Tangy Herbed Vegan Cheese Spread is the perfect appetizer for holiday parties! It’s a great snack, too! You can even serve it on bagels instead of cream cheese. Made with a mix of cashews and macadamia a nuts, this non-dairy cheese recipe is super easy to make. It’s is dairy-free, of course, and gluten-free, too.
A Cheesy Vegan
Cheese was the last animal based-food I cut from my diet. I had gone vegetarian in the early 90s. After reading about how animals were treated in the egg and dairy-industries, I decided to go vegan. I was totally addicted to cheese though, and I had a difficult time giving it up. I ended up sneaking some in here and there for a few months before I gave it up all together.
At the time, vegan cheese wasn’t easy to come by, and I had no idea that it was possible to make my own cheese. I wish I had known about the magic of nuts and nutritional yeast back then. I probably would have been able to break up with dairy sooner.
Nuts for Cheese!
The first time I realized that it was possible to make non-dairy cheese with nuts and seeds was a vegan potluck. Someone brought a casserole with her, and there was a layer of what looked like ricotta on top. She explained that it’s really easy to make cheese using nuts or seeds, a little water, and some spices.
I was absolutely amazed. “It’s really that easy to make this?” I asked while shoveling more of the casserole she made into my face.
And it I’ve since realized that yes, it really is that easy.
Sure, there are far more elaborate recipes that use tapioca to create a gooey, melty texture. Or you can use probiotics to create cultured cheese. But if you’re in the mood for a little cheesy drizzle on your tacos or a tangy spread for crackers, it just takes a few minutes to whip something up in your food processor or blender.
Soak Your Nuts
A little forethought is required, though, as most nuts need to be soaked. The macadamias I use in my Herbed Vegan Cheese Spread should be soaked for at least 8 hours. You can soak them overnight in the fridge if you prefer. Raw cashews don’t really need to be soaked if you’re using a high-speed blender, but I like to soak them for an hour or so anyway, to soften them a little.
Tangy Herbed Vegan Cheese Spread
I originally created the basis of this cheese last year in my Cheese and Apple Tartlets recipe. For some reason it’s been on my mind lately. I’ve had the urge to mix in garlic and herbs in an effort to recreate the tangy, herby cheese spreads I enjoyed so much in my pre-vegan days. Adding some chives, parsley, and garlic really does the trick!
Tangy Herbed Vegan Cheese Spread
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked for 2 hours, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts soaked for 8 hours, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons mellow white miso
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Mix everything except the chives and parsley in a high-speed blender or food processor. Mix until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrap down the sides if necessary. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add a little more water a tablespoon at a time.
- Pulse in the chives and parsley.
- Chill the cheese spread in the fridge for an hour or two before serving.
This sounds so lovely. I love the idea of blending macadamias and cashews. And that cheese platter…. WOW!!!
I used to think I could never be vegan because I could never give up cheese. 18 years ago there was really not much around… and what was around was not great. But now I knew I never really knew true cheese love until I came to know vegan cheese.
Thank you, Susan! Vegan cheese is so much better than dairy, isn’t it?!
So much better! Omnivores don’t know what they are missing out on!
They don’t!
I hear so many stories like yours Dianne. Dairy has always been my nemesis, so I’ve never been a fan of cheese. But I love nut “cheeses” like this one. So flavorful!
Thanks, Alisa!
That vegan cheese board is just SO PRETTY! It has all of my favorite foods in one place. I rarely make my own vegan cheese anymore, since really good ones are a lot more readily available than they used to be. But this sounds so good, a trip to the grocery store for macadamia nuts is in order!
Thank you, Cadry! I hope you enjoy it!
This sounds like the perfect spread! I love basically any kind of nut cheese, but homemade is always best. 🙂
Thank you, Ricki! I hope you get a chance to try it!
What a delicious looking cheese spread . I’d be slathering that on everything I could
Thank you, Nicole! Enjoy!
Can this spread be made a day in advance? Does it keep well?
Hi Dana! Yes, it can be made in advance. It will keep for about 5 days in the fridge. You can freeze it, too.
Thank you for the quick reply and the information–very helpful, and it will cut down on my prep work for tomorrow’s meal. One other question–I just noticed the macadamia nut (which sounds delicious from my perspective). Unfortunately, I’m working with a potential macadamia nut allergy with the other individual coming to dinner. Do you think the spread would work as well using all cashew? Thanks!
Yes, you can definitely use all cashews. I hope you both enjoy it!
Thank you 🙂
The taste is spot-on, and on the whole it’s simple (requiring only a few ingredients), but I have to admit that the process for making it was way more frustrating that I had expected going in. We used a Kitchenaid blender and it flung the ingredients up the sides of the pitcher and all over the lid. We had to stop every few seconds, scrape it all off, pulse again, stop, scrape, etc. In the end, it took nearly half an hour just to blend it. I love the faux cheese but I’m not sure I’m willing to go through that to have it again. Were we doing something wrong?
Sorry to hear that you had problems with the recipe. Without having been there, it’s difficult for me to speculate as to what the problem could have been. It might have to do with the blender, or perhaps the nuts needed to be soaked a little longer.
I’m going to be making this tonight…I couldn’t find white miso paste and I’m also just not a huge fan – anything I might substitute or will it just be fine without? Thanks!
Hi, Linnea! I’ve never made it without the miso. I don’t think there’s a substitute for it, but I’m guessing it will be okay without it. Let me know how it turns out!