Cashew Hemp Cream Cheese

Disclosure: Some of the links I share are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love.

This is a recipe that I experimented with, and I love the final results! It is super creamy and makes a wonderful replacement compared to regular cream cheese. If you are lactose intolerant, this also makes a great replacement but still retains good flavor and creamy texture.

Regular cream cheese has high saturated fat and limited nutrients. With this creamy cashew hemp cream cheese, you get the heart healthy benefits of cashews which can help lower LDL (bad cholesterol)  

Hemp seeds provide omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which promotes anti-inflammatory benefits and balanced hormone function. This is especially beneficial during perimenopause and menopause.

To be specific, hemp seeds are rich in gamma-linolenic acid known to help regulate hormones and reduces inflammation and cashews contribute magnesium and zinc minerals that help you with stress balance and energy. With this recipe, you get to enjoy the health benefits, and it tastes good!

You can use this plant-based cream cheese on whole grain toast, or bagel, use it as a replacement for mayonnaise in tuna salad and also you can use it in pasta instead of heavy cream like I did in this dish below with roasted cauliflower and shrimp. So, many tasty ways you can enjoy! Be sure to use lactic acid because that is what gives this cream cheese that "tangy" flavor you are used to in traditional cream cheese. This is the version I used here, if you want to get from Amazon. Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe. Enjoy!

Cashew Cream Cheese

Makes 3/4 cup

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw cashews
(Soaked in hot water, for 1 hour then drained)
3/4 cup of hemp hearts
1 & 1/2 teaspoons of lactic acid
1 & 1/2 tablespoons of light tasting olive oil or refined coconut oil (no coconut taste)
1/4 teaspoon of salt and up to 1/2 teaspoon to taste
3 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon of onion or garlic powder

Directions:
To a high-speed blender, add everything except water and pulse until somewhat creamy. Add 1 tablespoon at a time up to 3 tablespoons until the texture becomes smooth and creamy.

Place into an air-tight container and put in the fridge. The flavor is more concentrated the next day.  This will keep for 5-7 days and can be frozen for up to 1 month.


​