This is THE best recipe for creating a rich vegan-style goat cheese! It’s tangy like goat cheese, creamy, and a bit crumbly like a Boursin, and You can slice it, diced, crumbled, even baked! It is also the rock star of my vegan cheese board! Made with coconut milk and almonds, this cheese can be ready to eat in as little as an hour. Quick note, be sure to buy “refined” coconut oil. If you use extra virgin or unrefined coconut oil, your cheese will taste like coconut.
Since it’s a cultured cheese, the longer it sits at room temperature, the tangier it will be. The sweet spot seems to be about 48 hours! I added one probiotic capsule to culture it. But if you like it tangier, you can add the contents of an additional probiotic capsule!
I found many recipes that use macadamia nuts or cashews, both of which are very expensive. For this recipe, I opted for blanched, slivered almonds. They’re inexpensive, and yet they have the mild flavor and similar fat content of the other two nuts. Fat is important for making cheese!
This cheese makes a great filling for ravioli or tortellini! It also makes a mean bruschetta! If you make this, please tag me and let me know how you like it!
Almond Chèvre
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 24-48 hours
- Total Time: 36 minute
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups blanched, slivered almonds
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp refined coconut oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (200ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp agar agar powder
- 1/2 tsp lactic acid powder
- 1 probiotic capsule (I used acidophilus)
Instructions
- Cover the almonds with 2 inches of hot boiling water, and let sit on the countertop for 1 hour.
- Prepare your molds. Though the cheese doesn’t stick, I still use a bit of avocado spray on my molds. If using a glass or bowl, be sure to line them with parchment paper. It makes it easier to remove the cheese. I use silicon baking molds and they work great! You can also use a bowl, a tall thin glass, really anything you want.
- Drain the almonds. In a high-speed blender, or a food processor, process almonds with 1/2 cup water, the lemon juice, coconut oil, and garlic until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides.
- Add the salt, coconut milk, and vinegar and process until completely smooth.
- Add in lactic acid, probiotic capsule(s), and agar agar powder. Blend for 1 minute.
- Pour contents into a medium size sauce pan and bring to a boil. When the cheese has reached a boil, remove from heat and immediately pour into molds. Let cheese sit at room temperature for at least an hour, and up to 48 hours. When you have achieved your desired tanginess, remove from molds and refrigerate.
- Lasts for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
* Be sure to use REFINED coconut oil.
**Lactic acid is not necessary but adds a lot to the overall flavor profile.