The other day I found myself dreaming of my vegan cashew “cream cheese”. Then I glanced at my walnuts, soaking in a jar on the window sill; and another batch of fresh beetroot on the kitchen counter. And there it was! I have to warn you though, walnuts have a strong, unique flavour that might not be to everyone’s taste. You can substitute them with more cashews, or sunflower seeds, or blanched almonds, or….

Also, due to natural oxidation, the top layer of the cream cheese will turn slightly grey. This is normal and doesn’t affect the taste or quality.

Makes approx. 250g of cream cheese:

3/4 cup (100g) cashews (soak for 8 hours, then rinse and drain)
3/4 cup (80g) walnuts (soak for 8 hours, then rinse and drain)
1/3 teaspoon salt
20g raw beetroot (or more if you like)
probiotic powder from two capsules
1/4 cup + 1-2 tablespoon water

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth.

2. Scoop into a sterile jar, place lid on only loose so that the probiotic little helpers can breathe.

3. Place the jar in a warm place for at least 10 hours. Depending on how warm it is and how active the probiotic bugs are, the vegan “cheese” will take between 10 and 20 hours. Once the ‘cheese’ has risen and you can see small bubbles, it is ready.

4. Place in fridge and consume within a week.

Enjoy! 

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

Because for quite some time, I had this bottle of probiotic capsules sitting in my pantry, meaning to use it to try some cultured cheese alternatives.

When I first made this vegan cream cheese, I couldn’t believe how much it reminds me of that popular brand. OK, it’s been many years since I last had it, but in my opinion it really does taste very similar. A great advantage: while eating it, you’ll get your probiotics as well!

You can use pretty much any seed or nut. My preferred blend at this stage is cashews and macadamias. You can also use it as salad dressing. So yummy!

This recipe will create one large jar of vegan ‘cream’ cheese. If you wish to have a smaller amount, you might need to make it in a powerful mini-blender (my large high-speed blender struggles with amounts that are smaller than what’s listed below).

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Super Easy Cultured Cream ‘Cheese’ (Vegan, Gluten-free, Raw)

When I first made this vegan cream cheese, I couldn’t believe how much it reminds me of that popular brand. A great advantage: while eating it, you’ll get your probiotics as well!

Course spread

Cuisine German

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Keyword Almond, Cashew, dairy-free, Fermented, raw, soy-free, Spread

Servings 1 large jar

Equipment

• powerful mini-blender

Ingredients

• 140 g cashews soak them in filtered water for at least 4 hours, then rinse and drain
• 1/2 cup macadamias soak them in filtered water for at least 8 hours, then rinse and drain
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup filtered water start with less and add more if needed
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
• 2 content of probiotic capsules

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients until tick, creamy and smooth.
• Transfer to a suitable container. I like to use small mason jars. Make sure you don’t fill it more than half full (it will grow once it ferments). Loosely place lid on top, don’t close it to allow it to breathe.
• Place in a warm spot for at least 8 hours. In my experience it needs to be at least 20°C, or even better 25°C. Because it is colder than that in my home, I use a chilly bin into which I place a hot water bottle and the jars with soon-to-be cream ‘cheese’. Add salt & pepper to taste. Store in fridge and use within about 4 days.

Notes

Give it a try! It’s amazing and admittedly quite addictive

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

That is one of the reasons why I never made my own. Ok, a few years ago, when I still had a cheap blender, I gave it a try and it wasn’t very convincing.

So for this recipe to be easy, you will need a high-speed blender.

And you need dried chick peas. Because this recipe is based on good old home-cooked chick peas, which will need soaking and cooking before being processed. There are good reasons tgo do it that way, which I will explain further in a post soon

For 1 small bowl of hummus you’ll need:

1 cup dried chick peas

1/4 cup lemon juice (approx. one large lemon)
2 heaped tablespoon tahini
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil and some ground paprika for serving

Preparation:

1. Soak the chick peas in water for at least 12 hours. I like to sprout them as well but this is not necessary.

2. Cook the chick peas in water until tender, depending on how fresh they are this can take between 30 and 45 minutes. Drain and let cool down.

3. Chuck all the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on medium speed until it becomes creamy. If the hummus easily moves wile blended it is smooth enough. If doesn’t move, add a little more water.

4. Scoop into serving bowl or container, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with ground paprika.

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

The good thing about this situation: it motivates me to make my own. It not only tastes better but you also know what it is actually made of.

So for this recipe I’ve used soaked sunflower seeds which are very healthy and good for a balanced diet. I blended them for not too long so as to leave a bit of rustic texture to it. While I’ve used dried tomatoes in oil (you can use dried tomatoes that have been soaked in filtered water overnight too) you can also use more tomato paste instead. It doesn’t have the same rich flavour though.

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Sunflower Seed Tomato Spread (Vegan, Lactose-free, Gluten-free)

For this vegan and lactose-free recipe I’ve used soaked sunflower seeds which are very healthy and good for a balanced diet. I blended them for not too long so as to leave a bit of rustic texture to it.

Course spread

Cuisine German

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Keyword Basil, Capsicum / Peppers, nut-free, Spread, Sunflower Sead, Tomato

Servings 250 ml

Equipment

• high-speed blender

Ingredients

• 110 g sunflower seeds soak these in water for approx. 8 hours, then rinse & drain
• 10 dried tomatoes soak these in in water for a few hours as well, then drain
• 160 g passata
• 1 heaped tsp basil
• 2-3 tsp ground paprika
• salt & pepper to taste
• a few pinches ground chili

Instructions

• Start by soaking the sunflower seeds in water for approx. 8 hours, then rinse and drain. Also soak the dried tomatoes for a few hours. Then drain.
• Then simply blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within a few days. It also tastes great with different herbs and spices.

Notes

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.