Easy six-ingredient vegan soft cheese. The crumbly soft spread tastes like a cross between ricotta and feta. Serve with crackers or toast, or crumble on top of salads! Gluten-free and cashew-free.
Ingredients in Baked Almond Soft Cheese:
- Blanched slivered almonds. No need to soak the almonds! Just make sure they don’t have the skins on. You can also sub macadamia nuts.
- Lemon juice. For tanginess.
- Olive oil. For richness.
- Water.
- Garlic.
- Salt.
- Fresh herb of choice, e.g. thyme, rosemary, basil. (optional)
How to make baked almond soft cheese:
Blend All ingredients.
Add blanched almonds, lemon juice, olive oil, water, garlic, and salt to a high-speed blender and process for 5 minutes, until thick and creamy.
Strain out additional liquid.
Place a triple layer of cheesecloth in a strainer and spoon the mixture into the cheesecloth. You can also use a clean kitchen towel or a nut milk bag. Secure the ends so that the contents form a ball and place the strainer over a bowl. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Shape into a round and bake.
Remove the cheese from the cloth and transfer to a greased baking dish or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into a mounded ball or round. Bake at 350F/180C for 40 minutes until golden and cracked, and top is slightly firm to the touch.
Let cool, drizzle with olive oil and chopped fresh herbs (optional), and serve with crackers, bread, or fruit.
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Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Baked Almond Soft Cheese
A soft, crumbly baked vegan cheese made from almonds. Creamy and tangy, flavored with fresh herbs.
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Sides & Appetizers
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) blanched slivered almonds*
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup (125 mL) water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh herb of choice, e.g. thyme, rosemary, basil (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and process for 5 minutes, until thick and creamy.
- Place a triple layer of cheesecloth in a strainer and spoon the mixture into the cheesecloth. You can also use a clean kitchen towel or a nut milk bag. Secure the ends so that the contents form a ball and place the strainer over a bowl. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
- Remove the cheese from the cloth and transfer to a greased baking dish or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into a mounded ball or round. Bake at 350F/180C for 40 minutes until golden and cracked, and top is slightly firm to the touch.
- Let cool, drizzle with olive oil and chopped fresh herbs (optional), and serve with crackers, bread, or fruit.
Notes
- *You can substitute with 1.5 cups ground almond meal.
- To blanch your own almonds: soak raw almonds for a few hours, then bring a pot of water to boiling and boil for 60 seconds. Remove immediately, drain in a strainer under cold water, and pinch to remove skins.
- Makes one small rind (double the recipe for the size shown in the photo).
calgal says
Hi Hannah, I’m loving your beautiful new blog! Do you think there is any way to sub the oil in this recipe, like with aquafaba? It looks so amazing, I must try this!
Hannah says
Hi, thank you so much! Hm, the olive oil is there to add an additional richness/creaminess to the cheese so I’m not sure if aquafaba would work as substitute. You could also just leave the oil out!