Easy Cashew Cheese Dip and Spread
A creamy, cheesy, dip, spread, or sauce that is made with pureed cashews.
Servings 8
Calories 93kcal
Equipment
- immersion blender or a regular blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews (raw unsalted)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper (1 small fresh red pepper)
- 1 stalk green onion (with the roots cut off)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Soak raw cashews overnight or for at least 6 hours in cold water, or use hot water instead and soak for about 30 minutes.
- Drain soaking water.
- Add cashews to an immersion blender container or high powered blender.
- Add clean, fresh water, salt, red pepper, and green onions. (or other herbs and spices)
- Blend for about 2 minutes until very creamy.
Video
Notes
Variations of cashew cheese
- Smokey - add 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika. (This is my personal favorite!)
- Spicy - add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or 1 tsp of sriracha. You can adjust to your taste.
- Cheesy - omit the red pepper, add 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast, and about 1/2 cup of cooked carrots to the cashews.
- Herbed - add 1 tsp dried or 1 tbsp fresh herbs to the cheese.
- Cheese Sauce - increase the water until you reach your desired consistency, and turn the thick cheese dip into a rich, creamy vegan cheese sauce you can use for mac and cheese or pour over nachos.
- Simply soak your cashews in hot water for about 30 minutes.
- Don't use boiling water to avoid "cooking" the cashews; very hot water will soften them quickly.
- Use hot water during both the blending and soaking processes.
- Blend your cashews, then let them rest for 5-10 minutes before blending again for a creamier, smoother cashew dip!
Nutrition
Serving: 3tbsp | Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 368IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg