How To Use Cashews As A Cream Cheese Substitute

Cashews are one of the most popular nuts around. They can be found sold raw or roasted and are used in plenty of delicious recipes around the world, from India's creamy korma to Thailand's cashew chicken stirfry. Two things you may not know about cashews are that they technically aren't nuts, and they make for one of the best cream cheese substitutes. In fact, if you are vegan, lactose intolerant, or just want more of these delicious little nuts (actually seeds, but that's okay) in your diet, then cashews are the perfect substitute because they not only taste great but are also good for you. In fact, cashews contain plenty of healthy fats and nutrients — like zinc, iron, and magnesium – as well as a good amount of fiber and plant protein.

Now, you may be wondering how a hard little nut could possibly be used as a substitute for a creamy cheese spread. The answer is that when cashews are soaked in water and blended, they become a creamy and rich spreadable paste. However, if you just stop there, the cashew paste will taste nothing like cream cheese. To get the flavor right, many recipes call for added lemon juice, vinegar, and nutritional yeast.

So, now that you know cashews can be used to replace cream cheese, you're probably wondering which recipes it will work best in. The answer is — almost all of them, except in baked goods where the substitution works but may not be one-to-one.

This is because baking is more of a science than an art, and if you change ingredients in a baked good recipe, you will likely end up with different results. Therefore, if you want to make a cashew cheesecake, for example, instead of just making cashew cream cheese and replacing the dairy cream cheese one-to-one, you should look for an already tested vegan recipe, like this blueberry and lavender vegan cheesecake to make sure you get the best results.

On the other hand, if you want to eat your cashew cream cheese on a bagel or use it in a dip, you can easily substitute it for dairy-based cream cheese one-to-one. You can also use cashew cream cheese as a substitute for cream cheese frostings. However, most cream cheese frostings also include butter. So, if you are lactose intolerant or vegan, you will likely need to look for a cashew-based butter-free recipe, like this one for cacao cupcakes with cashew butter icing.

The good thing about cashew cream cheese is that it is easy to make and can be stored for up to four days in the fridge, which is perfect for people who love eating cream cheese on bagels or toast most mornings. So, how do you make it?

The first step is to soak your cashews. Saturating the cashews gives them a soft texture that will allow the nuts to be blended up into a smooth paste. Cashews should be soaked for at least four hours, but some recipes call for the nuts to be soaked overnight. If you forget to soak the cashews beforehand, you can boil them for about 30 minutes instead to soften them up.

Once the cashews are ready, take about 1¾ cups of soaked cashews and add them to a powerful blender along with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste. Then, blend the mixture together until smooth and top with fresh chives. And there you have it — a great dairy-free cream cheese that is versatile and tastes great.