This Vegan Mozzarella Cheese is creamy, plus it slices, shreds, and melts!
It takes only a few minutes and a blender to make this dairy-free mozzarella - no actual cooking involved! Everyone loves this amazing vegan cheese. You simply must try it!
Melty-stretchy gooey mozzarella cheese is something that I think all of us vegans dream of. Except now you don't have to just dream about it!
You can make it in your kitchen in about 5 minutes with just a handful of ingredients!
This Vegan Mozzarella Cheese...
- Is deliciously creamy
- Slices
- Shreds
- Melts - this is an amazing vegan cheese for pizza
- Is quick to make
- Healthy, thanks to a couple of nutrient-loaded ingredients, such as cashews and nutritional yeast flakes
I am excited for your try this stuff!
Shred this mozzarella and use it in my vegan manicotti or vegan stuffed shells stuffing, add it to pizza, serve it as part of a vegan charcuterie board, or simply snack on it! It's also amazing shredded on top of vegan stuffed Portobello mushrooms before baking, so it gets nice and melty.
What does Vegan Mozzarella taste like?
This Vegan Mozzarella is very mild and neutral flavored. It is rich and creamy, and has bit of that satisfying cheesy 'chew'.
I think it tastes a lot like string cheese actually.
It makes the perfect vegan pizza cheese, and I truly believe it is the best vegan mozzarella recipe.
What is Vegan Mozzarella made of?
- Refined Coconut Oil - Please don't miss the word refined. It doesn't taste like coconut but it still turns solid at cooler temps and just has that wonderful richness.
- Tapioca Flour This helps solidify the cheese, and also adds a 'stretchiness' to the texture.
- Kappa Carrageenan - This ingredient is what makes the cheese able to go from liquid to solid and back to melted state. It's a wonder ingredient and not widely sold. (find it on Amazon.
- Raw cashew pieces - These make the cheese creamy in texture and add lots magnesium, potassium, iron, and healthy fats to this vegan cheese
- Nutritional yeast flakes - Nutritional yeast is loaded with nutrients like niacin, Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9, and B12, and it gives vegan cheese a wonderful realistic cheesy flavor
The one challenge of making this cheese is that it takes a few unusual ingredients that not everyone has on hand. But please believe me, it's SO worth it! (See all the rest of the ingredients in the photo below!)
How to make Vegan Mozzarella:
Assemble all your ingredients (Photo 1). Rinse Cashews under hot running water for several minutes. (Photo 2) Put all ingredients in the blender except for the water. (Photo 3)
Carefully! Add HOT (just boiled!) water to blender and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of blender with spatula once if needed. The water must be JUST BOILED. I mean, HOT! (Photo 4)
Pour immediately into heat-safe dish (this will be your mold - no need to oil the mold) and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. (Photo 5)
Slice, grate and enjoy!
Expert cooking tip for making cashew cheese:
Don't skip rinsing the cashews! (If you don't want run water over them for several minutes, soak them in super hot water for about 5 minutes and then rinse again.) This step really helps to decrease the 'cashew' flavor in the recipe, while still using the wonderful creaminess of the cashew!
What kind of mold to use to make vegan mozzarella?
Any small heat-safe container will do, but I like making mozzarella into a round shape so it resembles a mozzarella bowl. The 2-cup container from this set of Pyrex containers is perfect!
How long does vegan mozzarella last in the fridge?
This cheese will last about 4-5 days in the refrigerator... if it makes it that long. 😉
Can you freeze Vegan Mozzarella?
Sure! It does get a little softer in texture after thawing, but if you think you can't eat it all, by all means freeze it! (Most people have trouble making it last that long though! Check out the comments below! )
Does Vegan Mozzarella Melt?
Yes! This vegan mozzarella does melt at higher temps, so if you're baking a pizza you're in for a melty treat! It also works great melted in quesadillas, shredded over lasagna, and breaded and fried as vegan mozzarella sticks!!
Can you use Agar powder in place of the Kappa Carrageenan?
The short answer is yes. Double the amount recommended in the recipe for Kappa Carrageenan and replace with Agar Powder. Make sure to use Agar Powder, not Agar Flakes.
The long answer is also yes, but it won't have quite as firm a texture and may not be quite as melty. Which is still perfectly fine for many uses!
What I would NOT recommend substituting:
Don't replace the lemon juice with Lactic Acid. For some reason, the quick blending process used here does not work well with this substitution and your cheese may not set properly.
For a slightly drier cheese:
After your cheese block has hardened, you can wrap first in a dry paper towel, and then tightly in plastic wrap. This will remove any excess moisture.
For a softer cheese:
Decrease Kappa Carrageenan amount to 1 tbsp. This texture is ideal for making Mozzarella Balls.
Whew, reading about the ingredients is SO much harder than actually making this, I promise. I cannot wait for you to try this so you too, can successfully make and enjoy yummy, healthy, Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese!!!
Other recipes you will love:
- Vegan nacho cheese
- Vegan feta cheese
- Best vegan egg salad
- Easy vegan buttermilk biscuits
- Vegan smoked Gouda cheese
- Vegan pepper Jack cheese
- Vegan cream cheese
- Vegan herbed cheese
- See my web story for 10 vegan cheese to try!
If you’ve tried this Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I LOVE hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food!!!
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Recipe
Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ cup Raw cashew pieces, Rinsed under hot water for several minutes
- ¼ cup Refined coconut oil
- ¼ cup Tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon Nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 ½ tablespoon Kappa carrageenan
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 ¼-½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ cup Boiling water
Special equipment
Instructions
- Select a heat-safe preferably glass dish that can hold approx 3C and set aside. (This is your cheese mold.)
- Rinse cashews under HOT water for several minutes.
- Put your water in a small pot on the stove to boil.
- Add all ingredients (except the water!) to the blender. Add the cashews first and then everything else on top of the cashews.
- Carefully add (so you don't burn yourself!!!) the boiling hot water into your blender. Put the blender lid on! And blend immediately until completely smooth.
- Stop blending once if need be to quickly scrape sides of blender and resume blending right after.
- Immediately transfer your cheese to your chosen dish/mold as it will start to solidify quickly as it cools.
- Place in refrigerator to chill. No need to cover yet.
- After 2-3 hours or when fully chilled, remove cheese block from dish/mold and wrap in paper towels and then tightly plastic wrap. The flavor gets better over a day or two but it’s great as soon as it’s hardened, too. Yeay! You are officially a cheese-maker!
Eileen
Totally awesome taste and nearly effortless to make. This comes together so quickly, so definitely have everything in place, especially the dish your planning on molding the cheese in. I chose to do a Jalapeño Jack flavor by adding in 1 minced/sautéed jalapeño, and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes at the very last second before shutting my blender off. Yummy and spicey! Adjust the spicyness to your taste preferences. Kudos to Chef Rebecca for coming up with this amazing recipe!
Rebecca
So glad you love it! Those spicy additions sound great!!
Emily Schlittenhart
Just made this. Yay! Yum! Success! Sooooo much cheaper than buying vegan cheese! Thanks for sharing!!
Rebecca
Yes, it does save a TON doesn't it???!!! AND a trip to the store every time I want cheese!! LOL So glad you tried it!
Sarah johns
Yes, agar. Darn auto correct!
Kim
Hello! Can the carageenan be replaced with something? What would you suggest?
Rebecca
Hi! Agar Powder would be the next best option. I haven't tried it, but I plan to try it with doubling the amount of Kappa Carrageenan noted in the recipe. Unfortunately, from past experience I'm not expecting the same results. I'm sure it would still be good, but just not as firm. Also, I don't know for sure if the boiling water will be enough to activate the Agar well. It generally takes longer on the stove than the Kappa Carrageenan. Good luck and thanks for reaching out! Would love to hear what results you get!
shamaeller
So excited to try this! AMAZING!!!
Rebecca
Can't wait for you to try it!!!
Sarah Johns
Do you know if Aaron would work to sub for kappa?
Rebecca
I think that's a typo and you're asking about Agar Powder? I haven't tried it yet, but if you would like to give it a whirl, I would double the amount of the Kappa, so 3T. of Agar powder as opposed to 1 1/2 T. of Kappa. It likely won't be quite as firm and sliceable/grateable, but I'm sure it would still be super yummy!!
Phoebe
Yay! Just made it all the way over here in the Philippines! I know my husband loves it more than any other vegan cheese so I got the special ingredients and brought them in my suitcase! Will probably need to get more next visit to the states. 🙂 thanks Becca!
Rebecca
You are so welcome! Let me know how it works for you!!
Lily
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice?
Rebecca
Using vinegar would probably work, but it would change the flavor a great deal. If you don't want to use lemon 3/4 tsp lactic acid powder also works. Personally lemon is my fave tho! Happy cheese making!!
Lily
I have lactic acid. When and how should I add the lactic acid?
Rebecca
Great! Add approx 3/4 tsp at the same time and in the same way that lemon juice is used in the recipe. It is your acid so you don't add it until the very last and then quickly mix it in just prior to transferring the cheese to it's mold! Enjoy!
Lily
My lactic acid is powder form. Do I need to mix it with water first?
Rebecca
No need to mix with water. I've used it just like that no problem. Just sprinkle it over the cheese, mix in quickly and well and then transfer to the mold!
Lily
Wow! Awesome! Thanks so much
Patricia
Ummm at the end I realized tha I won't be able to make it, or should say my caregicer won't. ???????????????? can I buy some from you pls pls ????????????????
Rebecca
I wish I was set up for that but I can't mail it. 🙁 I have a couple favorite brands of vegan cheese you can buy from the store tho! Check out Ciao cheese by Field Roast and some of the cheeses sold by Miyoko. Follow your heart cheese is a nice one too!