During this time of social distancing, I've been experimenting with making aged vegan cheeses. The first recipe I tried was a vegan blue cheese recipe from the book Vegan Cheese by Jules Aron. The process to make the cheese from start to finish took weeks, but the final result was indeed delicious. It was a fun experiment for sure, but if you've been following my blog for a while then you'll know I'm all about making vegan cooking quick and easy. So I rolled up my sleeves and set out to make an easy vegan blue cheese recipe so you can enjoy this dairy-free delicacy without the weeks of prep.
Several rounds of recipe testing later and I figured it out! It might not be exactly the same as traditional blue cheese, but my version is creamy, tangy, got that funky kick to it, and even has the pretty green and blue veins throughout. Just 8 ingredients, 20 minutes to make (plus chilling time), and you can make your own homemade vegan blue cheese! My easy vegan blue cheese is simple to prepare and satisfies cravings for something rich and tangy. It is perfect for sandwiches, salads, and soups.
The key to making vegan blue cheese taste aged and tangy is the right combination of ingredients.
- Raw cashews: provide a smooth creamy base. If you cannot eat cashews, try blanched almonds or macadamia nuts instead.
- Refined coconut oil: coconut oil becomes solid when cold so it helps this cheese firm up into a nice spreadable texture. No other oil will work here. Make sure you buy refined coconut oil which is flavourless, and not unrefined coconut oil which tastes strongly of coconut.
- Apple cider vinegar: provides a sour tang.
- White miso paste: makes this cheese taste like it's been aged. I buy this in my regular grocery store, but Asian grocery stores, health food stores, or amazon also carries it.
- Spirulina: a green-blue algae which makes the veins in this cheese. While this doesn't provide much flavour, it makes the cheese look so much more authentic. You can buy this in health food stores or online on amazon. Make sure you buy the powder and not the tablets.
To make easy vegan blue cheese:
Soften the cashews: Add the cashews to a medium pot and cover with water. Put over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Alternatively, you can soak the cashews, by placing the cashews in a bowl, covering them with water, and allowing the cashews to soak for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
Both of these methods will soften the cashews making them easier to blend into a creamy texture.
Make the cheese base: Add the softened cashews along with the coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, miso paste, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder to a food processor. Blend, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until the mixture becomes as smooth as possible. It will become a bit sticky and will be warm from the friction.
Prepare your mold(s): Lining the mold(s) with plastic wrap or parchment paper, or you can use a silicone mold. You can use any mold or dish you like, I used two of these mini springform pans to make two wheels of cheese.
Form the cheese: Scoop about ½ of the cheese mixture into the mold(s) and spread out. Sprinkle about half of the spirulina across the surface. Add the remaining cheese mixture, and sprinkle over the remaining spirulina.
Use a knife to stir the cheese in the mold 2 - 3 times to mix in the spirulina and create veins in the cheese. Don't overmix.
Smooth the top of the cheese then cover and chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight to let the cheese firm up. The cheese will be firmer fresh out of the fridge but will soften as it sits out. You can also pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving to make it even firmer. Easy vegan blue cheese will keep for 1 - 2 weeks in the fridge or can be frozen.
Serve vegan blue cheese with crackers or bread, spread on a sandwich, add to a salad, or use it anywhere you like! This would be a beautiful addition to a vegan snack board.
Common Questions:
Does Vegan Blue Cheese Melt?
Yes it does!
Can You Freeze Vegan Blue Cheese?
Yes, this recipe freezes great! Just be sure to wrap it tight or keep it in an air-tight container.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
Easy Vegan Blue Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon spirulina (for blue-green veins)
Instructions
- Soften the cashews: Add the cashews to a medium pot and cover with water. Put over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Alternatively, you can soak the cashews, by placing the cashews in a bowl, covering them with water, and allowing the cashews to soak for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using.Both of these methods will soften the cashews making them easier to blend into a creamy texture.
- Make the cheese base: Add the softened cashews along with the coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, miso paste, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder to a food processor. Blend, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until the mixture becomes as smooth as possible. It will become a bit sticky and will be warm from the friction.
- Prepare your mold(s): Lining the mold(s) with plastic wrap or parchment paper, or you can use a silicone mold. You can use any mold or dish you like, I used two of these mini springform pans to make two wheels of cheese.
- Form the cheese: Scoop about ½ of the cheese mixture into the mold(s) and spread out. Sprinkle about half of the spirulina across the surface. Add the remaining cheese mixture, and sprinkle over the remaining spirulina. Use a knife to stir the cheese in the mold 2 – 3 times to mix in the spirulina and create veins in the cheese. Don’t overmix. Smooth the top of the cheese then cover and chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight to let the cheese firm up.
- The cheese will be firmer fresh out of the fridge but will soften as it sits out. You can also pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving to make it even firmer. Easy vegan blue cheese will keep for 1 – 2 weeks in the fridge or can be frozen. Serve vegan blue cheese with crackers or bread, spread on a sandwich, add to a salad, or use it anywhere you like! This would be a beautiful addition to a vegan snack board.
Nutrition
Chris says
Very impressed with this recipe. So easy and delicious! Fun fact: I used red miso because I didn't have the white kind and it turned it into a perfect vegan version of hard cheddar 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! So happy you love it Chris!
Coby says
Oh my goodness, this was so amazing! Before I went vegan, I loved blue cheese on a burger. Tonight I had this on a veggie burger, and it hit the spot, 100%! Great recipe!
Aussie Deb says
Woops, forgot to do the star rating! ")
Aussie Deb says
O..M..Gosh!!
Got to say I was a little skeptical before making this, as I was such a blue cheese...ahhh....cheese fan b4 vegan...and this is INCREDABLE Sammy!!
So simple to make and you don't have to wait 2 months to eat it!
I have just found my new vegan cheese substitute!!
Thank you so very much Sammy! This has made my day! ")
Mark says
Curious about making this without coconut oil. Any ideas?
Sam Turnbull says
coconut oil becomes solid when chilled so this is what firms up the cheese. No other oil will work for this, but if needed you can try substituting vegetable shortening. If you are oil-free you can omit the oil but note that this will be more of a creamy spread and will not firm up in the fridge.
Michalina says
Is it ok to use red miso?
Sun says
Is it possible to sub sunflower seeds?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, boil raw sunflower seeds for 15 minutes, drain and rinse well, and proceed with the recipe. Note that the texture, flavor, and color will be a little different. Enjoy!
Sun Ithilwen says
Awesome! Thank you...I'm about to make it. I will let you know how it turns out 🙂 And double thank you for all the amazing creations you come up with!
Becky Hollidayay says
I've made this several times, love it! But! Mine turns out darker, not like yours pictured. I use a light miso. What am I doing wrong?
Sylvia says
Love the recipe and made it several times. If I wanted to make it oil free for a raw vegan, what could I use instead?
Kellie says
Did you get an answer about replacing the oil?
Paul says
Thanks for this recipe. I'm trying to duplicate a specific cheese, St. Agur, so I used your recipe as a starting point, adding some lactic acid instead of cider vinegar, and some nutritional yeast for more cheesiness, leaving out the onion and garlic powders, plus more salt (St. Agur is quite salty) - I kept adding these until it was close to the St. Agur taste. It's very good - chilling at present. I used a toothpick to mix the spirulina powder in, making lines like a dairy blue cheese. FWIW, I've tried adding lactobacillus to ferment similar cashew-based cheeses, but IMO it doesn't add anything but a bit of lactic acid to the flavour, which I prefer to vinegar, so why not just add lactic acid? One day I'll try some of the proper cultures for specific cheeses, but they are expensive!
Angela says
I love St. Agur - how did it turn out.
Jo says
This vegan cheese is absolutely delicious - and I didn’t even add the spirulina! Cheese is the thing I miss the most, and this cheese really does taste like blue vein! Everyone loves it (too much)
Thank you so much ☀️
KK says
Hi! I am more concerned about taste than appearance. Does the spirulina add much taste? Can I skip it?
Thanks for the great recipes Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
You can skip it! It's mainly for appearnace. 🙂