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Paleo Cheese {Dairy/Nut Free}

February 17, 2015 by predominantlypaleo 31 Comments

 

Paleo Cheese?!


Are you kidding me? Ok but before we get to that…. My obsession with cheese is not really a secret. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love the stuff, in a very unhealthy addicted sort of way. And I had to give it up. If you haven’t read about my break up with dairy, you can do that HERE. But if I can be honest, and I feel like I can be, I still love it. I still wish for it sometimes and get frustrated over certain foods not having it. Like chili. I really stinkin’ love chili with shredded cheese on top. Or a little sprinkle on a salad. Or the stringy gooey provolone and swiss baked on top of french onion soup.


Can I live without it? Of course! I don’t want any one food to have that sort of power over me – but do I miss it sometimes reallllllly badly? I do. I’ve been thinking for awhile about how to make a cheese-y recipe that would fill the void. Sometimes it’s just the “feeling” of a certain food that we miss. Like coffee or chocolate, or cheeeeeeeese.  Before I started eating predominantly Paleo, I tried a bunch of the cheese products from my health food store. How can I put this?! They were freakin’ disgusting and made me want to yack. Now I am not usually this colorful in my language on here but OMG grody. I just can’t do all that business.


Back to this recipe; I recently saw a recipe that I wanted to recreate to go along with our YIDDISH KITCHEN recipes and I really needed some shredded cheese to do this. Okay need is the wrong word, but I felt like it would be a great addition. So in true “me” fashion, I started daydreaming. How would I do it? What would help it melt but still hold together? What about the color? It needed to look like cheese too right?! And then it happened…I went in the zone and didn’t come out until the “cheese” was made.


And then I cut the cheese. Ew y’all gross! No, I literally cut the cheese that I made. And sliced it. And made little shreds. AND I PUT IT INTO MY CHILI AND IT MELTED!!!!!!!!! And as they say, that’s all she wrote. Note: The nut free option is better as a slice or shred NOT melted – when it melts it goes back to its original state which is like cheese sauce. Ingredients (Nut Free version below, scroll down):

  • 1 cup raw, soaked cashews, drained (I soak for 4 hours or more)
  • 1/2 cup water, divided
  • 1 tablespoon grass fed gelatin (you can use 1.5 tbsp if you want it more firmer)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Pinch paprika (you can use smoked also)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons pimentos (without liquid)
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (to taste, you can use more if desired)
  1. In a blender, combine the drained, soaked cashews, 1/4 cup water, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, pimentos, and lemon juice
  2. Blend on high until creamy. If you have a hard time getting a smooth consistency, add a tiny bit of water at a time and scrape the edges of the blender until this is achieved. You’ll want it to be as creamy as possible
  3. Spoon the blended mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low/medium heat, stirring regularly
  4. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and the remaining 1/4 cup water. Stir very well to combine, then quickly incorporate it into the saucepan mixture. Stir until all the water is incorporated completely then remove the saucepan from heat and pour the mixture into a parchment lined container – can be a glass bowl, loaf pan, really anything that you’d like to use so long as it is small-ish. You want the cheese to be as deep as possible once poured in.
  5. Refrigerate for an hour or two until the cheese is firmed up. If you opted for extra gelatin, you can possibly shred this with a grater. Otherwise you’ll want to chop/slice/dice the cheese into shreds for topping. Alternatively you can slice the cheese for grain free crackers and so on.
  6. Store in the fridge until ready to use
  7. Note: If you use only the 1 tablespoon of gelatin, this cheese will have a semi-soft texture so that you can either spread or slice through it. More gelatin will yield a firmer result.
  8. Note: You can play with flavors. You can make a pepperjack version or a chipotle version or even a “nacho” version by adding in a bit of cumin or chili powder. Use your imagination and have fun!

Nut Free Version Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dairy free milk (flax/coconut if keeping nut free)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Paprika to taste (and color)
  • 1 tablespoon pimentos
  • 3 tablespoons grassfed gelatin
  1. Combine all ingredients except for gelatin in a blender and blend until pimentos are incorporated fully
  2. In a saucepan heat the mixture for about a minute or two over medium/high heat
  3. Whisk in gelatin until dissolved completely
  4. Transfer cheese mixture to a greased mold/container
  5. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes (or more) until set
  6. Slice however desired, I used a mandolin to achieve slices

Paleo Cheese    

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Filed Under: condiments, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, nut free, paleo, raw, sides, snacks, soy free, Uncategorized

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Comments

  1. Heather @ Cook It Up Paleo says

    February 17, 2015 at 2:40 am

    YES. I am so excited about this recipe! I have friends and family who can’t eat dairy and not having cheese has been the hardest thing!

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      February 17, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      Hope you like it Heather!

      Reply
  2. Stacy says

    February 17, 2015 at 2:43 am

    how long do u think it will store in the fridge?

    Reply
  3. Carla says

    February 17, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    Next time add a little bit of starch 1tsp(tapioca,..) when the recipe says”heat over low/medium..” . it will help hold better together !

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      February 17, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      Mine didn’t need tapioca, the gelatin acts as a binder.

      Reply
  4. Rita says

    February 18, 2015 at 9:44 pm

    Jen, Thank you so much for this recipe. I gave up dairy about three months ago and it’s been hard. For me, giving up grains was much easier. I can’t wait to try it. I appreciate you sharing your recipes!

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      February 19, 2015 at 1:14 am

      Rita, I am the same! Grains were so much easier to give up for me!

      Reply
  5. Lisa Gray says

    February 19, 2015 at 1:16 am

    What does the pimentos do? Can it be left out?

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      February 19, 2015 at 2:25 am

      They add color and a little flavor. You could omit.

      Reply
  6. Ludia says

    February 19, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    I’m embarrassed to ask – what exactly is pimento? I know it’s red pepper, but what kind and in what form? And what am I looking for and in which part of the supermarket?
    Sorry to be so dense!
    Thanks,
    Ludia

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      February 19, 2015 at 6:00 pm

      I buy pimentos in a glass jar (they are soaked in water) and are found in the Spanish/Latin aisle. Most mainstream groceries should have them! You aren’t dense at all, that’s a very valid question!

      Reply
  7. Sylvie says

    February 25, 2015 at 8:56 pm

    This was a huge hit and do you know how hard it is to please a teenage girl with dairy allergies. She said it was fabulous and has it everyday since I made it. I used macadamia nuts instead because I didn’t have any cashews on hand. We added the chili powder at the end as mentioned in your recipe. Best vegan cheese, THANK YOU!!!

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      February 26, 2015 at 1:11 am

      I love this!!! Thanks for telling me.

      Reply
    • abrune89 says

      December 25, 2016 at 12:07 am

      Not to be ”that person” but if you use gelatin it isn’t vegan. Just in case some see this and not really know what gelatin is you know

      Reply
      • predominantlypaleo says

        December 25, 2016 at 11:40 pm

        I definitely don’t call it vegan but 100% dairy free for those with sensitivities, yay!

        Reply
  8. Amy says

    March 13, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    I made a batch this morning and it is so good! I’ve recently decided that dairy may be one of my problems, so am trying to go totally dairy free. I tried some dairy free cheese from the grocery store and was not impressed, but even my husband said this cheese “wasn’t bad”. High praise from him!

    Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!

    Reply
  9. Kim Angelo says

    March 15, 2015 at 4:46 pm

    Thanks for this recipe – I think it’s going to help make giving up cheese bearable. I am wondering how you think it could be adjusted to taste more cheddar-y. I could live on Tillamook cheddar – however my body can’t. Thanks!

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      March 17, 2015 at 1:25 am

      Hmmm, the nutritional yeast is what gives it that “cheesy” flavor so you could possibly add more? I am sort of limited with the paleo/non dairy friendly ingredients but that’s what I would do. You could also ferment it with probiotics but I am not the expert on that!

      Reply
      • Ben says

        April 9, 2015 at 5:15 pm

        You could try fermenting the mixture, before adding the gelatin, to get a cheesier flavor more akin to cheddar. I’ve done this before with a spreadable cashew base recipe and the results were pretty good… still not exactly cheddar, mind you, but definitely cheesy. For this recipe, I’d recommend waiting to add the gelatin until later as I don’t know if fermentation would weaken the gelatinizing factor. Follow the recipe, then blend in 2 Tbsp of plain dairy or vegan yogurt/kefir, or a probiotic supplement/starter, place the blended mix in a bowl covered with a towel (not plastic wrap) and leave out on your counter for at least 12-24 hrs and taste it to see if it’s as cheesy as you want it. Depending on the room temp it could take upwards of a few days to get the taste you want, just taste every 12 hrs or so until you get the flavor you want. THEN bloom the gelatin/.25 C water in a bowl for 5 mins and microwave it on high for 15 seconds, then again in 10 second increments until it’s liquified. Place fermented cheese mix in a blender/food processor and stream in the gelatin while blending, and then continue to blend on medium for 30sec-1min until the gelatin is incorporated, then refrigerate per the recipe.

        Reply
  10. Pam says

    March 2, 2016 at 8:32 pm

    I’m so glad you posted this. I am like you, I was controlled by cheese. I could eat an entire ball of mozzarella and not blink. Since giving it up I have been thinking of nothing but cheese. Can’t wait to make this over the weekend. I think I will make a whole bunch of different kinds. I’m so exited. THANK YOU SO MUCH from one cheese addict to another ??

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      March 3, 2016 at 12:43 am

      Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  11. kelsie says

    January 4, 2017 at 9:32 pm

    My son is allergic to cashews. Do you think I can make it with almonds?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      January 5, 2017 at 3:36 pm

      I haven’t tried but that should work! I would still soak them first.

      Reply
    • Tammy says

      February 18, 2021 at 10:14 pm

      You can use sunflower seeds

      Reply
    • Debbie Wicks says

      June 4, 2021 at 4:48 pm

      Someone said they used macadamia

      Reply
  12. Jen says

    April 25, 2018 at 3:08 am

    Thanks for this recipe! Going to give it a try. Myself and the kiddos are dairy free and haven’t had pizza in about 10 months (can’t find a fully dairy and all grain free substitute already made in stores). We are definitely missing having pizza every once in a while! ? ?

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      April 30, 2018 at 7:16 pm

      Hope you all liked it!

      Reply
  13. Angie says

    September 8, 2019 at 2:32 am

    For the nut free version do you use full fat milk or coconut milk from a carton ?

    Reply
    • predominantlypaleo says

      September 12, 2019 at 10:31 pm

      Either should work!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. To-Do List of Recipes | To-Eat List says:
    June 5, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    […] Paleo Cheese (Predominantly Paleo) // I didn’t grow up loving cheese and wanting it on everything. In fact, I didn’t really start to love cheese until it was obvious my stomach couldn’t have it. I’ve been dying to try this recipe to see if it compares to the real stuff, or at least satisfies my craving for some rich dairy. […]

    Reply
  2. Paleo Substitutes For Dairy [How To Make Your Favorite Dishes Dairy-Free] says:
    December 20, 2020 at 4:36 pm

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About

Jennifer is a wife and mother of 3 in pursuit of better health for her family.
After being gluten free for 4 years, and having a multitude of chronic health issues, she realized there was still too much processed “food” in her pantry and change was needed. Jennifer began feeding her family more meals from WHOLE foods and less from boxes. Her recipes are predominantly paleo, meaning they are free of grain, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar, but make allowances for a few treats and sweets. She believes food can be medicine when used appropriately and that a few changes now can equate to huge benefits later. Healthy food does not need to be flavorless and void of personality, which she aims to accomplish through her many recipes.

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