Cashew cream cheese with thyme

Recipe author: @kizkadelicious

Cashews are the true chameleons of plant-based cuisine — delicately sweet, naturally creamy, and ready to take on almost any shape a cook can imagine. Although they’re called “nuts,” they’re not botanically nuts, but rather the seeds of a fruit that grows on “apples” hanging down from the cashew tree. This makes them both an exciting and incredibly versatile ingredient, especially in plant-based cheeses, sauces, and desserts.

The creamy texture of cashews comes out when you soak them overnight — the water opens up their fibers and makes them velvety like cream cheese. This makes them easy to make into a luxurious cream cheese with just the right amount of acidity and depth, and the thyme adds a nice, mildly herbal note.

This recipe is perfect for both everyday sandwich luck and the snack table, where it's always the first thing to disappear from the table.

---

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews
• 2 tbsp flavoring yeast
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons water
• 1/2 tbsp light miso paste
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

---

Preparation

1. Soak cashews in water overnight.
2. Drain the nuts and place in a blender. Add the yeast, lemon juice, water, garlic, miso paste, salt, and black pepper. Blend until very smooth and creamy.
3. Place the nut cream in a bowl and stir in the chopped thyme.
4. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and pour the mixture into the sieve. Let it drain overnight in the refrigerator to soften the texture and blend the flavors.
5. Ready! Serve on toast, with crackers, fresh grapes, or whatever your heart desires.

Thank you, Leana (@kizkadelicious), for sharing your passion for food, creativity, and warmth with us. We are happy to introduce more and more people who inspire us — and you are definitely one of them.