Cashew Cream Cheese

This versatile, vegan cream cheese substitute can be used in sweet desserts like our cinnamon date roll recipe, as a savoury spread on bagels, or as a general replacement for regular cream cheese.

Ingredients

Sweet:

• 480 ml water
• 375 g raw cashews, unsalted
• 95 g dates, pitted
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 stick cinnamon (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon)

Savoury:

• 840 ml (3½ cups) water
• 200 g (1½ cups) roasted cashews, unsalted
• 20 g (¼ cup) nutritional yeast
• 20 g (½ cup) fresh chives, chopped
  

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
2. Run the Smoothie Program or start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed. Blend for 40–50 seconds, using the tamper to push ingredients toward the blades. Chill for 6–8 hours before using.
   

Chef's Note:

1. Make this a day ahead of time to significantly thicken the mixture.
2. A great non-dairy alternative to traditional cream cheese. Opting for a cashew-based cream cheese means you're swapping out saturated fat for healthy fat.