Vegan Hemp Cheese & Spinach Quesadillas!
This is quickly becoming one of the most frequently made recipes in my house. I’m always looking for ways to get more greens into Lily’s diet. These vegan hemp cheese & spinach quesadillas are my new go-to!
You may be wondering, why use hemp seeds?
Why I love hemp seeds:
Hemp is an extremely sustainable crop! It grows quickly, making it one of the easiest crops to harvest.
The seeds are full of protein and healthy fats! Since plant-based diets don’t include fish, it’s essential to consume foods that are high in Omega 3’s like hemp seeds.
Hemp seeds are very soft so there’s no need to pre-soak or boil them before making this cheese. Plus one for saving time!
If you’re out of hemp seeds or want a more wallet-friendly alternative, feel free to swap the hemp for pre-soaked cashews or sunflower seeds.
Either way, you’re going to love these vegan quesadillas! They are:
PACKED with greens at nearly 1 cup per quesadilla
Full of protein, fiber, and Omega 3’s
Quick to make- just 10-15 minutes!
SO delicious and satisfying
Cheezy, flavorful & nourishing!
Toddler-approved! Lily snatched a quesadilla right off the plate when I was taking pictures.
Don’t forget to snap a pic of these tasty Hemp Cheese & Spinach Quesadillas when you make them! Tag us @carrotsandflowers #carrotsandflowers on Instagram for a chance to be featured!
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- Hemp Cheese
- ½ cup hemp seeds
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1½ cups water
- 10oz bag frozen spinach
- 8 whole grain or gluten-free corn tortillas
- vegan sour cream or plain cashew yogurt for serving
- Thaw the spinach (either in the fridge overnight or in the microwave) then drain. Wrap the thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze the excess water out. Crumble the ball of spinach apart then set aside.
- Add all the hemp cheese ingredients to a high-powered blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a medium sauce pan over medium high heat.
- Pour the hemp cheese blend into the hot pan and start stirring right away. Cook for 3-4 minutes until thick and smooth, constantly stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Crumble the spinach into the hemp cheese. Mix well to combine.
- Layer the hemp cheese + spinach mixture between two tortillas and grill until slightly crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side over medium heat. Repeat for the remaining quesadillas.
- Let the quesadillas cool for 1 minute, then slice into quarters and enjoy! Pairs well with vegan sour cream or plain unsweetened cashew yogurt.
The hemp cheese reheats best with a lot of heat. I usually place the tortilla cheese side down for a minute to make sure the cheese gets nice and melty if using cold hemp cheese.
Soaked cashews or sunflower seeds can replace the hemp.
For more easy, delicious recipes like these Vegan Hemp Cheese & Spinach Quesadillas, check out our debut cookbook, 30 Minute Vegan Dinners!
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Looks great, would love to try it! I don’t have a grill… for the grilling part at the end, could I use a toaster oven? Or a frying pan without oil? TIA!
Yes of course! I don’t mean traditional grill, more like a pan you would cook grilled cheese in! Frying pan with no oil is perfect. Hope you love the recipe!
I made it a few days ago and both son and husband liked it! I had to use arrowroot flour instead of tapioca, and used an 1-to-1 substitution as suggested somewhere online. The “cheese” came out somewhat rubbery, is that the usual consistency with tapioca as well? Or did I keep it on the stove too much, or put too much flour? Anyway, thank you for a recipe that finally the entire family likes!
Hey there! Great question! The tapioca starch is an essential ingredient for the best texture of vegan cheese. I do not recommend ever substituting it with arrowroot or corn starch. Hope this helps!
Do the hemp seeds need to be hulled or not?
They do! I’ve actually never come across unhulled hemp seeds before so I wouldn’t know what to use them for. 🙂
I’ve never heard of hemp cheese. Sounds good!