Description
Cashew cheese is a gluten-free, dairy-free alternative to cheese. This recipe is made with nutritional yeast to give it a delicious cheesy flavor. What’s more, this keto cheese spread contains tons of vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked*
- 1/4 cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed*
- 1 small garlic clove*
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt*
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in water for at least an hour. Generally, I soak them overnight. Drain before using.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until relatively smooth. I enjoy a coarse texture, leaving some of the cashews partially intact.*
- Serve with choice vegetables (cucumbers, snap peas), keto crackers, or castelvetrano olives (my favorite choice).
- Keep leftovers refrigerated. Saves for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
Soaking the almonds produces a creamier texture. It also makes the blending process a bit easier. However, if you’re short on time, soaking the almonds is not necessary.
Use fresh squeezed lemon juice whenever possible. Working with fresh ingredients promotes better flavor and a healthier product.
I prefer the flavor of fresh garlic, although as an alternative, you can use powdered garlic. If you plan on substituting with powdered, I would recommend using 1/8 teaspoon or less.
I love the flavor (and health benefits) of Himalayan sea salt. Other sea salts tend to be a bit more aggressive. Meaning, if you plan on swapping the salt, you may want to consider reducing the amount called for.
Using a food processor makes the blending process much easier and the texture more pleasurable. The problem with using a blender is that it’s easy to over-mix the spread. In which case, the flavor is preserved but the texture becomes slightly gummy.
- Prep Time: 5 Min
- 1 Hour Soak (optional):
- Category: Dips
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Keto
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 261
- Sugar: 2g
- Fat: 19g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 11g
Keywords: dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, easy, healthy, vegetarian, ketotarian, keto, low-carb