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
Mandy says
I have spirulina in my smoothies most mornings but for variation on this cheese I wonder if you could use crushed nori sheets for the dark green/blue colour... adding a bit of natural saltiness too? I'm sure I'll try both ways! Yum, Sam! Thx!
Barbara says
Will it work to make half the recipe?
Victoria A Sheridan says
Hi -- could I use matcha powder instead of the spirulina?
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, but the cheese might taste a bit like green tea
Janet Powell says
Love, tasted delicious! A couple of questions - is there any non-soy replacement for the white miso paste and will it freeze ok? Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Janet, so happy you enjoyed! You can pick up chickpea miso instead, and yes this will freeze beautifully 🙂
Daphnea says
Wow, this recipe is addictive. this is my first time trying a recipe on your website and so curious to explore more. It is even better than real cheese which says a lot, cause cheese is delicious but not as much as this recipe. So simple, fast and easy. Thanks for uplifting my day with sharing your talent with us! Looking forward experimenting another recipe.....
Sam Turnbull says
Welcome, Daphnea. So thrilled you loved the cheese so much! I hope you try and love many more of my recipes 🙂
Rose says
Thank YOU Sam for this and you many other recipes, my partner really wanted to join me in going from often vegan to full vegan, but he could not ditch the cheese (he is French, and what they say about cheese and the French is true!). With these replacements he can eat vegan mostly and go on doing so when he does crave the cheez! Also, your seitan is a daily staple here now. Yum!
Cheers from Europe.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful, Rose. So happy you both enjoy! 🙂
GrooovyGravy says
Hi,
I was wondering if red miso paste would be ok for this recipe?
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
I wouldn't recommend it as the red miso paste will make the cheese a brown/red colour that may not be appetizing.
Rose says
Hi! I have made this today and it’s now sitting in the fridge . Although I put white miso in the cheese is very dark - any suggestions on a ‘whiter’ miso?! Also, wish I’d read the comments on using a wooden skewer for the spirulina - the cheese is looking a bit green! Rosemary (UK)
Sam Turnbull says
This is the miso paste I used. I hope you enjoy the cheese!
Betania says
Hi Rose, same thing happened to me, so I added annatto/achiote which is a ground seed used as a spice and to color non-vegan cheeses, like Shropshire blue (orange cheese with blue veins) or cheddar. Doesn't change the taste and looks like an orange blue cheese. I will also use a skewer the next time since one of my cheeses was rather green as you said your's was.
Ashley says
If I'm going to be using the cheese as an ingredient in a salad dressing, could I leave out the Spirulina if it doesn't add much of a flavor, or would there be a noticeable difference?
Sam Turnbull says
You can leave it out! It mostly just adds to the look.
Jennifer says
Any replacement for coconut oil? Can I use another neutral oil? Or does it need to be coconut for its texture at room temp?
Bianca says
I'm not Sam, but I'll give my 2 cents here... hehe
Coconut oil is very important here as it solidifies when cold. Other oils won't do the same.
Use refined coconut oil, this way it won't taste like coconut.
Jennifer Spinks says
Yeeaahh that’s what I was afraid of... just been hearing bad things about coconut oil... makes sense about solidification though... I totally appreciate ur $.02!!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Jennifer, coconut oil is what firms up the cheese, so there is not good sub for it, unfortunately.
Colleen says
This cheese is delicious! I've made it three times already and will be making a fourth today (it just doesn't last with the whole family nibbling at it all the time). I had a bit of an issue with the spirulina and distributing it nicely throughout the cheese without turning my whole block green but I now use a wooden skewer instead of a knife. Thank you so much for all of your delicious recipes...I am a regular visitor to your site and really enjoy your cookbook as well. You made my conversion (14 months and counting) to a plant-based diet so much easier.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful Colleen! I'm thrilled you love the cheese so much, and that I'm able to help!
Mike says
Oh man this looks delicious! I’ll have to take a hard pass though. Deathly allergic to all tree nuts. Bleu cheese was my fave in “the before”. I used to say lettuce was the perfect deliverables for my cheese meals.
Betania says
Hi Mike, maybe you could try sunflower seeds instead of the cashews, as Sam does in one of her cheese sauces.
Stephanie says
Wow, this is a great recipe! We’re putting it on apples, veggies and crackers.
tina says
Any ideas on a spiraling substitute - can you leave it out? Not sure what it tastes like and I don't have any at home but I do have everything else.
Sam Turnbull says
It really just adds to the look of the cheese, not much taste, so you can leave it out if you don't mind an all white cheese 🙂
Lili says
Ok now that I've made it again.... I cut the salt in half and it was still addictive. Also tried this with butter flavor refined coconut oil because that was all I had and it came out great. This totally reminds me of that port wine cheese we used to have when I was a kid. I bet if you split this in half and did half with vinegar and half with a dark port wine this would be spot on....minus the green... or maybe green and red for Christmas LOL... Damn... Now I have to make it again lol
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Glad you enjoyed!
Molly says
So glad I made this! So easy and great flavor. I happened to have a bag of spirulina that was just sitting in my cupboard. Now I have vegan blue cheese! Thank you for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Molly 🙂
Jean says
Delicious, addictive and easy. Tastes much better than many commercially prepared vegan cheeses. The texture is really nice and the mouthfeel isn't strange. This one is a keeper. I don't know if I should thank you or not though....I can't stop eating it!
Sam Turnbull says
Yayyyyy!!! Haha
Patricia says
Very interesting. I might have to give this a try. It looks like the real deal !
Sara says
Followed comments and added probiotic capsules, let it ferment for 3 days (keep tasting after 24hrs for desired taste). Super yummy! We have a winner 🙂 Wonder if you can freeze WITH the probiotics?
Bianca says
Awesome, Sam!
I've been making vegan cheese for a long time now. For those willing to take this recipe one step further without the need to wait weeks to get it done: At step 2, also add 2 capsules of probiotics to the mix (just the powder). Leave the mix at room temperature culturing over night (or 24 hours if you have the time). Only then proceed to step 3. Not as fuss-free, but still not bad... and it makes ALL difference in the results!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks for your variation 🙂
Lili says
Sam you've done it again!!
I actually laughed out loud... Prepare your mold.. No pun intended 😉 I bet you could used crushed chlorella tablets in a pinch you can't get spirulina. They have a little bit of salty taste to them they're super good for you and high in protein and you can eat them right out of the bag!
Sam Turnbull says
Great idea! 🙂