Vegan Cream Cheese (Soy-free)

November 17, 2012 by Leanne Vogel February 21, 2015

Homemade vegan cream cheese made from cashews, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Sugar-free, soy-free and dairy-free.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashew halves, soaked for 12 hours
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Place raw cashew halves in a glass dish and fill with filtered water. Cover and place in the fridge to soak for 12 hours.
2. Then, drain and rinse the cashews with water.
3. 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.
4. Blend for 2 minutes or so, until it’s as smooth as smooth can be. Set aside for a couple of hours.
5. 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.
6. Spoon the cream cheese mixture onto the cheesecloth.
7. Pull up the sides of cheesecloth and tie with a piece of string or twine.
8. 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.
9. 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.

Nutrition Information Per Serving