Easy Vegan Cheddar Cheese (Spread & Sauce)

Ingredients

• 0.667 cup Raw cashews
• 0.5 cup Carrots (Thinly sliced and peeled)
• Hot water (For soaking the cashews and carrots)
• 1 cup Water
• 0.25 cup Tapioca starch
• 3 tbsp Nutritional yeast
• 1.5 tsp Apple cider vinegar
• 0.5 tsp Sea salt
• 0.5 tsp Garlic powder
• 0.25 tsp Ground mustard
• 0.25 tsp Ground turmeric (Optional; for deeper color)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the cashews and thinly sliced, peeled carrots in a mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup. Cover with very hot water and soak, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

2. 2

   Add the drained cashews and carrots to a high-speed blender. Add 1 cup water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, garlic powder, and ground mustard. Add the optional turmeric if you want a deeper cheddar color.

3. 3

   Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.

4. 4

   Taste the blended mixture and adjust the flavor as needed. Add more apple cider vinegar for acidity, more nutritional yeast for cheesiness, more garlic powder for depth of flavor, or salt to taste.

5. 5

   Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat.

6. 6

   Cook for 1–2 minutes, whisking continuously, until thickened to a spreadable consistency resembling soft cooked polenta.

7. 7

   Use the cheese immediately on grilled cheese sandwiches or stir it into cooked shells for quick vegan mac and cheese.

8. 8

   Store the sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen sauce in the refrigerator before using; it will thicken into a paste or spread as it chills.

Notes

The recipe makes approximately 1 1/4 cups. Nutrition information is a rough estimate and excludes the optional turmeric. The source does not specify an exact soaking-water quantity; use enough very hot water to cover the cashews and carrots.

Nutrition per serving

• sauce
• spread
• vegan
• dairy-free
• gluten-free
• nut-based
• no-bake
• stovetop