Onion Cashew Cream Cheese (Oil-Free)

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This cashew cream cheese is vegan and oil-free. It has a savory onion flavour that is perfect on a toasted bagel, with crackers, or as a veggie dip!

Since going vegan, I have realized how incredibly versatile cashews are! They are perfect for spreads, dips, and sauces (such as this plant-based cheese sauce). They have a fairly neutral taste, so they are great for achieving a creamy texture while mixing well with a variety of flavors.

This Vegan Cream Cheese Is:

• Creamy
• Smooth
• Whole Foods Plant-Based
• Oil-Free
• Savory

Ingredients

*Scroll down to the recipe card for quantities and instructions.

• Cashews
• Water
• Apple cider vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Chives

Optional Ingredients:

• Garlic powder
• Dried dill weed
• Ground black pepper

How to Make Cashew Cream Cheese

Making this vegan cashew cream cheese is super easy!

Step 1

In order to make this cream cheese nice and smooth, you’ll want to soak your cashews. Instead of soaking them for several hours at room temperature, you can use boiled water. I just boil water in my electric kettle, then pour it over the cashews in a bowl. Make sure the water covers the cashews completely, then place a plate upside down over the bowl. Leave for 20 minutes, then drain the water.

Step 2

Add all ingredients (except the chives) to a food processor and blend until smooth. This will likely require that you stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor several times. It will smooth out eventually.

Step 3

Chop the chives into small pieces and mix them into the cream cheese.

Optional Add-Ins

This cashew cream cheese has an onion flavor, but you can add to it if you’d like. Some other ingredients that I like to add are:

• Dill
• Ground black pepper
• Garlic powder

How to Use

This vegan cream cheese is great with many foods! Here are some ideas:

• Spread it on a bagel
• Spread it on toast
• Put it in a sandwich
• Spread it onto celery sticks
• Use it as a dip for other raw veggies (such as carrots, cucumber slices, bell peppers)
• Use it as a dip for crackers and chips

More Cashew-Based Recipes

• Cashew Caesar Dressing
• Spicy Cashew Dressing
• Cashew Cheese Ball
• Vegan Tzatziki

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Onion Cashew Cream Cheese (Oil-Free)

This cashew cream cheese is vegan and oil-free. It has a savory onion flavour that is perfect on a toasted bagel, with crackers, or as a veggie dip!

Prep Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: plant-based, Vegan

Author: Bree Sheree

Equipment

• Food processor

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped chives

Optional Add-Ins

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried dill
• Sprinkle ground black pepper

Instructions

• Start by soaking your cashews. The fastest way is to boil some water in a kettle, then pour it over the cashews in a bowl, covering them completely. Place an upside down plate over the bowl to trap the heat and leave for 20 minutes. Then drain the water.
• Place the soaked cashews in a food processor along with all ingredients except the chives.
• Blend until smooth. You will need to pause and scrape down the sides of the food processor several times to get a smooth texture.
• Chop the chives and mix them in.

Notes

This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of cashew cream cheese.

You can add an additional 2 tablespoons of water if you're having a difficult time getting your food processor to blend the cashews.

Store in a container. You can keep it in the fridge for about a week.