Vegan Sunflower Seed Cream Cheese
This easy 5-ingredient sunflower seed cream cheese makes for a delicious nut-free and vegan alternative to regular cream cheese. It is ultra creamy, has a perfect balance of flavor and is very versatile. Plus, it keeps well in the fridge, so you can use it over bagels for breakfast or in sandwiches for lunches all week long. 100% dairy-free and naturally gluten-free.
Servings: 6
Calories: 279kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw and shelled (hulled) sunflower seeds unroasted and unsalted
- ½-¾ cup water or enough for desired consistency, plant-based milk works too
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the sunflower seeds in plenty of fresh water for at least four hour (or overnight) or in boiling water for at least 1 hour.
- Then, drain well and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the remaining of the ingredients and blend for about 30-60 seconds. Then, use a spatula to scrape the walls and ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated. Process again for 2-3 minutes or even longer. The cream cheese should be very smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the flavor to your liking: you can add more nutritional yeast, more salt, more lemon juice, etc. Once the cream cheese is smooth, then you can also add some dried or fresh herbs for a herbed cream cheese and pulse a few times (such as dill, chives, basil, etc).
- Transfer to the fridge to chill for ideally 1-2 hours before enjyoing.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Keep the cream cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a good stir before serving.
- This cream cheese is amazing over bagels, in sandwiches, tossed in pasta or salad dressing or served as a dip with crackers and veggie sticks.
- Feel free to flavor the cream cheese with more ingredients. Once the cheese spread is smooth, then pulse in some dried or fresh herbs, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, green onions, and more. Check out the blog post for more ideas!
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 3mg