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A plant based yogurt alternative, made with cashews and almonds, with optional flavourings like lemon juice, vanilla or lemon zest. Soaking required.

Yup, I really did say that: a plant based yogurt made from nuts.

This week, I decided to put this simple recipe out here, in case you are cutting back on dairy, and looking to try some alternatives. Some products are easy to replace. For example, I’ve been successfully using canned full fat coconut milk as a cream replacer in my chocolate truffles recipes for years, with fantastic results. And there are many other ways, that I’ll share over the coming weeks.

Other products, however, can be harder to replace, and plant based dairy alternatives don’t always work well. Hard cheeses are one example – looking at you, Pecorino cheese, with your intensely umami and delicious funkiness.

All this to say that I’ve been having this lovely nut-based creme for my occasional yogurt snack, with very enjoyable result. Zero loss of pleasure, my definition of success. 

I want to meet you where you are. Listen, if you can, and want to have dairy, then do. If you want to try a plant based yogurt alternative, but still use that wedge of Pecorino, then do – I do so as well. Finally, if you are fully committed to eliminating dairy altogether, or are allergic or intolerant to dairy, then here is an option for you.

Kitchen notes

Always a master at stating the obvious, I’ll do it here too. This won’t taste like dairy yogurt. It can’t, because: 

• it is made of nuts, and that is what it will taste like
• it’s not fermented

However, it has the same function: a creamy food to eat as a breakfast or snack, with some interesting toppings if your choice. I offered some suggestions below as well.

Almonds and cashews are fairly mild-tasting nuts though, so there is the possibility of playing with flavour. I add citrus zest, or vanilla, or honey, or maple to mine. Lemon zest is perfect if you serve this plant based nut yogurt with honeyed red berries. Lime zest works with papaya chunks (SO GOOD), vanilla with a pear compote and so on. 

You will need a high powered blender (I’ve linked mine) for this job. A regular blender has no hope of smashing through the nuts, even though they are soaked. You can use all cashews, in which case the yogurt will be perfectly silky, a joy to eat. I like to use half almonds and half cashews, which is less smooth, but it has a more nutty essence, which I personally love. 

The recipe rundown: you soak the nuts the night before, or about 4-6 hours before, if using only cashews. You drain, rinse, then blend the nuts with some water. Season to your liking then store the plant based nut yogurt in the fridge for up to 3 days for enjoying with fruit and/or granola, as a snack or breakfast.