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    Home » Vegan Dairy

    Cultured Cashew Cream Cheese

    Published: Nov 30, 2022 by Poppy Hudson

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Block of homemade cultured cashew cream cheese.
    Homemade cultured cashew cream cheese in a tub.
    Block of homemade cultured cashew cream cheese.

    This vegan cultured cashew cream cheese recipe ferments at room temperature in a covered bowl with only two ingredients. Simply the best-tasting, spreadable dairy cream cheese substitute, it's delicious in sweet or savory recipes alike.

    Bowl of whipped cream chees with fresh fruit and nuts.

    Unlike recipes made with apple cider vinegar, miso, or nutritional yeast, this 3-ingredient cultured cashew cream cheese truly tastes like the real thing.

    Jump to:
    • 🏆 Top tip
    • ⭐ Why it works
    • 📋 Ingredients
    • 🥣 Equipment
    • 🔪 Steps
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Trial and error
    • 🥄 Whipped cream cheese
    • 🔪 Firm style
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert tips
    • 💭 FAQ
    • 🌟 More cultured and fermented recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    🏆 Top tip

    Start your fermentation and set it out before bed. That way, you get your first 12 hours in while sleeping. Then you can check it for sourness throughout the day and up to 36 hours total.

    ⭐ Why it works

    • Real cream cheese flavor
    • NO nutritional yeast, vinegar, miso, or coconut oil
    • Protein-rich cashews
    • Ferments at room temperature
    • Whipped or firm style
    • Probiotics
    • Freezer friendly

    📋 Ingredients

    Cashews, yogurt, salt and lemon juice.
    • Whole organic raw cashews - cashews are ideal because they are smooth, dense, and skinless.
    • Homemade coconut yogurt - live natural starter for uncompromising flavor and healthy probiotics.
    • Sea salt - for a traditional taste.
    • Lemon juice - is optional to preserve a white color.

    🥣 Equipment

    Cashew cream cheese making with yogurt and thermometer.
    • Vitamix - or equivalent machine with high power and a tamper to make the best, silky-smooth spread with real cream cheese consistency.
    • Slim spatula - a dear friend gifted me this one. It's genius for getting the last bit out of jars and blenders.
    • Glass bowl - glass is recommended for fool-proof fermentation.
    • Plate - choose a flat plate that provides an even seal over the top of the bowl.
    • Thermometer - not required, but helpful to ensure the cashew mixture is not too hot to add yogurt.

    🔪 Steps

    Blend cashews, add yogurt, and ferment.
    1. Blend cashews to a smooth, silky consistency.
    2. Check temperature and stir in coconut yogurt.
    3. Ferment 12-36 hours.
    4. Cashew cheese is ready when tangy and expanded with a fluffy texture.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Trial and error

    This tried-and-true fermented vegan cream cheese recipe owes its spot-on flavor to the fact that it's cultured with Homemade Coconut Yogurt.

    It's been a journey getting there! In case you're curious about some of the other methods I used and some of the failures along the way, here's a synopsis.

    💦 Rejuvelac

    Oh, the days of rejuvelac. This yogurt-cultured cashew cheese is so much simpler than the homemade dairy-free alternatives I used to make 20 years ago. That's because the recipe started with a week-long process of sprouting and fermenting wheat berries.

    The liquid from fermented wheat makes a fine culture called rejuvelac. Making it is an art, but the reward is that cheese made from it has a convincing cheesy flavor and gut-friendly probiotics.

    I hung in making rejuvelac for years and just skipped the cream cheese when I didn't have time to make the culture.

    But as vegan foods became more popular and a variety of ways to make plant-based cheese started popping up, it sparked a new interest for me.

    I wasn't willing to give up that legitimate flavor. But maybe there was a more hassle-free and less time-consuming way than making rejuvelac from scratch?

    💊 Probiotic capsules

    Since I read that probiotic capsules worked as a culture, I decided to give them a try. Well, that was a no-go. The capsules were unpredictable, slow to culture, and sometimes failed. But worst of all, the flavor was just off to me. Somehow it seemed artificial anyway.

    So I looked around my kitchen for fresh cultures in foods I made regularly and kept on hand. You know, something that was available and didn't take extra time or effort to make. What about sauerkraut, kombucha, or coconut yogurt?

    I found the live microflora in raw sauerkraut worked. However, guess what? If you guessed the cheese tasted like sauerkraut, you guessed right. Kombucha, on the other hand, wouldn't culture, likely because it needs more sugar than the cashews provide. So that left yogurt.

    🥥  Coconut yogurt starter

    By this point, I finally understood that the flavor of the mother culture was critical for the best-tasting finished product, and I felt on safe ground with my homemade coconut yogurt.

    The only question now was, would the recipe end up tasting like coconut? Surprisingly, those lovely coconut yogurt probiotics went to town and produced a tart and cheesy flavor without any coconut nuance.

    It's truly amazing how the flavor of cashews transforms during fermentation to take on a crave-worthy cream cheese tang.

    🥄 Whipped cream cheese

    Whipped consistency of finished cultured cream cheese.

    This recipe automatically results in a thick, whipped cream cheese consistency without any extra steps.

    Thus, it's easy to spread and melts beautifully to make luscious sauces and creamy entrees like Saffron Chickpea Risotto.

    🔪 Firm style

    Firm style homemade vegan cream cheese.

    Most of the time, we're more than happy dishing our bona fide, cultured cashew cream cheese straight from its container. However, now and then, I like to take the trouble to firm it so that I can serve it on a plate.

    When you want firmer-style cream cheese, simply spoon your cultured cashew cream cheese onto a double layer of tight-weave cotton cloth, wrap it and apply a weight. My favorite cloth is eco-friendly men's cotton handkerchiefs.

    Wrap cream cheese in cloth and place in tofu press to firm.

    A tofu press is handy for cheese-making and other plant-based kitchen tasks, but a flat board or plate with a heavy can on top works as well to firm the cheese.

    Press it for 4-8 hours in the refrigerator. Then transfer the cashew cheese to the freezer overnight. Leave it wrapped in cloth since it will still be too soft to unwrap.

    After 8 hours, take your pressed cheese from the freezer and unwrap it. Now you can store it on a serving dish in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

    When ready to serve, let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature, then you can smooth the edges to make it even and pretty.

    If it starts to soften too much, just place it back in the freezer briefly. Keep the cultured cashew cream cheese refrigerated or frozen until ready to serve since it softens quickly in a warm room.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Expert tips

    Ceramic pot with homemade vegan cream cheese surrounded by fruit.
    • Blend soaked cashews until they're perfectly smooth. There shouldn't be any graininess left. This may take long enough that the mixture becomes warm.
    • Resist the temptation to add more water and add sparingly only if necessary.
    • Test the temperature and make sure the mixture isn't any warmer than 100 degrees before adding yogurt. if necessary, you can place the bowl in the refrigerator until the mixture feels room temperature or cooler to your touch.
    • Cover the bowl with a plate to seal out air and place it out of direct sunlight.
    • Mark the time you begin fermentation. It's easy to forget!
    • Wait 12-36 hours, depending on the warmth of your room.
    • Look for two signs to tell that your cashew cheese is ready. First, there will be a faint, pleasant sour smell. Secondly, cultured cashew cream cheese will expand slightly with a domed top. It will be fluffy inside with air holes.
    Homemade vegan cream cheese is delicious in cinnamon raisin bagels.

    We love cultured cashew cream cheese on Cinnamon Raisin Bagels and in pastries topped with fruit. Boy, am I glad I don't have to go to all the work I used to just to have it on hand.

    💭 FAQ

    What is store-bought vegan cream cheese made from?

    Commercial vegan cream cheese is made from a variety of plant-based ingredients, including tofu, nuts, and legumes. Most have one or several of the following ingredients: coconut oil, modified starches, soy or pea protein, sugar, and a long list of additives like xanthan gum, guar gum, maltodextrin, cellulose, lecithin, tri-calcium phosphate, and glucono-delta-lactone. Not only does homemade taste better, but you can rest assured your recipe is free of artificial ingredients when you make it yourself.

    Why do I need to soak cashews?

    Blending cashews that haven't been soaked first will turn them into nut butter. To get that characteristic, smooth texture of cream cheese, soak cashews in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 24 before making cheese.

    Can I use roasted cashew nuts?

    No. You need raw cashews to culture cream cheese and create a fresh, dairy-like flavor.

    Can I make a half recipe or double the size?

    It's not recommended to make this recipe with less than 2 cups of cashews. That's because most machines won't turn the cashews sufficiently in the blades to process into a smooth consistency. However, it is fine to double the recipe.

    Can I use cultured vegan cream cheese in recipes that use regular cream cheese?

    Yes! You can cook and bake with homemade cultured cashew cream cheese in any recipe that calls for whipped consistency cream cheese. It's lovely for enriching sauces and great for appetizers and desserts.

    Can I use store-bought coconut yogurt?

    I tested the recipe for cultured cashew cream cheese with coconut yogurt from the store, and while it didn't produce the same lovely taste, it did ferment. However, I can't vouch for all brands of plant-based yogurt. If you want to try a store-bought yogurt, I recommend choosing the best-tasting, additive-free product you can find.

    What if I don't have a Vitamix?

    As long as your machine is an equivalent high-powered blender, you'll be fine. You will know your machine is adequate if it changes cashews in the last few minutes of processing from a fine-grained mixture to one with a silky-smooth consistency. If your blender doesn't do this, you may still enjoy this recipe as a delicious probiotic spread.

    🌟 More cultured and fermented recipes

    • Well developed SCOBY in jar of mother kombucha.
      How To Make A Scoby - Simple Steps
    • Steamed idli are popular sourdough breads in India.
      Tender Brown Rice Idli
    • Small jar with stainer above separating ginger from fermented liquid.
      Ginger Bug Recipe
    • Grape,pineapple,tamarind and original gingerale flavored sodas.
      Ginger Bug Soda Recipes

    Enjoyed this post? Leave a comment, rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it, and follow @poppyswildkitchen on Instagram. Aloha!

    📖 Recipe

    Cultured cashew cream cheese is smooth and thick on a cheese knife.

    Cultured Cashew Cream Cheese

    The best-tasting Cultured Cashew Cream Cheese. Fermented with homemade yogurt for a rich, convincing, cheesy flavor. Oil-free recipe, whipped or firm.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 days days
    8 Servings
    Calories: 181kcal
    Author: Poppy Hudson
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups raw cashews soaked overnight
    • 4 TB water
    • 2 TB coconut yogurt preferably homemade
    • ½ tsp. fine-grained sea salt
    • ½ tsp. lemon juice, optional for preserving color

    Instructions

    Soak cashews 12-24 hours

    • Place cashews in a quart jar and cover with water. Soak in the refrigerator overnight for up to 24 hours. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

    Blend cashews

    • Place cashews in a Vitamix or equivalent high-powered blender. Add 4 tablespoons of water and blend briefly at medium speed until a uniform meal is achieved. Turn Vitamix up to the highest speed and process until perfectly smooth. Use a tamper to move the mixture around. After a while, scrape down the sides of the blender.
    • Keep blending until all the grainy bits are gone and a silky frosting-like consistency is achieved. The mixture is likely to be warm by the time it reaches a smooth consistency. Resist the temptation to add more water unless the mixture gets warm and isn't smooth yet. Then add water sparingly, a tablespoon at a time.

    Add yogurt

    • Scrape the cashew mixture into a glass bowl. Test the temperature and make sure it's below 100 degrees. If unsure, place in refrigerator for 20 minutes. The temperature needs to be below 105 degrees so as not to kill the living microbes in the yogurt culture.
    • Add coconut yogurt and stir well until completely blended in. Clean the sides of the bowl with a spatula or damp paper towel. Smooth the top of the mixture. Cover the bowl with a plate.

    Ferment cheese

    • Place the covered bowl out of direct sunlight and let sit at room temperature for 12-36 hours. Taste the cream cheese after 12 hours and periodically until it has the desired tart and cheesy flavor.
    • Culturing takes 12 hours in our tropical climate. However, don't worry if it takes up to 36 hours. Different climates create very different results. Also, the degree of sourness is your own personal taste.
    • As cheese develops, you can smell a faint pleasant sour aroma. A domed top and fluffy interior are two visual cues your cultured cashew cream cheese is ready. It's natural for cultured cashew cream cheese to expand as it sours.

    Stir in lemon juice and salt

    • When cream cheese is sour to your preference, stir it down. Dissolve salt in lemon juice. Stir lemon juice and salt mixture into cream cheese. Whip well with a spoon.

    Refrigerate cheese

    • Transfer cream cheese to a container with a lid. Cashew cream cheese will firm slightly when fully chilled

    Make firmer-style cream cheese

    • To make firmer cream cheese, scoop fermented cheese onto a large square of tightly woven cotton fabric. Men's handkerchiefs are just the right size and weight. You can also use similar cotton fabric cut into 18-inch squares.
    • Roughly shape the cheese into a one-inch high block. Wrap cheese firmly in cloth. Place a second square of cloth on your work surface and wrap the bundle again, so you have the cheese wrapped twice.
    • Place bundled cream cheese inside a tofu press and tighten the screws. Alternatively, you can use two flat plates or small cutting boards with a heavy weight on top.
    • Place weighted cheese in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours. Then, remove the weight and transfer the cream cheese to the freezer overnight. Leave it wrapped in cloth since it will still be too soft to unwrap.
    • After 8 hours in the freezer, you can take your pressed cream cheese out and unwrap it. Peel the fabric away from the block of cream cheese. Now you can store it on a serving dish in the refrigerator until ready to eat. 
    • When ready to serve, let the cashew cream cheese soften for a few minutes at room temperature, then you can smooth the edges to make it even for a pretty dish.
    • NOTE: Cultured cashew cheese will soften quickly in a warm room if left out. So, keep it refrigerated or frozen until just before serving.

    Store

    • Cultured cashew cream cheese lasts easily 2 weeks in the refrigerator and freezes well for 3 months.

    Notes

    RECIPE TIPS
    A Vitamix or equivalent machine is essential for a silky smooth texture. Use a recipe with at least 2 cups of cashews so the mixture can turn in blades.
    Salt makes the cream cheese taste like the "real" thing.  Adding it after fermentation helps shorten the time it takes to culture. 
    Adding lemon juice preserves the white color of cashew cream cheese. You can dissolve salt in lemon juice before mixing it in the cultured cashew cheese.
    Choose the best-tasting, additive-free vegan yogurt if making a substitution for Homemade Coconut Yogurt.
    This recipe makes cream cheese with a whipped consistency. 
    Follow the recipe instructions for making firmer cream cheese if desired.
    If you are in a very warm climate and find your cream cheese ferments in 12 hours, start it early in the morning, and it will be ready before bed. Otherwise, start it before bed to get your first 12 hours while sleeping.
    Cultured Cashew Cream Cheese will last 2 weeks refrigerated and can be frozen for 3 months.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @PoppysWildKitchen or tag #poppyswildkitchen!

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    1. K says

      May 15, 2023 at 4:46 pm

      do you think this would work okay if I use a spoonful of my dairy mesophilic yogurt rather than coconut ?

      Reply
      • Poppy Hudson says

        May 15, 2023 at 6:36 pm

        I think it would if the starter yogurt is mesophilic. I can't predict the taste or be positive about the outcome, but I say give it a go and let me know how it turns out!

        Reply

    Aloha!

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    Hello, I'm Poppy. Delighted to meet you! I LOVE creating exquisitely delicious food from beautiful, seasonal, and exotic produce. Gardening and living in nature's paradise makes it easy. Come learn how you can feel more alive with nutritious plant-forward recipes in your own kitchen.

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