Nothing beats the taste of bagel and cream cheese, especially on a lazy Saturday morning. Contrary to what many people think, vegan foods are not boring. You can still enjoy vegan cream cheese without hurting any animals. And the best part is that it is ridiculously easy to make at home.
The one thing I have come to appreciate about the vegan diet is the diversity of ingredients. It is fun substituting ingredients and experiencing different flavors with each recipe. My friends still can’t get enough of the vegan chicken, for example, that I make for them every weekend.
Our recipe today is composed of only three ingredients! Yes, you read that right. Unlike the regular cream cheese, vegan cream cheese is easy to make. However, it requires more patience since it involves an extensive culturing process.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of almonds
- One tablespoon of plain, soy yogurt
- Salt to taste
You can substitute the almonds with cashew nuts or any other nuts of your choice as long as you are not allergic to them. The main reason why I use almonds is that they are among the most nutritious nuts. They are rich in fiber and, they also contain high levels of mono-saturated oils which help in lowering bad cholesterol within our body.
You can also substitute the soy yogurt with any unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy yogurt or vegan probiotics. Probiotics are crucial for the culturing process, and they also have numerous health benefits such as improving intestinal health among others.
Procedure
- In a high-powered blender or food processor, blend the almonds for several minutes until you get a smooth paste.
- Add the unsweetened and unflavored soy yogurt. If you are using vegan probiotics, make sure you buy the ones in capsule form. Open the capsule and pour the probiotics into the almond paste.
- Continue mixing until you get a uniform color and transfer the paste into a clean container. Cover it and allow it to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. That’s it; your vegan cream cheese is ready.
- Taste the creamy cheese and season it with salt as you like. If you love it tangy, you can let it culture for another 12-24 hours.
- Store the vegan cream cheese in a refrigerator and use it for a maximum of seven days. After that, discard and make a new batch.
A Little History
As you wait for the culturing process to end, let me indulge you in a few fun facts!
Did you know that cream cheese was discovered by accident? William Lawrence was trying a recipe for Neufchatel cheese. He didn’t quite hack it, but that is how he ended up with cream cheese. It was first produced in Philadelphia 1872, and it has grown to become the bestselling cheese in the USA.
In Conclusion
Once the vegan cream cheese is ready, you can also add fresh herbs, chocolate shavings, and fruits if you like experimenting with different flavors. You can also try using the vegan cream cheese on pancakes instead of bagels. Read more on vegan pancakes here.