Would you make your own cheese?

Once upon a time, I used to make my own vegan cheese from soaked almonds or cashews.  Then I went to graduate school and relinquished all experimentation time in the kitchen (or just time in general).  I’ve recently been gaining back my foothold and confidence in the kitchen after three years largely eating on the fly.  Some of my more obscure but delicious dabbling was in non-dairy “cheeses”.  I’d soak various tree nuts until softened, grind in a food processor with a medley of fresh herbs or spices, and a splash of lemon.  There’s really no end to the flavor combinations to be explored.  My absolute favorite combination I’ve created so far has been rosemary, lemon, and lavender almond cheese.  Cayenne and cumin come in at a very close second.  If you’re sensitive to dairy, it’s the perfect versatile replacement.

A great basic non-dairy cheese recipe to start with and add your own flair to is available from the BBC good food website here.

There are some seriously creative non-dairy cheese endeavors out there.  From smoked gouda style, savory cream cheeses, and even ricotta, the internet has your back. Here are my top ten favorite ideas for non-dairy / vegan cheeses at home (or for you seasoned vegans out there, all the Gary you can dream of).  And yes, even the heavenly sacred nacho cheese sauce can be non-dairy.  What flavor combos sound best to you? Let me know, I’d love to try them out!

10 Amazing Vegan / Non-Dairy Cheese Recipes:

1. Pepper Jack Cheese – from Vegan Richa
2. Nacho Cheese Sauce that’s as good as the real thing – from Serious Eats
3. Raw Vegan Savory Cream Cheese – from Fully Raw Kristina
4. Cream Cheese Frosting – from Oh She Glows
5. Strawberry Cream Cheese – from Vegan 8
6. Dairy-free Cheddar Cheese – from Jane’s Healthy Kitchen
7. Vegan Parmesan Cheese – from The Mess Is Ours
8. Cashew Ricotta Cheese – from Simple Veganista
9. Raw Lavender and Lemon Cheesecake – from This Rawsome Vegan Life
10. Smoked Cashew Gouda – from Julia’s Vegan Kitchen