Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese (Grain-Free Bagel & A Schmear…)

If you haven’t found a dairy-free spread you like yet, make this vegan cashew cream cheese!

A bagel and a schmear… really, is there a more delicious breakfast? (Do I sound too New York-ish or what…)

It’s been many years since bagels have had a place in my breakfast rotation. I feel so much better without grains in my diet, that bagels went by the wayside. But I’m trying to fix this. Really I had no choice but to fix it because I really love this recipe.

I made this cream cheese out of cashews and it was so good that I was craving a bagel. And lox. So, what I’m telling you is twofold: One — make this vegan cashew cream cheese. Two make or buy some grain-free bagels and stock up on some lox. You may be eating this several times a week. Maybe even several times a day.

And when I ran out of lox, I ate it with just the tomato and cream cheese…

When I have time I bake these Grain-Free Bagels, and now, some supermarket even sell grain-free bagels, so I’m set. The ones I make are kind of cake-like but taste good. The ones I buy are crunchier but they have a little bit of cheese in the dough, so I’m torn…

Let’s get back to this cream cheese. It’s really really good. Even Steve, who’s does eat dairy sometimes, thinks it’s great and loves it on the bagels. And, when you add lox and tomato… OMG, we are happy campers.

I ate the sandwich you see in these pictures for lunch when I was by myself. Then there were days that I had some version of the bagel and a schmear for breakfast AND lunch. It started to get a bit out of control. So, now, I try to pace myself. Sunday brunch is enough. OK, maybe once during the week too if no one is looking…

Here’s some reasons to make this cream cheese:

Cashews are really a multi-tasking nut. I use them all the time so I say it all the time: Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and is made up of oleic acid; this is the same acid that is found in olive oil, making these nuts a heart-healty choice. For this cream cheese I used raw cashews. I know some of you have a problem finding raw nuts sometimes — I’m happy to try to help you locate them if you need shopping suggestions, so just leave a comment and I will try to help. I buy them whenever and wherever I see them. I’m also lucky enough to live near a Whole Foods, so I sometimes buy them from the bulk bins here.

Nutritional yeast gives things a cheese-y taste without using any dairy and it adds amino acids and Vitamin B, so it’s perfect here.

Lemons are good for your digestion, they help detoxify your body, they balance your pH, and they act as an antibacterial. They also can soothe a sore throat, lessen a cough, and hydrate the body.

Scallions, if you know me, are one of my favorites. In Chinese medicine, the root of the scallion is a healing herb(Cong Bai). I always keep scallions on hand in my refrigerator so that I can whip up a batch of cold and flu fighting tea (scallion roots and ginger) the second anyone feels that scratchy throat coming on. It helps the body sweat out toxins. Scallions are antiviral and antibacterial; they are good for the common cold and general nasal congestion — just don’t eat too many if you have a fever. And, they make this cream cheese taste more like traditional cream cheese.