This Vegan Sunflower Seed Cheese is creamy, tangy, sharp, and surprisingly similar to fresh goat cheese. It’s made with simple pantry ingredients, naturally fermented for extra flavor, and can be enjoyed either as a soft spread or as a firmer cheese after dehydrating.

Listen, I absolutely love making cashew cheese, but let’s be honest, cashews aren’t exactly cheap. They’re also not an option for everyone because of allergies, and there are also some ethical concerns around cashew production. Sunflower seeds on the other hand are more affordable, easy to find, and make an incredibly delicious cheese.

That’s why I’m so excited to share this recipe with you!

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can keep it plain and enjoy it as a creamy spread, or shape it into logs or little cheese wheels and dehydrate it for a firmer cheese with a delicate rind. Dehydration truly takes this cheese to the next level, so it’s really worth the extra effort.

And you can customize this cheese however you like it. Once the cheese has fermented, you can mix in herbs, garlic, cracked pepper, dried fruit or chili, then roll the outside in herbs, charcoal powder, or peppercorns before dehydrating. It’s so much fun, every batch can be a little different.

Vegan Sunflower Seed Cheese….

plant-based
nut-free
budget-friendly
easy to make
naturally fermented
tangy and sharp
creamy
flavorful
rich in texture
very customizable
delicious as a spread or firm cheese

How to make Vegan Sunflower Seed Cheese

Making cultured sunflower seed cheese is much easier than it looks. Simply blend the soaked sunflower seeds with rejuvelac, nutritional yeast, refined (!!!) coconut oil, vinegar and salt until completely smooth. A high-speed blender works best here, as you want the mixture to be as silky as possible.

Transfer the mixture into a cheesecloth-lined strainer and let it ferment at room temperature for 24-48 hours. The longer it ferments, the tangier and more flavorful it becomes. Once fermented, chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours to make it easier to shape.

At this point you can enjoy it as a soft, spreadable cheese, or stir in herbs, garlic, chili, dried fruit, or cracked pepper before shaping it into logs or rounds for dehydrating.

Don’t have time to soak your sunflower seeds?

If you forgot to soak them overnight, simply boil the sunflower seeds for 10-15 minutes, then drain and rinse them under cold water. They’ll soften enough to blend into a smooth cheese.

Dehydrating the cheese

While the cheese is already delicious as a spread, dehydrating takes it to another level. It develops a firmer texture, becomes easier to slice, and forms a delicate rind on the outside.

Shape the cheese into logs or small rounds and place them in a dehydrator set to 120°F/50°C for 6-12 hours, depending on how firm you want them.

If you don’t have a dehydrator, simply use your oven on its lowest temperature with the door slightly open to let moisture escape. Keep an eye on the cheese and dry it until you reach your preferred consistency. The longer it dehydrates, the firmer and more flavorful it becomes.

How to serve Vegan Sunflower Seed Cheese

Serve this sunflower seed cheese just like you would a soft goat cheese. Spread it onto fresh baguette, crackers, crispbread, or toast, or add it to sandwiches and wraps.

It also makes a beautiful addition to vegan cheese boards with grapes, figs, olives, roasted nuts, pickles, crackers, and chutneys or jams. The dehydrated version can be also crumbled over salads or pasta.

You can also add the sliced cheese on top of pizzas or casseroles and bake until it’s golden and crispy.

Customize it the way you like it!

You can ferment the cheese for 6 hours for a mild result, or up to 3 days for an extra sharp cheese

Then you can serve Vegan Sunflower Seed Cheese as a creamy, spreadable soft cheese, or shape it into logs (or cheese wheels), and dehydrate it. The longer you dry it, the firmer it gets. Plus it develops a nice rind

Keep your cheese plain, or add all your extras to it: fresh or dried herbs, chopped dried fruits, fresh chili or garlic, cracked black pepper or rose pepper, or even charcoal powder

Try more awesome VEGAN CHEESE recipes:

Vegan Sunflower Seed Cheese

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Plants for Later
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 cheese logs 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale

10 oz / 300 g sunflower seeds, soaked overnight
1/2 cup / 120 ml rejuvelac
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
4 tbsp melted refined coconut oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt

Get Recipe Ingredients

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add soaked sunflower seeds, rejuvelac, nutritional yeast, refined coconut oil, rice wine vinegar and salt to a high speed blender, and blend until completely smooth. This might take a few minutes, depending on your blender.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or pot, and lay down two layers of cheesecloth. Scoop sunflower seed cheese mixture into the cheesecloth, then wrap it in a tight bundle and tie with a rubber band. Cover with a lid or plastic film and let sit at room temperature for 24-48 hours, so the cheese can ferment.
After fermentation place the cheese (still in the bundle) in the fridge for at least 2 hours, so it’s easier to work with.
Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth. You can stir in your seasoning and extras at this point, if you want. You can serve it immediately as a soft cheese, or you can dehydrate it for a firmer result.
Divide the cheese into two portions and shape them into logs (or rounds, if you prefer). I like to wrap my logs with parchment paper, so they can keep their shape better, plus they don’t dry out that much.
Set your dehydrator to 120℉/50°C or your oven to the lowest temperature. Dehydrate the cheese for 6-12 hours, or until you reach your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes