Entertaining a crowd? Need an awesome vegan appetizer? Well you’re in luck! This baked cashew cheese is amazing. Serve it up with some simple crackers, bread, maybe a little fruit and you’re in business. Don’t let the prep time for this recipe discourage you. It does require some planning ahead, but the actual hands-on time is minimal. You just need one night to soak the cashews, another to let them drain and the following day you bake it up. Totally worth the wait. You’ll also want to pick up some cheesecloth. They should have it at most grocery stores and it’s very inexpensive.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Soak the nuts overnight in a bowl of water to cover.
- Drain the nuts and place in the blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
- Place mixture in cheesecloth and close up. Place cheesecloth in a strainer over a bowl. Place in refrigerator overnight.
- The following day, drain off any liquid. Plop mixture out of cheesecloth into an oiled oven-proof bowl or dish. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 40 minutes or until the cheese is firm and the top is golden brown and cracked. Serve warm or let cool and store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 175
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 436
- Fat: 16
- Carbohydrates: 7
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 0
Wow! This cashew cheese is absolutely delicious! 😀
@Marilyn – So glad you liked it!
Do you think this would work without the oil?
I think you could use water in place of the oil in this recipe, but report back and let us know how it turns out!
I want to add capers, sundried tomato, and olives to this. How can I adjust for the added moisture?
Oh good question! I think the moisture in those would be pretty minimal. I would try the recipe as-is with your mix-in. Just don’t use too much of anything. Let us know how it goes!