Place raw cashew halves in a glass dish and fill with filtered water. Cover and place in the fridge to soak for 24 hours.
Then, drain and rinse the cashews with water.
Drop cashews in a blender or food processor and add remaining ingredients. Begin with 2 tablespoons of water and work up to 3 tablespoons if needed. The water is in the recipe just to help the mixture get as smooth as possible in the blender.
Blend for 2 minutes or so, until it's as smooth as smooth can be. Set aside for a couple of hours.
Drape a tall plastic container with cheesecloth. For thinner, more creamy cream cheese, double up the cloth. For a firmer cheese, use 1-ply. I chose to double up.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture onto the cheesecloth.
Pull up the sides of cheesecloth and tie with a piece of string or twine.
Hang the cheese bag on a kitchen utensil and rest it inside a vase or juice pitcher. It just has to be extended in the air so that the extra liquids can drain from it.
Leave in a warm place for at least 24 hours. Then, remove from the hanging setup you've created, remove cheesecloth and serve as is or add flavors such as herbs, vanilla or a touch of sugar.
Recipe by Healthful Pursuit at https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2012/12/how-to-make-soy-free-vegan-cream-cheese/