Despite being a Wisconsin gal at heart, I’ve never been an “extra-cheese-on-everything” type of gal. Even before I was vegan, I was pretty selective about my cheese. Goat cheese was always my favorite. So I decided to attempt to make an Easy Vegan Goat Cheese at home, and have also decided to share it with the world.

This easy vegan goat cheese is indeed pretty easy to make. It is, however, rather time consuming and requires a bit of forethought. Between the nut soaking and drying of the cheese, it requires a bit of time. But it is worth the wait! Because vegan nut cheese!

Many non-dairy nut cheese recipes call for a cheese cloth. I am here to tell you that a paper towel or coffee filter or two and a small bowl will work just fine. That’s what I used, at least.

The first time I made this easy vegan goat cheese, I used almonds as the nut It totally worked, but the almond skin was still apparent in small flakes in the final product. It still tasted good; however, if you are looking for a smooth consistency, I’d advise using cashews.

Why did I not remake and retake the photographs? Because I don’t need more cheese right now, and I don’t like wasting food. That’s why!

This easy vegan tangy cheese is delicious in salads, on top of pizzas, with pasta, or on crackers. It’s also yummy spread on sandwiches with veggies and avocado, or on crusty bread with jam.

If you make this recipe, let me know! Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube!

Easy Vegan Goat Style Cheese

Prep Time:  1 hour
Yield: ~1 cup vegan goat cheese

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 cup cashews (can sub almonds with varied results; your cheese will have bits of skin in it)
• 1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white miso (or sub additional lemon juice with mixed results)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hummus (can be omitted, but result will not be as creamy)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, plus more to taste

METHOD:

1. Soak nuts in water for at least 4 hours until softened. If you do not have time, soak in boiling water for 10-15 minutes until softened.
2. Combine nuts, vinegar, lemon zest, juice, hummus, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and mustard in a high-speed blender or food processor.
3. Pulverize nuts on high speed until smooth; this may take up to 10 minutes. The mixture should look like a nut butter.
4. Taste vegan goat cheese, and add more salt, garlic powder, and mustard to suit your personal taste.
5. Transfer cheese mixture to a paper towel, forming a ball with a spoon. Wrap paper towel up around sides of the cheese and squeeze gently. Gently remove paper towel and transfer cheese to a double layer of paper towel and swaddle the cheese ball again. Transfer to a small bowl and allow to dry in the refrigerator, 2-4 hours. You can eat it immediately, but it will be a bit wet.
6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.