VEGAN SMOKY BLACK PEPPER CREAM CHEESE
If there is one major thing I’ve missed since going vegan, it is CREAM CHEESE. One of my favorite things I indulged in the past was cream cheese on a toasted bagel. That irresistible, incredible, bold tang of cream cheese that is insanely delicious. The tang that is in cream cheese compared to regular cheese is what I love so much. Well, my friends, here is the result of my cream cheese dreams come true, in healthy vegan fruition. Read on to see how I came up with this dreamy stuff.
Most commercial vegan cheeses I’ve tried were, how do I put this, nasty. Weird and full of horrible ingredients. That is, until I tried Field Roast Chao cheese. It is incredibly delicious, melts well and tastes just like traditional cheese. They offer 3 flavors and by far, my favorite was their “black pepper” flavor. I love, love black pepper and in a cheese, it’s just divine. Only issue is it is of course highly processed and full of oil, 2 things I try to avoid.
Their “black pepper” flavor was what inspired me to create a cream cheese with that flavor. I took it one step further by adding a smoky element…another thing I loved before, was the smoky cheeses. So this recipe is the result of all things in the past I loved so much.
And my friends, this one passed with flying colors with my hubby, daughter and other family members who are NOT vegans. I’m as giddy as can be, knowing I can now have cream cheese again that I can feel good about eating.
Cashew cream cheese is nothing new. Cashews are a vegan’s best friend. But every recipe I’ve come across has involved strange ingredients I’ve never heard of or really involved steps or draining from cheese cloths….basically things I didn’t want to fool with. This is just soaking cashews overnight and then draining and blending in a food processor! I just wanted simple. I like simple. I also wanted a strong tang, more than just lemon juice, and an easy way to achieve that.
So, how did I achieve that amazing tang?? Well, it requires just 8 ingredients (plus water), but specifically 3 very basic ingredients to get that TANG. Nothing fancy you have to go to a special store for. These 3 ingredients achieved that awesome, bold tang I was after.
Lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and pickle juice! Yes, pickle juice. For some weird reason (no, I’m not pregnant) I started craving pickles really strongly the past month. Maybe it was a sign from the food Gods, I don’t know, but I bought some pickles. I had been working on this recipe a few times and wanted a more depth of tang than just what lemon juice and apple cider vinegar provide. It hit me, the pickle brine! I thought it sounded like the final piece to the cream cheese puzzle. I was right. It provided that extra tang and depth of flavor I was after. Plus, have you all seen the dairy cream cheese dips where people add pickles to the dip?
This cream cheese is soy-free, oil-free and coconut-free!
MORE VEGAN CREAM CHEESE RECIPES
- Strawberry Cream Cheese
- Blueberry Cream Cheese
- Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese
- Almond Blueberry Cream Cheese
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Smoky Black Pepper Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) raw, unsalted cashews
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons (30g) non-dairy unsweetened unflavored yogurt (I highly recommend the almond kite hill yogurt, it is VERY creamy and rich. Don't use a low-fat brand.)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23g) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons dill pickle juice OR 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar, which really aids in the cream cheese flavor
- 1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (increase to 1/2 teaspoon for a strong peppery taste or omit)
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
NOTE
- I trialed this recipe many times before arriving to the above recipe that I and others absolutely loved, so please don't sub any of the ingredients or change the process below, especially the acidic liquids, as they are the key to this cream cheese flavor. You can leave out the black pepper if you want a more basic cream cheese, but I wouldn't suggest leaving out the liquid smoke, as it does add an extra tang as well, helping to camouflage the cashew flavor. You can customize this with other flavors by adding chopped chives, olives, or sun-dried tomatoes. Have fun with it!
- I use this scale
Instructions
- Important: You MUST soak the cashews for a minimum of 12 hours and use a food processor. A fast boil or quick soak will NOT WORK. You'll need to prep this 2 days before you want to eat it, for the best results. You should literally be able to crumble them after soaking, that's how soft you want them. They become extremely soft this way and is how the whipped texture and super creaminess comes about. Even the flavor is better this way. This recipe uses very little liquids, so trying to skip the long soaking method will affect the results. You want the nuts very soft. A food processor is how to get the specific texture, again because very little liquid is used. A blender WILL NOT WORK. So, add your cashews to a bowl and cover with warm water and leave to sit on your counter overnight. Drain them the next day and rinse very well. Shake off excess water.
- Add the soaked/drained cashews, water, yogurt, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to a food processor and process until a paste forms. Scrape the sides a couple of times and process again. You want it relatively smooth, but it doesn't have to be perfect since we are processing again.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients, liquid smoke, pickle juice, nutritional yeast, pepper and salt. Process for several minutes. I'm talking, walk away for a couple of minutes and come back. Scrape the sides down and process once more. DO NOT add more water or you will dilute the flavor. You want that stuff silky smooth and a whipped like texture. Refer to photos above for a visual.
- Once it's completely smooth, transfer to a glass container and store in the fridge overnight. It will thicken and firm up some and get really chilled, making it perfect for your bagel in the morning. You will experience the full flavor and texture after it has chilled overnight. Be patient my friends. Enjoy!
This sounds fantastic! I have one question about the pickle juice. Are we talking about the brine from Kosher dill pickles (like Strubbs) or the juice from a jar of Bick’s dill pickles? Both are sour but they are so very different from one another and I don’t want to mess up my first batch!
Thanks!
Hi Kirsten! I have never heard of Bick’s dill pickles, so I would just go with kosher dill pickles. You basically just want the classic dill pickle juice for the kind of pickles you would use on a burger. Let me know what you think of the cream cheese after it has chilled, thank you!
WOAH, I completely missed this the first time, Brandi… (crazy summer spent away from the computer)
So glad I spotted it after the blueberry version. I can’t wait to try this out with my parents. 🙂
Thank you so much Janet! Let me know how it turns out!
I just finished making this, and it’s really, really good! I’m trying really hard to not devour the whole thing at once. Thanks for the recipe, I will be making it many more times!
Wonderful Andrea! I’m so happy to hear you loved it so much, thank you so much for providing feedback!
Brandi!!!!!!! We made this a couple of weeks ago and LOVED it! After seeing Sophia’s post adding in sun-dried tomatoes, I had to do that too and it was delicious! It literally tastes like the cream cheese I loved during my dairy eating days. I licked the food processor clean! We used this on crackers, in sandwiches and on toast. I need to make another batch soon! Awesome recipe, my friend!
Yay! So awesome to hear Mandy! Thank you so much for making it and leaving such wonderful feedback! I agree, it totally, truly reminded me of dairy cream cheese, yet this one is actually good for you!! Thank you again!
LOVED this recipe! My husband was especially thrilled, said he could eat it EVERY day! We had it on bagels and veggie sandwiches and it was great both times! Can’t wait to make it again! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that this was a hit with both of y’all April! Thank you so much for letting me know, I love hearing the feedback!
I’ve made this twice so far. The second time I wised up and doubled the recipe. To my surprise, it was easier on my cheapie food processor when I doubled it.
At the risk of sounding redundant, I must say this is one of my favorite recipes from you. It tastes WORLDS better than the nasty chemical-y tasting store bought stuff. It does not even compare, in fact. Just the right amount of smoky tart flavor, and it is so rich tasting.
I had some on toast and it was delicious, but my current plan is to lop it on baked potatoes. Seems like it would be perfect!
Thanks again, Brandi…. you continue to amaze me with your creations.
Ooops…. I meant to add that I think this recipe could easily be tweaked for Mexican-flavored dishes. I miss the taste of sour cream on spicy foods, but maybe throwing in a little chipotle seasoning and leaving out the black pepper would do the trick. Next time I shall try. 🙂
Wow, Caroline! I’m so sorry I missed this wonderful comment when it came through! I’m so happy you loved this so much, I really appreciate your kind words and feedback! I agree that this would be so delicious on Mexican food, the tart flavor would pair nicely with all the Mexican spices!! It’s also really delicious in my smoky potato soup!
Thanks again for leaving such kind feedback!
I just bought a jar of pickles to make this and when I came back to re-read the recipe I realized that I got sweet pickles ?. Lol I was so excited… now I’m gonna have to wait till I get a different jar!
Oh no! Well let me know when you try it!! 🙂
I know I’ve said this before and I know I will say this many times in the future but you are a GENIOUS Brandi! Made this cream cheese earlier this week and it tasted absolutely amazing and was so easy to do! Even though this by itself was perfect I think this recipe is also easily adapted so next time I will add some sundried tomatoes and olives as that used to be my favorite flavor! Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much Milla for such fantastic feedback! I loved your beautiful pic on Instagram! Thank you so much for your kind words and always making my recipes, so glad you loved this cream cheese as much as we do!
I made this and enjoyed it this morning on a whole grain bagel. It really is amazing!! I like it better than cream cheese. 🙂
Sorry…forgot to rate it! 5 stars!
Thank you so much Eva! I’m so happy to hear you loved it more than regular cream cheese, yay!!
Hi Brandi! I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe soon (all those glowing reviews!!) after stumbling upon it (and your blog) on Pinterest. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind sharing what kind of food processor you use? I’m on the hunt for a new one since mine just petered out. I have a Vitamix, but it sounds like this might turn out better in a food processor so it’s motivation to buy a new one, and instead of reading reviews on Amazon for hours I’d rather just ask a trusted food blogger. Thanks in advance!
Hi Emma! Several have made it in their vitamix but it didn’t work in mine. I have the thinner container and it just will not get as smooth, which is so important for the cream cheese. I have an 11 cup cuisinart food processor and it is simply amazing, I use it daily! Here is the one I have! http://amzn.to/1PBXRAY
Thanks so much. It’s on the list! I just started reading your blog and I love it. Sad I missed the food processor giveaway 🙂 looking forward to trying a bunch of your recipes this weekend.
Thank you so much Emma, can’t wait to hear what you think! Please come back and let me know 🙂
I left out the pickle juice, smoke, and pepper, and this made a very nice basic cream cheese. It worked great in my Vitamix (tall container); I had no problems at all but I did use the tamper a little. Thanks for the tip about soaking the cashews; I usually skip that but I soaked them this time and I know it wouldn’t have turned out otherwise.
Wonderful Dianna! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this, thank you so much for the feedback! You should try the strawberry or blueberry ones too, they are really delicious!
I made this this weekend and am so in love with it. I recently transitioned to veganism from vegetarianism and was looking for a soy-free and coconut-free cream cheese recipe — this hit the nail on the head! Another winner, Brandi! I have yet to try anything from your blog that disappoints me in any way — yay you!
Awww thank you so much Sarah, that means so much to me! Thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it and the kind words. Happy you loved this too!
This cream cheese is absolutely phenomenal! I made it last night! It’s all gone already:) Brandi, you are the best!
Hi Brandi,
I stumbled upon your website and was thrilled to find all your wonderful vegan recipes!! Thank you so much for all the amazing recipes you provide. I just made your smoky black pepper cream cheese today but am confused how yours in your picture looks so white when mine looks almond colored. It’s not a big deal but am wondering if I am not using all the right ingredients as you did. I followed your recipe to the letter but it doesn’t look as white as yours. Any thoughts as to why that might be?
Thanks again for all your hard work and effort to give us all super tasty vegan recipes to love and enjoy!!! Please keep up the good work. I will be following your website for yummy recipes as a go-to for sure.
You rock!
Linda
It most likely has to do with the type of liquid smoke you used! Mine wasn’t white either but still tasted amazing. The moment I put the liquid smoke in, it became a little more brownish.. Still darn good though!
It could be that, or more likely the nutritional yeast. Some brands are very orange and can really alter the color.
This turned out perfect! I absolutely love it. It is the best vegan cream cheese I’ve had, and I’ve bought a lot of them. I can’t thank you enough.
That is so awesome to hear Christina, thank you so much for the feedback!
I just made this with a food processor and stuck to all of your instructions.. and it was heavenly already! :):) 🙂 I am so happy, it tastes so good, it’s like eating liquid Nacho cheese chips (although I realize that sounds really gross).. Anyhow, it’s really delicious and I can’t wait for the flavour to become even richer (hope it’s not too much!) in the fridge. Planning to take it to a vegan potluck and as I have just become a vegan I am now confident I’ve got something amazing to serve, rather than something ‘meh’.
Probably going to make this every once in a while for over sandwiches or in the weekends, thanks so much Brandi! Also made your vegan nacho cheese yesterday (the one with zucchini) which was a great success and this is another show stopper. I hereby declare you my favourite vegan blogger! <3 Greetings from Holland!
Hi Carola, I’m so sorry I missed this comment before! You are so sweet, thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so happy to hear this was such a hit! This actually does really well at parties too, some readers serve it often with crackers or veggies! Thank you again for your sweet comment!
This is delicious! Its worth the time waiting for it to soak and chill. Thanks!
As a head’s up, the printed directions are incomplete. They don’t have the nutritional yeast or apple cider vinegar listed in the ingredients. I followed the site directions instead.
Thank you so much Roxted for the feedback! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know about the printed version, I will see what is going on!
Brandi !!! I craved cream cheese the other day and while I’ve made cashew cheese many times, I always make it more like a goat or ricotta texture or creamy but like labneh which is a traditional Lebanese yogurt cream cheese. This time I craved Philadelphia cream cheese of all things and rather than try my own version, I decided to give this recipe a try. I didn’t have liquid smoke so I decided to forgo the smokey and black better part and just made a plain cream cheese. Let me tell you…it was amazing. I added the pickle juice eventhough it wasn’t dill pickles since I can’t fnd those in Italy, and it still tasted amazing. It tasted just the way I remember cream cheese tasting and my hubby says it reminds him of the cheese triangles, you know the ones that come wrapped in foil? Anyways, such a great recipe. Eventhough I didn’t make the exact version here, what I got was awesome and will be repeated many times. Even my mother in law loved it and she won’t normally eat anything with lemon or vinegar in it.
You are the best Nissrine, I don’t know where my comment went before because I swear I commented on this already, but thank you! I am so happy it was such a hit and thank you for making it again this past week on Instagram!!
Would starting out with cashew butter work as the base for a quick cream cheese (I’m thinking your strawberry cream cheese). This might speed up process for those of us who are more impatient. 😊 Your thoughts on that?
Hi Nanette! I have not tested this particular recipe with cashew butter. It would change up the recipe since using whole cashews needs more liquid and cashew butter needs less, so I can’t say how this one would be different. I DO, however, have a new cream cheese recipe going in my cookbook that is without fruit or a sweet flavor!
Just made this again for the 3rd time…BUT this time I quadrupled the recipe!! Magnificent!!! Even non-vegans LOVE it!
That’s so wonderful to hear Sheryl! Thank you so much for the lovely review! This is my favorite cream cheese!
I make this all the time. The only bad thing about it is that I want to eat it straight out of the food processor.
Haha, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review Jen, I really appreciate it!
I plan on making both the Smokey Pepper and Blueberry cream cheeses at the same time. I saw it keeps in the refrigerator for a short time. Can this be frozen?
Hi Cheryl, I’ve never tried freezing them, but I don’t see why not! You’d just have to thaw them in the fridge before use.
Thank you I will let you know how it works
I made both the smoky black pepper and the blueberry (I did add clove because I love clove and blueberry) They were both delish. I froze some of each and they thawed in the fridge and were great. Thank You
I read your strawberry cream cheese recipe first and noticed you gave a cashew butter option, could I use that in all your cream cheese recipes? Sure helpful as I don’t have to plan ahead with the soaking!
If buying crashes butter, do you have a brand preference for this? I think I have some Once Again brand in my pantry …
Thanks!
Oops, hadn’t read all the comments when I posted my question. I see you have answered it already!
I’ve tried quite a few vegan cream cheese and was amazed at how spot on this recipe was. Tastes like REAL Dairy cream cheese minus the cruelty! Healthy and no one suffered for a schmear.
Thank you for sharing. I’m hooked on your blog after this recipe.
This is so amazing to hear Deb, so glad you loved it so much!
I used the BlendTec High speed blender and it worked beautifully.
Did you change the recipe? I used to make it all the time and don’t remember the yogurt part I definitely never used that. Did I just miss it or did u just add it?
I do not have access to plant based yogurt. Is there anything else I can use? Or can I omit?
Have you tried coconut vinegar instead of the white vinegar in your testing? Do you think it would work?
I have not so I’m really not sure how it would compare! If it’s not as strong, you may need a tad more.