I normally make vegan cheese in a cheesecloth because I didn’t know I could bake the cashew cream to make cheese. In fact, baking speeds up the process, and makes the cheese mold-free, if that’s possible. According to Claude the AI, most molds are destroyed at temperatures above 140°F (60°C). Apparently, soaking the cashews in water overnight doesn’t kill the mold. So in this case, you only need to soak for 1-2 hours to make the cashews softer, therefore creamier when blended.
Toasted or not, my advice, which is my mother’s advice, which is Rabbi Maimonides’ advice, nuts should be eaten in moderation – no more than a handful of nuts per day.
This vegan brie-like cheese resulted from me messing up my cashew cream ratios. I accidentally made the mixture too runny. So I cooked it over medium heat to reduce it. That’s when I realized that I could bake it instead of straining it for a day or two.
You can make it with dried herbs such dill or scallion or spices such as sumac or za’atar. For softer cheese, bake for less time. For firm cheese, bake longer.
Easy & Quick Vegan Cheese
Equipment
- Ramekin
- baking paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews - soaked in water for minimum 1 hour up to 24 hours
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup filtered water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg – optional
- Olive oil for greasing
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C.
- Drain the cashews. Put then in a blender with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, water, salt and nutmeg, and blend until the texture is smooth.
- Line a small ramekin with parchment paper and grease with olive oil. Pour the mixture in and sprinkle generously with black pepper on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Let cool before removing from the ramekin. Serve over a cutting board or store in container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
