How to Make Vegan Cheese
You can grate it, you can melt it, and you can even put it on tacos: with my Vegan Cheese recipe, you'll never go without again!
- Prep time
- 40 min
- Cook time
- 28 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/2 cup (2 ½oz/71g) raw cashew, (soaked in boiling water for at least 30 minutes )
- 1/4 cup (1oz/28g) tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup (2oz/57g) coconut oil, (solid)
- 3-5 tablespoons *agar agar, ((depending on how firm you want it))
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, (freshly squeezed )
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cup (12floz/340ml) water, (boiling )
- 1 teaspoon dry herbs of your choice
- 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- 1
Add the cashew to a large bowl and pour over boiling water until completely covered. Allow the cashews to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes - overnight. The longer you soak your nuts the creamier they will be when blended into the cheese.
- 2
In a food processor or blender add the tapioca starch, coconut oil, agar agar, nutritional yeast, lemon, and salt. Pulse just to combine.
- 3
Drain the soaked cashews from the water then add to the other ingredients in the food processor. Process the nuts and dry ingredients until you reach a smooth nut butter-like texture, scraping down the sides as needed.
- 4
Once the cashew cheese mixture is smooth carefully and slowly stream in boiling water.
- 5
Transfer the cheese mixture to a small pot, set over medium heat, and cook while whisking constantly — just until the cheese thickens and becomes gooey. This is the agar agar being activated.
- 6
At this point, the cheese can be enjoyed warm like a white cheddar queso cheese.
- 7
For a mozzarella-like cheese that can be sliced or grated, transfer the gooey warm cheese to a small bowl of your choice and allow to set in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours.
- 8
If at this point, if you would like an even drier cheese, remover from the bowl and wrap in a paper towel or cheesecloth and allow to age in the fridge for one day.
- 9
Cover and store the cheese at whatever stage you use it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. This cheese can be frozen then thawed at room temperature and used at a later time.