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Double Batch Treenut Cheez: Cran-Orange Pecan and Everything Bagel

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Double Batch Treenut Cheez: Cran-Orange Pecan & Everything Bagel

Making your own soft vegan cheez is not difficult or complicated, but it does take some time for soaking and culturing. And you’ll definitely need a high-speed blender.

The flavors on these cheezes are so good, you won’t miss goat or cream cheese at all. Plus they’re easier for many people to digest (and kinder) than dairy cheese. And the double batch ensures that you’ll be able to nosh for a while.

These soft vegan cheezes are amazing on a simple cracker, but they also work as a bagel shmear, to liven up sandwiches or wraps, as a dip for crudités or fruit slices, or even dolloped over crisp green salads.

Enjoy!

Yield
16 Servings

Prep Time
15M

Cook Time
36H

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups raw unsalted cashew pieces (find these at Trader’s Joe’s or use a generous measure of whole cashews)
  • 1 cup raw unsalted macadamia nuts (or use more cashews, but your cheez will be sweeter and softer)
  • Scant 1 cup spring water
  • 1 teaspoon probiotics powder (if you don’t have it in powder form, you can open up capsules)
  • Juice from ½ small lemon
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons chopped juice-sweetened dried cranberries, or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans, or more to taste
  • 1½ teaspoons orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional
  • 2 teaspoons granulated onion powder
  • 1½ teaspoons granulated garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoons poppy seeds, optional
  • ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ -¾ teaspoon flake salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Cover the nuts with plenty of spring water in separate bowls and soak for 8 hours to overnight.
  2. Discard the soak water, rinse well and combine the nuts in a high-speed blender.
  3. Add 1 scant cup water and blend the mixture until smooth. You’ll have to work at this for several minutes, using the blender wand to keep the nuts pushed down and moving. When the mixture is smooth, add the probiotics powder and stir it in well.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a clean nut milk bag and twist it until the cheez is tightly bound, but not squishing out. Use string or a rubber band to secure the top and place the bundle into a fine mesh stainless steel strainer over a bowl. (If you don’t have a nut milk bag, you can spoon the cheez directly into the center of your strainer.)
  5. Cover it lightly with a clean dish towel and place it in a warmish area to drain and culture for 24 hours*.
  6. When the cheez is cultured, turn it out into a bowl**. Stir in the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, if using, and salt. Divide into two equal batches and place in separate bowls.
  7. Into one bowl, fold in the cranberries, pecans and zest. Taste and add more, if desired.
  8. Into the other bowl, add the sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, poppy seeds, paprika and flake salt and stir gently to mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired.
  9. Store the cheezes in 2 covered glass containers in the fridge for 5-6 days or freeze extra for use within 2 months.

Notes

*A countertop is fine in the summer months. When it’s cooler, I put mine in the microwave with the stove light on underneath to make it a little warmer than room temp.

**Culturing is an art in itself. For most people, the cheeze will taste “right” when it’s got a slight sharp or sour tang. You can also eat it earlier than 24 hours - before you can taste the sour note - or let it rest for an additional 12 hours to increase the sharpness – this is personal preference. Cooler temperatures will slow the culturing process, and warmer temps will speed it up. Adjust your times accordingly.

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