This year, they may not be parties or large gatherings; however, serving cheese and crackers before the meal is a classic part of holiday festivities that shouldn’t be left out. Setting out cheese and crackers, even if just for yourself or the few people that you live with, will help keep the holiday feeling festive. Plus, cheese and crackers are delicious! If you’re looking to make your own vegan cheese this holiday season, try one of these homemade vegan cashew cheeses! They are so delicious!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! 

1. Herbed Cashew Cheese

Source: Herbed Cashew Cheese

Cashews make a fantastic base for many raw food recipes, like this Herbed Cashew Cheese by Judy Moosmeuller. In addition to zinc from nutritional yeast and cashews, it contains apple cider vinegar and fresh herbs, which are alkalizing. Goji berries add sweetness, but you can swap it out for your favorite dried berry, eat it plain, or add sun-dried tomatoes to make it savory.

2. Instant Cashew Cheese

Source: Instant Cashew Cheese

This crumbly Instant Cashew Cheese by Lenia Patsi is just wonderful, which is fast to make, easy, and very nutritious!

3. Sliceable Cashew Cheese

Source: Sliceable Cashew Cheese

If you’re craving cheese, you gotta try this vegan Sliceable Cashew Cheese by Charanya Ramakrishnan. It’s perfect for sandwiches, crackers, and other cheesy delights! It’s also super simple and can be whisked under an hour. You can slice it, grate it, and melt it! This cashew cheese is not only delicious, but also oil-free, soy-free, and made from seven all-natural ingredients.

Gratitude: Plant-Based Thanksgiving Cookbook

No other holiday captures the spirit of home cooking the way Thanksgiving does. This is why you need the ultimate Thanksgiving cookbook, One Green Planet’s Gratitude: Plant-Based Recipes to Create your own Thanksgiving Tradition! In the cookbook, you’ll find our 100 most popular plant-based thanksgiving recipes like Soft Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts, Spiced Apple Cake with Cashew Frosting, Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding with Nut Crumble Topping, Cinnamon Apple Hand Pies, and hearty entrees like Roast Root Vegetable Stack With Dukkah, Vegducken: Butternut Squash Stuffed With Eggplant, Zucchini, and a Mushroom Lentil Stuffing, and Seitan Roast With Sausage and Pear Stuffing and Apple Cider Gravy and so much more!

4. Sriracha and Lime Cheeseball

Source: Sriracha and Lime Cheeseball

Cheeseballs usually conjure up images of Christmas parties and office potlucks, but this one is great throughout the year! This Sriracha and Lime Cheeseball by Abby Thompson is delicious and easy! The perfect combination. The spicy kick from the hot sauce and the mellow flavor of the lime combine to make a perfect cheesy snack or spread.

5. Cashew Cheese Spread

Source: Cashew Cheese Spread

This Cashew Cheese Spread by Namrata Edward Kshitij is perfect for pizza bases and grilled sandwiches! You can also blend it up with a little warm plant-based milk and adjust the seasoning to use as a dip or make a cheese sauce for baked/grilled veggies or pasta. It’s such a crowd-pleaser and will impress vegans and non-vegans alike.

6. How to Make Vegan Pepper Jack Cashew Cheese

Source: How to Make Vegan Pepper Jack Cashew Cheese

This Vegan Pepper Jack Cashew Cheese by Somer McCowan is an incredibly simple recipe, but when making this, work quickly and without interruptions if possible. The cheese sets fast and needs your complete attention!

7. Extra Sharp Raw Cheddar Cheeseball

Source: Extra Sharp Raw Cheddar Cheeseball

Ah, the Holiday Cheeseball. When you’re standing around snacking on it at a family gathering, you feel like you’ve got the most coveted spot in the kitchen. This recipe is ridiculously simple with only about 10 minutes of hands-on time. Thus, you can make more than one so everyone can get their fair share of vegan cheeseball! You can serve this with any of your favorite raw vegetables or sliced honey crisp apples! The combination of the sweet crisp apples and the piquant cheese was amazing. This Extra Sharp Raw Cheddar Cheeseball by Somer McCowan is also incredibly good with crackers, raw or otherwise.

8. Raw Spiced Cashew Cheese

Source: Raw Spiced Cashew Cheese

Besides the cashew soaking process, this Raw Spiced Cashew Cheese by Sophie Yatova is a breeze to make! Simply blend the ingredients, shape it, and wait a few hours until your cheese is dense and ready to be spread. Add some extra flavor (and color) by coating your cheese in your favorite spices, red pepper, rosemary, and turmeric all add gorgeous color and taste. Serve with crackers and wine for classy and cruelty-free hors d’oeuvres.

9. Herbed Probiotic Cashew Cheese

Source: Herbed Probiotic Cashew Cheese

This Herbed Probiotic Cashew Cheese by Alejandra Olmedo is very easy to prepare and only requires some basic ingredients, and gives you proteins and essential oils from the nuts!

10. Pear Cashew Cheese

Source: Pear Cashew Cheese

When talking about cashew cheese, it’s a habit to assume that it will be of a savory variety. However, sweet cashew cheese can also be delicious! This Pear Cashew Cheese by Agnieszka Raven Szmatoła, for example, is a tasty addition to any plate of crackers. The tahini ensures that it’s creamy and the cardamom and cumin add a fragrant touch of flavor.

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
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