Holiday Baked Vegan Cheese with Guava Swirl
Warm and creamy, with a smoky crust and a soft gooey center and bright, vibrant pops of sharp, sour, and sweet guava paste, this soft, spreadable baked vegan cheese is sure to start of any holiday party right. It is comforting, and the perfect accompaniment to a soft baguette or your favorite crackers. If you’re looking for a melty, warm, gooey (and somehow still refined) way to impress your guests for the holidays (or really anytime), this baked vegan cheese will impress vegans and omnivores alike with it’s contrasting flavors and delicate textures.
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This post was last updated 3/9/24, but no changes were made to the functionality of the recipe.
The Art of Impulse Shopping
This recipe started for me somewhere a little unexpected- the dollar store. I don’t go there frequently (there really isn’t one very close to my house), but every once in a while I make the trip down to pick up some knick-knacks or cleaning supplies- and a few extra things always seem to fall into my basket. This time, a block of guava paste mysteriously showed up there- it’s an ingredient I had no idea what to do with, but a lot of my favorite foods started as an impulse buy (such as this Crown Daisy in Tahini Sauce and my Watercress Chestnut Soup). Guava paste is a sweet and sour, jelly-like, firm block of fruit-paste, popular in Brazil. The thing it reminds me most of, is that cranberry sauce you buy in the can (so I thought it would be great for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season!) It is often paired with cheese and crackers, so I decided to make my own, more vegan version of this treat.
Looking for Cheesy Vegan Recipes? Try one of these!
- Buttery Vegan Cheese Cracker Recipe
- Fermented Spreadable Sweet Chestnut Cheese
- Rye Pretzel Recipe with Vegan Beer Cheese
- The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese Pizza Recipe
- 5 Ingredient Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vegan Cheese and Rhubarb Danish
- Kabocha Squash and Cheese Vegan Pupusas
- Holiday Baked Vegan Cheese with Guava Swirl
- Vegan Cauliflower and Butternut Squash Quesadillas
- Vegan Fondue with Caramelized Onions and Ale
Looking for Holiday Mains? Try one of these!
- Maitake and Wild Rice Thanksgiving Salad
- Savory Mushroom Vegan Hot Water Crust Pie
- Stuffed Seitan Vegan Holiday Roast
- Eggplant, Chestnut, and Mushroom Vegan Holiday Loaf
- Simple Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Ravioli
- Wild Rice, Chili and Cacao Nib Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Three Sisters Flatbreads with Marinaded Tepary Beans
How to Make this Baked Vegan Cheese
Making this cheese is a breeze (which is definitely a good thing, as we tend to make this overly-complicated this time of year). Most of the ingredients are blended together to form a creamy gooey sauce. The guava paste is sliced into four strips, and then the cheese and guava paste are layered in a ramekin or springform pan with a sprinkle of smoked paprika on top. The cheese is baked until a crust forms, and then removed from the oven. You can serve it like this- warm, and gooey, still in the ramekin, or you can let it cool and remove it from your pan. It will still be soft and spreadable, but hard enough to keep its shape. See the recipe for this jewel of a cheese below.
Holiday Baked Vegan Cheese with Guava Swirl
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- 2 tbsp. tapioca powder
- 2 tbsp. refined coconut oil
- 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 oz. guava paste, cut into four strips
- Smoked paprika, to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Soak your cashews for a few hours, or bring them to boil on the stovetop for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Add the soaked cashews, tapioca powder, coconut oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, lime juice, water and salt to the blender, and blend until completely smooth.
- Prepare your container. If you would like to serve the cheese cold and removed from the dish, a 4 inch springform pan will be best, otherwise any 14 oz. oven safe ramekin will do. Add about 1/3 of the blended cashew cheese in the bottom. Make an “X” with two strips of guava paste, and add another 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second “X” with the remaining guava paste, and pour the rest of the cheese on top. Use a silicone spatula to smooth the top a little, and sprinkle generously with smoked paprika.
- Place the filled ramekin or springform pan into the preheated oven (you may want a baking tray underneath to catch any drips). Bake for about 25 minutes, until a solid crust forms on top. For a hot, gooey cheese serve right away, or allow to cool fully and remove from the mold if you want your cheese more sliceable. Serve with crackers, bread or fresh veg.
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