Everything You Need to Know About Cashew Cheese

Delicious, creamy, and nutrient-packed, cashew cheese blends seamlessly into recipes that traditionally use cow’s milk cheese. It has a rich, mild, and salty flavor and offers added benefits for your health, animals, and the environment.

Are Cashews Good for You?

Cashews are a nutritionally dense food packed with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and essential minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and iron. They also contain antioxidants, which help fight inflammation and protect cells from damage.

A 1-ounce serving of cashews provides:

• 5 grams of protein
• 12 grams of healthy fats
• 1 gram of fiber
• 20% of your daily magnesium needs
• 10% of your daily iron needs

Cashews may help improve heart health by lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, boosting HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and supporting healthy blood pressure. Magnesium in cashews also plays a key role in muscle function, bone health, and blood sugar regulation.

3 Ways Cashew Cheese Is Better Than Cow’s Milk Cheese

1. Cashew Cheese Is Better for Your Body

Cashew cheese is naturally cholesterol-free and lower in saturated fat than dairy cheese, making it the heart-healthier choice. It’s also easier for the body to digest, especially for people who are lactose intolerant or have other cow’s milk sensitivities.

2. Cashews Are Better for the Planet

By some estimates, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all of the world’s transportation systems combined. Most of these emissions come from the millions of cows exploited for their flesh and milk.

Cashews, however, have a relatively low environmental footprint. Plus, the cashew apple—the fruit surrounding the nut—can be upcycled into juices, jams, and more, reducing waste.

3. Cashew Cheese Doesn’t Hurt Cows

Unlike cow’s milk cheese, cashew cheese doesn’t come at the cost of animal suffering. Just like humans, cows only produce milk to feed their babies. On dairy farms, cows are repeatedly forcibly impregnated by workers. Workers tear newborn calves from their mothers shortly after birth so that humans can consume their milk instead. Some mother cows call for their calves for days after being traumatically separated.

How to Make Cashew Cheese

Making your own cashew cheese at home is easier than you might think—and PETA’s recipe makes it even more approachable!

To make cashew cheese, prep by soaking raw cashews in water for several hours or overnight. Then, blend them with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and any other seasonings. After letting it settle, you’re ready to enjoy! This cashew cheese can be used for a cheesy pasta sauce, a burrito bowl topping, or simply a dip with chips!

5 Vegan Cashew Cheese Brands to Try

Not into kitchen experiments? No worries—these store-bought vegan cashew cheeses are as tasty as they are compassionate.

1. Miyoko’s Creamery

2. Treeline Cheesemakers

3. Misha’s

4. The Uncreamery

5. Nuts for Cheese

Will We Cashew With Some Vegan Cheese?

Choosing vegan products like cheese made from cashews is the best thing you can do for animals, your body, and the planet. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals per year. To kick-start your vegan journey, join PETA’s 3-week vegan challenge today.

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