Creamy, sliceable, shreddable and meltable, this Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese recipe is completely irresistible and can be created in your very own kitchen in just minutes!
I'm so excited to be sharing with you another rendition of my blender-based, no 'cook' vegan cheese!! Today we're going to go over how to make a sumptuous block-style Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese. But first, some questions and answers....
Can you make Vegan Cheese?
That is a million dollar question and I'm here today to tell you YES YOU CAN! A thousand times YES! Don't let the whole idea scare you. You are going to feel like a master chef in minutes!! This cheese is such a confidence booster and a game changer!
This cashew cheese can be used in any recipe because it is sliceable, meltable, shreddable like regular cheese. It is also fantastic as part of a vegan charcuterie board.
What does this Vegan Cheese taste like?
Obviously, it's not quite like dairy cheese - BUT the texture, flavor, richness, and creaminess of this vegan cheese will literally knock your socks off! It satisfies a major cheese craving for me, and it even meets the expectations of my non-vegan friends!
Why would you make vegan cheese?
- it's non-dairy
- it tastes amazing
- it's cheap
- it's easy to make
- it cooperates (will slice, shred, melt)
- it is low in fat compared to dairy-cheese
- it is low in fat compared to non-dairy store-bought cheese
- it's also soy-free and gluten-free
What's in this Smoked Gouda Vegan cheese??
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 is SO worth the effort!! Really, only #3 is harder to find. Here's the short list:
- REFINED Coconut Oil - (Please don’t miss the word refined.) Refined coconut oil doesn’t taste like coconut but it still turns solid at cooler temps, thus adding firmness and richness. It's available at many local grocery stores in the health food section.
- Tapioca Flour - a thickener with a slightly 'stretchy' texture. I usually buy online but many local health food stores sell this.
- Kappa Carrageenan - This is the most unusual ingredient and somewhat difficult to obtain. A derivative of sea weed, this ingredient is vital because it 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.
- Wright's Hickory Smoke Flavor - It adds a lovely smoke flavor and can be widely obtained.
- Seasoned Salt - I use Johnny's that I buy at Costco, but you can also get it here!
Steps to Make Vegan Smoked Gouda:
Assemble all your ingredients (Photo above). Rinse Cashews under hot running water for several minutes. (Photo 1 below)
Add all the ingredients to the blender except for the water. (Photo 2)
Add boiling water to blender and blend until smooth. (Photo 3)
Pour immediately into heat safe dish (your mold) and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to harden. (Photo 4)
Slice or grate, and enjoy!
Cooking tip:
Don't skip the 'rinse your cashews under HOT tap water for several minutes' step. Not only does this soften the cashews for blending, but it removes that 'cashewy' flavor so the final cheese doesn't taste nutty.
Super excited for you guys to experience the joys of making awesome vegan cheese at home! Let me know how it goes, and if you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll try to help out!! (For a video tutorial of making this style cheese, please see the links for my vegan mozzarella cheese recipe below. )
Check out these other vegan cheese recipes:
- Vegan mozzarella cheese
- Vegan cheddar cheese
- Vegan herb cheese
- Vegan cheese ball
- Vegan feta cheese
- Vegan pepper Jack
- Best vegan cream cheese
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Vegan nacho sauce
If you’ve tried this Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese recipe or any other recipe on my 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!!!
Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ cup Raw cashew pieces, Rinsed under hot water for several minutes
- ¼ cup Refined coconut oil
- ¼ cup Tapioca flour
- 1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 ½ Tbsp Kappa carrageenan
- 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Sea salt, scant
- 1 tsp Seasoned salt, I use Johnny's
- 1 ½ tsp Onion powder
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Hickory smoke flavor, I used Wright's
- 1 ½ Cup HOT (just boiled) water
Instructions
- Select a heat-safe preferably glass dish that can hold approx 3C and set aside. (This is your cheese mold.)
- Rinse the c¼ashews 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!
Notes
Nutrition
Cant wait to try this recipe! Thanks for the Agar agar substitute adjustment. I have read that carrageenan is linked to ulcers and cancer, so I avoid it.
I understand the concern. The agar is a little more difficult to work with but still very tasty! Hope all goes well for you!
New to using coconut oil but do I need to melt it before adding it? Thanks.
Great question. For this recipe, no need melt it first for this recipe!
I made this a couple days ago. It's amazing! Thank you!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!
Hi, can't wait to try this. Have you found a good vegan fetta cheese recipe?
Happy you are going to try it! I think you'll love it. I have a recipe for simple Tofu feta here: https://www.veganblueberry.com/vegan-feta-with-spinach-tomato-and-white-bean-pasta/ but I'm working on a firmer version as well. Hope that helps for now!
Hi Rebecca! I'm buying the ingredients for this recipe and I noticed on Amazon that Wright's liquid smoke comes in three flavors, hickory, mesquite, and applewood. Which kind do you use in this recipe? I'm friends with your sister-in-law Shannon and tried your recipe at her house and loved it! ?.
Hi! Thanks for the question! I use the Wright's hickory flavor! I didn't know there were more but now I might have to try them! Glad you liked the cheese!
Hi, thanks for sharing the recipe! I tried it out and followed your instructions and the cheese is really soft and not solid, do you reckon that adding some of that kappa thing will help for the next try? 🙂
More Kappa carrageenan will definitely make the cheese firmer! Sorry thing didn't work perfectly for you the first time. Try also watching the video for the vegan mozzarella recipe (same process) found at this link https://www.veganblueberry.com/real-vegan-mozzarella-cheese/ The video is in the recipe card area itself. Please let us know how it goes for you next time!
Would Agar powder work as well as the kappa carrageenan?
Agar powder works as a decent substitute if you double the amount you would normally use of carrageenan. The result isn't quite as hard but still VERY tasty!
We have a cashew allergy in our house...any ideas for what the best substitute would be? Blanched almonds? Sunflower seeds? Tofu? Thanks!
Blanched almonds that are soaked would be my next choice. Add the kappa carrageenan through the plug hole in the lid after blending everything else with the just boiled water. That will help get everything really smooth before it gets too thick!
Thank you, the blanched almonds worked great! How long does this cheese keep for?
Awesome! Thx for letting us know! It lasts for up to five days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze any un-used portion at that point, but the texture won't be quite as smooth afterwards. Still really tasty tho! Hope that helps!
Can you substitute something for the coconut oil? I am allergic. This sounds awesome and I would love to try the recipe but don’t want to spend money for the ingredients if it won’t work the same. Thank you!!
So sorry you're allergic! The coconut oil is really key in this recipe to help it get nice and firm. Wish I could offer a great sub. The only thing that comes to mind is vegan shortening!
Kappa Carrageenan can be bought on Amazon and eBay.
Yes! We like to buy off of Amazon!