Vegan Almond Cream Cheese - 'Feta' Style (2024)

Vegan almond cream cheese - this easy almond based vegan cheese is a delicious spreadable creamy 'cheese' with a tangy, salty flavour that makes a great alternative to feta.

I'm not a big fan of most shop bought vegan cheeses other than some nice artisan ones which also happen to be extortionate and near impossible to find. But home-made nut based 'cheeses' are delicious and incredibly easy to make.

You can go as far as making proper cultured nut-based cheese, which I'm sure is delicious, but I don't really have the patience or forward planning for that kind of thing; so this easy vegan almond cream cheese does the job for me nicely.

It is very quick and simple to make, you just need to soak some flaked almonds in boiling water for half an hour then pop them in a blender or food processor along with some lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic and nutritional yeast and blitz until smooth.

It does help to have a high powered blender, mine takes less than a minute to make a smooth, creamy spread. If yours is not so powerful then it will take you up to ten minutes and a lot of scraping the sides to get it as smooth; but it will get there eventually.

What Ingredients Do I Need?:

This vegan almond cream cheese uses just a few simple ingredients to make a great tasting creamy spread. You will need:

Flaked Almonds: almonds form the base of this cheese. Vegan cheeses are often made using cashews as they blend up incredibly smoothly, but almonds give that slightly granular texture that is very like feta. Using flaked (skinless) almonds rather than whole ones means that they don't take as long to soak and your blender/food processor won't struggle as much.

Lemon Juice: Feta cheese is characterised by a very tangy, salty flavour so I add plenty of lemon juice to provide that sharp tang. If you want to make a milder cream cheese then you can halve the amount of lemon.

Salt: a decent amount of salt gives that feta-like saltiness. Again, for a milder cream cheese you can halve the amount.

Olive Oil: You can use a different kind of oil if you prefer, but olive oil definitely gives the best flavour and helps to create the rich, creamy texture.

Nutritional Yeast: a vegan staple for creating a savoury, cheesy flavour; adding a bit of nooch really helps to round out the cheesiness.

Garlic: a clove of garlic adds a bit of extra savoury flavour. Don't worry, the cheese doesn't taste overly garlicky.

Apart from that all you will need is a bit of water.

How To Make Feta Style Vegan Almond Cream Cheese:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*

Start by soaking your flaked almonds in boiling water for at least half an hour. This softens them up and makes them easier to blend. Make sure that they are well covered with water as they will soak some up.

You can also soak them in cold water overnight in the fridge if you prefer.

Once the almonds are soaked, drain them very well in a sieve or colander.

Place the drained almonds in a blender or food processor (preferably a power one) along with some lemon juice, olive oil, water, salt, garlic and nutritional yeast.

I've given the quantities of lemon and salt to make a very tangy, salty feta style cheese. If you want a slightly milder, more cream cheese style one then you can halve the amount of each and add more once the mixture is blended if you feel it needs it.

Blend the mixture well until it is very smooth and creamy. You will need to stop and scrape down the sides every now and then to ensure it gets blended evenly.

If your blender has a tamper tool then that will come in very handy! If you are really struggling to get the mixture smooth then you can add a drop more water to help the blender out. Try not to add too much though or the cheese will be too soft.

Once the mixture is blended it is ready to eat right away if you like, but I think it is best if you transfer it to a bowl, cover and refrigerate it overnight. It will firm up a bit and the flavours will mellow.

How Long Will It Keep?:

This vegan almond cream cheese will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

What To Do With Vegan Almond Cream Cheese?:

This creamy cheese is really versatile, why not try it:

• Spread on crackers
• In sandwiches
• To make a vegan spanakopita
• In cooking - it goes great in my vegan mushroom and spinach crepes and I also like to use it in fajitas and quesadillas.
• As a dip

If you tried this recipe why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

Recipe adapted from: https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/almond-feta-cheese-with-herb-oil