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An easy recipe for savoury garlic herb vegan almond cheese spread that's bursting with flavour and can be used in many ways. It's great on crackers, sandwiches, and as a veggie dip!
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Confession: I have yet to try a store-bought vegan cheese I like.
And that's not to say that there aren't any good ones out there. I just haven't had a good one that I like yet (Is there one that you love? Tell me about it in the comments!).
So when it comes to vegan cheese products from the store, I just stay away. However, I got a little curious with all the vegan cashew cheese recipes out there and decided to try something with almonds.
What I came up with is this garlic herb vegan almond cheese spread that's bursting with flavour and can be used in so many ways.
So why didn't I just make a cashew cheese recipe when there are already so many to be found on the internet?
I can't.
A family member has a severe allergy so I cannot have cashews in the house. And I'm fine with that, I've never had cashew cheese, so it's not like I feel as if I'm missing something. Quite the opposite. Especially when I have my vegan almond cheese spread!
Since coming up with this recipe, I have been putting it on everything. Like the hot sauce lady. You know who I mean 🙂
I LOVE it slathered on a good veggie sandwich or on a toasted bagel and especially on crackers:
There aren't too many ingredients needed to put this recipe together and the ingredients aren't complicated (simple like my easy kale chips!).
What is Nutritional Yeast?
The one ingredient you may not have tried before is the nutritional yeast. If you haven't used it before, it can be used in many ways and is used in many vegan recipes, so buy a bag and put it in everything you want to give a little "cheesy" flavour to.
This recipe is also very easy and straightforward. The hardest part is being patient while the almonds soak. They need to soak for 24-hours, so be sure to plan ahead.
After the almonds have soaked, I don't peel the skin off, but you can if you'd like.
I skip that step because the skin becomes so soft after being soaked that it makes no difference to the recipe since it doesn't change the taste or the texture.
The only way you know the skin is still there is because you see the light brown specks in the finished spread (look at the pictures above and below to see what I mean).
If you prefer to not have the almond skin as part of the spread, you can do one of two things:
- You can either start out by using blanched raw, natural almonds
- You can peel the skin off yourself after the almonds have been soaked. The skin comes off really easily at that point, it's just a little time-consuming. It's totally up to you and whichever way you go, your result will be the same and of course, delicious!
Customize by Using Your Favourite Herbs
Another good thing about this recipe is that you can alter the flavour based on your favourite herbs.
While testing, I tried making it with chives, and then with dill, and they were both so delicious, but the parsley is my favourite.
The spread is soft enough to also be used as a veggie dip. See how versatile it is? There are probably many other ways it can be used that I haven't tried yet!
If you make my garlic herb vegan almond cheese spread, tell me your favourite way to use it!
Leave a comment below, or even better, show me! Post a picture to Instagram and be sure to tag me, I'm @delightfuladventures over there and my hashtag is #delightfuladventures.
Craving a little something sweet after making this recipe? How about checking out one of these?
- Coconut Mango Chia Pudding
- Key Lime Cups
- Vegan Lemon Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
- Vegan Gluten Free Blueberry Crisp
And here are some other easy vegan recipes you may also like:
About those crackers...
So many of you have asked about the crackers in the first few pictures! They are by a brand called "Mary's Gone Crackers." They are delicious and also happen to be vegan and gluten-free. You can look for them at Costco, your grocery or natural foods store, or you can also find them on Amazon. (I always have a box in my cupboard!)
How to Make Vegan Almond Cheese Spread
Garlic Herb Vegan Almond Cheese Spread
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole raw almonds (see notes below)
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (see note below)
Instructions:
- Place the raw almonds into a glass container and cover with water. Cover, and place in the refrigerator. Soak for 24 hours.
- Drain and rinse the soaked almonds after the 24 hours have passed.
- Place the soaked almonds, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt into a high speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- Empty mixture into a bowl, add chopped herbs and mix until everything is combined.
- Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for a few hours so the flavour can develop.
- Store unused spread in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Recipe Notes:
- Be sure that you are using a high-speed blender for this recipe. A regular blender will not work. (I use my Nutri Bullet or Vitamix and both work very well.)
- Use only blanched or natural whole, raw, unsalted almonds for this recipe, NOT slivered almonds or roasted almonds.
- Blanched almonds come with the skins off to make things a bit easier for you, but if you cannot find them, you can also use almonds with the skins on BUT, be sure to peel the skins after they have been soaked. This step is a little time consuming, so be sure to factor this into your prep time.
- Use your favourite herb and be sure to chop it up really well. My favourite is parsley and I also love using dill or chives (but not at the same time!).
- After soaking your 1 cup of almonds, they will expand a little. The soaked almonds will equal 1 ½ cups.
- Spread will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Recipe makes 1 ¾ cups of spread. Nutrition info is for 1 serving of 7 (¼ cup) and is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Can I freeze it?
Gwen says
Hi Vanessa, I have never put it in the freezer, so I can't say for sure. I'd be a little hesitant, but if you do try, please come back and let me know how it goes! You can also halve the recipe so it doesn't make as much. Hope this helps! 🙂
Yael says
It looks so good, and so does the crackers.
What kind of crackers are those and do you have a recipe for them????
Gwen says
Hi Yael! You aren't the first to ask about those crackers 🙂 They are made by a brand called "Mary's Gone Crackers." I've included info just above the recipe on where you can buy them 🙂 Hope this helps!
Nikki Pearce says
Hi, made this and love it! The only thing is I’m not sure I’ll eat it all in 4-5 days. Do you think I could freeze some of it?
Gwen says
Hi Nikki! I'm so glad to hear you like it! 🙂 I have never tried freezing it, but I think it would be okay. The only thing that may happen is the texture may be slightly different after it defrosts. If you do try, please come back and let me know how it goes!
Sferd says
Hi there--
Sorry for the late question, but I was curious why you use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic? I generally only use garlic powder if I'm not planning to 'blenderize' a recipe.
I look forward to trying this. I make several cashew cheez recipes which I like, but I'm always looking for a new option!
Gwen says
Hi! Good question! I LOVE fresh garlic and always use fresh when possible, so when I was testing the recipe, I did try it but I found that it was too strong with the other flavours, so I opted for the more mellow garlic powder. I wanted all the flavours to shine through and with the fresh garlic, no matter how little I used, it seemed to flavour the spread in a way I didn't like. That being said, it still turned out great-tasting each time, the flavours just didn't balance out the way I wanted them to, so ultimately, I went with the garlic powder. When you make the recipe, you can definitely use fresh garlic, you may like it more than I did. Let me know how it goes!
Cherie says
This!!!! I can't believe how good this is!!! Thank you! Even my almond-hating son liked it!
I was hesitant to make this so I made half the recipe and that was a mistake. lol I just made the full recipe again because that half recipe was gone immediately! Fabulous recipe, thank you so much!!!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
I'm so glad you decided to try it, even though you were a bit hesitant, Cherie! So very happy you like the recipe, thanks so much for your note 🙂
Leanne says
Hi
Just wondering if anyone has tried to possibly freeze half, as 4-5 days isn't long enough for me to eat that much cheese. Thanks!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Leanne, I have not tried freezing it so I'm not sure how it would be after it has thawed, but you could halve all the ingredients and just make just half the recipe, that will work just fine. I hope you like it!
Emily says
What happens to the recipe if roasted almonds are used?
Thank you!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Emily! Roasted almond have a much stronger almond taste, whereas raw almonds have a more subtle flavour. If made with roasted almonds, the flavour will have that stronger roasted almond flavour. Roasted almonds also have a slightly different oil content because of the roasting process, so the finished spread won't be as creamy. I hope this helps! 🙂
Emily says
Thank you! That is helpful! I ran out of raw almonds so yesterday I started soaking some roasted ones. Today I bought raw so I was thinking of doubling the recipe, one with raw, one with roasted and see if that works? Hopefully it does and isn’t bad!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
I'm curious now! 🙂 Let me know how things turn out, Emily!
Eric says
We just tried this and used tahini instead of olive oil. It tastes delicious.
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
So glad you like it, Eric! And great idea to use tahini! I'm sure it added a nice flavour. I may try that next time I make it 🙂
Nicole says
This looks so yummy!! I love the idea of a garlic herb spread, I'm sure it packs a lot of flavor that would be similar to other cream cheesy spreads. I absolutely cannot wait to try this!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
I hope you like it, Nicole! It definitely has a ton of flavour, I love it! 🙂
Grace says
Hey! I just made this. It is super simple and yummy! Thank you for this!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
You're very welcome, Grace! Thanks for your note, so happy you like it 🙂
Lacey says
Hi there! I just came across your recipe and I wanted to make it tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Any way I could get away with only soaking the almonds for 15 or so hours?
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Lacey! Yes, it should work out fine with a 15 hour soak. They'll soften up enough for the recipe. I hope you like it! 🙂
Lacey says
Perfect! Thanks so much, im looking forward to trying it!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Let me know how things go 🙂
vio says
what is the recipe for crackers? looks fantastic....thanks
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Vio! I have received this question so many times since publishing this recipe 🙂 The crackers are by a brand called Mary's Gone Crackers and they are vegan and gluten free. I love them! I included a link to Amazon, just above the recipe so you can see them and I included some places where you may be able to find them in your city.
Lori says
I wrote last week asking about making this spread with the leftover pulp from making homemade almond milk. I just made some today and it came out great! I omitted the almonds and water from your recipe and used about a cup and a half of almond pulp then mixed in all the other ingredients with a fork. I found it a little too dry so stirred in some almond milk until it was a nice spreadable consistency. Also doubled the nutritional yeast and garlic powder. I like it and will definitely make again, and.....it passed the husband test!! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
I am so glad you tried it and that it worked so well, Lori! Thanks for circling back to let me know, I'm definitely going to try it your way the next time I make almond milk. And the best part, no waste! Glad it passed the husband test 😉
JoAnn M Lakes says
I have a ton of almond flour. I think I might try this recipe using the flour.
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hmm, I don't think this recipe would turn out the same with almond flour, JoAnn. I recommend sticking with the soaked whole almonds. If you do end up trying, though, let me know how it goes.
JoAnn M Lakes says
My almond flour is almond pulp dehydrated and made into flour so if I reconstitute it is almond pulp again. I think I would reconstitute with almond milk.
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Let me know how it goes, JoAnn! 🙂
Lori says
I wonder if this could be made with the leftover pulp from making almond milk? I'm always looking for ways to use that. Any suggestions?
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
This is a very good question, Lori! Smart idea! I'm not sure how it would turn out since I've never tried making it this way, myself. My only worry would be that it may come out a little on the dry side, but that may be very easy to fix by adding more liquid. It would have to come down to experimenting to see how it works (I always think it's worth a try!). This is also a great way to use up the pulp and not have it go to waste. I don't make almond milk often, but the next time I do, I'm going to try. If you happen to try it sometime, please let me know how it turned out 🙂
Dee says
I put the remaining almond into a pan and dry it in the oven at 170° until it's totally dry. Once dry, you can run it through the food processor or blender if you want it finer cut. It's a delicious gluten free flour that makes amazing muffins, nutbreads and cookies!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Great idea!
Julie says
Hi, I will have to try this looks great. Go Veggie makes little miniature cream cheeses that you could pack in lunches and I think they are delicious. Kite Hill chive cream cheese is also delish. I tried Miyokos and it was horrible....like eating old seaweed...or old kimchee, not sure if we got a bad batch. I saw another post on FB someone said they had to throw it out. I wrote to the company, no response. I love Miyokos butter:) Thanks for this recipe.
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Thanks for the recommendations, Julie! I will look out for the Go Veggie, I think we may have that here, the name sounds familiar. I have heard Kite Hill is great and I always hear Miyoko's is also a good one (someone commented here about it) maybe you did get a bad batch! Either way, I want to try them all once they are available here! Thanks again for your note 🙂
Joann Lakes says
Be careful of go veggie. Many of their products aren’t vegan
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
This looks amazing, Gwen! I so wish I weren't allergic to almonds. 🙁
As others have said, Miyoko's is the best. Hopefully you'll be able to get it where you live soon.
Jan says
Yum! This looks great!! Your crackers look good, too! Bought or homemade? Would like those too!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Jan! The crackers are just as delicious as they look (and they're gluten-free and vegan too! 🙂 ) They are by a brand called Mary's Gone Crackers. You can see them here: http://geni.us/qAXpTCL
Nicole MacPherson says
Yum! I love cashew cheese but I make an almond feta that is REALLY GOOD. So I think I'll try this one of yours. Delicious looking. As for store bought vegan cheese, yeah. I don't mind Daiya if I'm using it on a pizza or something, it's not too bad. At least it melts decently!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi! 🙂 I imagine cashew cheese being really delicious. So many recipes for it out there! If you do try this recipe, Nicole, I'd love to hear what you think. Yes, Daiya does melt well! Have you tried their other products (cream cheese, etc)?
Nicole MacPherson says
I've tried their cream cheese and I found it oddly sweet-tasting. I've also tried their "cheddar" and it's not bad in a grilled cheese sandwich.
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
I've tried the cheeses, they are OK, but not something I buy. So I was hesitant to try the other things like the cream cheeses etc. Good to know 🙂
JoAnn M Lakes says
I really don't like Daiya cheese. Even their new formula taste like plastic. Check out Connie's RAWsome kitchen on YouTube for some fabulous cheese recipes. Be sure to check out her fantastic fresh almond ricotta, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng3uHyde1Us. You won't believe it. It's like going to the Italian grocery. Check it out, this woman can cook and no bull.
Diane says
Always trying to find a recipe for a cheese spread. I try to avoid oil. Do you think I could omit the oil or substitute another ingredient?
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Dianne, you can definitely omit the oil. Just replace it with 1 tbsp of water 🙂
Claudia says
Thanks for the recipe. I would love to try it but yeast is a problem for me. For store bought vegan cheeses, Miyoko's vegan cheeses are so good! Even non-vegans love them. Kite Hill cream cheese is also really good.
http://miyokoskitchen.com/
http://www.kite-hill.com/
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Claudia! I think you will still end up with a great spread if you have to omit the nutritional yeast. I have not tested it that way but I would not be afraid to. That being said, the nutritional yeast adds a little "cheesiness" to the flavour so that will be missing from your version but you can experiment with maybe a little more garlic powder or herbs to bump up the flavour a bit.
And thank you so much for the links! I have heard of both these vegan cheese brands but we don't have them in Canadian stores, yet (that I know of!). We are a little slower to get some things up here! When they do arrive, I will be sure to check them out. Thanks again 🙂
Leslie says
I’m coming to this a little late, but you do realize that Miyoko’s Kitchen cheeses (which I absolutely love) have nutritional yeast in them?
Joann says
I am a bit late also but miso would give you the cheesiness funky flavor.
Gwen says
Thanks for the tip, Joann! 🙂
Andrea says
Hi, Claudia - I too, have a yeast issue - nutritional yeast is considered to be a non-Candida form - so it may work for you too (it does for me).