EV’s Take: A sharp, savory spread you’ll want on everything
Treeline Herb Garlic Cashew Cheese is no run-of-the-mill blend of cashews and herbs. It contains cultures, which elevate it to a whole ‘nother level of vegan cheese.
The cultures make the cheese sharp, tangy, and rich.
When a vegan cheese is cultured, it’s supposed to make the flavor more akin to dairy-ful cheese. Honestly, I’m not the right person to tell you if that’s true, because I’ve been on the V-train for about a decade. But I can tell you that this cheese is damn tasty.
The reason I gave this 4.5 stars instead of 5 is that I could imagine that some people may not love the tangy aftertaste, and might prefer a cheese with a creamier flavor, like Violife Sandwich Slices.
The packaging and branding of Treeline make you feel like you’re eating something gourmet. You can find the words “artisanal” and “French” on many of their cheeses. Some might find that pretentious. But since I work at home wearing sweats and frumpy t-shirts most days, I’ll take every chance I can get to feel fancy!
Kidding aside, the gourmet vibes are deserved. The CEO, Michael Schwarz, is a legit cheese connoisseur who used to frequent Europe to explore their artisanal cheesedom.
Interestingly, at some point on his journeys to Europe, Schwarz had something of a vegan awakening.
He became aware of animal mistreatment and then committed his life to creating ethical vegan cheese. The company also only uses cashew trees watered from rainfall instead of more wasteful irrigation systems.
Treeline is kind of a vegan activism powerhouse. Which is pretty cool!
So if you’re at all in the vegan game for the animal ethics piece, you might appreciate purchasing from a like-minded company.
What is Treeline Herb Garlic Cashew Cheese made of?
Honestly, this is a pretty impressive ingredient list. Nothing hard to pronounce.
- Cashews
- Filtered water
- Sea salt
- Cultured brown rice
- Lemon juice
- Scallions
- Garlic
- Onion
- White pepper
- Basil
- Oregano
- Cultures
I’m definitely not opposed to processed food—there’s a time and place for it! But when I eat too much processed cheese or meat, my body starts to feel repulsed, and I crave fresh fruits and veggies. At a certain point, most cheese stops being savory and starts feeling synthetic and gooey.
But Treeline Cashew Cheese is a different story.
While this cashew cheese is obviously a processed food item, I do notice that I can eat a lot of it without my body shouting at me, “No more processed food for a few days, please!”
Treeline Herb Garlic Cashew Cheese nutrition
| Serving Size | 1/6 container (2 tbsp or 28g) |
| Calories | 80 |
| Total Fat | 7g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 105mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 5g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g |
| Total Sugars | <1g |
| Protein | 3g |
Pretty solid nute-facts. Not too much salt. Minimal saturated fat. A little protein and some healthy fats.
Without meat or dairy in my diet, I’m always looking for foods that give me extra fat and protein. So, at 7g of fat in 2 tablespoons, I’m pleased with this cashew cheese’s healthy calorie boost.
Where can I buy Treeline Herb Garlic Cashew Cheese?
You can find this Treeline Cashew Cheese at Whole Foods.
The Treeline website also has a “find a store” feature, which shows you all nearby stores that carry the cheese. Lastly, you can buy directly from their website. Buying straight from the source has the advantage of picking from a vast plethora of gourmet cheese varieties. I mean, just look at this spread of cheese-spreads!
That said, the downside of purchasing from the Treeline website is that you need to buy at least four products, plus the shipping is around twenty bucks. So you gotta be ready to shell out.
How did EV eat Treeline Herb Garlic Cashew Cheese?
First things first, I did what any sensible soft-cheese lover would do: I smeared this cashew cheese on a toasted bagel.
It was soft enough to spread with ease, but thick enough so that it didn’t melt from the heat of the bagel.
Then I chopped up a few chives to sprinkle on top.
And it was a delight! Treeline Cashew Cheese essentially works as an extra flavorful cream cheese.
If you’re looking for a quick-n-easy snack, Treeline Cashew Cheese also makes a great smear for crackers.
But I wasn’t ready to stop at just snacks. I wanted to try this cheese in an entrée as well.
So I decided to go for a vegan Alfredo sauce.
And it was pretty simple!
I just boiled noodles and pan-fried some asparagus.
Then I added the cashew cheese to the leftover pasta water. Pasta water works better than regular water because the extra starch helps the sauce bind and thicken.
Also, consider pan-frying garlic to add to the sauce for some extra flavor. I opted not to, but only because I had a date later in the night, and I’m prone to garlic-induced dragon breath 😬.
When preparing your sauce, I’d recommend putting all the cashew cheese you want to use into a bowl, then adding the pasta water one tablespoon at a time.
I made the mistake of starting with a cup of pasta water and adding the cheese to it, which made my sauce a little more watery than I’d prefer. Mais, c’est la vie!
I loved this Alfredo sauce recipe. It was tasty and super quick.
And because the sauce is made mostly of cashews, not oil or dairy, it tasted bright, and I left the meal feeling light and with a happy tummy. (This was in stark contrast to my childhood memories of downing a bowl of cheesy Alfredo and paying the stomach price the rest of the night.)
If you don’t want to use this cheese as a sauce or spread, you still have other options.
Treeline Cashew Cheese is soft enough to smear, but also thick enough to crumble.
So you could also use it to make cheese-stuffed olives, or break off bits into a salad for some nice creamy chunks.
What do you think?
Have you tried Treeline Herb Garlic Cashew Cheese? Did you find it tangy and tasty, or sour and strange? Tell us in the comments!
