Homemade Vegan Almond Feta Cream Cheese: Your Easy Plant-Based Spread

Craving a delicious, tangy, and spreadable “cheese” that’s entirely plant-based? Look no further than this incredibly easy vegan almond cream cheese recipe! With a delightful tanginess and a hint of salt, it offers a fantastic alternative to traditional feta cheese, perfect for spreading on crackers, enhancing sandwiches, or adding a creamy element to your favorite dishes. Forget the often disappointing and expensive store-bought vegan options – homemade nut-based “cheeses” are not only far superior in taste and texture but also surprisingly simple to whip up right in your own kitchen.

Why Choose Homemade Vegan Almond Cream Cheese?

As a devoted fan of delicious food, I’ve often found myself underwhelmed by many commercial vegan cheeses. While there are some excellent artisan varieties available, they typically come with a hefty price tag and can be incredibly difficult to track down. This often leaves plant-based eaters feeling limited in their dairy-free cheese options. However, the world of homemade nut-based cheeses is a game-changer! Not only are they more economical, but they also offer a fresh, vibrant flavor and a texture that you can customize to your liking.

While some culinary adventurers enjoy the process of making cultured nut-based cheeses, which undoubtedly yield a complex flavor profile, that level of patience and forward planning isn’t always feasible for everyone. That’s where this quick and simple vegan almond cream cheese truly shines. It provides all the creamy, tangy goodness you desire without the need for extensive fermentation or specialized equipment, making it a perfect solution for busy weeknights or spontaneous snack cravings.

The Simple Magic Behind This Feta-Style Spread

The beauty of this recipe lies in its straightforward approach. You won’t need an arsenal of gourmet ingredients or advanced cooking skills. The core process involves just two main steps: soaking and blending. First, you’ll give some flaked almonds a quick soak in boiling water for about thirty minutes. This softens them considerably, preparing them for a smooth transformation. Once softened, these almonds join forces with a few key flavor enhancers – fresh lemon juice, rich olive oil, a touch of salt, a clove of garlic, and nutritional yeast – in your trusty blender or food processor. A quick blitz is all it takes to achieve a wonderfully smooth and creamy spread.

Having a high-powered blender certainly makes this process even faster, often achieving a perfectly smooth consistency in less than a minute. If your blender is a bit less robust, don’t despair! It might take a little longer, perhaps up to ten minutes, and you’ll need to pause occasionally to scrape down the sides, ensuring all the almond pieces are incorporated evenly. Rest assured, with a little persistence, your blender will eventually deliver the creamy texture you’re looking for.

Key Ingredients for the Perfect Tangy Almond Feta

This remarkable vegan almond cream cheese relies on a select group of simple ingredients, each playing a crucial role in developing its delicious flavor and creamy texture. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need:

Flaked Almonds: The Foundation of Flavor and Texture

Almonds are the star of the show, forming the creamy, substantial base of this plant-based cheese. While many vegan cheese recipes opt for cashews due to their ability to blend into an incredibly smooth consistency, almonds offer something unique for this particular recipe. They provide a slightly granular texture that closely mimics the crumbly yet creamy feel of traditional feta. Using flaked (skinless) almonds is a clever shortcut; they don’t require as much soaking time as whole almonds, and your blender or food processor will have an easier job achieving that desired smoothness without struggling.

Zesty Lemon Juice: For That Signature Tang

One of the defining characteristics of feta cheese is its bright, tangy flavor. To replicate this, we incorporate a generous amount of fresh lemon juice. This essential ingredient provides the sharp, zesty tang that elevates the almond base into a truly feta-like experience. If you prefer a milder cream cheese, you can easily adjust this by halving the initial amount of lemon juice and adding more to taste after blending.

Salt: Elevating the Feta Flavor

Alongside tanginess, a distinct saltiness is paramount for a proper feta experience. A decent amount of salt in this recipe ensures that authentic, savory flavor profile. Just like with the lemon juice, the salt content can be customized. For a less intense saltiness, start with half the recommended amount and adjust incrementally until it perfectly suits your palate.

Rich Olive Oil: Creaminess and Depth

While you could certainly use another neutral-flavored oil if you prefer, olive oil is highly recommended for this recipe. Its distinct flavor beautifully complements the other ingredients, adding a wonderful depth and richness to the cheese. More importantly, olive oil contributes significantly to the luxurious, creamy texture, ensuring a spread that’s both smooth and satisfying.

Nutritional Yeast: The Cheesy Secret

A staple in many vegan kitchens, nutritional yeast (often affectionately called “nooch”) is key to creating a savory, cheesy flavor without any dairy. Adding a bit of nutritional yeast to this almond base helps to round out the overall “cheesiness,” imparting that umami depth that makes it so irresistible and reminiscent of dairy cheese.

A Hint of Garlic: Subtle Savory Note

A single clove of garlic adds a subtle, savory undertone to the cream cheese, enhancing its overall complexity without overpowering the main flavors. Don’t worry; the finished product won’t taste overtly garlicky, but rather gains a nuanced depth that makes it even more appealing.

Beyond these core components, all you’ll need is a little bit of water to help achieve the perfect consistency during blending.

Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Vegan Almond Feta Cream Cheese

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*

Step 1: Perfectly Soaked Almonds

The first crucial step is to prepare your flaked almonds. Place them in a large bowl and cover them generously with boiling water. This rapid hot soak is incredibly effective at softening the almonds, making them significantly easier for your blender or food processor to process into a smooth cream. Allow them to soak for at least half an hour. During this time, the almonds will absorb some water and become tender. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can soak them in cold water overnight in the fridge. Whichever method you choose, ensuring they are well-covered with water is key.

Step 2: The Art of Blending for Smoothness

Once your almonds have finished soaking, drain them thoroughly using a sieve or colander. It’s important to remove as much excess water as possible at this stage. Transfer the well-drained almonds to your blender or food processor (a high-powered one is definitely an advantage here). Add the lemon juice, olive oil, the specified amount of water, salt, garlic, and nutritional yeast. Remember, the quantities of lemon and salt provided are designed to create a vibrant, tangy, and salty feta-style cheese. If you’d prefer a slightly milder, more classic cream cheese flavor, start by halving the amounts of both lemon juice and salt. You can always add more after blending if you feel it needs an extra kick.

Step 3: Achieving Silky Smooth Perfection

Now, it’s time to blend! Process the mixture on high speed until it becomes incredibly smooth and creamy. This stage requires a bit of attention. You will likely need to stop your machine every so often to scrape down the sides of the blender jar. This ensures that all the almond pieces are consistently incorporated and prevents any stubborn lumps from remaining. If your blender comes with a tamper tool, this is the perfect opportunity to use it – it makes the blending process much more efficient, especially with thicker mixtures. If you’re finding it particularly challenging to achieve a smooth consistency, you can add a tiny drop more water, but be cautious not to add too much, as this can result in a cheese that is too soft and thin. Aim for a rich, spreadable texture.

Step 4: Chill for Best Flavor and Texture

Once your almond cream cheese is blended to perfection, it’s technically ready to enjoy right away. However, for the absolute best results, I highly recommend transferring it to a bowl, covering it tightly, and refrigerating it overnight. This chilling period allows the cheese to firm up beautifully, creating a more cohesive and spreadable consistency. Furthermore, the flavors have a chance to meld and mellow, deepening into a more complex and satisfying taste experience. While patience is a virtue, it’s certainly rewarded in this case!

Storage and Shelf Life

This homemade vegan almond cream cheese is a fantastic staple to keep on hand. Once prepared, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When stored properly, it will maintain its freshness, flavor, and texture for approximately one week. This makes it perfect for meal prepping at the start of the week, ensuring you have a delicious plant-based option ready whenever you need it.

Delicious Ways to Enjoy Your Vegan Almond Feta

The versatility of this creamy almond cheese is truly impressive. Its tangy, salty profile makes it a wonderful addition to a wide array of meals and snacks. Get creative and try it in some of these exciting ways:

• Classic Spreads: Generously spread it on your favorite crackers, toasted baguette slices, or fresh artisan bread for a simple yet satisfying snack.
• Sandwich and Wrap Enhancer: Use it as a creamy, flavorful spread in sandwiches and wraps instead of mayo or other cheeses. It pairs wonderfully with fresh veggies, roasted peppers, or even grilled plant-based proteins.
• Savory Pastries: Incorporate it into traditional savory pastries. It’s an excellent ingredient for making a vegan spanakopita, providing that rich, cheesy filling.
• Cooking Companion: Don’t limit it to cold dishes! This almond cream cheese performs beautifully in cooking. It’s a fantastic addition to my vegan mushroom and spinach crepes, adding a luscious creaminess. I also love to use it to boost the flavor and texture of fajitas and quesadillas, creating a rich, dairy-free filling.
• Versatile Dip: Serve it as a creamy dip with an assortment of fresh crudités like carrot sticks, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, or cherry tomatoes. It’s also great with pita bread or tortilla chips.
• Salad Topping: Dollop spoonfuls onto green salads for a creamy element and a burst of tangy flavor, much like crumbled feta.
• Pasta Sauce Base: Thin it slightly with a bit of pasta water or plant milk and toss it with warm pasta for a quick and easy creamy sauce.
• Baked Potato Topping: A spoonful or two on a hot baked potato instantly transforms it into a more gourmet, satisfying meal.
• Bruschetta Base: Spread on toasted bread and top with fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, or olives for a flavorful appetizer.

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Recipe adapted from: https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/almond-feta-cheese-with-herb-oil