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Vegan Pimento Cheese

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Learn how to make the most amazing Vegan Pimento Cheese completely dairy-free and oil-free! This is creamy, rich, tangy, salty, slightly spicy with just a hint of sweetness. Everything a pimento cheese should be!

Meet my favorite vegan cheese I’ve possibly made ever. This Vegan Pimento Cheese has made me happier than you know! It requires just 8 ingredients, is oil-free and dairy-free and nostalgic in every way. My mom always served us pimento cheese spread on celery sticks. It was a regular snack I had growing up and it was always served at the holidays. So posting this just in time for the holidays was a must.

Maybe it’s just the fact that I’ve missed pimento cheese so much, but this I’m loving more right now than any other cheese I’ve created!

I have missed that stuff. It has been years since I have had it and now I’m. In. Heaven.

This recipe is based off of my Vegan Baked Smoky Cashew Cheese. That recipe has exploded! I’ve legit had dozens of readers tell me it’s the best vegan cheese they’ve ever had and one reader told me I should package and sell it, haha! It’s really delicious, so go try it if you haven’t. I changed that recipe up quite a bit to turn  out this amazing pimento spread.

If you’ve never had pimento cheese, you are missing out. It is different than any other cheese. A pimento cheese should be rich, creamy, soft (it’s not a hard cheese), dip-like, spreadable, tangy, slightly spicy and just a hint of sweetness.

My Vegan Pimento Cheese has that all! You’ll need just 8 easy ingredients:

  • raw cashews
  • rice vinegar (plain, not seasoned)
  • lemon juice
  • sriracha sauce
  • paprika
  • tomato paste
  • garlic
  • pimentos

HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN PIMENTO CHEESE?

First, you will need to soak your raw cashews. Do not SKIP THIS. I don’t care if you are in a rush, if you skip this, it will be gritty.

Add the drained cashews to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the pimentos.

Process to break everything up, scrape down the sides and process again for a good 5 minutes or so. Process until 100% smooth and creamy.

Taste and it should be tangy, salty, slightly spicy and a mild touch of sweetness! True pimento cheese is not overly spicy so it should be just a nice warmth in your mouth.

Stir in the pimentos and serve over toast, celery sticks or crackers!

Creating amazing vegan cheeses is a regular thing here. Try these other Vegan Cheeses:

  • Best Vegan Queso is truly the best you’ve ever had (your reviews)
  • Vegan Baked Herbed Cashew Cheese
  • Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese
  • Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese
  • Vegan Ricotta Cheese
5 from 15 votes
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Vegan Pimento Cheese

Vegan Pimento Cheese completely dairy-free and oil-free! This is creamy, rich, tangy, salty, slightly spicy with just a hint of sweetness. Everything a pimento cheese should be!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword vegan pimento cheese, vegan appetizers
Prep Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Brandi Doming

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (225g) raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight, DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons (37g) plain (not seasoned) rice vinegar, please do not sub with another vinegar!
  • 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (adds LOTS of depth of flavor, a slight kick and a hint of sweet)
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons (45g) water
  • 3 large garlic cloves, 11g, roughly chopped (don't be shy, this adds lots of flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon regular paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/4 cup (60g) diced pimentos (make sure you drain them FIRST from the jar before measuring)
  • I use this food processor.

Instructions

  1. You will need a day in advance to make this cheese, you MUST soak the cashews overnight. Quick soak methods are not advised. Rushing it will result in a gritty cheese. Trust me on this and do not skip soaking the cashews overnight. This makes the nuts very soft and is necessary since so little liquid is used and is needed to get a creamy consistency.
  2. Add your cashews to a bowl and pour boiling water over them by at least an inch at the top. Cover and leave to sit overnight on your counter or 8 hours minimum. Drain them and rinse them well.
  3. Add the drained cashews to a food processor, as there is such little liquid, I don't recommend a blender or even a Vitamix, it does not get creamy for me, personally. Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the pimentos.
  4. Process to break everything up, scrape down the sides and process again for a good 5 minutes or so. You will need to scrape down the sides a couple of times to ensure it all gets mixed and smooth. It will seem too gritty at first and like it won't work, but if you soaked your cashews overnight as instructed, it WILL work. Just be patient. Process until 100% smooth and creamy. Like in my photo.
  5. Taste and it should be tangy, salty, slightly spicy and a mild touch of sweetness! True pimento cheese is not overly spicy so it should be just a nice warmth in your mouth. However, if you want yours spicier, feel free to add a good pinch of cayenne. Do not, however, add more Sriracha, as that will add too much more vinegar and saltiness to the cheese. The heat level is perfect for kids though in my opinion as written and totally reminded me of my mom serving pimento cheese as a kid!
  6. Now, add the drained pimentos to the food processor and just STIR them in, do NOT blend them up. Alternatively, you could add all of the cheese to a bowl and stir them in that way too.
  7. Serve immediately or store in the fridge if you like first. I inhaled it immediately! Pimento cheese is supposed to be a soft, creamy spread, not a hard cheese so no need to firm up in the fridge before eating. I love this with crackers, especially celery and really, really delicious on toast!

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dips/Sauces, No Bake, Nut Butters/Spreads, Sides, Snacks Tagged With: 8, Cashews, Cheese, Creamy, Dairy free, Easy, Homemade, Ingredients, Oil free, pimento, Plant based, Recipe, Simple, Spicy, tangy, vegan

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Charlene

    December 17, 2018 at 11:27 pm

    Impossible to find pimentos in the grocery store. Have tried for several other recipes and gave up.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 17, 2018 at 11:29 pm

      Sorry to hear that! Very easy to find around here where I live, as they are where all the other jarred peppers and olives, etc. are. You can always order online too on amazon, which would probably be easier than driving to a lot of stores if they are hard to find in your area. Also, even Walmart has them.

      Reply
    • Name*

      December 18, 2018 at 2:17 am

      We sometimes make our own by roasting a red bell pepper or blacken it then when it is done peel off the blackened part and side it. just an idea

      Reply
    • Mary Tagliarino

      December 21, 2018 at 8:36 am

      Jars of full-size Roasted Red Peppers are the same thing. Just drain well and cut them up. I measure them into 1/4 and 1/2 Cup portions and freeze in small Rubbermaid containers. Works great! Great recipe!!

      Reply
  2. Karen

    December 18, 2018 at 1:11 am

    My husband is allergic to cashews. I’ve subbed raw sunflower seeds successfully in cashew based sauce recipes. Do you think that would work here?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 18, 2018 at 1:41 am

      It may work ok in sauces (where’s there’s substantial liquid) but I really do not think it would taste good here. There’s very little liquid and there’s a lot of cashews. I think the texture would be gritty and the sunflower flavor be very overpowering and not creamy. You can always try it, but that’s my thoughts.

      Reply
  3. Sophia DeSantis

    December 18, 2018 at 1:19 am

    5 stars
    AMAZING. I am loving all the cheesy content going on right now. Must add it to my list of yumminess to try!!!

    Reply
  4. Sharon

    December 18, 2018 at 2:10 am

    I only have seasoned rice vinegar… will it really mess up the recipe if I use that instead of unseasoned rice vinegar?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 18, 2018 at 2:35 am

      I haven’t tested it with seasoned so I can’t say for certain but I do know seasoned is sweeter and less tangy, so it will change the flavor. Since pimento cheese does have a hint of sweetness, it might work, I just can’t say for certain.

      Reply
  5. Linda

    December 18, 2018 at 6:41 pm

    Hi Brandi, this looks delicious & I look forward to trying it. I’ve never been disappointed in any of your recipes! Question about the toast showing in one of your photos- is it by any chance a gluten free bread that you have a recipe for?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 18, 2018 at 7:05 pm

      Hi Linda! Oh that’s so kind, thank you so much! No, it’s some seeded bread I bought from my local HEB. Very healthy but not gluten-free! I do have one I’m working on and hoping to post early in the new year!

      Reply
  6. Kim

    December 18, 2018 at 7:28 pm

    Can I use almonds instead of cashews?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 22, 2018 at 4:56 am

      Hi Kim, I don’t have good experience personally with almonds, as it leaves a mealy texture. They would need to soak for a really long time to give it a chance, but I know cashews work well and make this exceptionally creamy and smooth and are all I’ve tested, so I can’t say for certain.

      Reply
  7. Ela

    December 18, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    5 stars
    Wow Brandi! You know how much I love vegan cheese and I am 100% sure that I woul adore this vegan pimento cheese. Much love, Ela 🙂

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 18, 2018 at 9:35 pm

      Aww, thank you so much Ela!! You’re too sweet!

      Reply
  8. Andrea Hoogendoorn

    December 19, 2018 at 6:55 pm

    Hi Brandi, can you help me out? Pimento translates as (red) bell pepper or paprika, but I wonder if that is what it is. Is it a just a (roasted) diced red bell pepper, or is it more like a peppadew (you know, those small spicy bell peppers)? Hope you can help me out here! Regards, Andrea

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 20, 2018 at 5:42 am

      Hi Andrea! A pimento is actually a very mild chili pepper, or called a cherry pepper. It’s slightly spicier (though very mild) and slightly sweeter than bell peppers. They are sold in jars near the jarred peppers or olives, etc. They are often stuffed inside green olives that are sold in the store too if you know what those are? Just to give an idea.

      Reply
      • Andrea Hoogendoorn

        December 20, 2018 at 12:58 pm

        Hi Brandi, thanks! I think I know just what to buy now and otherwise I’ll experiment a bit 😀

        Reply
  9. Rhea

    December 20, 2018 at 5:34 am

    5 stars
    I made this, so easy to make and it is absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 22, 2018 at 4:55 am

      Yay Rhea, so glad to hear it!

      Reply
  10. shannon

    December 21, 2018 at 4:44 pm

    I just finished making this, so I could take a tasty treat to my vegan daughter for Christmas!! It is delish! Now, does it taste like cheese per se, to me…not exactly, but it is a delicious dip nonetheless!! Will definitely make it again for all of us!!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 22, 2018 at 9:22 pm

      So glad you loved it Shannon, so funny because it tasted just like pimento cheese to all of us and some non-vegan family members I tested it on, haha! Thanks for making it!

      Reply
  11. plant based Kate

    December 22, 2018 at 12:14 am

    5 stars
    I made this recipe but subbed sunflower seeds for the cashews and it is SO DELICIOUS! It’s not quite as creamy because of the substitution, but it is still quite the hit. Thank you for continuing to share these delicious recipes with others. I’ve yet to make a recipe of yours that I don’t love!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 22, 2018 at 4:57 am

      Thank you so much Kate, I’m so happy to hear how much this was a hit, yay!!

      Reply
  12. Naomi

    December 22, 2018 at 4:31 pm

    YUM 😋 made this pimento spread this morning for an appetizer later tonight but I can’t stop eating it now! Perfect creaminess, Slight heat with a bit of sweet and just super yummy! Looking forward to tasting it after it’s chilled in the fridge a bit! Thanks Brandi!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 22, 2018 at 9:23 pm

      So glad you loved it Shannon, so funny because it tasted just like pimento cheese to all of us and some non-vegan family members I tested it on, haha! Thanks for making it!

      Reply
  13. Naomi

    December 22, 2018 at 4:32 pm

    5 stars
    Wooos forgot to do the rating.

    Reply
  14. Lori

    December 22, 2018 at 7:44 pm

    5 stars
    This is great! Mine looks more “orange” than yours (probably my paprika). Made it exactly as you wrote it. Thanks!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 22, 2018 at 9:16 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it Lori, thank you!

      Reply
  15. Christina

    December 23, 2018 at 5:53 pm

    5 stars
    Everyone enjoyed the pimento cheese at my party last night. It was made exactly as the recipe directed. Now I look forward to other similar delights.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 28, 2018 at 11:18 pm

      So wonderful to hear this Christina, thank you for the lovely review!

      Reply
  16. Andrea Hoogendoorn

    December 30, 2018 at 7:21 pm

    5 stars
    AMAZING!!! I would prefer to give 10 stars if possible LOL. I had a guest and she also LOVED this and wanted the recipe to make this tomorrow! Thanks again Brandi 🙂

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 30, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      Oh yay Andrea, so so happy to hear this!!

      Reply
  17. Penny

    January 2, 2019 at 12:19 am

    5 stars
    I was so excited when I saw you post this recipe because I hadn’t had pimento cheese in years (since before I was vegan), and it’s delicious! I cheated and boiled the cashews for 10 minutes because I forgot to soak them and wanted immediate cheese, and it still turned out great.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      January 4, 2019 at 7:52 pm

      Yay, so happy you loved it Penny!!

      Reply
  18. Lisa

    January 2, 2019 at 10:21 pm

    Hi! I just made this — it’s so freakin good! I made it in my vitamix since I don’t own a food processor and it still came out smooth and creamy! YEAH!!! I did soak the cashews for about 14 hours tho so many that helped? It also kinda reminds me of ham salad for some reason (it’s a Pittsburgh thing! Hahaha!) haven’t had pimento cheese in like 12 years and I just had to try it, so glad I did! Thank you thank you!!! Xoxo

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      January 4, 2019 at 7:53 pm

      Oh yes, the soaking that long makes a HUGE difference if using a blender, so happy you loved it! Woohoo, thank you Lisa!

      Reply
  19. Susan

    January 3, 2019 at 9:35 pm

    hi Brandy….I can’t wait to try this!! Can you tell me what Sriracha sauce you use?

    🙂
    Susan

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      January 4, 2019 at 7:52 pm

      Hi Susan, I use the brand called Sky Valley!

      Reply
  20. KB

    March 15, 2019 at 8:56 pm

    5 stars
    This is the first recipe I’ve made of yours. I made it with seasoned rice vinegar because we couldn’t find plain. It’s delicious even still. Not sure how much more sweet it is with this vinegar but seems ok. Like others, I’m going to chill it for a more cheese like consistency. Thanks.

    Reply
  21. Jennifer

    April 4, 2019 at 3:26 am

    Do you think I could sub white beans for any portion of the cashews? I really want to try this but I can’t have a lot of nuts!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      April 4, 2019 at 4:40 am

      Hi Jennifer! I have not tested it, so I can’t say what the result would be. In my experience, white beans I’m not too crazy about as a sub for cashews in 100% of a swap. It works ok when subbing 50% in most cases. I would suggest trying half and see, I just can’t vouch for the result since I’ve not tried it myself!

      Reply
  22. Beth

    April 4, 2019 at 5:48 am

    I would like to make this for my mom but she is very sensitive to spicy foods. Any suggestions for a Sriracha substitute? Thank you! I just bought your cookbook and am excited to try the great looking recipes.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      April 4, 2019 at 3:54 pm

      Hi Beth, this cheese actually isn’t spicy at all if you leave the sriracha out! Just do that and it’s tangy, creamy and cheesy with a pimento flavor. Pimentos taste a lot like bell peppers, just a bit sweeter, they are not spicy. The srirarcha does add some wonderful flavor though, so blend it all up and maybe just add a teaspoon and see. It really isn’t that spicy.

      Reply
  23. Cira Millmam

    April 21, 2019 at 12:11 am

    5 stars
    Just made this and wow! I love this!. I made a bunch for our family Easter feast.
    I absolutely followed your recipe to the letter and it was worth it, smooth and creamy..
    Thank you!

    Reply
  24. Brian

    June 11, 2019 at 4:10 am

    I don’t leave comments very often. But this sounds so amazing I just had to say so. I’m brand new to making vegan cheese. As a matter of fact, this will be my first one. I will post Brian back how it turned out. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      June 11, 2019 at 4:34 am

      Thank you so much Brian, I hope you love it!

      Reply
  25. Lainie

    June 20, 2019 at 7:31 pm

    Brandi,
    I’m a newbie to veganism. I tried your vegan pimento cheese recipe. WoW! Awesome. I’m so impressed. I thought is was even tastier than the original pimento cheese I was eating. My son turned vegan about 1 1/2 years ago, and at the time, my husband and I were completely speechless. Shocked is more like it. Since then my son and I have had long talks about why he decided to go vegan. I did my research and also wanted a diet change because what I was eating constantly gave me stomach issues. I decided to test the waters and just see if I could commit to such a diet change. It’s turned out much easier than initially expected. And I feel so much better. I have tried many of your recipes and they always impress me with how good they taste. There is such a miss conception that being vegan is tasteless. Not the case. Thank you for all your recipes.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      June 20, 2019 at 8:04 pm

      What a beautiful comment to read Lainie, thank you so much for sharing all of that. So happy to hear the transition has been wonderful for you and you are loving my recipes and this cheese! You are so right, too, good vegan food totally does exist!

      Reply
  26. Catherine Hughes

    July 27, 2019 at 12:33 am

    Hi, Brandi. I have tried a few of your recipes and they have been great. I just got your cookbook today and can’t wait to see what to try next. I am going to make the pimento cheese, but can’t find unflavored rice vinegar. I will try again tomorrow and if I can’t find itI am going to use white wine vinegar. Do you think that will make a big difference? Thanks for what you do: please keep it up.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      July 27, 2019 at 10:03 pm

      Aww thank you so much Catherine, I’m really happy to hear that! Yes, I think white wine vinegar would still be great!

      Reply
  27. Louis

    August 21, 2019 at 5:21 am

    5 stars
    I just made this for the first time and all I can say is, Wow! It’s been so long since I had pimento cheese, and this tastes exactly like I remember! I followed the recipe to the letter and tbh I was worried the sriracha might make it too spicy for me, as I’m pretty sensitive to that kind of thing, but it’s perfect!!! Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 4, 2019 at 12:53 am

      So wonderful to hear Louis! So glad you loved it as much as I do!

      Reply
  28. Tracy Hubbell

    September 8, 2019 at 11:45 pm

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday for an all omni cocktail party- people couldn’t stop eating it! So easy and delicious!!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 9, 2019 at 6:27 pm

      Woohoo, awesome to hear that!

      Reply
  29. Jeanne

    October 8, 2019 at 10:15 pm

    5 stars
    I’m basically a junk foodvegan as I am in it for the animals and don’t really think about nutrition much. I eat vegan junk food most of the time but was really craving pimento cheese. I never make anything from scratch so I wasn’t sure how it would come out. After two trips to the store (I miss asked a few ingredients the first time) I finally got started. It turned out sooooo good I’ve been eating it 2 or 3 times a day. I’ll definitely be trying a few more of your recipes

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      October 9, 2019 at 12:47 am

      So very happy to hear you loved this! I can’t stop eating it either, haha!

      Reply
  30. Taya Wyss

    December 1, 2019 at 3:43 am

    5 stars
    Brandi! Absolutely delicious. My mom used to make the most amazing cheese ball while I was growing up. It was my favorite holiday appetizer. This is so close to her original (non-vegan), I simply can’t believe it. Thanks for being the nostalgic dish back into my life. It make a great gift in a crock as well.

    The one substitution I made because I simply can’t get enough olive/pimiento flavor is I subbed olive juice for the 3 tablespoons of water 1:1. I was afraid it might make it too salty, but it didn’t. If you can’t find pimientos, I just take them out of the Olive myself and place the olive back in the jar for future use.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 3, 2019 at 1:52 am

      Yay Taya! This is so lovely to hear! So glad you loved this!

      Reply

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I'm Brandi, creator of this vegan blog who healed my husband's gout through a plant-based diet. I create delicious vegan comfort food in a healthier way! All my recipes are 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper or water. I'm an expert on oil-free cooking! I will teach you all my tricks. read more →

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