Spicy Vegan Cashew Cheese
Another plant based recipe coming your way 🙂 Posted this amazing cheese sauce on my Instagram a few days ago and had to add it on here because dang, it’s tasty. Like reallllly tasty. I’m not a huge cheese lover over here (I know- craziness). but I’ll eat spoonfuls on this all day, any day haha. The best thing about this spicy vegan cashew cheese? It’s blender friendly, plant based, and ready in 5 minutes! Sounds like a winner to me 😉
![plant based cashew cheese in a white bowl with cashews on a brown board](https://choosingbalance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Spicy-Vegan-Cashew-Cheese-690x920.jpg)
Now, I don’t have a food processor but if you do-I’d recommend making it in that! I think it will blend quicker and smoother. But if you’re out of luck like me in the food processor department- a blender works great too! It just takes a little longer slumming it haha.
I like to soak the cashews for at least two hours before making this. Soaking them makes the cashews softer and easier to blend. Aka less work for you in the long run! I’ll fill a bowl with the cashews + water, put it in the fridge, and then they’re ready to blend into this delicious vegan cheese sauce just a few hours later.
I wanted this cheese to have a little bit of a kick to it so I added in some chili powder, paprika, and nutritional yeast. I love using nutritional yeast as a substitute for cheese in recipes! Used it in my Plant Based Pasta Sauce too. I just pick up a bag from Trader Joe’s when I go but most health food stores will carry it!
![plant based cashew cheese in a white bowl with cashews on a brown board](https://choosingbalance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Spicy-Vegan-Cashew-Cheese-2-690x920.jpg)
I added the soaked cashews, water, nutritional yeast, paprika, onion powder, and chili powder to my blender. Took about 5 minutes to blend everything up, I stirred it a few times in between! You can use this sooo many ways. Nachos, pasta, chips, quesadillas, the possibilities are endless!
Seriously wanted to eat this with a spoon and I have a feeling you’ll want to do the same haha. Hope you enjoy!!
![plant based cashew cheese in a white bowl with cashews on a brown board](https://choosingbalance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Spicy-Vegan-Cashew-Cheese-690x1035.png)
Spicy Vegan Cashew Cheese
This healthy vegan cheese substitute is not only plant based but also so tasty! Simple to make and made with minimal ingredients!
![plant based cashew cheese in a white bowl with cashews on a brown board](https://choosingbalance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Spicy-Vegan-Cashew-Cheese-630x266.jpg)
Ingredients
2 cups cashews (soaked)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 paprika
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cups water
Method
- Soak cashews for at least 2 hours up to overnight. I soaked mine for 2 hours here and it worked great!
- Rinse soaked cashews
- Add into the blender with water, paprika, chili powder, nutritional yeast, and onion powder
- Blend until smooth, add more water if needed!