The first time I tried this Probiotic Vegan Cheese was years ago.

I worked with a woman at Nutiva who was sort of the do-it-all woman in the office. In addition to all of her other roles, she also made the CEO of the company his lunch daily. So she was really good at creating the healthiest, highest-quality homemade foods. 

Occasionally, I worked in the Richmond, California Nutiva office. And when I did, I was always eating one of her new creations.

The day I tried her Vegan Almond Cheese, I immediately asked for the recipe. That didn’t always happen, by the way. But this cheese was so good that I needed the recipe.

Throughout the years, I kept the recipe. However, up until a couple months ago, I never actually made it. That first day, as I started making it, people messaged me via Instagram, “Please share this recipe.”

So I changed up a couple things from her originally recipe, made it once, then twice, and finally this third time.

If you like crackers and cheese, you’re going to love this recipe.

Probiotic Vegan Cheese 

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Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the Probiotic Vegan Cheese. They are simple, very simple.

Probiotic Vegan Cheese Ingredients

1. 1 bag NOW Foods Marcona Almonds

   The original recipe used raw almonds. Instead, I chose these because they are blanched (no skin) and have a slightly sweeter taste. If you want to use raw almonds, you definitely can. In fact, NOW Foods carries an organic, raw almond as well. The big difference, though, is that you will need to skin the almonds prior to blending. This will add time, and I’m fairly lazy. So there’s that.

2. 1 cup water

   This is the cup of fresh water that’s added just prior to blending. 

3. 4 probiotic capsules

   I’m not sure what type of probiotic capsule was used in the original recipe, but I used (obv) the Just Thrive Probiotic HERE. (Do not buy this on Amazon. Buy through THIS link, enter in code AGUTSYGIRL at checkout and save 15% on anything and everything.) Remember, this is a Probiotic Vegan Cheese. Therefore, you will need a Vegan probiotic and if you want this recipe for optimal gut health, your probiotic must reflect that. The probiotic I use covers all bases. You can learn more about it HERE.

4. 3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

   The cheesiness without dairy. Nutritional yeast is a staple in our house. You might not know this but NOW Foods has a nutritional yeast, too. Grab it HERE.

5. 1 teaspoon salt

   Feel free to use whatever salt you want. I’ve made it with plain, Himalayan salt. But my favorite is using a Lemon Rosemary Sea Salt. Obsessed. 

Other Things You’ll Need

1. Cheesecloth

   I won’t lie. I’ve gotten plenty a cheesecloths at the Dollar Store in the past. But I just found some new ones like this at Target that I bought. For this recipe, I used a basic white one from Target.

2. Parchment Paper

   THIS is the only parchment paper I’ll use. 

3. Blender

   Of course any blender will do, but because it’s a smaller quantity of food / liquid, a smaller blender is easier to work with (than say a Vitamix) for this recipe. You most likely didn’t know this, but NOW Foods even has a lovely blender. I used it for this recipe. See it HERE.

The other thing you’ll need is a little bit of time. But don’t let the time factor scare you. This recipe takes a long time, but only because it needs to first soak, and then ferment on the counter. And these tasks require nothing from you.

Here is how you’ll make the recipe.

Probiotic Vegan Cheese Process

1. Pour the Marcona almonds into a small bowl. Then, cover the almonds with water. Let it all sit on the counter overnight to soak.
2. Strain the mixture.
3. Place the almonds and 1 cup fresh water in a blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed. You might need to add an extra 1-2 Tablespoons of water. You want the almonds to arrive at a smooth texture, but not liquid. You’ll notice in my pictures that my almonds didn’t get super smooth. If you like a little extra texture, then leave it as such. That’s your choice.
4. Then, place the cheesecloth over a strainer, covering it completely. 
5. Pour the blended almonds directly onto the cheesecloth, and squeeze gently to discard any extra liquids. After squeezing for a few minutes, let the rest drain for about 15- 20 minutes. 
6. Lay out a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Place the almond mixture on it. Then, add the probiotic (open up the capsules and pour over the almonds, discarding the capsule), salt, and nutritional yeast. 
7. Gently mix all ingredients together, making sure they are evenly mixed.
8. Shape the entire mixture into a ball, as tightly as possible.
9. Fold up the parchment paper in ball shape.
10. Let the mixture sit on the countertop (out of direct sunlight) for 24+ hours.

Probiotic Vegan Cheese Recipe Card

Probiotic Vegan Cheese is Ready!

Your Probiotic Vegan Cheese is now ready. Unwrap the mixture, and dig in. Once you have unwrapped it, place in the fridge. 

This is a very basic recipe. I want you to master the original before getting fancy. But then, feel free to add in any other herbs, spices, and other things as desired. Because I use that rosemary lemon salt, I’m making it next time with finely chopped fresh rosemary.

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:

1. Vegan Mac n Cheese
2. 10 Probiotic Recipes to Start the New Year
3. Low-FODMAP Seed Cycling Energy Balls

Disclosure: This post is a paid partnership with NOW Foods. All opinions stated here are 100% my own. I appreciate your support, as this compensation helps with expenses to keep this website up and running, and for me to continue sharing all that I can with you. For my full disclaimer and disclosure click HERE. Thank you for your support!

Xox,
SKH

Sarah Kay Hoffman

You will heal. I will help.