Food & Drink

Recipe of the Week: Cashew Cream Cheese Four Ways

A dairy-free and gluten-free spread in four delish flavors

By Compiled by Mike Pearce February 22, 2016

A variety of donuts are arranged on a piece of paper.

Bagels and cream cheese are a classic. They’re meant for each other; inseparable like Nicholas Sparks and sappy romance novels. There’s nothing quite like the bliss of enjoying a freshly toasted bagel slathered with cream cheese while sipping on a hot cup of coffee.

But what if you’re vegan? Whether you’re a vegan or you just choose to stay away from dairy, Mackenzie Schieck, author of the Pine and Crave blog, has got you covered. She’s put together four flavors of cashew cream cheese, all of which are perfectly suited to adorn your morning’s carb-heavy delights.

Today, we’re highlighting Schieck’s orange currant cream cheese recipe. But to find out how to make the other three flavors, including cinnamon raisin, blueberry lavender and cinnamon oat crunch, head over to her blog and go nuts (I had to)!

Orange Currant Cashew Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

2 cups unsalted cashews

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

Zest from one orange

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup currants

Directions:

Soak cashews in orange juice for 1 to 2 hours.

Zest one orange. If you don’t have a zester, use a potato peeler, but make sure you dice it up really well.

Separate cashews from orange juice with a strainer (KEEP the orange juice!).

In a blender, process soaked cashews, honey, salt, and some of the orange juice—start with about 2/3 of a cup, then add as needed. You’ll want to use as little liquid as possible, just enough to get the ingredients to blend well. NOTE: If you need more liquid than the 1 cup of orange juice, you can use water or non-dairy milk.

Pour blended cashew cream into a bowl using a rubber spatula to get it all out, then stir in the currants and orange zest. TIP: You might want to do a taste test before you add the zest—I like a really orange-y flavor, but you might prefer it without the zest. Up to you!

Refrigerate, covered for at least two hours until it thickens up. It will keep well for about a week and a half.

Spread on bagels, toast, and even use it a few tablespoons in a smoothie to add protein and a little sweetness.

 

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