Orange Currant Cashew Cream Cheese

This week is going to be all about cashew cream cheese. I have four—yes, FOUR!—flavors that I’ll be revealing all week, and I’m starting with this sweet-ish, tangy orange currant version.

When January rolls around, I’m in the mood to eat pretty healthy, but winter still makes me crave comfort foods here and there—Saturday morning bagels, for instance. With a latte. And the newest episode of Scandal. Mmm… (BTW, when is Scandal coming back on?? I’m really not a fan of this “winter break” trend that’s taken over TV in the past few years. But, I’ve gotten off-track…)

I’ve mentioned this before, but cashew cream was a total game-changer for me when I started cutting dairy out of my diet. It can be substituted for so many different types of recipes. I use for everything from a pasta sauce and savory dips, to mousse and this here “cream cheese.” So, I decided it was time to get a little fancier with the latter. This is recipe number one—three more to come this week, so don’t be a stranger.

Enjoy!
Mackenzie

Orange Currant Cashew Cream Cheese
Prep time: 10 min |  Ready in time: 2 hours, 10 min
Yields: About 3 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted cashews
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Zest from one orange
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup currants

Directions:

1. Soak cashews in orange juice for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Zest one orange. If you don’t have a zester, use a potato peeler, but make sure you dice it up really well.
3. Separate cashews from orange juice with a strainer (KEEP the orange juice!).
4. In a blender, process soaked cashews, honey, salt, and some of the orange juice—start with about 2/3 of a cup, then add as needed. You’ll want to use as little liquid as possible, just enough to get the ingredients to blend well. NOTE: If you need more liquid than the 1 cup of orange juice, you can use water or non-dairy milk.
5. Pour blended cashew cream into a bowl using a rubber spatula to get it all out, then stir in the currants and orange zest. TIP: You might want to do a taste test before you add the zest—I like a really orange-y flavor, but you might prefer it without the zest. Up to you!
6. Refrigerate, covered for at least two hours until it thickens up. It will keep well for about a week and a half.

Spread on bagels, toast, and even use it a few tablespoons in a smoothie to add protein and a little sweetness.

NOTE: This recipe makes quite a bit, so you’re welcome to half it. Though, unless you have a very powerful blender, I’ve found it’s a little harder to blend just one cup of cashews at a time. You may be able to pull it off, but I just wanted to give you a heads up about that little issue.

Try one of the other three flavors…

Cinnamon raisin:

Blueberry lavender:

Cinnamon oat crunch: