Cheese seems to be the hardest to let go of when someone decides to go vegan. For me, it really wasn’t, because I never ate much cheese, except for the occasional mozzarella, goat cheese, and Parmesan. It is, however, one of the biggest complaints I hear: “I can’t give up cheese”. So, then let’s figure out how to make vegan cheese, because anything can be veganized, really anything. 🙂
If you’d like to skip to the recipe, please scroll down 🙂
If You Like Cheese, Then Why Give it Up?
I could give you several reasons, the biggest ones being health and animal cruelty.
Health
Science has proven a link between dairy and breast cancer. Skin issues such as acne can be decreased or avoided when dairy is eliminated from your diet. Cheese is also high in artery-clogging saturated fat and salt, which can lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure; and it might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Are you addicted to cheese?
The truth about this “addiction”? Research has suggested that casein – a protein found in dairy products – releases opiates called casomorphins when it is being digested. These hormones can signal comfort to the brain.
The other “addiction” could also be due to the salty flavor. Moreover, if you have a habit of eating cheese at a certain time of the day, that may turn into an “addiction”. So, it is a good idea to be aware of repeated eating patterns.
Animal Cruelty
Although it is a well-known and extensively documented fact that meat factory farms are cruel, the dairy farms are even more so.
The lifespan of a free cow living a natural life is between 18 to 22 years. A dairy cow lives between 2,5 and 4 years. When she is 2 she is ready to calve and at that stage she is forcibly impregnated over and over again, because the only way that a cow can produce milk is by being pregnant (like us, like all mammals, basically). The bull’s seed is forced down her vagina through a metal tube (nice, isn’t it?).
When the calf is born, it is stolen from its mother who cries for her baby for days on end. The calf is either fattened up for a few months to be sold as veal or it is discarded like trash to die alone and miserable, crying for its mother. The milk that was intended for the calf is then sold to the public.
After all that heartbreak and after the cow has no more milk left, she is impregnated again and forced to go through the same gut wrenching process once more, and more, and more, and more, and more … until she can no longer produce any milk, and that’s when she is carted off to the slaughterhouse.
That is where cheese comes from … That is the cruelty of the dairy industry. This is why many have opted to buy the cruelty-free plant-based versions.
And you can also make your own cheese and add your own flavors al gusto.
The recipe is super easy and it doesn’t take much time.
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Ingredients
- A blender
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 small fresh ripe lime (yellow or greenish yellow) (peeled)
- 8 pitted green olives
- 3 stalks celery
Instructions
- Peel lime and add it to the blender
- Add chopped celery and olives and blend for a bit
- Add the nuts to the blender last and blend
- Once the nuts start blending in, you may need a dash of water to help it along.
- Optional: you can add whatever spice and herb you prefer for flavor and experiment with it.
- Possible variations:
- dried or fresh herbs
- basil
- coriander
- salt
- pepper
- curry
- chili
- sundried tomatoes
- red Bell pepper
- fresh tomato
- Possible variations:
And that’s it. I have made it with curry, salt and pepper, basil, and sometimes I have also created a version with chili. That’s the beauty of it, you can add your own style and flavor, just the way you want it. This cheese is great for bread spread, on salt crackers, canapés, sandwiches, or anything else you like.
Enjoy!
Hi there, great post… I’m a cheese lover but this sounds delicious even for non vegans to have as a dip or a spread. This could be the start of me considering the switch to being vegan. I look forward to seeing more recipes like this. Were you a cheese lover before going vegan? what’s your favorite vegan cheese now?
Thanks again for the post.
Hi Jamie,
Before I was vegan I always loved mozzarella and goat cheese, but I wasn’t crazy about the smelly cheeses 😉 I’m not sure which one is my favorite vegan cheese now. I like Heartbest and Follow Your Heart cheeses, but Daiya and Violife also have good options.
Hi Christine,
Love this article. I enjoy cheese only occasionally but know its not great for my body. So after reading your article it is definitely going!
I love the recipe except for olives. Don’t like them at all so will replace them with maybe a little bit of turmeric and black pepper. Would you have any other suggestions to replace the olives?
I can’t wait to make it now. Thanks again for this,
Kev
Hi Kevin,
Turmeric and black pepper sounds like a good olive replacement, another good substitute could be capers. Do you like capers? They also add a nice flavor.
Thanks for your comment! Let me know how it goes with the recipe 🙂
Hey Christine,
I love cheese and so did my girlfriend. But, since she went vegan, she doesn’t eat it anymore obviously. But, when I show her your article, I think she is going to be over the moon. I have a few friends who are vegan too and they will be so pleased that I have came across your article.
I will share this article with them and I will encourage them to try this out and see how they get on. I will update you with how we get on with this too, excited to do this and hopefully we can make it just as delicious as you do 🙂
Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.
All the best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
That’s great! I’ll share some more recipes soon 🙂
Thanks for your comment!
Hi, Christine,
I love cheese very, very much but I truly hate that process with dairy cows you have just described in this article.
Our reality is so cruel and if it helps stop it, I agree to go vegan. Especially with this amazing recipe you have shared with us.
Thank you for this, and please add some more!
Cheers,
Ionut
Hi Ionut,
Yes, the dairy industry is very cruel, it’s heartbreaking … If you love cheese, there are many plant-based alternatives. Violife is a great brand, Follow Your Heart, Daiya, and many others too
Thank you for your comment!
Hi Christine,
Yes, eating fewer dairy products could help the acne issue, which I can totally relate to.
It’s cool that you make your own vegan cheese, and it looks simple and fun. If I like to add some spices to this recipe, I will try wasabi powder or white miso paste to make it more Japanese. Then, I can spread them on rice crackers and have white wine to treat myself on the weekend afternoon.
Thanks for sharing today. Love your vegan recipe as usual.
Matt
Hi Matt,
White miso paste sounds like such a great addition! I’m going to try that. Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂
Hi Christine,
I am a vegan as well. I love animals and hate to hear stories about animal cruelty. I did not know about the milk cows being hurt like that.
I love your vegan cheese recipe. We will definitely try it. I will backlink to your recipe if you don’t mind. I have a vegan website as well. I am looking forward to more delicious recipes.
Jeannette
Hi Jeannette,
Yes, you can backlink to my website, I’ll be happy to connect 🙂
This recipe is delicious and you can improvise with the flavors. Enjoy!
This looks delicious, Christine, thanks! Never thought of making my own vegan cheese!! I should remember your remark: everything can be turned vegan. 🙂
Occasionally, I buy vegan cheese at the organic shop, but it dries out pretty quick and it’s not very tasty at all. I have that problem with more vegan foods that desperately try to look like the ‘old’ products.
And I am surprised by the ingredients. I had expected nutritional yeast to be in it. I am glad it isn’t because now Tom can eat this as well. I am going to try this recipe. And as I have rediscovered Pinterest, I have made a pin of it on one of my boards. 🙂
Wonderful, Hannie! Thanks for pinning my recipe 🙂
Yes, it’s great that this recipe doesn’t require any nutritional yeast. This cream cheese goes really well on toast and crackers 🙂
Thanks for your comment!
Hi Christine,
I am actually a HUGE cheese lover but I found that I love vegan cheese even more! To me, it has so much more flavor to it than regular cheese does.
I have not made my own cheese that I could refrigerate and use as a spread or snack but I have made my own cheese sauce! It’s amazing what you can do with cashews veggies and herbs.
Unfortunately, I can’t stand olives, no matter how many times I’ve tried. The brine is just too salty for me! But other than that this recipe sounds amazing!
Hi Haley,
Yes, olives aren’t for everyone, they have a particular flavor. It’s funny that you mention that you love vegan cheese more than regular cheese, because so do I 😉 Before I was vegan I never ate much cheese, and now I eat a lot more vegan cheese 🙂
Thanks for your comment!