Maple Walnut Vegan Cream Cheese
This cream cheese base is ultra creamy, tangy like cream cheese should be, with a touch of pure maple syrup to make it just sweet enough. You can fold in the toasted chopped walnuts or just sprinkle them over the top. So good, I eat it by the spoonful!
Servings: 12
Calories: 122kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked in water for several hours or overnight
- ¼ cup dairy free plain yogurt not unsweetened
- 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup finely chopped toasted walnuts*
Instructions
- Make sure you have already soaked your cashews in water for at least 3 to 4 hours or overnight. The longer the better.
- In the bowl of a food processor, purée the soaked cashews, yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, and salt. Scrape down the sides as necessary to keep all the ingredients incorporated. Keep puréeing until the mixture is silky smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Stir in the toasted chopped walnuts. Store in the fridge.
Notes
*To toast walnuts: Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook until they start to turn just a tad darker and you can smell them toasting, about 4-5 minutes. Continually shake the pan or stir the nuts around so they don't burn. Don't walk away from the skillet - nuts can burn quickly!! Once toasted, transfer to a plate in a single layer to cool.
~Do not leave out the plain yogurt. And don't substitute with unsweetened yogurt. The plain yogurt brings extra sweetness along with tang and makes this spread silky smooth.
~ Prep time for this recipe does not include soaking the cashews.
Nutrition
Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.1mg