Learn how to make this simple yet delicious Trinidadian style cheese paste. My version is a vegan rendition which uses vegan cheese along with a handful of ingredients.
Our family friend from Trinidad and Tobago came to visit us last week who has recently become vegan.
One of her favourite things to eat is a cheese paste especially in a sandwich.
Like many Trinidadians, she has many found memories of eating this while growing up.
They way she spoke about this, I just had to surprise her with my own rendition made with vegan cheese, vegan mayonnaise and vegan butter.
Spoiler alert! The verdict is that she loved the cheese paste so much and luckily we had some spare which she took home with her to share with her husband.
What is cheese paste?
In short, it is a smooth cheese spread that is made with what is referred to as New Zealand cheddar and mixed with additional ingredients.
Other ingredients such as pimento pepper, mayonnaise, carrots, onion, garlic, mustard, hot sauce, butter and sometimes food colouring is used too.
Typically it is mixed by hand or a food processor is used to make it very smooth.
The paste is very similar to Pimento Cheese, however cream cheese isn't used in the Trinidadian version.
Cheese paste can be used in puffs, sandwiches, crackers as well as a dip for vegetables.
How to make cheese paste
This recipe is really simple, nostalgic and very very tasty.
You really cannot go wrong with this recipe because you are literally making it to suit, adding or omitting specific ingredients.
Many people think that anything that's made vegan won't be on par with its conventional counterpart.
For this recipe, as pictured above, I used Cathedral City vegan cheese which I bought from Tesco over here in the UK.
I also used my own homemade vegan mayonnaise which I will put the link to down below.
The ingredients are grated and/or minced and simply added to a bowl and then mixed together.
I prefer to use garlic granules and onion granules rather than fresh produce because they mix effortlessly when making the paste.
I also like to rely on my food processor, I simply add the ingredients to a food processor and pulse them for a few minutes.
Another alternative, if you prefer minimal clean up is to mix everything by hand, which is more viable option.
Once everything is mixed together, I refrigerate the paste unless I'm using it immediately. You see, it's that simple!
The steps
- Place the vegan cheese, carrot, pimento/red bell pepper, onion granules, garlic granules, mustard powder, vegan mayonnaise, vegan butter and hot sauce in a food processor
- Use the pulse button or stop and start the food processor until a smooth cheese paste is formed.
- Once done transfer the contents into a bowl.
- Refrigerate and/or use accordingly.
Notes and tips
- You can use dried ingredients like I did, or use fresh ingredients instead.
- Pimento peppers are difficult to get hold of outside of Trinidad and Tobago but red bell pepper works just fine.
- This is the recipe to my Vegan Mayonnaise recipe.
- Feel free to add more vegan mayonnaise if you want your paste much smoother.
- Use your favourite/preferred brand of vegan products.
- Do not freeze the cheese paste, for best results, use it within 3 days.
- Keep the cheese paste refrigerated and use within 3 days.
More Trinidadian recipes to try
- Trinidad Coconut Bake
- Dhal and Rice
- Trinidad Stew Chicken
- Gluten Free Roti (Sada Roti)
- Sweet Potato Roti
- Cornmeal Cou Cou
- Trinidad Corn Soup
- Trinidad Macaroni Pie
- Tomato Choka
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Trinidad Cheese Paste (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 9 oz Vegan cheese (250g) grated
- 1 small carrot grated
- 1 pimento pepper or use ¼ of a bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon onion granules (7g) or use ¼ of a fresh onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic granules (8g) or use ¼ of a fresh onion, minced
- ½ tablespoon yellow mustard powder (7.5g)
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise (56g)
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter (15g)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (4g)
Instructions
- Place the vegan cheese, carrot, pimento/red bell pepper, onion granules, garlic granules, mustard powder, vegan mayonnaise, vegan butter and hot sauce in a food processor.
- Use the pulse button or stop and start the food processor until a smooth cheese paste is formed.
- Once done transfer the contents into a bowl.
- Refrigerate and/or use accordingly.
Notes
- You can use dried ingredients like I did, or use fresh ingredients instead.
- Pimento peppers are difficult to get hold of outside of Trinidad and Tobago but red bell pepper works just fine.
- This is the recipe to my Vegan Mayonnaise recipe.
- Feel free to add more vegan mayonnaise if you want your paste much smoother.
- Use your favourite/preferred brand of vegan products.
- Do not freeze the cheese paste, for best results, use it within 3 days.
- Keep the cheese paste refrigerated and use within 3 days.
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