This almond cheese is so delicious and is the perfect allergy-friendly recipe for those sensitive to dairy. It is also a raw vegan recipe. In this recipe, we are making this cheese in two ways. The first is a creamy and soft cheese, and the second is a slightly firmer cream cheese that has been dehydrated on low for a few hours to firm up.
This recipe is a dairy-free alternative to cream cheese and is perfect for entertaining: the ideal addition to a cheese platter. It tastes so good that every time I serve it to the family, it doesn’t last too long. Everyone who has tried this recipe has given it a high rating for yumminess!
This recipe uses simple and healthy ingredients including almonds, garlic, lemon, healthy salt, olive oil, and water. That’s it.
You will need to soak the almonds for approx. 6 hours (or overnight) to allow you to remove the skins and absorb water. You will need a blender, cheesecloth, and a way to allow the cheese to sit in the fridge for 24 hours so the water in the recipe naturally separates. The cheese must sit in a sieve or a container with a lifted tray to keep the water away from the cheese. Not only this but it allows the flavors to integrate and combine.
After 24 hours, you may go ahead and eat the cheese as is, but I like to dehydrate the cheese for 2 hours or more to firm up. This will change the texture and become more crumbly and less spreadable. This retains minerals and nutrients and keeps the cheese raw. You could place it in the oven on low heat (below 48 °C or 118°F) to keep the recipe raw or use an air fryer. The choice is yours.
This recipe is adapted from the Lands and Flavours Almond Cheese Recipe.
Raw Almond Cheese
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 cheesecloth
- 1 container with a raised tray
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (160g) almonds (soaked for 8 hours or overnight)
- 3 tbsp (44ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt (or other salt)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2/3 cup (160ml) filtered water
Instructions
- Soak the almonds for 8 hours or overnight and peel off the skins. Removing the skins will make the cheese creamy.
- Place almonds in the blender with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Himalayan salt, and filtered water. If it is not blending too well, add a Tablespoon of water at a time until it integrates completely. You want the mixture to become as smooth as possible. You may need to blend for a minute or longer, making sure you scrape down the sides if almonds stick to the sides of the jug.
- Place the mixture into a piece of cheesecloth and wrap it up. Place into a container with a raised sieve to allow the water to separate. Alternatively, place the cheese inside a container with a raised tray. Place into the fridge for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, you should see the water has separated from the cheese. You may serve the cheese as is. This is the first variation where the cheese is soft and spreadable. For the second variation, you could place it in the dehydrator, air fryer, or oven on low heat for a couple of hours or more to firm up. I have added poppy seeds and sesame seeds on top for presentation. The longer you dehydrate the drier and firmer the cheese will become. Ensure you keep the temperatures below 48 °C or 118°F to keep the recipe raw.
