Easy Almond Cream Cheese made with only 4 ingredients! This basic version is highly versatile - add chives, sun-dried tomatoes, or herbs for variations. It's the perfect vegan spread for bagels!
I was making Everything Bagels recently and I was really craving cream cheese to smear on. I mean.. bagels and cream cheese just belong together, am I right?! That's when I experimented with creamy nut-based vegan cheeses and I really loved that journey because the result was so good!
I created this basic Almond Cream Cheese recipe that is highly versatile and really easy to make.
How to make Almond Cream Cheese
The ingredients
You'll only need 4 ingredients:
- blanched almonds (you could use regular almonds and remove the skins yourself (=tedious work, though!) or skip removing the skins when you're okay with a darker cream cheese
- lemon juice
- water
- salt
I told ya it's easy!
Possible Add-Ins and Variations:
- chives
- (roasted) garlic
- a mix of herbs like oregano and basil
- sun-dried tomatoes
The Basic Steps
Not only the ingredients are basic, but the preparation is also super duper easy:
Serve the Almond Cream Cheese with...
- Everything Bagels
- Basic White Bread
- Vegan Seedy Bread
- Bread Chips
- Homemade Crackers
- raw veggies like carrot sticks, celery
Love it? Rate it!
I hope you will enjoy this Almond Cream Cheese as much as I do!
And don’t forget to rate the recipe if you like it, this helps other users figure out if it is worth a try!
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Cheers, Bianca
Almond Cream Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup blanched almonds (soaked overnight; see step 1)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak the blanched almonds in water overnight. Rinse and drain.
- Place all the ingredients into a small blender or food processor and pulse until creamy. You might have to scrape down the sides a couple of times.
- Transfer the cream cheese to a bowl and let the cheese chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using it to allow it to thicken a bit. Then smear it on your bagel or bread slices! :)
Jess | Sascheur Lifestyle says
This sounds delicious and so easy! I thought I was stuck with fake tofutti for the rest of my life. Keen to try this in cream cheese frosting too 💗
Bianca says
Thank you, Jess! I hope you enjoy! :)
Dawn says
@Jess | Sascheur Lifestyle, did you try this in cream cheese frosting? How did it work for you?
Melissa McKenzie says
The cream cheese is grainy. Any tips on how to reallyget these almonds to be extra smooth?
Bianca says
The cream cheese will always be a tiny bit grainy, but processing it more (pulsing it longer) will result in a finer cream cheese.
Erika says
@Melissa McKenzie, personally, I suggest using cashews so it won’t be grainy like that/if at all. Good luck! :)
BYRON CHURCH says
@Melissa McKenzie, try almond flour ! I soaked 1/2 cup cashews and added 1/2 cup almond flour then the rest !
Rhonda says
How many ounces dies this make?
Ravensfoot says
@Rhonda, Weigh your almonds/nuts before you soak. That will give you a ballpark. I did find this to be more like a spreadable cream cheese. If you want something the thickness of dairy creamcheese Toffutti is more similar, but soy based.
Emann says
Am I able to use this for a vegan cheesecake?
Megan says
Can I use already ground almonds to help the blending process? And if so, how much would you use?
Kim says
Tastes great! My Cuisinart Mini couldn’t puree this down to a nice consistency, so I tried it with almond flour and it was quick and easy. 1/2 c almond flour, scant 1/4 c water, 2 t lemon juice, 1/4 t salt.
Bettina says
@Kim,
what did you mean by scant 1/4 cup water?
Thanks
Bettina
Pat says
@Kim,
Thanks for the alternative way of making this!
Amy says
@Kim, thank you! With my Vitamix I couldn't get it smooth either. Loving your suggestion!
Byron Church says
@Kim, I tried your method with almond flour and it worked perfectly!
I tried to find a recipe on line and couldn’t find one luckily I stumbled back here ! Someone should tweak this and officially post it !
Juanita says
@Kim, Was it nice and smooth?
Martha says
@Bettina, I don’t see where anyone answered your question. So, it’s not quite the 1/4 cup she mentioned.
Steph says
How many ounces/grams is 1 serving.
BYRON CHURCH says
@Steph, yep . You could add a little of your favorite oil too
Bettina Goodwin says
This looks great! Can I freeze it? I don't have bagels at the moment.
Cindy says
Could I just use store night almond milk instead? How could I do that please? Thanks!
Bianca says
sorry, that won't work, you need some texture for the cheese.
Moe says
Would almond flour work if I increased the liquid content?
Abby says
Tried this and loved it. Easy and tasty!