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    Home » Vegan cheeses

    Vegan feta cheese with almonds (No tofu!)

    Published: Jun 22, 2020 · Modified: Mar 31, 2023 by Cadry Nelson
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Text overlay: Vegan feta almond cheese. Mezze platter on table.

    Vegan feta cheese adds creamy, tangy flavor to salads, mezze platters, and wraps.

    Made with blanched almonds and baked in the oven, it has the perfect dense but creamy texture. Vegan, soy-free, and gluten-free.

    Slices of vegan feta cheese on plate by charcuterie.

    I love a good vegan feta cheese. It sets off garlicky and briny flavors just right.

    I used to buy store-bought vegan feta alternatives. But once I started making my own, it was a game changer.

    Now I always have this staple in the refrigerator or freezer, ready at a moment’s notice.

    A lot of homemade vegan feta recipes use tofu. And that’s okay.

    But for a really dense, creamy yet crumbly texture, almonds do an amazing job.

    They add fat & oomph to this mouthwatering dairy free cheese.

    Pro tip: Whenever I make this recipe, I make a double batch. It’s easier to blend, and it’s not much more work. Plus, you get double the amount of feta!

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Make it your own
    • Serving ideas
    • How long does it last?
    • Does it freeze well?
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

    Labeled ingredients for vegan feta cheese.

    Blanched almonds: For the best creamy texture and bright white color, blanched almonds are a must for this baked vegan feta recipe. You can find them in grocery stores, like Natural Grocers.

    Or you can skin raw almonds yourself. That’s not hard to do. Check out the details in this post, how to blanch almonds.

    Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed has the best flavor.

    Olive brine: Olive brine is my secret ingredient! I use the brine from Castelvetrano olives, which are my favorite. They have a light, bright quality that works especially well here.

    However, any kind of olive brine will do. If you’re not a fan of olives, don’t worry. It doesn’t take over at all. It just adds a tangy background tone.

    Olive brine can be replaced with the juice from a jar of sauerkraut or pepperoncini peppers.

    Extra virgin olive oil: This adds flavor & fat. It can be replaced with regular olive oil.

    Salt: Cheese is known for its saltiness. So a little salt is a must.

    Garlic: Fresh garlic adds bite. If you’d prefer, it can be replaced with â…› teaspoon of garlic powder.

    Step by step instructions

    Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    Put the following in a high-speed blender:

    • Blanched almonds – store-bought or skinned by hand
    • Lemon juice
    • Olive brine
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Water
    • Garlic clove

    Blend until smooth.

    Softened almond cheese in Le Creuset cocotte.

    Put a square piece of parchment paper into an 8-ounce mini cocotte or ramekin.

    (This is the same size cocotte I use for my mini vegetable pot pie.)

    Smash the parchment down into the container to line it fully. Then cut off any excess from around the top.

    Pour the creamy almond cheese mixture into it, and smooth the top with a knife.

    Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

    Baked almond feta in cocotte on table.

    You’ll know it’s done with the top is cracked and lightly brown around the edges.

    Allow it to cool slightly before removing from the cocotte or ramekin.

    Baked almond feta with crackers on board.

    You can serve this feta warm with crackers as-is. The exterior reminds me a little of puff pastry.

    Or put it into the refrigerator to cool & firm further.

    When you’re ready to use it, crumble it into uneven pieces with your hands.

    Make it your own

    Crumbled almond feta in bowl by mezze platter.

    You can make this plant based feta cheese your own by varying/adding certain ingredients.

    • Instead of olive brine, use the liquid from a jar of sauerkraut or pepperoncini peppers
    • Vary the amounts/types of oil
    • Add your favorite seasonings like dried oregano, dried basil, dried rosemary, and/or lemon zest

    Serving ideas

    Overhead vegan charcuterie board.

    Obviously you can enjoy this baked almond feta right out of the oven with bread or crackers.

    But there are so many more options – like Greek salad or on pasta!

    • Put baked feta on a mezze platter with olive tapenade, hummus, baba ganoush & pita chips
    • Use it as a topping on olive hummus
    • Add it to a spinach salad with strawberries, tomato cucumber salad, or fall salad
    • Make feta cheese-filled fried olives
    • Stir it into Mediterranean pasta or bowtie pasta salad
    • Sprinkle it in a veggie wrap with vegan chick’n strips and tahini dressing
    • Use it as a topping on vegan shakshuka or a falafel bowl
    • Add it to gravy smothered fries for vegan poutine
    • Put it on black bean tacos, refried beans, or tortilla soup like a vegan cotija cheese

    How long does it last?

    Apple cider vinaigrette being poured onto salad.

    Store vegan feta cheese in a covered container in the refrigerator.

    It will last for two weeks.

    Does it freeze well?

    Yes!

    Freezing does change the texture slightly, but it’s not enough to make an enormous difference. After freezing it’s slightly more dense.

    To really make this last, I like to freeze it in crumbles. It’s easier to grab just a few pieces if it’s already crumbled.

    To freeze it, put the crumbled cheese in a freezer safe container. Then when you want some, use a butter knife to break it up in the container to free it loose.

    Let it thaw in the refrigerator.

    Or you can use the defrost function on the microwave. But be careful! You don’t want to microwave it for long and make it hard.

    Simply use the defrost function, and stay close. It typically needs less than 30 seconds. You don’t want the cheese to get warm – just softened.

    Vegan feta on board with olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

    📖 Recipe

    Almond cheese on board with cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives.

    Vegan feta cheese

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 8 votes
    This tangy vegan feta can be used on salads, in wraps, or on a mezze platter with olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus, artichoke hearts, and pita. It's baked in the oven and made with almonds. (No tofu here!) The result is a creamy yet crumbly, decadent dairy free cheese.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 10 people
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Greek, Vegan
    Keyword: almond cheese, nut spread
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup blanched almonds soaked if necessary
    • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 Tablespoons olive brine or sauerkraut juice
    • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
    • ¼ cup water
    • 1 clove garlic

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Put all of the ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides for even blending, if necessary.
    • Line an 8-ounce mini cocotte or ramekin with parchment paper. Use scissors to cut off any excess paper from around the edges.
      Then pour in all of the almond cheese mixture from the blender. Use a spoon to smooth the top of the spread.
    • Put the cocotte or ramekin into the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You'll know it's done when the top starts to crack and brown slightly, like a perfectly done toasted marshmallow.
    • Remove from oven and allow it to cool slightly before removing the cheese from the cocotte or ramekin.
      You can serve the cheese warm. But for the most feta-like experience, put it into the refrigerator to cool in a covered container. It will continue to firm.
    • When you're ready to use it, crumble the almond cheese in your hands into rough feta shapes.

    Video

    Notes

    For the almonds, you can either use store-bought blanched almonds, or remove the skin from raw almonds before adding them to the blender. For more information, check out this post on how to blanch almonds.
    There is enough liquid in this recipe that if you have a high speed blender & shorter blender container, you don’t have to soak the almonds first.
    However, if you have a standard blender or if your high-speed blender container is tall, I recommend soaking the almonds in hot water for about 15 minutes before blending. Then drain and continue with the recipe as written. Or you can grind the dry blanched almonds in a clean coffee grinder until it has the texture of flour. Then add it to the blender & continue with the recipe.
    (I don’t recommend replacing the almonds with store-bought almond flour, however, because the amounts won’t translate the same. A cup of dry almonds don’t equal a cup of almond flour.)
    If you have a tall Vitamix container, I recommend making a double batch since there’s not a ton of liquid in this recipe and once it starts blending, it can fall below the blade otherwise. With a double batch, I recommend evenly dividing the mixture between two 8-ounce cocottes or ramekins for baking.
    (I almost always make a double batch. It’s not much more work, it blends easier, and you get twice the amount of feta.)
    For a more pronounced olive oil flavor, add an additional Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
    If you’re short on time, the almond cheese can be served straight out of the blender, like a spread. However, I recommend halving the amount of salt if serving it that way. Crumbled out of the oven, the ½ teaspoon amount of salt tastes like you’d expect feta to taste. However, when it’s a creamy spread, the salt is more pronounced, so you can use less.
    For the olive brine, use the liquid that’s right in the jar of olives. I use Castelvetrano olives, which have a lighter, brighter flavor. However, any olive juice can be used. Or use the juice from a jar of sauerkraut or pepperoncini for a more neutral flavor that still adds cheesiness through its umami.
    The feta will keep in the refrigerator in a covered container for two weeks. 
    This baked cheese also freezes well. To freeze it, put the crumbled cheese in a freezer safe container. Then whenever you want some of it, you can use a butter knife to break it up in the container to free it loose.
    Let it thaw in the refrigerator, or use the defrost function on the microwave. It won’t need much time at all (usually less than 30 seconds). You don’t want the cheese to get warm – just softened. The texture will be slightly more dense after freezing; however, it’s barely noticeable.
    Recipe inspired by Vegetarian Times recipe for almond feta cheese with herb oil.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

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    1. Brigitte

      March 27, 2023 at 9:20 am

      Can I use walnuts ?

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        March 27, 2023 at 9:35 am

        I haven’t tried it with walnuts, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you want to explore this recipe with other nuts, I’d recommend cashews or macadamia nuts.

        Reply
    2. Yvonne

      October 01, 2020 at 5:41 pm

      Do you know have a weight measurement for the almonds? I found blanched slivered almonds at the store, but couldn’t find whole blanched almonds, and want to make sure I’m not using too many. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        October 01, 2020 at 6:03 pm

        Sure, I just weighed them. It’s 5.4 ounces. Let me know how it goes with the slivered almonds! I’ve never tried it that way.

        Reply
        • Yvonne

          October 02, 2020 at 8:06 am

          5 stars
          Thanks! I made a double batch as per the tall Vitamix recommendation, and it turned out beautifully. My husband tasted the leftovers in the blender container just after I popped the cocottes in the oven, and I had to pull out one of the cocottes upon his request so he could demolish the spread on crackers. Needless to say, it was a great success, and I foresee many more batches of this feta in our future! 🙂

          Reply
          • Cadry

            October 06, 2020 at 2:50 pm

            I’m so pleased to hear that, Yvonne! Thank you for the great feedback. I’m delighted that you and your husband enjoyed it!

            Reply
    3. Mandy

      July 07, 2020 at 9:48 pm

      5 stars
      Cadry, this feta is incredible!!!! I’ve never made my own before, and I’ve never blanched almonds…so thanks for the guidance! I couldn’t believe how easily the skins came off of the almonds – I will definitely use this method again. We doubled the recipe and I’m so glad we did! Not only was it delicious right out of the blender, but even better baked…can’t wait to try it once it’s chilled and set in the fridge. So far, Josh and I enjoyed some with crackers and crumbled some on top of our veggie bowls. Definitely making this again and adding it to our list of holiday recipes!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        July 28, 2020 at 4:16 pm

        Yay!! I’m so delighted to hear that, Mandy. Thank you for letting me know!!

        Reply
    4. Melissa

      June 25, 2020 at 4:39 pm

      5 stars
      This is SO GOOD!! I realized halfway in that we didn’t have any olives, so I subbed dill pickle brine instead. It has a faint pickle flavor, but I don’t think you’d notice it if you didn’t know the pickle brine was in there. Regardless, I could not stop eating this while I was crumbling it. Will definitely make again.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        July 02, 2020 at 3:02 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa! Thanks for the great feedback and the insight on subbing dill pickle juice.

        Reply
    5. Lucy

      June 25, 2020 at 5:18 am

      5 stars
      This stuff is great! I have to admit that I got lazy and didn’t blanch my almonds and it tasted wonderful nonetheless (I always think almond skins sort of taste like mushrooms–is that crazy?). Also added some lemon zest because I can’t bear to cut open a new lemon without using the zest in something!
      Will try it with the blanched almonds next time to compare!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        June 25, 2020 at 10:23 am

        That’s great, Lucy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s good to know that it tasted wonderful, even without blanching the almonds. And excellent idea adding lemon zest! I added that to the modification ideas. Thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    6. simon andrew

      June 25, 2020 at 12:32 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is full of fibers and vitamins thanks for sharing I will try it at home

      Reply
    7. Shell

      June 23, 2020 at 10:26 am

      5 stars
      Yum! It looks so good when it is warm! I would have a hard time not gobbling it up right away.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        June 23, 2020 at 10:38 am

        That’s understandable! I always have to snag some of the exterior when it’s warm out of the oven. It reminds me of eating the puff pastry from brie en croute before I went vegan.

        Reply

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    I’m a longtime vegan. (16 years!) But I grew up eating a Standard American Diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

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