Creamy, rich, tangy and delicious Vegan Cream Cheese. Quick and easy to make and just perfect for spreading, snacking and dipping!
PREP TIME: 20 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 0 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutesminutes
Servings: 2cups
Ingredients
½ heaping cup (75 grams)raw almonds, for nut-free option see recipe notes
16oz (454 grams)medium firm, firm or extra firm tofu (NOT silken tofu) , I like medium firm for this recipe. Using firm or extra firm will create a slightly firmer cream cheese.
¼ cup (60ml)melted refined coconut oil , measure while liquid and don't use while hot. Allow to cool back to room temperature before using.
1 - 1½teaspoonsfine sea salt
½teaspoondried dill, the finished recipe won't taste of dill, but it's an important addition. I really recommend you don't skip it!
INSTRUCTIONS
Boil some water in a kettle and cover the raw almonds in the boiling water. Let them soak for 15 minutes. Drain, then remove the brown, papery skins by pinching the rounded end of the almond and squeezing. They should pop out really easily. Discard the skins.
To a food processor or a high powered blender add the soaked and skinned almonds, tofu, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, nutritional yeast, coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of the sea salt and the dried dill. Process until completely smooth. You will get a smoother result in a high powered blender than you will in a food processor.
Taste, and add the remaining salt to taste then blend again. I always use the full 1½ teaspoons.
Spoon out into a container. It can be eaten right away but is best if refrigerated for at last 1 hour so it firms up a little.
NOTES
To make without almonds - The almonds can be replaced with raw cashew nuts (soak them as per the recipe instructions), or if you want to make the recipe completely nut-free, omit the almonds and increase the refined coconut oil to ½ cup (120 mls) measured while melted. The extra coconut oil will firm it up enough so it becomes cream cheese texture once refrigerated. To make oil free - Simply omit the coconut oil and keep everything else as it is. The cream cheese will be looser, it won't melt and it won't have as rich a mouthfeel but it is still spreadable and delicious. Storage - Transfer it from the food processor to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.