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This Vegan Mozzarella Cheese is soft, fresh, creamy, and delicious! It's the perfect substitute for its dairy counterpart.
Guys! I have the best darn Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe to share today, and I'm really excited about it. We all know how hard it is to find a tasty dairy cheese alternative, and I think you're going to like this one.
The one thing that I missed most after going vegan was cheese. It wasn't the dairy I was missing, per se...it was the tangy flavor, the creamy, stretchy texture, and the fond memories attached to it.
I grew up eating cheese on everything and it was a food source of comfort for me. Knowing what I know now, I could never eat the dairy version again, but I can still enjoy everything else about it in a kinder way.
I still get to enjoy cheesy favorites, like Vegan Mac n Cheese, Pizza, Vegan Nacho Cheese, and this Jalapeño Popper Dip.
"But, I can't live without cheese"
Many people say they could never go vegan because they can't live without cheese. I was a complete cheese addict, so I understand. I felt like I was going through withdrawals, and there weren't many options out there.
When I went vegan, Daiya Cheese wasn't in existence, and most store-bought cheese substitutes were chalky and flavorless. Many also contained casein, so they weren't even truly vegan.
But since then, the options have expanded significantly and the taste keeps getting better with a much-improved texture. I've found many store-bought cheese varieties that I like, including Chao, Follow Your Heart, Treeline, and Miyoko's.
Although it's getting better, some grocery stores still don't have a big vegan selection to choose from, so this makes it hard to get your cheese fix. So, if you use vegan cheese as much as I do, you might want to start making your own.
The big plus is, you'll get to control the ingredients, it's less expensive and so fresh tasting when it's homemade.
Like I was saying, I grew up with cheese on almost everything, and it was really comforting to me. These days, I'm not missing out on comfort food at all, and I'm totally living without dairy, and it feels wonderful!
Recipe Inspiration
This Vegan Mozzarella recipe is adapted from Miyoko's, A Better Buffalo Mozzarella. I was floored the first time I tried this recipe, and it was the closest-tasting cheese recipe I've ever had.
It takes a bit longer to make because the recipe is cultured for 12-24 hours, but it really is worth it, and I highly recommend trying it out.
Simplified Version
Sadly, I'm not always so patient or great at preparing ahead, so I made a simplified version for my lifestyle.
Since my version is not cultured, I needed to bump up the tangy and cheesy flavor. I added lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and a bit more yogurt for that sharp cheese flavor.
For a softer and creamier texture, I added some soy milk, coconut oil and reduced the amount of agar powder. The agar has a subtle flavor, and I'm not a big fan, but it's the best stabilizer I've tried.
It gels up slightly and gives the cheese a perfect texture. Reducing the amount of agar, and adding the lemon juice and nutritional yeast completely masked the flavor, and I'm thrilled with the end result.
If you are looking for more cheese recipes. I highly recommend Miyoko's Artisan Vegan Cheese cookbook. You'll find an array of vegan cheese recipes from soft, creamy to sliceable, and totally tasty.
You'll satisfy your palate and wow your non-vegan friends!
Here's what you'll need
- Raw cashews
- Non-dairy yogurt
- Soy milk
- Lemon Juice
- Coconut oil or sunflower oil
- Nutritional Yeast
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Tapioca starch/flour
- Filtered water
- Agar powder
How to make Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Soak the cashews in very hot water to soften them up. Mix all the ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor until creamy. Whisk the agar powder in hot water until it turns gel-like.
Now stir in the creamy mixture and cook until the cheese becomes thick and stretchy. Scoop out the cheese with an ice cream scoop into ice water.
The cheese will harden fairly quick and form a ball shape. Let the cheese sit in the fridge (in the water) for at least 2-3 hours to firm up. The texture will be more ideal this way and the cheese will slice easier.
Ways to use it
- Caprese salad
- Crostini
- Salad topping
- Sandwich/burrito
- Quesadilla
- On a charcuterie board along with nuts, fried fruit, herbs, and vegan pepperoni.
- Eggplant parmesan
- Pasta topping
- Vegan Pizza
More vegan cheese recipes to try
I love to hear from you
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews , soaked in very hot water for 25 minutes. Keep covered. *See note
- 1 ¼ cup dairy-free yogurt , unsweetened (I like So Delicious)
- ¼ cup soy milk , unsweetened (or any plant-based milk)
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil , or sunflower oil (*See note)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice , fresh squeezed
- 3 ½ tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt , more to taste (plus more for brine)
- ½ cup water , plus more for brine
- 2 teaspoons agar powder
Recommended Equipment
- Medium Pot
- Medium-Sized Bowl or Container
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl or container, fill it halfway with filtered water, a few pinches of salt, and 5-6 ice cubes (this will be the brine). Set aside.
- Drain cashews and discard soaking water. Add the cashews, yogurt, soy milk, coconut oil, lemon juice, tapioca starch, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and salt to a high-powered blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium pot, add ½ cup filtered water and warm over medium heat. When hot, whisk in the agar powder. Whisk well. The agar will start to appear gel-like after 3-4 minutes. When this happens, pour in the blended mixture. Stir in well.
- Stir often so it doesn’t stick or burn. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the sides and bottom as needed. The cheese will start to thicken up. When it becomes really stretchy and thick, remove from heat. This whole process should take about 5-6 minutes.
- Scoop out mixture using an ice cream scoop (or something similar) and place each ball into the ice water/brine. Repeat this step until all the mixture is gone. Cover and place in the fridge (in the water) for at least 2-3 hours. Cheese will harden as it chills, and the texture will be more ideal. It will also be easier to slice.
Notes
- To soak the cashews, boil water in a small pot, remove from heat, then add the cashews and cover them. Then let them sit for 25 minutes.
- To make things easier, you can prep ahead and soften the cashews by placing them in cool water for 2-4 hours (or overnight in the fridge). Then they'll be ready to pop in the blender when you're ready to make the recipe.
- Oil: make sure to use refined coconut oil to avoid a subtle coconut taste. I use unrefined because I prefer the taste better, but everyone is different. It depends on your taste buds. You can use any neutral flavored oil you like. I also like sunflower oil.
- Prep time doesn't include chilling time.
- Yields about 6-7 mozzarella balls (using a standard ice cream scoop).
- Will stay fresh in the brine for 3-5 days. Keep refrigerated.
- If you'd like to make the Caprese Salad pictured above, just slice up a few pieces of cheese and tomatoes. Layer them and sprinkle salt and pepper. Drizzle balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive on top. Add pine nuts and chili pepper flakes if preferred.
- If you will be making this mozzarella to specifically melt. Add ¼ cup more soy milk to the ingredients. You can also take it out of the brine earlier (around an hour). It will be soft, but fine for melting. If you're making pizza, slice the cheese (not too thick) and place it on before the pizza goes in the oven so it has time to melt.
- Note: This Vegan Mozzarella will not melt exactly like dairy cheese. However, it does melt a bit and becomes soft and slightly stretchy. I think it's a close alternative and so darn tasty.
Lisa Quick
This is delicious, and was easy to make!
It amazed me that it worked! Sure enough, it got thick and stretchy as I stirred it.
Thank you so much for this easy, quick, delicious cheese recipe!!
Melissa Huggins
Thanks for the great feedback Lisa. A lot of people are skeptical about homemade vegan cheese, so I am glad you were able to make this yourself. 🙂
Lynne
Hi Melissa
Can I freeze this?
Iii
I was looking for a vegan mozzarella recipe to share with my friend, but this was so difficult to read. Ads everywhere, a kilometer of text before getting to the recipe. I'll keep looking for a more user friendly recipe site.
Melissa Huggins
Hi there, I'm sorry about that. In the future, you can click the 'jump to recipe' button at the top of the post and it'll automatically scroll to the recipe card. Thank you for your feedback 🙂
Christopher Champoux
What can I substitute in lieu of cashews as I am highly allergic and will send me directly to the hospital should I attempt to do something so silly. I look forward to your response Thank you
Chef Champoux
Melissa Huggins
Hi Christopher, you can use macadamia nuts or blanched almonds. Can you have those? If you use almonds they will need to be soaked in water for at least 8-10 hours (in the fridge). I hope this helps. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
janet o'sullivan
This was beyond amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Janet! You are so welcome! We're very glad to hear that you loved the recipe 🙂
Norine
Hello.
Does this cheese “stretch” like mozzarella cheese?
Thank you for your reply.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Norine, it will not melt exactly like dairy cheese but it does melt a bit and becomes soft and slightly stretchy.
joe
any sub for yogurt pj?
Marcelle
Hello! So excited to make this and just had a quick question regarding a substitute for the agar in case I can’t find it and because you mentioned its strong flavour. I saw online that you can substitute cornstarch. Had you tried this in your experiments and if so what’s your opinion on its outcome? Thanks so much!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Marcelle, I haven't tried this with cornstarch, but I don't think it will do the same thing as agar. This recipe has tapioca starch already so it might be overkill with the cornstarch. You can make this recipe without the agar, but it will be a softer cheese. I've tried it that way and it's delicious! I just haven't tried putting it in brine without the agar. I'll have to experiment more. The agar flavor is subtle with the amount that I used. My family loves it and they never taste the agar. Funny how everyone tastes things differently. I started using vegan lactic acid to replace the lemon juice and it's fantastic! I use that and a tiny splash of apple cider vinegar. I hope this helps. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂
Marcelle
Thank you for such a thorough response. I’ll try finding the agar and just omit it if I can’t. I’ll post how it turns out. Thanks again!
Johnathan Townsend
Yougurt which type? Thanks
Melissa Huggins
Hi Johnathan, I really like So Delicious Unsweetened Plain Yogurt. It comes in a large tub which is perfect for this recipe. You can find it at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and many other grocery chains. Kite Hill is another great brand to use. I hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Ona
i was wondering if theirs any substitutes for cashews? i’m allergic :(( Would peanutts work?
Melissa Huggins
Can you have macadamia nuts? They would work really well too.
Andrea
Good vegan cheese is not easily available at the grocery stores near me in Canada, so I decided to try this recipe and it was so easy and delicious! Thank you SO much for this amazing and simple recipe! I see in other comments that you can freeze it. Do you then thaw it in the fridge once frozen or if you are using it on pizzas or something can you cook it from frozen?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Andrea, I'm so happy that you liked the recipe. Thank you for trying it out. For pizza, you can grate the frozen cheese right onto the sauce and cook it from frozen. It works nicely. 🙂
Gerald
Hello
I made this the other day. Love it but was wondering can it be frozen and used later. I'm new to plant based/ vegan lifestyle.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Gerald, I haven't tried freezing it myself, but a few readers have shared with me that they froze it with success. Hope this helps. Congratulations on your new journey! Please feel free to reach out with any questions. 🙂
Karyn Beth Berger
I just made it. The mixture was very smooth but once in the bribe and cooked it was really grainy. What did i do incorrectly?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Karyn, I'm not really sure why it's grainy. The only thing I can think of is the cashews weren't completely broken down. It really depends on the blender. I highly recommend a high-speed blender. Also, maybe the agar wasn't dissolved all the way?
Joe
Hello, I was wondering if I could substitute coconut oil with almond oil?
Melissa Huggins
You can use any oil. I just prefer coconut oil because it firms up a bit when cold which helps the cheese firm up more. 😀
Emily
We made it tonight for Caprese. It’s the only food we miss since switching From vegetarian to a vegan diet. It turned out delicious after following the recipe as written. It made much more than I expected and we are happy to have leftovers for Caprese sub sandwich tomorrow. This is has made my daughter very happy!
Thanks again!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Emily! We are so happy to hear that this recipe filled that Caprese void and that you and your daughter loved it 🙂 Thanks for sharing!