These Spicy Vegan Cheese Crackers are made with a dairy-free cheddar substitute and is absolutely delicious to munch on!

When I first began trying out veganism, it wasn’t long before I realized that giving up meat was infinitely easier than I thought it’d be. But dairy on the other hand – it’s been a little difficult. Morning coffee without a splash of milk isn’t nearly as satisfying as the alternative I’ve been used to all my life.

I read an article recently about how the plant-based community is largely critical and judgmental of those who stumble in their vegan-ness. And while that made me feel even more guilty, the article went on to explain that every step taken towards cutting down the demand on the meat and poultry industry (which accounts for a large amount of pollution and a drain on resources) counts. That even if all you’ve accomplished is cutting down meat to once a week, it matters. And that ‘Reducetarianism’ (loving that word!) is just as effective, if not more, than an all-or-nothing approach to a plant-based life. The goals are a lot less stringent, making drop-out rates much lower!

Now that is something I can get down with.

Aim for the stars, and if you miss, you’ll still land on the clouds. While I’m still trying to become a {full} vegan, with the ideology of reducetarianism on the horizon, I feel like it’s not the worst thing if I fail. Sometimes, knowing that you are allowed to fail, weirdly acts counter intuitively. And so, with renewed vigor, I went looking for the next new thing in the dairy-free section at the supermarket.

And that’s when I found Vegan cheese. Sure, I’ve heard and even seen a few recipes using vegan cheese, but it’s a whole other thing to see it for yourself, hold that block of ‘cheese’ and read and re-read that label to make sure it’s dairy-free.

Finally I settled on a block of ‘cheddar’ – I had been wanting to make these Cheese biscuits again and it seemed like the perfect thing to veganize next. I came home, opened up the block of cheese and attempted to grate it. And oh-my-word, it slid through the grates as smoothly as you’d expect cheese to. I nearly let out an involuntary squeal when I saw the yellow strands spilling out of the grater!

And that’s the story behind these VEGAN Cheese Crackers. It was perfectly crisp, flaky with a light hint of cheese underneath, cut down by the heat from the chillies. If you skip the chilli powder in the recipe, your crackers might taste ‘cheesier’!

And here’s a super fast, simple and delicious dip to enjoy your vegan cheese crackers with. I call it ‘The marinara fell into the hummus’ dip. 😛

Makes about 1 cup.

Blend together 1/2 c chickpeas (cooked soft), 6 tsp marinara, 1 large clove of garlic, 1 1/2 tsp tahini and {salt, lemon juice, red chilli flakes} (to taste) until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and serve with the crackers.

When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!