Digging deeper and deeper into vegan cooking and testing vegan restaurants, i came across cashew cheese quite often. There are endless possibilites and the best of creating your own cashew cheese is the individual flavouring. This example below is spiced with different Herbs, but you can also try a chili, red pepper and so many more.

All good things are worth waiting for and with cashew cheese it's particulary a tough time until you finally get your treat. The longer you wait, the harder the cheese gets. Mine rested for around 24h and has a firm form, but a creamy inside. If you are more patient, you might even get a slicable cheese. 

For this recipe you need a few special ingredients, which you have to order online or shop in special vegan shops. In Stockholm i can recommend goodstore. 

Level: ADVANCED

What you need:

200g Cashews 

1 Clove fresh Garlic

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1 Tsp Thyme

1 Handful Fresh Basil

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tsp Corn Starch

1 Tsp Agar-Agar Powder

1 dl Water

1 Springform around 10cm

Linen Cloth/Cotton Fabric

Soak your Cashew Nuts overnight in water, really make sure they are soft. Keep in mind whole cheese making needs around 2 days time from the moment you start. 

Next morning you can actually start making your cheese.

Start with blending your Cashews in a high speed blender until the mass is really creamy. It can take some time, but be patient. 

Add Lemon Juice and Olive Oil to make the mixture even more creamy. Now you can add your fresh garlic, you do not need to precut it, but blend with the mass for a while.

Afterwards add corn starch and yeast, so the mass will start to get more firm.

Heat up 1dl water and add your agar-agar. Cook up for a bit until it turns jelly and add into your blender. Blend again so the agar will spread evenly.

Add salt, pepper, thyme, onion and garlic powder and blend in. Add the end cut your Basil leaves roughly by hand and mix under.

The mass should be creamy but firm and will continue to get stiffer as soon as the agar agar cools down. 

Spread a linen/cotton fabric in your springform. This will help later to get your cheese out of the form and dry if you want a hard cheese. 

Fill the mass into the cloth and press down firmly. You will realise as well that it will stick onto any tool you use, so cover the top with the linen sheet as well and press down. 

Let the cheese rest for at least 12h (better 24h) in the fridge before you open the springform. By then the cheese will have taken the shape and last on its own. The cotton cloth helps now to release water.

As said i waited only 12h and again 12h without springform, but the cheese is still quite creamy.

Do not touch it in beween or test how hard it is, because this will interrupt the process again.

If you want a faster result, you can also add more agar agar, which will speed it up, but i fear the cheese will taste more jellylike. 

Waited long enough? Serve your homemade cheese with freshly baked Sweet Potato Bread!