Vegan Goat Cheese Recipe – incredibly flavorful and versatile, this cheese is straightforward, easy, and one you will make again and again!
Vegan Goat Cheese Recipe
In the Vegan Fusion class earlier this summer, one of the components in the raw and live phase was culturing. We learned about, made and drank Rejuvelac. We made cultured plant cheeses, as well as raw elixirs, sauerkraut and kimchi. Everything was outstanding, and it was very exciting for me.
I have always been nervous about attempting any culturing or fermenting at home. After some hands on learning and creating, a cultured cheese was one of the first things I knew I’d try at home – one with tangy flavors of goat cheese.
When cultured, a plant cheese will have a tangy flavor, as well as all the benefits of a live food – nutritionally rich and containing beneficial bacteria.
I based my culturing process on the method we learned in class:
1) Soak nuts in water for several hours.
2) Blend nuts with liquid (in class we blended with water – for this recipe I used apple cider vinegar).
3) Transfer to a sanitized glass jar, covering and leaving in a dark warm cupboard overnight.
In class the next day, we added some fresh herbs to the cultured cheese – at this point you can add whatever flavors you want.
For my ‘goat’ cheese, I kept the flavor additions simple – some lemon juice for tart acidity, and a bit of salt.
This tastes surprisingly similar to traditional goat cheese, and the consistency is both creamy and crumbly. It is perfect on a beet salad, in a cherry tart, or simply spread on a crisp cracker. The pairings and the flavor possibilities are endless!
*update: A bunch of readers have successfully made and loved this recipe. a few have had varying results – great flavor with a creamy consistency, not crumbly. Sometimes my results are creamy too, more of a cream cheese, like this example here. I will then wrap in cheesecloth to strain another 12 hours or so – in the refrigerator – and can often achieve the crumbly consistency then. Literally piecing it apart with a fork is how I get it to crumble.
recipes using this Vegan Goat Cheese Recipe:
Maple Roasted Beet Salad with Vegan Goat Cheese
Cherry Goat Cheese Rustic Tarts
Vegan Goat Cheese Bacon Wrapped Dates
Lemon Caper Pasta with Goat Cheese Croutons
Roasted Red Pepper Goat Cheese Dip
Dijon Apricot Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Lavender Date Goat Cheese Hand Pies
Apricot Goat Cheese on Fig Crisps
Vegan Goat Cheese Recipe
basic culturing technique adapted from Vegan Fusion Immersion
dairy, soy, oil, and gluten free, vegan, cultured, live
YIELD: one cup
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked several hours / over night
1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts, soaked several hours / over night
1/4 cup filtered water
1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon (about one tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
In food processor or high speed blender, combine cashews, macadamias, vinegar, lemon juice and water. Blend until smooth.
Transfer to a sterilized glass jar. Cover with plastic wrap and secure with rubber band.
Cover/wrap jar in a kitchen towel and leave in a room temperature place overnight.
Variations:
Add contents of 1 probiotic capsule or 1/4 teaspoon probiotic powder prior to blending.
Add one tablespoon miso to the blended nuts prior to culturing.
Add a very small amount (1 tablespoon) soaked Irish moss after culturing, to make it more of a slice-able cheese. Read more about Irish moss here – vegan brie.
Mix in fresh herbs, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, jam or fruit to finished cheese.
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ABOUT KRISTINA: Kristina is spabettie! She founded spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. As the sole recipe developer and photographer, Kristina turned her culinary training into the best way to spend her days – sharing just how flavorful and vibrant vegan food is! She loves dachshunds, Portland, Hawaii, drummers – well, one drummer – and travel.
printable Vegan Goat Cheese Recipe:
Vegan Goat Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked several hours / over night
- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts, soaked several hours / over night
- 1/4 cup filtered water
- 1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon (about one tablespoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In food processor or high speed blender, combine cashews, macadamias, vinegar, lemon juice and water. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a sterilized glass jar. Cover with plastic wrap and secure with rubber band.
- Cover/wrap jar in a kitchen towel and leave in a room temperature place overnight.
- Variations:
- Add contents of 1 probiotic capsule or 1/4 teaspoon probiotic powder prior to blending.
- Add one tablespoon miso to the blended nuts prior to culturing.
- Add a very small amount (1 tablespoon) soaked Irish moss after culturing, to make it more of a slice-able cheese. Read more about Irish moss here - vegan brie.
- Mix in fresh herbs, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, jam or fruit to finished cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
2 tablespoonsAmount Per Serving:Calories: 121
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Cathy says
I made this last night and tried it this morning on an english muffin. Sooooooooo good! The consistency is just perfect. I think I may have added a little too much lemon juice (I really like lemon juice) and next time I’m going to add roasted garlic and some basil. I am posting a link to this recipe on my blog right now. Thanks again!
Kristina Sloggett says
hi Cathy! so happy you like it! I really like lemon juice too – I need to remember that more isn’t always better 😉 I love the roasted garlic and basil ideas – the only thing I’ve added so far is sun dried tomatoes. you can make so many variations – enjoy!
Christopher T says
I want to make this for our party tomorrow, I am a bit skeptical of the fermentation process. if I follow your directions up to that point what would I get? 🙂
Kristina Sloggett says
you would get a delicious cheesy spread! hi Christopher, I have said it before when someone is not too keen on fermentation – just don’t do it! I absolutely know how you feel, because I still often feel that way!
I used this method, and many people have made it and loved it, but I will not encourage anyone to do so if they are nervous about it. This will be more of a spread consistency, but the flavors are still good (still not like goat cheese, but close?). have a great party tomorrow – cheers!
Stephanie says
My boyfriend and I noticed it doesn’t seem you used any Rejuvelac for this recipe, when my boyfriend makes cheeses he blends the nuts with Rejuvelac prior to culturing. is that something you learned not to do in your class or did you just forget to state using the Rejuv. in your recipe?
Kristina Sloggett says
hi Stephanie,
we made rejuvelac in class, and made a soft cheese with it, and we also made cheeses without it. I did not use rejuvelac with this recipe.
Ashley says
Found this on pinterest! Very happy to have found. I made it last night and kept in the cupboard for 10 hours, there was no brown film on it but it was still pretty good. As you said, it is not identical to goat cheese (which is something one deals with) but I find the after taste very lovely and close to what it was. I had it on toast as well as in an arugula, pear and curried quinoa salad to which it added an excellent new dimension of flavor!
Thanks!
Kristina Sloggett says
so happy you found this, and that you enjoyed it, Ashley! sounds like yours turned out just fine – I have made this several times and I do not always get a film on the surface – I think it depends on the temperature in my house, actually! it sounds like a delicious topping to your quinoa salad!
Kaley says
I’m definitely going to try this, it looks great! I think I’ll use all cashews though, that should work fine, right? Also, do you store it in the fridge after the overnight part?
Kristina Sloggett says
hi Kaley! yes, I think cashews only should be just fine, and yes it is stored in the fridge after! enjoy!
erinwyso says
I am terrified of rejuvelac and this process, simply because I am not sure of the safety factor, but I think I will give your process a try, simply because that goat cheese just looks so amazing and irresistible. Thanks for the inspiration and idea!
Kristina Sloggett says
Erin I totally hear you – I was the same way for SO long, even after I walked through each step of the rejuvelac and cheese processes in class last summer… and I still would never encourage anyone to make it if they do not feel safe. You could make the recipe and then just stick it in the fridge, skipping the fermentation part?
Natalie says
Thanks for sharing!! I just checked on my cheese and it seems a little smoother then what yours looks like in the pic. Its tastes delish, just wondering if maybe my over night spot wasn’t warm enough? I will use it as a spread, love how easy it was!!
Kristina Sloggett says
I know my batches have all turned out differently – flavors generally the same, but consistency differs – I think temperature does have a lot to do with that. Glad you enjoyed!
Alex says
Counting the minuts to try the cheese!! I’m not vegan, but we have cut out our intake of diary and animal product a lot, and cheese is something I just can’t quit on! This is definite a good try!! One quests thoug, I am not allowed to cashews , so what would be a nice substitution?? I can’t have almonds either, but any other nut works. What would you recommend?
Thank you a lot!!
Robin Banks says
I was never a fan of goat cheese back in my dairy-eating days because I always thought it smelled and tasted like BO… but I can’t see how this recipe could have even a hint of armpit flavour, so I’ll def have to give it a try! Thanks!
vegan says
Why to even suggest dairy? veganism is more about animals than anything else. amazing recipe, thank you.
Marie Roxanne says
I should be trying this too, although I think the fermentation will be an excellent experiment, (I used to eat meat pizza (before being vegan) the morning after it was sitting on the counter all night, so I am not afraid of this fermentation process!)
Sounds so easy and after reading all the comments so far, the combination are endless! I have the “Unchesse Cookbook” and was always afraid to try any of them, I do love to look at all the recipes.
Lisa says
Just out of curiosity, you are ‘culturing’ this, but what is the source of the bacteria? There does not appear to be any in the recipe as written?
Thanks ( please note this is not preventing me from trying this, I have some on my counter as i type!–also I tried this by licking the spatula after transferring to the sterile jar and it was delicious as is…)
Kristina Sloggett says
I know, Lisa – a very different method for me too, but it “works” in a way! that’s why I talked about the rejuvelac too, as a sub for the water / acids. hope you like this version! 🙂 Kristina
Jess says
Is the miso neccessary? I don’t have it readily available…
Kristina Sloggett says
hi Jess, I don’t always add the miso – it does add a different flavor, but I usually make this recipe as is – the original ingredient list. enjoy, Kristina
Lindsey says
I follow a vegan diet. I love the texture. It would be perfect to fill roasted portobello mushrooms….maybe with a little thyme. I’m making myself hungry!
K.C. says
I am a lover of goat cheese. I would love to try this and make your bacon wrapped, goat cheese stuffed dates.
Kortney says
I am allergic to tree nuts, so unfortunately this isn’t for me, but it makes me really want to make my own cheese!
Leslie says
This sounds like it has that perfect tanginess that would combine so nicely with other ingredients. I’d love to try the apricot goat cheese on fig crisps with this recipe.
Madison Haycock says
This recipe looks totally doable! Normally they seem so intimidating. I can’t wait to try this!
Amanda says
The macadamias must add such a rich, fattiness to the cheese. It sounds absolutely delicious!
Kaila (The Wanderlust Celiac) says
This looks so much easier to make than I expected and tasty too!