Vegan Cream Cheese

Going Dairy Free hasn’t been the easiest for me.

Cheese by far has been the hardest to give up!  I’m a sucker for dishes like Mac n Cheese, Creamy Pasta dishes and Crackers and Cheese.

Thankfully, vegan cheese substitutes have come a long way, so I often buy them.  But every now and then, I get into the kitchen and make my reliable cream cheese.  I started making this in 2007 and it always hits the spot!

Vegan Cream Cheese

A soy-free, nut-free vegan cream cheese

• Author: Shelley

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cup sunflower seeds, washed and soaked 4 hours
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 2 lemons, juiced, all lemons are different so alter to your taste
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 TB pink himalayan sea salt
• OPTIONAL MIX INS
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• roasted garlic
• cinnamon
• dried fruit

Instructions

1. Wash sunflower seeds very well and then soak in quality water for at least 4 hours.  Rinse and shake dry in your strainer or allow to air dry for a while.
2. In your food processor, process the dry ingredients (sunflower seeds, salt and pine nuts) until a fine meal forms.
3. Stop food processor and scrape down sides (unless you have the ability to scrape sides with food processor on) Turn food processor back on.
4. With food processor still going, add lemon juice and stream in the olive oil.  The mixture will begin to lighten/whiten.
5. Continue scraping sides and make sure mixture is rolling around.
6. Process until smooth yet very thick.  There is no time limit on this, let it go for ages if need be until you get  the desired texture.  The longer it goes, the creamier it gets.
7. If adding mix ins, add them in once your desired texture is achieved.  Process just long enough to incorporate mix ins so that they are slightly broken in.
8. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.  If you taste it while it is being made or right after, expect the lemon to stand out.  After it’s sat the flavor cures and develops.
9. You can store in a clean glass lidded container and keep in the fridge.
10. If you want the cheese to be firm and sliceable, then place in a ramekin dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Notes

Pine nuts are technically considered a seed, however if you’re allergic, then use 3 cups of Sunflower Seeds