• Vegan Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Snack
    • Appetizer
    • Side Dish
    • Gluten Free
  • Vegan Nutrition
    • Essential Nutrients
    • Food Groups
    • Vegan Health
    • Vegan Nutrition Articles
  • Videos
    • Web Stories
  • About
    • About Lettuce Veg Out
    • Meet Nicole
    • Dietitians vs. Nutritionists
  • Contact
  • Search
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Service
  • Contact
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Lettuce Veg Out

Vegan Recipes and Nutrition

  • Vegan Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Snack
    • Appetizer
    • Side Dish
    • Gluten Free
  • Vegan Nutrition
    • Essential Nutrients
    • Food Groups
    • Vegan Health
    • Vegan Nutrition Articles
  • Videos
    • Web Stories
  • About
    • About Lettuce Veg Out
    • Meet Nicole
    • Dietitians vs. Nutritionists
  • Contact
  • Search

Vegan Goats Cheese Recipe made from Cashews

August 20, 2020 //  by Nicole Stevens//  8 Comments

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes. Leave your review!

This vegan goats cheese recipe is made from cashews and simple to prepare. With the option of using agar, it’s easy to make a tasty, tangy and crumbly dairy free cheese!

This recipe is not fermented which makes it easy, approachable and doesn’t require any fancy techniques or ingredients!

Skill: Intermediate | Time: 2 hr 25 min | Servings: 8

Vegan goat cheese log coated with crushed walnuts, on wooden board surrounded with crackers, red grapes and cucumber slices

Sign up for the Veg Out newsletter to get vegan recipes and nutrition content from a Registered Dietitian!

This post contains affiliate links (including Amazon Associates) and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Is Goat Cheese Dairy Free?

Goat cheese is made from goat milk, a type of dairy; so no, goat’s cheese is not dairy free. While many people associate cow’s milk as being “dairy”, humans consume the milk from a variety of animals including goats and sheep (most commonly).

Square board (half wood, half marble) with vegan goats cheese platter on top (goat cheese log, crackers, grapes, blueberries, cucumber slices, pecans, dry apricots) with cheese knife

Do Vegans Eat Goat Cheese?

Since goat cheese is made from goat milk, an animal secretion/ by-product, it is not vegan and therefore vegans do not eat goat cheese.

Sometimes there’s confusion about what the term vegan means, but it refers to a lifestyle that avoids the use of animals in any way possible. Some people use the term “plant-based” which doesn’t have a specific definition, therefore someone on a plant-based diet may choose to consume non-vegan products like goats cheese. “Plant-based” focuses on what you eat whereas veganism is about ethics and justice for animals.

Long wood board of with ball of cashew goat cheese in center, small piece cut out from it with small knife; cheese surrounded by crackers, fruits and vegetables

What is Vegan Goat Cheese?

Vegan goat cheese is any product or recipe that mimics the flavor and texture of non-vegan goat cheese. This recipe uses cashews and some salty, tangy ingredients to get that signature goat’s cheese flavor.

There are other vegan goat cheese recipes that require fermentation and use probiotics. While this adds depth of flavor and added tanginess, it’s not necessary to make a delicious cashew goat cheese. It may also be expensive to purchase probiotics, and fermentation is time consuming.

This recipe can be ready to eat in as little as 15 minutes if you don’t use agar (or up to 2 hours if you do and need to let it set).

Hand holding up small circular cracker covered with vegan chevre with blurred background of vegan cheese board (circular ball of cheese in center of long wooden board, surrounded with crackers, fruit and vegetables)

How to Make Cashew Goat Cheese

Making cashew goat cheese is a simple process. It starts with soaked cashews. Place these in a food processor or blender with the remaining ingredients and blend to smooth.

There are two options for this recipe:

  1. Use agar to help “set” the goat cheese. This option creates a dairy free goat cheese that crumbles nicely. Agar is similar to gelatin and helps the goat cheese form into whatever shape you like. The agar also makes crumbling the cheese easier.
  2. Skip the agar and use some plant-based milk. This option tastes exactly like the agar version, but will be a softer, spreadable texture. Without agar the goat cheese is difficult to crumble.

Letting the goat cheese sit in the fridge overnight, or even for two days before serving helps the flavors come together and brings out some tanginess found in a good vegan goat cheese substitute.

If you don’t have time, the non-agar version can be served right away (although cold is best). The agar takes about 2 hours to set so plan your cooking around this needed wait time.

Square board with plant based goat cheese log coated in crushed walnuts in center, with crackers, cucumber slices, blueberries, pecans, and grapes surrounding the cheese

How to Crumble Goat Cheese

Agar helps create a vegan goats cheese that crumbles. To crumble goat cheese, I recommend using a fork to gently pull off small pieces of the cheese.

As noted above, if you want the cheese to crumble, agar is a must. Agar provides a firmer texture in the cheese that allows it to hold its shape as you crumble. Even with agar, the cheese will be soft (like non-vegan goat cheese).

If you want to make a goat cheese “log” (as seen in the video) agar is needed.

Close view of vegan goat cheese ball on long wooden board with cucumber slices, blueberries, grapes, pecans, dry apricots and crackers displayed around it

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please rate and comment below so others benefit from your experience.

More Vegan Recipes with 10 Ingredients or Less

Three white mugs filled with microwaved brownie; two mugs in back topped with whip cream and mug in front has spoon with bite of brownie on it resting across mug. Patterned towel resting along left side of mugs

Mug Brownie

A served piece of vegan baked oatmeal served with blueberries and peanut butter drizzle. In the background is another piece of oatmeal and a small glass dish full of extra blueberries

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Stack of three vegan cheese and chive scones set on marble background

Cheese Scones

Close up of a log of vegan cashew goats cheese covered in crushed walnuts.

Vegan Goats Cheese

Enjoy a simple and delicious vegan and dairy free goat cheese recipe that is quick to make. This goat cheese substitute is a tasty way to enjoy this classic variety of cheese on a plant-based or dairy free diet.
5 from 4 votes. Leave your review!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 25 mins
Resting Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 138 kcal
Cuisine Vegan

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Small pot
  • Plastic wrap (optional; only for rolling into a log)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 C raw cashews
  • ⅓ C raw sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (juice of about ½ a lemon)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp miso paste (white type)
  • 90 g extra firm tofu (about ¼ of a typical 350 g block)
  • 1 tsp salt

Option 1: Using Agar

  • 1 ½ tbsp agar powder
  • ½ C cold water

Option 2: Without Agar

  • ¼ C plant-based milk (I use unflavored, unsweetened soy)
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Soak the cashews and sunflower seeds (overnight in the fridge or in boiling water for 10 minutes).
    1 C raw cashews, ⅓ C raw sunflower seeds
  • Drain the water from the cashews and sunflower seeds and place into a blender or food processor. Add lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, miso paste, extra firm tofu and salt.
    2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp miso paste, 90 g extra firm tofu, 1 tsp salt
  • Continue following the directions for using either (1) with agar or (2) without agar.

For Agar:

  • If using agar, place agar powder into a small pot with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes then bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5-8 minutes until all the agar is dissolved.
    1 ½ tbsp agar powder, ½ C cold water
  • Add the agar into blender or food processor (with the already partially blended cashew cheese) and blend until smooth and creamy.
  • Quickly transfer the cashew cheese mixture into a container of your choice. The cheese takes the shape of whatever you place it in.
  • If you’d like to make a “log” of cashew cheese, pour the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and carefully roll the plastic wrap around the cheese, into the desired shape.
  • Place the cheese into the fridge and let sit for at least 2 hours or until the agar is set and the cheese feels firm. If possible, let sit overnight for best flavor.

Without Agar:

  • If not using agar, add plant-based milk into the blender or food processor with partially blended cashew cheese.
    ¼ C plant-based milk
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Scoop out the mixture into a container/ bowl and place in fridge for at least 15 minutes, or until cold, before serving.

Video

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving (1/8 of recipe)Calories: 138 kcalCarbohydrates: 9 gProtein: 5 gFat: 11 gSaturated Fat: 2 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3 gMonounsaturated Fat: 5 gSodium: 376 mgPotassium: 173 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 2 gVitamin A: 5 IUVitamin C: 3 mgCalcium: 33 mgIron: 2 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Join the Community for Vegan Recipes

Filed Under: Vegan and Gluten Free Recipes, Vegan Appetizer Recipes, Vegan Recipes Tagged With: 10-ingredients or less, Agar, Appetizer, Apple cider vinegar, Cashews, Intermediate, Lemon, Miso, Nuts and seeds, Plant-based protein, Snack, Sunflower seeds, Tofu, Vegan cheese

About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out. She provides vegans with balanced meals and easy-to-understand nutrition science.

Having attained a Masters degree and passing a national registration exam, Nicole is a trusted source of nutrition information. She uses this knowledge to educate others about vegan diets and how to thrive as a vegan.

Previous Post: «Close up of a pita bread wrap topped with green falafel, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro and tahini sauce. Vegan Edamame Falafel Recipe (Baked, Gluten Free)
Next Post: Donair Pizza Recipe | Homemade & Vegan Square slices of vegan donair pizza with white sauce, tomatoes, onions and donair meat.»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jose

    December 26, 2020 at 11:43 am

    Perfection. So close to the real thing. I didn’t have extra firm tofu so I used silken firm tofu. The agar does the trick here for firming up so I think the tofu was fine – I may have just needed a little longer before I was able to shape it.
    This recipe is definitely a new favorite and I’ll make it a lot more!

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      December 26, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed and that the silken tofu worked out well!

      Reply
  2. Jo Chapman

    November 26, 2020 at 11:42 am

    I just made the recipe and it’s in the refrigerator. I’m wondering about the amount of Agar. You
    list one and a half tablespoons which I did use, but that seems like an awful lot. Should it be
    teaspoons?

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      November 27, 2020 at 6:34 am

      It’s tablespoons and while it may seem like a lot I found it necessary to get a good texture that holds together well enough to crumble. Let me know how it turned out!

      Reply
      • Jo Chapman

        November 28, 2020 at 11:45 am

        It is just fine. It makes a lot and I’m wondering now if I can freeze it. If not, do you know how long it should last in the refrigerator.

        Reply
        • Nicole Stevens

          November 30, 2020 at 10:13 am

          I actually haven’t tried freezing this recipe before but it should last in the fridge for a week. If you want, try freezing a small amount to see what happens before freezing more (so it doesn’t get wasted). I would guess it’s okay to freeze since nuts and seeds freeze perfectly fine but can’t guarantee anything. Hope that helps 🙂

          Reply
          • Christine

            January 13, 2021 at 11:10 am

            Great recipe! I wouldn’t recommend freezing this cheese as agar-agar does not tolerate low temperatures.

          • Nicole Stevens

            January 13, 2021 at 12:10 pm

            Thank you for the information!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search Vegan Recipes and Nutrition Articles

About Lettuce Veg Out

Nicole Stevens, Registered Dietitian and Owner of Lettuce Veg Out

Welcome to Lettuce Veg Out, a vegan recipe and nutrition website created by Nicole Stevens, MSc, RD. As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen. Read More

Latest Vegan Recipes

Close up of a small bowl of barbecue roasted chickpeas.

BBQ Chickpeas Recipe (Roasted or Stovetop)

Close up of burrito bowl with Mexican-rice, spiced black beans, guacamole, corn and tomatoes.

Vegan Burrito Bowls Recipe (with Rice and Black Beans)

Close up of small jar of chocolate pudding with bite scooped out.

Vegan Avocado Chocolate Pudding Recipe

See More Recipes →

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Service
  • Contact

© 2016–2022 Lettuce Veg Out

This website uses cookies to give you a personalized experience. Please accept cookies for optimal performance.Accept and CloseRejectMore Info