A Vegan Baked Smoky Cashew Cheese made with whole ingredients, smoked paprika, easy and simple methods for a tangy, cheesy and healthy baked cheese. It slices, it spreads and it is completely dairy-free and oil-free!
VEGAN BAKED SMOKY CASHEW CHEESE
This Vegan Baked Smoky Cashew Cheese not only blew me away, but it also blew away my mother-n-law!! My mother-n-law loves dairy cheese and is not vegan and she exclaimed, “Omg! This tastes just like cheese!” We were kind of inhaling it warm from the oven.
I’ve been wanting to try a baked cashew cheese forever, more specifically, a slice-able one and I really wanted to create one that could be served to guests.
Now, it’s been years since I’ve had dairy cheese, but I still remember what it tastes like and I can tell you, this satisfied us both my mother-n-law and I. She said she was going to take the whole round of cheese and sneak it back into her room, haha! That’s an endorsement, right?
As you can see, there is 2 cheeses featured here, the other one is this Vegan Baked Herbed Cashew Cheese made with fresh Thyme. It is milder in flavor than this smoky version, but equally as delicious!
THE SECRET TO THIS VEGAN BAKED CASHEW CHEESE
Ok, now, if we want to get as close to a true cheese taste, that is going to require certain ingredients and not just lemon juice, like so many vegan cashew cheese recipes rely on alone, am I right? Lemon juice is great, but it’s not enough.
So, I came up with this incredible blend and it is fan-tas-tic. Cheesy, super tangy, rich, depth-of-flavor and NO oil and NO nutritional yeast. Say what?
Normally my go-to acidic element in my cheese recipes, is white distilled vinegar like in this Cream Cheese Alfredo (and some recipes in my cookbook) and apple cider vinegar in this Strawberry Cream Cheese, BUT, my friends I made an amazing discovery when I was making cheese by accident, I was out of white distilled vinegar and had rice vinegar in my fridge, so I sadly subbed it thinking it wouldn’t work as good, but, it is better. I can’t even explain the gourmet depth of tang it gives to cheese. It’s not as sour as white distilled vinegar, but more of a gourmet, almost wine-like taste.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN CASHEW CHEESE?
You only need 7 ingredients (+salt/water) for your vegan baked cashew cheese:
- raw cashews (gotta be raw folks)
- vegan worcestershire sauce (this can be found at Sprouts or Whole Foods or on Amazon)
- rice vinegar (this is the magic!)
- lemon juice
- fresh garlic cloves
- tomato paste
- smoked paprika
First, you will soak your cashews overnight. Drain and then add all of the remaining ingredients to a food processor. Process until completely smooth and not gritty.
Spread the cheese mixture into a 6 inch round cake pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325°F for 35 minutes until firm and just beginning to crack.
OR, bake it for 25 minutes for a more soft-style spread for bread and crackers.
Cool about 15 minutes, then slice and serve. It is heavenly warm and you can also chill it in the fridge if you like. It is delicious any way you serve it.
The cool thing about this vegan baked smoky cashew cheese? It can be sliced, will stay firm at room temperature indefinitely AND it also spreads like a cream cheese! And NO WEIRD ingredients like agar agar or starches or thickeners etc. that are hard to find. I wanted this to be easy and simple!
See how it spreads too? Just slice and press it down onto the cracker. YUM.
MORE VEGAN CHEESE RECIPES
- Best Vegan Queso
- Vegan Ricotta Cheese
- Vegan Pimento Cheese
- 5 Ingredient Strawberry Cream Cheese
- Vegan Baked Herbed Cashew Cheese
- Vegan Baked Smoky Cashew Cheese
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Vegan Baked Smoky Cashew Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight, DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP
- 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons plain (not seasoned) rice vinegar, please do not sub with another vinegar! (SEE NOTES at bottom)
- 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce (I use the Annie's brand, it can be found at Sprouts or Whole Foods, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23g) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30g) water
- 2 garlic cloves (roughly chopped (if you love garlic, choose big or choose small for a mild flavor)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or more to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
NOTE
- I use this food processor for my recipes.
Instructions
- You will need a day in advance to make this cheese, there is no way around this and rushing it will result in a gritty cheese. Trust me on this and do not skip soaking the cashews overnight. This makes the nuts very soft and is necessary since so little liquid is used and is needed to get a creamy consistency.
- Add your cashews to a bowl and pour boiling water over them by at least an inch at the top. Cover and leave to sit overnight on your counter or 8 hours minimum. Drain them and rinse them well.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Line a 6 inch round cake pan with a large piece of parchment paper (see photo) and press it inside the pan and against the sides to make it flat as possible.
- Add the soaked/drained cashews to a food processor. TIP: I created this recipe to be a baked cheese, so I use the full amount of vinegar and prefer the flavor much more baked. However, if you want to keep it unbaked, keep in mind the flavor is much stronger and may taste too acidic to you. Therefore, SEE NOTES at the bottom regarding reducing the vinegar. Baking it helps to really mellow out the flavor.
- Add the rice vinegar, worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, water, garlic, smoked paprika and salt. This will not work in a blender, I'm sorry, there is too little liquid and it will never get smooth enough because of the lack of space to go around. Process the mixture for around 30 seconds, scrape down the sides and then blend again for a solid 5 minutes or so until 100% silky smooth and creamy and NO bits of cashews remain. It should be dreamy smooth like the photos. Do not stop processing until it reaches this stage and scrape the sides as needed
- If desired, add even more smoked paprika for a stronger smoky flavor or even liquid smoke if you like. The 1 teaspoon smoked paprika gives a smoky flavor that is noticeable but not overwhelming.
- This cheese is delicious unbaked too and after chilling in the fridge, will resemble a cream cheese style consistency. So, you can always do that and not bake it as well if you like. The flavor is tangier raw, versus baked as well, both both ways are delicious!
- Pour the cheese mixture into the pan and spread out evenly to the sides and smooth the top.
- Bake for 35 minutes for it to be firm and slice-able as pictured. I would advise not going any longer or it can get dry and crumbly. It should just be beginning to crack at the top and be firm.
- OR, bake it for 25 minutes for a more soft-style spread for bread and crackers.
- Cool 15 minutes and then slice and serve warm. Or, you can chill it in the fridge first. I found that I liked it both ways but the smoky flavor seems stronger while warm.
- The end result is cheesy, super tangy, rich and a wonderful depth-of-flavor. I love to add slices the next day from the fridge, put on bread and then slightly toast it. SO GOOD. It would also be awesome topped onto hot soup at serving!
Notes
- Prep time does not count soaking time.
- To make this a more mild cheese, reduce the vinegar to 1/2 - 2 tablespoons, taste after blending to decide if you would like to add more. It is recommended to use the reduced vinegar option if you do not bake it. Baking it helps to really mellow out the flavor. I use the full amount and prefer the flavor much more baked.
Nutrition
This turned out so amazing, by far the best vegan cheese I’ve ever had! I’m so thankful to have this recipe not only for my husband and I but for a healthy snack for my 11 month old.
Oh, this makes me so happy to hear Jessi, thank you so much for the awesome review!!
I made this yesterday and It. Is. Amazing.
I just wanted to say thank you for this deliciousness! I have made several vegan cheeses but this was by far my favorite, plus it was so quick and easy.
I used a springform pan and only lined the bottom with parchment, not the sides. At the last minute I got scared and spritzed the sides with a little oil. It popped right out. I don’t think the parchment was necessary in this case and maybe the oil wasn’t either, as my springform pan is nonstick. I will continue to experiment.
Thanks again!
Oh wow, I love this feedback Lauralei, thank you so much for sharing and I’m so happy it’s your favorite!
Yay, I finally made this cashew cheese. I made my own worchestershire since I couldn’t find a vegan one. Making the worchestersire took more time than the cheese (LOL). The recipe is so very easy, I love that. When processing the mixture I was a bit worried it wouldn’t get silky, but luckily it did (just like you mentioned). It tastes yummie 🙂
So glad to hear that Andrea!
Hi Brandi. I found gluten free worcestershire, so I am making this for Christmas 🙂 can the cheese be baked after being refrigerated? I wanted to make ahead but wondered if I still have the option to put it in the oven. Thanks!
Hi Gail, you can bake it after being refrigerated, but the cheese will firm up a lot in the fridge, so I would get it prepared and put in the parchment lined pan and have it ready to go and cover it with plastic wrap and then bake it later. It may get firmer quick this way too though in the oven.
Can you bake these in 3″ spring form pans? If so, cooking times? Thanks.
Yes, just divide the cheese in half and use the 2 smaller pans. I’m not sure if the time will need a lot of adjustment or not since they are smaller, they should be about the same height. Just look for the top to have a golden firm look as in the photos.
Made this for Christmas, vegan and non vegan members of the family really liked it. I will definitely make this again.
Awesome news, thank you Stephanie!
So delicious! I’ve made this and your Herbed Cashew cheese. Both are awesome – better than any vegan cheese I’ve bought at the store.
So wonderful to hear that Patricia, thank you so much!!
Hello, this recipe looks wonderful! I am making it right and am stumped on the 6″ size cake pan? My cake pan are normal size, which is bigger than 6″. Trying to figure out what kind of a pan to put it in. Anyone else running across this problem?
You can try another pan of similar size? Not sure if you have an 8 or a 9 inch but you can try that, but the cheese will be MUCH shorter and cook much faster. 6 inch is a pretty common size used to make vegan cheese wheels and cheese wheels in general, since 8 or 9 would make quite a large cheese wheel.
Brandi, I am so glad I didn’t miss your post this time. This cheese is super delicious. Thank you!
So glad to hear that Sue!!
Yummmm! Very easy – I’m all about easy… Doubled the recipe and it was perfect for yhe 6″ tin. Tasted before baking (and after doubling) and I added more lemon juice and worsti along with a drizzle of liquid smoke. We’re “garlic fiends” so will add more next time. Thanks for this terrific recipe. Oh, and, worked perfectly in my (non-Vitamix) blender too – so don’t be afraid to use your blender…
Any idea how long this can be left at room temperature after baking? Thank you!
Hi Melissa, oh it’s good for a couple of hours or so, it’s great for a party!
Yum yum yum!! I had two 4” mini cake pans so I used those and baked for 35 minutes. So good! It has that tangy Umami flavor that cheese excels at. I added a little more paprika and salt but otherwise I followed your direction exactly!! Just enjoying it warm on crackers and can’t stop!!
The cheese recipes look amazing. I am allergic to rice. For the baked cheese, although not preferred, can you suggest a sub for the rice vinegar? Perhaps apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar?
Thank you
Please stay safe
I’d try wine vinegar
Happy to report this worked beautifully in my Vitamix 6300. The trick is to use the tamper to maintain flow of the ingredients through the blades and to use about speed 6-7, not high. I found about 90 seconds provided that velvety smooth creaminess described in the recipe above. I don’t have a tiny cake pan, so I used a 6 inch diameter glass Pyrex oven safe bowl. I ended up with a hemisphere that looked beautiful cut into wedges. I’m so happy for this recipe that has no oil and still firms up. I wouldn’t have thought about baking a cheeze but it works! Thank you. 🙂
So awesome to hear, thank you Rebecca!
I needed a cheese delicious enough to do my gorgeous homemade sourdough justice, so of course I went to your blog! This cheese is so amazing, and, like everything else on your blog and in your cookbook, totally rivals the non-vegan version. Speaking of your recipes, my dad asked me for some easy soups/stus and without even realizing it, every recipe I sent him was from your blog! He said “OMG, these are perfect!” and according to my mom, has been cooking all week :). One question – do you think this cheese could freeze well? I don’t think I will have a problem finishing this in the next couple days, but was just curious. Thanks!
Hi Brandi,
This looks great 😍! Can’t wait to try it. I have a couple of questions:
1. Does it melt well if I decide to use it for grilled cheese or on top of pizza?
2. How long does it keep in the fridge?
Thank you
Hi! No, this is meant to be a firm sliceable cheese. It does not melt. It’s best served on top of crackers served at a party or guests or would great added on top of chili or soups. It keeps a week.
Can’t wait to try this!
I’ve tried to subscribe to your blog but it says “ you can’t subscribe with that email” any help?
That’s so strange! I just tried adding you myself and got the same response. Do you have another email address by chance? I don’t know why the system is rejecting it. If you don’t have an alternate, I’ll contact my email service to fix this.
Absolutely adore this have made it several times now, have tried all sorts of sold Vegan cheeses and this excepting Vegan parmesan, which is stronger in flavour, is the absolute best most tasty Vegan cheese I have ever tasted 😊👏🥰
This was my first time making vegan cheese and it was fantastic! How long will this keep in the fridge?
So glad to hear it!! About a week or so.
Can i pre make it night before then bake the next day?
I haven’t tried it but I think so.
I make this version when I want to leave out garlic, (when I need to be near other people). This and the herbed garlic cheese have been staples in my fridge (I mean ALL the time) for the last six years. No fail, delicious, easy. The perfect recipe.
Could I use a vitamix?