Simple Almond Cheese
(recipe at end of post)
Nut cheeses are a great item to have in your raw food recipe collection. They are tasty, easily support the addition of many herbs and spices, and will impress your raw and non-raw friends a like! There are a couple of different ways to make nut cheeses.
Macadamia Nut Cheese made with probiotics.
(From the Rawmazing Holiday Book)
Probiotics: Probably the easiest, but most expensive way to make the “cheese” is to use probiotics. I love how this “cheese” tastes and the texture is wonderful and it is quite fail-proof. The only drawback is the cost of the probiotics. Most recipes require at least a teaspoon, which can be more than half a bottle of capsules. On the plus side, the cheeses are wonderful, the probiotics don’t require advanced preparation.
Cashew Cheese made with Rejuvelac
(recipe here: Cheese)
Rejuvelac: Raw Cheeses made with rejuvilac also have great taste and texture but can be a little more temperamental. Plus, you need to add a couple of days to your process to make the rejuvelac. The grain needs to be sprouted first and then made into rejuvelac. It can be a bit time consuming. That said, it makes a great cheese with wonderful, tangy taste and good texture.
Simple Almond Cheese (recipe follows)
Simple Cheese: Simple cheese spreads and simple cheeses can be made with just nuts and no fermentation process. I usually prefer these cheeses for spreads, but they can also be firmed up and dehydrated to form the rind.
Different nuts not only taste different, but also will give different textures. Almonds make a clean tasting cheese that is a little grainy. Macadamias make a beautiful, creamy cheese that develops good firm texture. Cashews make a smooth, easy to flavor cheese that has a bit of a softer texture.
Today’s recipe is pretty simple. I started my “cheese” when I got up. I threw the ingredients in the food processor, spooned it into a nut-milk bad and tossed it in the refrigerator. The next morning, I took it out, patted it into a round and tossed it in the dehydrator (to form a “rind”). By the evening, it was ready to go!
I hope I have inspired you to try your hand at nut cheese making. It is fun and tasty!
Simple Almond Cheese
- 1 cup almonds, soaked, drained and skins removed
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- pinch Himalayan Salt
1. Soak almonds overnight in water. Drain and pop off skins.
2. Place all ingredients in food processor. Process until smooth. This will take a bit of time, don’t rush.
3. Place nut mixture in nut-milk bag or colander lined with cheese cloth.
4. Give a light squeeze and place in refrigerator over-night to set up.
5. You can use the cheese at this point or if you want it more firm, place it in the dehydrator for 6+ hours (at 115 degrees) to form a rind.
Soaked almonds with skins removed. It takes a little time but is very easy. They just pop right off.
The almonds should be well blended and smooth.
The mixture in the nut-milk bag, before putting it in the refrigerator.
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We use the New Chapter organic “LOOSE” probiotics….about a 1/4-1/2 tsp per 2 cups of nuts in the fermentation process….seems to work very well…a little expensive, but my digestion seems to have improved soooo much, it’s totally worth it…
I want to start soaking the almonds tonight. This will be perfect to bring to a party on Fri. Since I have a Vitamix, do you think the texture would be better than in the food processor?
Love you recipes
Tried to make cashew nut cheese using probiotics (Health Aid Acidophilus) three times now and yet result looks like simple cheese without fermentation… Does taste a bit cheesy I guess but what I’m after is firmer, sliceable cheese and am yet to achieve this. Followed a recipe from Mimi Kirk’s book asking for 1/2 teaspoon probiotic powder and 24 hour culturing at room temperature, on 3rd occasion I put twice as much probiotic and cultured for 48 hours, but no difference. Where am I going wrong??
Everywhere refers to ‘probiotic’ without specifying type so I assume that any will do? Help!
First of all, I can’t comment on someone else’s recipe. I did not develop it or test it. Most nut cheese is soft. If you want it to be harder, you will need to put it in the dehydrator to dry out a bit. Cheers!
OK, thanks for the suggestion Susan. What I mean by ‘firmer’ is not spreadable but sliceable cheese (not dry), just like your pictures above. Making cheese with probiotics has proven anything but easy for me so far, but I will persist!
The cheese above spent some time in the dehydrator.
After the cheese has been in the cheesecloth, there is a liquid in the bowl. I’m guessing it’s almond whey. Is there anything I can make with that?
Thanks
Do the almonds need to soak overnight or can you blanch them to remove the skins?
Since blanching requires boiling water, I prefer to soak to keep it raw. Cheers!
is it possible to use this cheese to make pizza? how does it respond to heat?
It could be used on a raw pizza. Since this is a raw food site, I do not test the recipes in the oven so I honestly have no idea how it would respond to heat. Cheers!
I loved the simple almond cheese! I added a tablespoon of plain sheep yogurt to mixture after it came
out of fridge to give it a more cream cheese taste! Thanks for sharing!
Thats a fabulous idea Can’t wait to try it. Now for a dehydrator! Well done on your site Susan. xo
This “cheese” looks heavenly! I’m soaking my almonds and I cant wait to try it! I was wondering if lime juice would work the same as the lemon?
Thanks!
Maryanna
Do you need to use raw almonds? If so, where can I get them?
i have soaked my nuts before and never had this problem. the skin wont come off the almond, does that mean my nuts are old .
would it make a lot of difference if i leave the skins on? i have made nut balls before and used brazil and left the skin on and it just had specks of brown in it. but this is your recipe. so get back to me…
thanks,
I have had that happen occasionally. You can certainly leave the skins on. It just won’t be as light colored. Cheers!
Just wondering if you added coconut oil or coconut creme to the batch of cashew cheese to make it firm because it looks similar to the cheese cakes I make using coconut oil? Also, I’m not sure if rejuvelac contains gluten?
You can make rejuvelac with gluten free grains. I don’t know about the coconut oil or coconut creme for these recipes as I have not tested it with that product. Cheers!
Tried the almond cheese recipe came out perfect ,after it drained I wrap it with a couple of towels and put a weight on it for overnight in the fridge ,perfect texture ,,,,thanks
Can not wait to try. Has any one tried to add Lecithan? I know several people are anti soy, bus think I’ll try it for creaminess.
When you are putting the almonds thru the food processor, is the creamy texture you are talking about almond butter?…or is it a stage before this? Thanks
When processing the almonds in the food processor, does creamy mean they are at a nut butter stage or is it an earlier stage of the processing? Thanks
I am just starting a Paleo diet and was disappointed to learn no dairy products, as cheese is my favorite food – so thanks for the recipe!!
QUESTION: I like making my own almond milk, but don’t because I hate wasting the “leftovers” after straining. In your opinion, do you think I could use these to make the cheese? That would make me so happy!! Thank you!!
Debbie:
You should continue to make almond milk. It is wonderful fresh! You can save the pulp and make almond flour. You can not use the pulp for this recipe. Cheers!
I just made the almond cheese and it is now in the fridge. How long will it keep? Can I freeze it?
I have not tried freezing the cheese. It should last for about 5 days in the refrigerator. Use your best judgement. CHeers!
You don’t need to buy probiotic pills to make your cheese probiotic. You can add a bit of any vegan or dairy probiotic product… a spoonful of (soy, coconut “cultured”) yogurt or a bit of Good Belly juice, whatever, and add it to your blended sprouted nuts, and allow to ferment before adding seasoning. Then, you just save a spoonful of this unseasoned “cheese”, to add to the next batch. Its the same principle as keeping a yeast starter.
The probiotics are used for taste. I would be hesitant to add a processed (vegan yoghurt) food to my raw recipe. But, feel free to do as you wish! Cheers!
can you make nut cheese from leftover meal this way (specifically leftover almond milk from making almond milk)? thanks
leftover almond meal* (from almond milk)
I would not use left over pulp. It is a left over. Makes great almond flour but not cheese. Cheers!
This looks awesome! I can’t wait to try it right away.
Hi Susan,
Am so happy to find your easy nut cheese recipe. How many tablets of probiotic do you suggest for your recipe. So excited to make it. I’m a cheese lover!
Thanks,
Arlene
How would you incorporate nutritional yeast into a recipe like this? I know alot of the cashew cheese recipes have that.
Also what would you use this cheese for?
This cheese wasn’t created for the addition of nutritional yeast. That said, you could try adding it to taste. I am not sure what you are asking for your second question…eat it? Spread it on crackers? Top a raw pizza with it? There are many ways you could use the cheese. Cheers!
Susan, Thank you so—— much for your recipes and your endless patience in answering all the questions for people! I am learning so much from you and since I am new to all this, I desperately need this information. I really don’t have the money to order all the books so I depend on the internet for my information. I do order food and other raw food products from the internet and slowly but surely I am learning and getting my health back. Unless you have been ill, you have no idea how much that means. This diet helps so much more than any medicine you could take to recover health and vitality. God Bless You!
Carol, thank you! Your words are an inspiration to me.
Hi Susan! I am really excited about trying this recipe and I am in the midst of it at the moment. When you say “a light squeeze” you mean I am not attempting to remove all liquid? The mixture goes immediately into the fridge in the nut milk bag? Thank you so much! xoxo
Greetings! This was at the top of my search for nut cheeses after I became curious when a newly-vegan friend posted a photo of her first try at nut cheese. I, myself, have not made this attempt, but have recently begun hearing about this after the discovery of a raw food restaurant in Chicagoland. Though I do not eat sugars, I will admit vegan cheesecake sounds very tempting! After reading through the recipes and comments, I clicked on other recipe links and happened upon one that uses yeast flakes as the probiotic. After yet another search, I found these are inexpensive, vegan, gluten-free, soy free, etc., and readily available. NOW brand is probably the least expensive. I hope this suggestion helps out!
Do you have a recipe for those awesome looking crackers with the orange flecks?
Look in the Recipe Archive under crackers and breads.
Hi, I found your site on search for nut cheese recipes. I was expecting the process to be labor-intensive, but I’m excited to see it’s not! Thanks for the clear instructions…I AM inspired to try this!
Have you ever mixed it with herbs or spices for flavor? The simple almond cheese looks to have a cream cheese consistency. I was thinking it would go well with some mashed kewee or strawberry as a spread.
I have just put my ‘cheese’ in the fridge. Hoping it turns out ok! I may have given it more than a gentle squeeze, so I had plenty of leftover cashew milk (which I think tastes like sour cream, I will add it to dinner tonight). Is it normal to have that much leftover milk? Say 1/2 cup? And is the bag supposed to be suspended? Mine is sitting in a small bowl. Is this right?
Can I use almonds insted macademia nuts with probiotics? Do I have to soake them overnight?
I just realized (after I threw it out, doh!) that if you add probiotics and then drain the cheese over a bowl the water in the bowl could probably be saved as starter for the next batch? Seems worth trying as it would make virtually free starter culture..
Does the cheese need to be covered once refrigerated to set?
Is ok to make the cheese without the probiotics?
Thanks
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