or animal products in sight. Soaking the raw cashews until plump is the secret to that ultra-smooth, spreadable texture that blends up beautifully with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of coconut oil. A pinch of onion powder and optional nutritional yeast round out the flavor with a subtle savory depth that makes it taste far more complex than the short ingredient list suggests. For anyone navigating processed deli products and packaged spreads that often sneak in cured or preserved ingredients, making this at home puts you fully in control of what goes on your bagel or cracker. The whole process is straightforward — blend, chill, and spread — and the result firms up beautifully in the fridge into a thick, scoopable consistency that rivals anything from a tub. It's the kind of recipe you'll want to keep on rotation, whether you're topping toast, stuffing celery sticks, or spreading it onto a wrap.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 2–4 tbsp cold water, as needed
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Soak for at least 4 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator, until the cashews are plump and noticeably softened.
- 2
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews under cold running water.
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