AMAZING VEGAN CHEESE RECIPES!
Nutritional Yeast Sauce
*It`s possible to make a flourless version
*Types: Nacho/anything dipping sauce, macaroni (or pasta of choice) and cheese sauce
- Nutritional Yeast - 1 cup
- Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
- 1-2 cups of water
- Roasted red pepper and garlic spice
- Herbs
- salt
- 1 tbsp margarine
- 1 tbsp Mustard
Instructions
1. Mix together yeast and flour in a sauce pan. Add spices and salt.
2. Turn on stove to medium and start adding water slowly
3. After adding enough water to reach a good consistency, remove from heat and add margarine and mustard.
Nat-yo Cheese
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour (or gluten free flour)
- ⅓ c nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- dash paprika
- dash turmeric (for color)
- 1 c unsweetened almond milk (or other milk)
- ¼ – ½ tsp liquid smoke
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast the whole wheat flour in a small, dry saucepan for a few minutes– I like to take the time with this step as it develops a deeper flavor.
- Whisk the nutritional yeast and seasonings into the four and add the milk.
- Bring to boil and reduce heat slightly. Stir occasionally until desired thickness.
- Add liquid smoke, salt, and pepper
BASIC Cashew Cheese
- 1 cup cashews (130g) soaked in 3 cups (709 ml) of water for at least 1 hour.
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (10ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
- 2 turns fresh black pepper
- 1/4 cup water (60ml)
Instructions
- Soak, drain and rinse cashews.
- Place in a food processor, along with lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
- Pulse for about 1 minute to combine ingredients.
- Add water and process until completely smooth, about 2 -4 minutes.
Cashew Cheese (Agar)
- 1 oz. agar flakes or powder
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups raw cashews, ground into a fine powder
- 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4-1/2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. onion flakes or powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup quick, oil-free pesto (recipe follows)
For the pesto
In a food processor, pulse the basil, garlic and pepper until finely chopped. Remove from processor and set aside.
For the cheese
- Clean and dry the bowl of the food processor and grind the cashews. Either lightly oil a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan or use medium-sized ramekins to get round cheezes. One loaf pan is perfect for this recipe, but if you go smaller, you will need more than one pan or dish.
- In a medium-sized sauce pan, bring the 3 cups of water and agar flakes to a boil and keep the mixture at a nice, rolling boil for 5 minutes, whisking often. Meanwhile, add the remaining cheez ingredients – but not the pesto or the water/agar – to the food processor. Process until everything is combined and you have a thick paste. When the agar mixture has boiled for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the cashew mixture. It will start off rather chunky, but will melt into the agar. Once it’s all whisked and smooth, quickly dump in the pesto and stir only one or two times. You don’t want to fully incorporate the pesto – you’re looking for streaks and lumps.
- Quickly pour the cheez into the prepared pan(s) or dish(es). Pop into the ‘frige and allow to firm up. Once the cheez is firm, you can remove it from the pan(s) by running a knife around the edges. Serve sliced, as is, or use in quesadillas or grilled sandwiches.
Next Level Cashew Cheese (with Optional holiday spin)
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbs tamari
- 1 tbs olive oil
- ⅛ tsp salt
- water, added as needed
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
Instructions
- Drain and rinse cashews.
- Combine all ingredients (except cranberries) in blender or food processor until smooth. Add just enough water to help things blend smoothly.
- Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Pour cheese mixture over cheesecloth. Place in refrigerator and let sit overnight.
- Form mixture into two rolls. Spread dried cranberries on a plate and rotate the cheese rolls. Use your hands to pack everything together. Place rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 40 minutes at 250°, until edges are firm and slightly darkened. Let cool before enjoying.
Macadamia Nut Raw Cheese
- 200 gr. macadamia nuts
- some spring water
- 1/2 lime juiced (optional)
- a dash of pink himalayan salt
Instructions
- Place the macadamia nuts in the blender.
- Pour enough water to cover them, but not too much.
- Get the blender working on high speed for 30 seconds. That’s the moment it will start warming up and we don’t want that. Stop for a while and hit the high speed for another 30 seconds…
- When the nuts are all blended and puffy add the lime juice and the salt and mix again (with a spatula, not the blender).
- Take a colander, place doubled mesh bag in it and pour in the cheesy cream.
- Fold the bag covering all the mixture and add something heavy on top, like a plate, big cup or a small pot.
- Take the setting into a warm location and leave it there for 24 hours. It will be best if you add more weight on it at some point, to drain all the water out of the cheese. Garnish with herbs & nutritional yeast. Serve with crackers, veggies and red wine.
- Your cheese will be ready in 24 hours. Remove it from the mesh bag into a plate and keep in the fridge. If you want to eat it as a creme cheese – then eat it. But if you want it to look like real cheese, leave it in the fridge for at least another 24 hours. The longer it stays in the fridge the harder it becomes.
Vegan Mini Cheesecakes
- Crust:
- 1 cup pitted dates (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes then drained)
- 1 cup raw walnuts or almonds
- Filling:
- 1.5 cups raw cashews, quick soaked*
- 1 large lemon, juiced (scant 1/4 cup)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp full fat coconut milk (see instructions for note)
- 1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
- Optional Flavor Add-Ins:
- 2 Tbsp salted natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 3 Tbsp bourbon caramel sauce
Instructions
- Add dates to a food processor and blend until small bits remain and it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.
- Next add nuts and process into a meal. Then add dates back in and blend until a loose dough forms - it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. If it's too dry, add a few more dates through the spout while processing. If too wet, add more almond or walnut meal. Optional: add a pinch of salt to taste.
- Lightly grease a standard, 12 slot muffin tin. To make removing the cheesecakes easier, cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in the slots. This creates little tabs that makes removing them easier to pop out once frozen.
- Next scoop in heaping 1 Tbsp amounts of crust and press with fingers. To pack it down, use a small glass or the back of a spoon to compact it and really press it down. I found the bottom of a glass works well. If it sticks, separate the crust and the glass with a small piece of parchment. Set in freezer to firm up.
- Add all filling ingredients to a blender and mix until very smooth. For the coconut milk, I like to scoop the "cream" off the top because it provides a richer texture. But if yours is already all mixed together, just add it in as is.
- You don't need a Vitamix for this recipe, just a quality blender. I mixed mine for 1 minute, then "liquified" or "pureed" it until silky smooth. If it won't come together, add a touch more lemon juice or agave or a splash more coconut milk liquid as the liquid should help it blend better.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If adding peanut butter, add to the blender and mix until thoroughly combined. If flavoring with blueberry or caramel, wait and swirl on top of plain cheesecakes (optional).
- Divide filling evenly among the muffin tins. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard - about 4-6 hours.
- Once set, remove by tugging on the tabs or loosening them with a butter knife. They should pop right out. Our favorite way to devour these was with a little more caramel and a touch of coconut whipped cream. But they're perfect as is! Keep in the freezer for up to 1-2 weeks.
- Optional: you can set them out for 10 minutes before serving to soften, but I liked them frozen as well.
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