Ever since posting Real Cream Cheese, I have been slightly obsessed with making raw nut cheeses.
My first taste of vegan cheese was Cheese with Spring Onions from Zoe on Goneraw a few years ago. It is still a favorite for me, and I was reminded of it from a recent post about it on Goneraw. Thank you so much Zoe! Check out all the comments on this recipe...it was the most popular recipe on the site for a loooooong time!!!
Here it is as a spread, perfect for wraps or dips.
It is a very versatile recipe...this wheel had boursin herbs (molded in a small springform pan) and is my favorite version of this sunflower based cheese.
Another favorite is Gena's Sweet Cheese and Crackers...a quick and easy cheese recipe, posted for the holiday's, but it's perfect any time of year:) Thank you Gena!
Here is a picture of my most recent attempts using the basic fermented nut cheese recipe, made with almonds and dehydrated slightly. It was really tasty, especially the cheddar version. Hint: it is flavored like cheesy sauce for kale chips:)
Oh, if you can let it age in the fridge a bit(this one went for more than 2 weeks), it is even better:)
I have received several questions about the probiotic powder used to ferment the nut cheese. I have used a few different brands (all good), as well as miso and rejuvelac. Here is a picture of the probiotic powders and capsules in a refrigerator at my co-op so you know what to look for. The 'New Chapter' brand is in the purple topped box, and is popular:
I am really looking forward to making some recipes from raw food Chef Russell James' ebook on raw nut cheeses. Check it out if you love making vegan cheeses as much as I do!!!
Remember to check out Russell's video on what to serve with your raw cheese:) His cheese in the video looks so good!
I used his suggestions and had a wonderful lunch recently:
I would love to know if you have a favorite raw vegan cheese recipe!!!
30 comments:
one day i will try the nut cheeze...i am still a slight bit intimidated...
but your cheezes look so yummy!!! i wish i was your neighbour...
=)
have a great day!
cheeeeese. yum! i love the seed cheese too. it was one of my first good raw recipes. care to share your cheddar recipe?
yummy yummy! do you recommend a brand of probiotics? i had no clue what to get at the store.
@Nelly...would looooove to be your neighbor!
@bitt...there wasn't an exact recipe as I was just messing around but it had almonds, probiotic powder, bell pepper, nooch, and salt just like kale chip coating. HTH:)
Hi kelli...I used Nature's Bounty acidophilus, but I think any brand would be fine. The health food stores usually have a good brand in the fridge:)
Wow!! Who needs dairy? Your cheeses look amazing:) Thank you for sharing!!
I need to venture into cheese making because it looks so easy..and tasty:)
These all look good!
wow, those all look sooo good! When I'm done with my juice fast I'm definitely going to try and make some! Thanks!
My gosh girl...you are so talented and just keep getting better. Those cheeses are so pretty and delish looking! Enjoy! xoxo
I am so grateful that I say this post. I need dairy free cheese for the kiddos and of course raw cheese for me would be lovely. Can't wait to explore the world of raw cheeses.
Peace and Raw Health,
Elizabeth
Your cheeses look amazing!!!
Zoe's cheese was definitely one of my favs for a long long time. I really want to start fermenting nut cheese, I just get too impatient to wait for the deliciousness. These pics are definitely inspiring me to start though. :)
Grrrr.I still have my cheese to make. I have not had time and I need to. THese look great! :)
Wow... it looks really amazing!!! I've never tried to make a 'solid' raw nut cheese, I think because it seems a bit difficult but I'm curious and I gonna try it! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Yummy!!! Your plate looks so beautiful. Thanks for the reminder on the seed cheese (Boursin used to be a fav). Thanks for the inspriration. Hope you have a marvy week. :)
Oh!My!Gosh! You love us! You spoil us! You ensure we get to live happy lives! Wee! YOU are AMAZING. :o)
Fabulous! I'm so inspired by your photos. Going to have to give raw cheese making a whirl. I love you girl!!! xoxo
I have to admit that as much as I would love to make raw cheese, I'm slightly intimidated by it. I'm going to check out the book you recommended. Cheese is & ice cream have been hard to give up, but I'm (slowly) working on it.
Yum, yum and YUM! I've been making cashew cheese for awhile now and using it like sour cream but not pressing it into fun molds! Very excited to try it. Thanks so much for sharing - I want to be your neighbor too - these look delicious.
Oh my gosh! I'm in cheese heaven! Everything looks so fab and how you present it all is like art. So beautiful and appetizing.
hi there! i just made my very first cashew and brazil nut cheese using rye rejuvelac and boy, oh boy was it ever delicious. i actually made quite a few and did some experiments with dehydrating and dehydrating makes it even better, but i also like it mild and creamy to spread on crackers. i'm not 100 per cent raw, but i am vegan and this cheese is the closest thing to real cheese. none of the vegan cheeses can even come close to this and you really get to have your cake and eat it too! can't wait to try other nuts and seeds. so awesome! from start to finish it took about a week, but soooo worth it and fun to kinda go through the process and know you made something so special! your cheeses look beautiful btw! LOVE your blog! <3
oh, may i ask what kind of mold you used to get such a perfect cheese shape? i am wanting to get something other than the ramekin i used. mine looked a little soppy. :)
Hello cake...thanks so much for your sweet comments!
I love to use a very small spring form pan to shape the cheese.
Here is a link to my step-by-step post that has a pic of the little pan:
http://thehappyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/06/real-cream-cheese.html
I think most kitchen supply stores, or craft stores should carry them in the cake decorating department. Good luck, and happy cheese-making:)
What a great post!
Do you have a recipe for the orange cheese in the top picture? Is it your picture? How did you make it orange?
Thanks!
Hi Corin! Thanks so much for the kind words.
The fermented and slightly aged orange cheese pictured was a happy accident, made with a bell pepper for the color. It was a peeled almond base flavored with (if I remember correctly) red pepper, nutritional yeast, and pink salt.
Oh, btw, all pictures posted on the blog are my own :)
I saw multidolphilis powder. Or raw probiatic powder not acidolphus will any of those work?
Hi Michelle~ Yes, those should work in this recipe. The only type I would not use are the chewable, flavored tablets. You might look for all loose powder, or veg-caps that need to be opened. Good luck, and happy cheese making:)
Hi Evergreen !!
I am soo exited to make some of your cheese !! but i have some questions ;)
1. How do you dehydrate without a dehydrater ??
2. I have a Dairy allergy .. wich kind of probiotic or yeast or others can i use to make cheese ??
Could you give me some axact labels and produkts that you use ??
thank you very much !! :))
Hi A:)
1.) I've heard you can use an oven, set at it's lowest setting, with the door ajar to dehydrate without a dehydrator.
This cheese does not have to be dried, but it does get a nice rind on it if you do.
2.) Bluebonnet Milk-free Acidophilus powder and New Chapter brand work well. Just check the ingredient label on the ones available to you to be sure.
Miso and rejuvelac will also work and are dairy free.
Hope this helps!
Hi I'm planning on making fermented nut cheese for the first time and came across this post...your cheese looks great!
I was wondering how you aged your cheese in the fridge though. Do you cover it somehow or do you leave it open to dry?
Thanks =)
Hello A,
I wrap the cheese wheel in (Natural Value) brown waxed paper or waxed paper bags.
I haven't tried anything else yet. It allows the cheese to "breathe" a little:)
There actually is a special paper to wrap cheese in, but it is a bit pricey for me.
Hope you enjoy cheese making!
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