Plant-based Garden Cream Cheese Spread

Jenn, over at Veggie Inspired has a great recipe for a Veggie Cream Cheese Spread, that, the moment I saw it, I knew I had to try it! It contained all kinds of things that sounded great and like they’d work well together. But, nothing screamed “cream cheese” to me, so I figured I’d like what I made, but not think it was cream cheese.

I. Was. So. Wrong!

I’m not sure what is in Jenn’s recipe that gives it the flavor it does, but if I had to guess, it’s that apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. In fact, the recipe reeks of the ACV all the way through, and, to me, smells rather nasty. But, by the time you add all the veggies at the end, and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator (if you can wait that long), it’s nothing short of amazing, and just what I remember a good garden cream cheese spread should taste like! Combined with some Pretzel Crisps, it makes an incredible summer afternoon snack!

Check out Jenn’s recipe here (if you haven’t already clicked, had your mouth start watering, and forgotten about me!)

Or, find below, almost verbatim, with my modifications and notes:

Print Recipe

Plant-based Garden Cream Cheese Spread (Dairy Free)

Creamy and tangy with bits of fresh veggies throughout, this dairy free cream cheese is perfect on bagels or toast, as a spread in sandwiches or wraps, or as a dip for crackers or raw vegetables.

Prep Time12 hours hrs

Course: Breakfast, Breakfast, Dip, Sauce/Spread, Sauce/Spread

Servings: 16 people

Author: Jenn Sebestyen @ VeggieInspired.com

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked in water for several hours or overnight, drained and rinsed (Or not. See PBB Notes below.)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 2-3 tbsp water
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup diced bell pepper Orange, red, yellow or green, or all four!
• 2 tbsp diced green onion
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Instructions

• Be sure your cashews have soaked for several hours, or ideally, overnight. The longer they soak, the creamier your cream cheese will be. After soaking, drain and rinse the cashews.
• To the bowl of a food processor, add the soaked cashews, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, onion powder, paprika, and garlic powder. Start to process to break up the cashews. You'll need to stop the food processor and scrape down the sides frequently to keep the mixture moving. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time until it comes together into a smooth spread. Be patient as this could take 5-10 minutes.
• Once it’s smooth, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the carrots, red pepper, green onion, parsley, and dill. Stir to combine.
• Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or a tiny splash of vinegar or lemon juice, if necessary.
• Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge. It will set up and thicken slightly as it sits in the fridge and gets cold. You could eat it right away, but it’s better cold.

Notes

Don’t let the prep time for this recipe scare you. It’s all hands off, but the cashews must be soaked for SEVERAL hours, ideally overnight, to create a super smooth texture. In fact, your hands on time will only be about 10-15 minutes.

Plant-based-Bear.com Notes:

If you have a high speed blender, I’ve had success without soaking, but adding a bit more water. Remember that soaking will increase the mass of the cashews, so in my head I tried to figure out how many cashews, and how much water I think they might have absorbed. In my case, I was suddenly doubling a recipe I hadn’t planned on doubling, so added non-soaked cashews and about 4-5 T of extra water to let them absorb it. It worked perfectly.

In fact, I heartily recommend the high-speed blender.  Jenn’s food processor must be better than mine, as I really couldn’t ever seem to get the right consistency with the food processor alone, even while only using soaked cashews. So, I like my high speed blender to make sure everything gets creamy, but it can still take a few minutes.  I’d highly recommend doubling the recipe if using a large high speed blender though, as this should really help you get a creamy spread without near as much “scrape down.”  And, this spread is so amazing, you’ll easily eat double before it spoils!

I also recommend being quite generous on the last 5 ingredients, the veggies!  I haven’t gone wrong with having heaping tablespoons and 1/4 cups!

There also hasn’t been any need for me to “adjust” the flavoring at the end, but your taste may vary!

My spread has been orange-tinted and soupy when freshly-prepared, but after a sit in the refrigerator overnight, it seems to have a lighter color and tastes incredible!