This is my love language.
Ooey, gooey, stretchy, melty, where have you been all my life- vegan mozzarella. I’m pretty sure I just made all my vegan dreams come true. I made this recipe four times this week, FOUR. That’s how amazing this is. Just dip some tortilla chips in this bad boy and welcome to heaven.
You can also use this anywhere you would like a melty mozzarella experience, which is, um, everywhere! Let’s see… pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, dips, the possibilities of deliciousness are endless.
I haven’t even gotten to some of the best news yet. This takes only 7 ingredients, one of them being water. It takes only 15 minutes to make, AND it doesn’t even have any oils or “bad stuff”. Can you tell I’m excited? I’m SO excited.
So what makes it stretchy and gooey. Tapioca! Who knew right? It’s the main ingredient in Daiya, a well-known brand of vegan cheese, and I found that Somer McCowan from the blog Vedged Out also used tapioca starch in her Fresh Moxarella Cheese. She is one smart cookie, er.. well some smart cheese, because she knew what was up. I adapted her original recipe to make a mozzarella that suited my own taste buds but be sure to try her original recipe and check out her blog. So many delicious vegan recipes to be had!
Back to tapioca. Tapioca provides this amazing stretchy, melty quality that any good vegan cheese deserves. It is an absolute must for this recipe. Any other starch will make a thick sauce, but only tapioca will give it that stretch. If you can’t find it in stores you can pick it up on Amazon here.
This recipe will stay in a melty stretchy state, even when cold, but if you are looking for a grate-able cheese, try my recipe for The Best Vegan Mozzarella.
To make melty stretchy gooey vegan mozzarella:
Watch my video to see how it’s done, or skip directly to the step by step photos below!
To make Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella: Boil the cashews for 10 minutes until softened. Then toss into the blender with the remaining ingredients, and blend until completely smooth. It will be very watery, don’t worry, it will get cheesy!
Pour it in a small sauce pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Stir to keep anything from burning. You will start to see clumps forming.
Then all of a sudden, magic! Everything comes together and makes this cheesy, melty, deliciousness. Keep stirring and cooking for another minute or two, to make sure it’s finished firming up. It should take about 5 minutes to cook total. That’s it! Done. So easy.
If you want to save it for later, store in an air tight container in the fridge. It won’t firm up like a hard cheese, it will stay pretty soft, but let’s get real, who needs hard mozzarella anyways?
Serve as a dip, spread onto some toast, dollop onto pizza, do whatever your creative cooking spirit tells you. Don’t worry if you eat it all in one sitting (cause I would never do that), you can always make more.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, nachos- it's the best!
Inspired by Vedged Out.
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, softened (see step 1)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Softening the cashews first helps them blender. If you have a high-powered blender you may be able to skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get a smooth cheese. You can either boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews (the fast method): add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours or overnight until tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
Add the cashews along with the 1 cup of water and all the remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. It will be very watery.
Pour into a small saucepan and put over medium-high heat. Continually stir. The cheese will start forming clumps, keep stiring and it will continue clumping until the mixture turns from watery to a thicker melty cheese sauce. This takes about 5 minutes. Serve hot or allow to cool and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. The cheese will get thicker as it cools but will stay in a melty state.
*Tapioca starch is essential for this recipe. It's what gives the cheese it’s gooey and stretchy texture. Any other starch or flour will not get the same result.
*If you want to return the cold mozzarella back to dipping consistency, reheat over medium heat while stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Once it is hot and bubbling it might have thickened up too much. You can thin it out by adding a splash of water at a time, stirring it in until desired consistency is reached.
*To ensure a smooth cheese, you may also want to pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth before cooking to remove any cashew bits that didn't grind up. This will ensure a smooth cheese texture.
Nutrition
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This is legit! I don’t know who came up with this nut cheese idea in general, but thanks to them, and to you for these amazing recipes! Mine’s in the fridge setting up and will be sliced onto my pizza later! Yum!
I just made this replacing hemp hearts for the cashews and it worked out great! I’ve also tried with raw sunflower seeds which was also very yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful!! Love the alternative options, thanks for sharing Christine 🙂
I’ve made this a few times. It is so easy and amazing each time. So happy to find your cheese recipes. Definitely saves money on Daiya.
Awesome! Thrilled you love it so much, Amanda 🙂
I put it on a pizza!! It was sooo good!!!
My only suggestion is that in your post, maybe instead of pointing people to Amazon, you could suggest another online retailer such as nuts.com (that’s where I got my tapioca starch for this gooey delight), and save us all from Jeff Bezos getting yet more money and power.
Amazing, so happy you enjoyed, May! Of course, feel free to shop wherever you like. 🙂
Back in the US where I can get my hands on plenty of tofu so I made omelets (tofu and chickpea flour mainly) for supper last night and then filled them with this recipe and some left over pasta sauce. You can use this for sooooo many dishes. And always make a double batch and freeze half!
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Hello! This was absolutely amazing. I think it’s my favorite discovery since switching to a plant based diet. My question is, how would I tweak the recipe if I wanted to make it a little less solid and a little less stringy/stretchy ? I only ask because I used it with pasta and it was a little hard to mix cause of how solid it was. I can’t wait to try it as is on pizza though, that’s for sure. Thanks,
Joe
Awesome!! You can always add more water to thin it out to the desired consistency. Hope that helps!
Hi! I’m so excited to make this after seeing all of the positive reviews! How long would you say the cheese can be stored?
A couple of days in the fridge or longer in the freezer. Keep in mind that the cheese will remain in a gooey state even when chilled so it is best served hot. Enjoy!
SAM!!! Oh my god!! I just made this and literally had to stop what I was doing to come post this review. I’ve made several cheese sauces/dips over the years since going vegan and have always been disappointed for one reason or another. Too nutritional yeast-y, too garlicky, too tangy, not gooey enough. I was fully expecting this to be another fail, but holy cannoli this mozzarella recipe is ridiculous in the absolute best possible way. I didn’t change a single thing and it is PERFECT. I just texted my husband that I can’t believe *I* made this… not to mention in only 15 minutes! It’s going on pizza tonight, and I’m already trying to come up with more excuses to make this again asap.
Haha! Amazing, Cassandra! So incredibly flattered you loved it so much 🙂
Amazing! You could probably breaak the internet (in the best possible way) if you teach us how to make/pack this into a portable “string cheese”! 🙂 🙂 🙂
OOooohh that’s tricky but I love that idea!
Is this shreddable after it gets cold?
Hi Michelle, no it’s not, but you can try my recipe for The Best Vegan Mozzarella which is designed to be grateable. 🙂
I just made this (and ate half) and I was VERY pleased. What I was NOT pleased with is seeing you dip a blue corn tortilla chip in this cheezy delight…what’s wrong with you girl! I baked some sea salt rosemary crackers beforehand and the whole thing was super delish! Not to mention more filling than I thought, which is a good thing 🙂
What’s wrong with blue corn chips?
Maybe because corn is GMO? Dunno??? Weird thing to say.
I’m making mine for pizza and spinach artichoke dip.
I’ve been brewing over your comment for days. Just because you’re a vegan (maybe carnivore) who doesn’t eat GMO foods doesn’t mean that every other vegan or person should. This wonderful lady shared a recipe for you to try or not, or share your unique take on it. You don’t need to push your “holier than thou” attitude on anyone. We will never be enough. Where does it stop? Shame on her for not buying organic, shame on her for shopping at Walmart, shame on her for not riding her bike to the store. Shame on her for not sourcing the products locally…. I am sorry that you are missing out on blue corn GMO chips, or the yellow corn (probably GMO) chips that I tried this dip with. You might be in a better mood if you didn’t try to be perfect all the time.
I’m not trying to say for or against anything, but sweet potatoes are the world’s first known GMO. Just as some vegan food is unhealthy, it’s possible some GMO is good.
So, I’m guessing you think blue corn chips are dyed or genetically modified or in some way artificial? Actually, do an online search if you like, but blue corn is a very old heritage corn, Native American tribes especially the Hopi and Cherokee have cultivated it from, like, forever. Generally more diverse plants, different colors, shapes and sizes, are often really old types, at times containing actually even more beneficial bioactive chemicals than the standard varieties. Diversity Forever! Good for you for making cool crackers. If short on time blue corn chips work. And if they are organic, they can’t legally be a GMO corn crop, so, all bases covered! If that’s an issue, which for some of us, it is.
I have the unfortunate situation of being both lactose intolerant AND I have an issue with cashews. Is there another nut you would suggest to substitute?
try almonds
I would suggest my new recipe for mozzarella which is nut free. 🙂
Can I use roasted cashews? I don’t have any raw ones on hand
Hi Mari, roasted cashews are oily and dry, whereas raw ones are tender. The results won’t likely be very good with the roasted cashews so I would recommend waiting until you have some raw cashews. Hope that helps!
How much is a serving for the cheese?
1/4 of the recipe, about 1/4 cup. You can see the info at the top of the recipe. Enjoy!
I am a brand new vegan, and seriously, you have saved me. I miss cheese most of all, and this stuff is unbelievably awesome. Thank you so much for all you do: for your positive attitude, your cheeriness and your delicious recipes. You’re the best.
Awwww shucks, Thank you so much, Michelle!! Thrilled that I have been able to help you in some small way 🙂
I doubled this recipe the second time I made it and omitted the teaspoons of tapioca because I wanted a different consistency. I put it in a mason jar and mixed it with leftover pizza sauce to make a pizza dip. It was SO good. I loaded up on unsalted cashews because I plan on making this every week! Hoping to try different mix-ins next week.
Ooooh pizza dip, sounds delish, Vanessa!
Wow Sam, this recipe was amazing! Both me and my husband were in love at first bite. And the mozzarella, OMG! I am sure it will become a staple in our house. Thanks!
That’s awesome! So happy you enjoyed, Alex 🙂
Yum! Thank you Sam!
You’re most welcome, Kiki 🙂
This was so good. At first I thought it a bit bland but I remembered that mozzarella isn’t an explosion of flavour. It was a great fast and easy cheese fix. Kept going back to the fridge for bites. I think it would make a good spread after refrigeration.
So happy you enjoyed it Marta! Yes, mozzarella is very mild. If you are interested in a punchier flavoured cheese try my nacho cheese 🙂
This was pretty good. The only thing I would do is add just a little more salt. I’m curious to see how it melts.
Glad you enjoyed! You can always add more salt to taste. This cheese stays in the melty form and will brown nicely when baked. Enjoy!
Oh my this was so good! It actually did taste quite a bit like dairy mozzarella and the taste/texture combination were exquisite. I used about 2/3 of my batch on my pizza and ate most of the rest straight off my spatula . Thanks once again!
that’s wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Josiah 🙂
I tried some leftovers on a Beyond Burger tonight and wow! Don’t tell anyone I said this but it was the best burger I’ve had in a long time, vegan or not. Your mozzarella cheese made the burger extraordinary. Happy tummy 🙂
A great topper 🙂
We made this tonight and ab’d it on pizza vs daiya shredded mozzarella and it won hands down. The only thing I did differently was I dropped it in an ice-cold salt brine for an hour after cooling it down, that made it spreadable on the pizza dough.
I would point out that your metric measurements aren’t quite right The tapioca just says 55 with no unit, it comes out to around 27g in reality. The nutritional yeast is 5g per tbsp, not 15g. And the salt measures out to around .8g not 1.25g. That could be a difference in types of salt though?
So happy you enjoyed it, Joshua 🙂 Thanks for your notes on measurements. My wonderful assistant is currently working on converting all of my recipes into metric, so I will bring this to her attention to make sure it’s up to date. 🙂
This recipe is SO GOOD I have it memorized. You will find yourself making it over and over again.
Thanks Sam!
Haha! That’s awesome, thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Jenna 🙂
Used this inside homemade garlic dough balls – amazzziiinnnggggg! Thanks so much x
Ohhh that sounds epic!! 🙂
Hello! Can you write mesures in Metric pls?
Working on it!
Loved, Loved this recipe. Used it on veggie lasagna.
Yay!!! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Pam 🙂
Can this be frozen and shredded? I read that some people have thought about it but want to know if you have actually tested it?
Yes, it can be. Personally, I don’t find it worth it as it melts very quickly and turns back to the gooey texture, so you need to grate directly onto your dish. Personally I just like dolloping it on the dish instead. Enjoy!
Oh good idea.
Had to let you know how I used my frozen cheese (I always make a double recipe and then freeze half of it).
Had to take something to a big family (of daughter in law) Christmas Eve breakfast where yes I was the only vegan. So I chopped up a shallot and a package of button mushrooms, a clove of garlic and sautéed until soft and the juice from the mushrooms had mostly cooked off. Added some dried thyme and into the turned off heat pot I plopped the frozen cheese and put the lid on and walked off. Came back a bit later, mixed it all in and mashed it in and added some home made breadcrumbs. In the fridge overnight and this morning I made mini mushroom and cheese (sausage) rolls which got baked at my son’s house while I stood out in the garden to get away from the non vegan breakfast food smells. They turned out so well everyone had at least one and most people had two of them. And people asked for the recipe :). Thank you thank you and thank you again xxx.
Sounds delish!!!!! Wish I could try 🙂
I used this recipe from your book with the first flavoring alternative. I am so excited about the results, I just can’t calm down at all! I have been unable to eat dairy cheese for most of my life and whenever I did it made me really sick. But I remember the taste and texture and this recipe captures it exactly. I can’t believe it, and when I think of all the possibilities lying ahead. Thank you so much for making this available to the general vegan public. This recipe alone is worth the money spent on the book.
Oh that’s so awesome, Carol! So happy you are enjoying my recipes so much 🙂
Hi Sam! I scrolled for so long to reach the end of the page because there are so many comments What can I substitute garlic powder for this recipe? Because I can’t eat garlic and onion :))
Hi Angela! The garlic powder is just a flavour enhancer, so you could skip it and replace with any spice you enjoy. Maybe celery salt would be nice?
It has been a long time since this recipe was posted, but I have to say thank you!!! I have never ever commented on a recipe before but I have made this 3 times now, and this last time I mixed in chopped banana peppers and replaced a few tablespoons of the water with banana pepper brine. Crazy yummy in black bean quesadillas, and my carnivore partner requested this “cheese” instead of real cheese 🙂 you have made choosing vegan options so much easier! Thank you!
That’s so wonderful! I’m honoured that this recipe inspired you to leave a comment. And even happier to learn that I’m making it easier for you to go vegan, Essa 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and although I like it for taste and ease, it just doesn’t get stretchy or melty. I just have a thick paste that globs together but doesn’t stretch. I cook it for a few minutes until it firms up and gets really thick. I love in France and have only found Tapioca starch (it’s not a flour, more like a sandy grainy texture). Is this the problem? I thought they were the same.
Sounds like it’s the tapioca starch as that’s what makes it stretchy. The one I use here is a very fine powder like flour. Maybe try grinding it finer in a high-speed blender or coffee grinder. Hope that helps!
Your thoughts on this cut and paste?
When it comes to recipes it really varies by the author or cookbook on what it is called, but if a recipe calls for tapioca starch, you can easily use tapioca flour, since they are the same thing. Tapioca flour comes from the root of the cassava plant. … Tapioca flour/starch adds structure to gluten free baking.
Well I have tried a handful of vegan cheeses and this is the only one we really like! Thanks for the recipe!!!
That’s awesome! Thrilled you like it so much, Alicia 🙂
Would the recipe work if I made it like this?:
– 1/2 cup coconut cream
– 1 cup water
– 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons tapioca starch (I’m trying to go keto so is there a way to reduce carbs?)
– 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice (I was gonna try to find a bottled one)
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 teaspoon mixed herbs (including thyme)
I replaced the cashews because of FODMAP content, which is also why I replaced the garlic. Both give me IBS, as does ACV. Dairy makes me hurt so that’s why I want to use this. I also have a lot of fatigue so the quicker and easier this is to make and clean up after the better. Do you have any further suggestions to make it simple and easy? Things you might take for granted take an immense effort for me :/. I’m guessing with the coconut cream no soaking or boiling is required before blending. Am I able to use a Nutribullet to blend? I’m not sure if coconut makes me sick, I’m hoping it doesn’t, but any alternatives that are similarly easy would definitely be appreciated. I was going to use this for pizza, nachos, and vege dip but is there a way to make it harden? This is so it can be used as a taco shell during keto.
Sorry for all the questions, please try to reply to all of them (too many times I’ve had people only reply to the last question and it’s frustrating). Thank you ^^.
Hi Zaden, I can’t know if it would work just by looking at it, but if you want to experiment with your own recipes, for sure, give it a try! I hope it works for you.
Hi Sam – I mixed spinach powder in and have started spreading it on a bun for my office lunch – thanks for the recipe! Healthy, yummy and portable
Glad you enjoy, Laura 🙂
So could I use gluten free flour ( it has tapioca flour in it).. instead of just tapioca flour?
No I would recommend using straight tapioca flour.
I made this today for my pizza. I put1 tea spoon of nutritionfacts.org’s Dr Greger’s savoury spice blend and 1 teaspoon of light miso instead of the salt. It came out wonderful! Added it to our pizza and will see how it turns out when its out the oven! Thank you!
Awesome, so happy you enjoyed!
Hot Tip: Freezing this cheese and then thawing it for a few minutes gives it a perfect texture for grating. Works very well on pizza.
Great idea!
hi Sam. I have a question and I appreciate if you help me. since tapioca starch is not available in my country I decided to replace it with Salep flour which is accessible here easily. Salep is used in ice cream and pudding to mack it gooey and for thickening desserts. do you think it would work? and how much Salep flour should I use to result in gooey pizza cheese like yours?
Hi Shakila, I’ve never cooked with salep flour so I have no idea, but start with the same amount and see how that works. Enjoy!
If I could give this recipe a million stars I would. Based on the ingredients and short instructions I wasn’t expecting much, if anything, but this recipe is amazing!!! So simple to make. I never liked cheese but I could easily eat tubs of this; it’s that good. Definitely best when served hot though because otherwise the texture is more gloopy/congealed than stretchy. Also boiling the cashews (or having an amazing blender) is a must. Absolutely a fantastic recipe that I’d recommend to anyone!
Yay!!!! So very thrilled you love it so much, Julie! Thanks for the fabulous review 🙂
I made this last night… 2nd time… I couldn’t find the tapioca starch, so I used potato starch.. it came out good… the one with tapioca was probably better! 🙂 I kind of had to because I had all the other ingredients ready to go… oops.
I had to use extra vinegar because it tasted really bland… after sitting for an hour or so, it tasted pretty good…
This looks amazing! I’m thinking I’m going to try it in a lasagna, do you think that would work, baking it and all? Will it still be gooey and stretchy? And about how much does one batch make? Thanks for the super cool recipe!
Yes it will work just fine, I have a lasagna recipe in my cookbook which uses it! I like to add about 1/3 cup more water to the recipe so the cheese is thinner and I can just pour it on. It will thicken further in the oven. Enjoy!
Ok thanks!
About how much does one batch make? I’m wondering if I should double it for the lasagna…
About 1 1/2 cups.
Oh, Sam. This is sooooo good. And I love finding a recipe that works perfectly (to suit my taste buds) first time out: no “tweaking” required.
If there’s one thing I’ve been missing as a vegan newbie, it’s cheese. This hits the spot.
Tanks a huge bunch!
XOX
Wonderful!!! So happy you no longer have to miss anything! 🙂
Hi Sam, I just wanted to let you know how much me and my daughter LOVE your recipes! Everything we’ve made so far from both your book and your on line recipes have been amazing. Tried this mozzarella recipe for the first time this week and it’s a game changer. Unbelievably good. We’ve put it on pizza, pasta, tofu mcmuffins, sooo good!! Fuss Free Vegan is by far our favourite cookbook right now. Keep up the great work!
Aww that’s so awesome! I’m so delighted you are enjoying my recipes so much!! Thank you so much, Rebecca 🙂
Can this cheese substitute be used in eggplant parmesan? I haven’t tried it yet, but I will this weekend.
Absolutely!
Can I use corn starch instead of tapioca flour (since I don’t have any atm)? Also for the nacho cheese one can I use soy sauce instead of miso paste?
Thank you
Hi Emily, for the starch, read the notes on the recipe. 🙂 Soy sauce would make the cheese a bit brown and will not provide the same flavour as the miso. Enjoy!
I used corn starch, and it turned out fine. Not as stringy as tapioca starch would be, but still smooth, thick, and delicious. Perfect for pizza night, and a really fabulous alternative to processed vegan cheese. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed!
I just tried this recipe. I tasted it and it taste great. I will put it on a faux chicken parmigiana tomorrow. Thanx so much for thé recipe i was looking for a great homemade vegan cheese. Sorry for my english, from Montréal.
Glad you enjoyed!
I tried to post a question about whether the Mozzarella Cheese may be frozen—tried to post—response= “looks like you already sent that.” NO I DID NOT.
Yep, I see both of your comments! Yes you can freeze it. Enjoy!
Hi! I am making this “cheese” in order to put together the Spinach Artichoke Dip. I noticed that this online recipe and the one in your (AMAZING) cookbook are slightly different (amount of nutritional yeast, olive brine vs. cider vinegar)…since the cookbook is more recent, should I go with that recipe? Do you prefer the one in the book with the modifications? Thanks!
Hi Christina, both recipes are great and it will depend on your flavour preferences, but the cookbook has my new and improved version. Enjoy!
Just made this for pizza! I am not vegan (vegetarian for 40+ years though) but trying to cut back on dairy and looking for special recipes to make for vegan friends. It came out great on the first try (not my usual experience for vegan cheeses!). It looks like it would easily make into balls (maybe with a scoop into ice baths) and I’ll definitely try that in the future. texture and “meltability” was good (it browned, but didn’t spread-melt, so I’ll spread it more evenly by hand next time), or cook it less so it is gooier to begin with if it’s for pizza); taste was excellent! Thank you!
Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Sonia! You can scoop it into balls, simply by pouring it into a container and letting it chill in the fridge. It will still be pretty soft but scoopable. For using it on pizza, check out the method I use in this pizza recipe. Adding 1/3 cup extra water to the cheese so it is a looser sauce. Then you just pour it onto the pizza and it will firm up more in the oven. 🙂
Sam, this looks so delicious (AND EASY)! I’ve just subscribed to your page and will be trying this out to take to my girls’ night this weekend!!
Amazing! Welcome, Gabriella, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Hi! Do you have an alternative to cashews that would work? My boyfriend has a nut allergy. I was thinking maybe garbanzo beans?
I’ve heard people had good success with sunflower seeds. I think it does give it a green tinge tho.
Would pine nuts work? My daughter is allergic to cashews.
I have never tried pine nuts, but blanched almonds work well.
How big is a serving? And how long does this cheese last for?
I would say roughly 6 tablespoons a serving and it will keep when covered in the fridge for a few days. It stays in the gooey state but does get a little firmer.
I did not see any information about whether the Mozzarella Cheese could be frozen. Please respond.
Yes, it can. Enjoy!
I have just made the mozzarella, the cheese sauce and the cheese ball. All are fantastic and the mozzarella
will enable me to eat “real” pizza which I have been missing for a long time. Thank you for these incredible recipes. I was surprised that my local supermarket had tapioca flour.
You’re most welcome, Linda!! Thrilled you enjoyed them both so much 🙂 I try my best to always use easy to find ingredients so that people don’t have to go to fancy healthy food stores, so glad tapioca was right in your regular grocery store 🙂
Wow! This is the best vegan cheese I’ve ever made! I’m usually hesitant about using nutritional yeast because my family really dislikes it but they all loved this on pizza. Thank you so much for this easy recipe!
That’s awesome! thrilled you and your family loved it so much, Alex 🙂
Hi Sam – I noticed the recipe here and in Fuss-Free Vegan are a bit different. Is the one in the book your new favorite go to for mozzarella? I want to make one to use on little pita pizzas and have some left for grilled cheese, but not sure if I should choose one over the other. Thanks!
Hi Kristi! Both recipes are great and it totally depends on your flavour preferences which one is better. The one in my book is my newer version. 🙂
Hi Sam, yes it is Bragg’s. Ingredients are: inactive dry yeast, niacin (B3), pyridoxine HCI (B6),riboflavin (B2), thiamin HCI (B1), folic acid, and vitamin B12.
Mary
You’re good to go!
OH MY GOD. I have been meaning to make this for ages. Today after second guessing buying an expensive artisanal cheese I instead grabbed a bag of Tapioca Starch and so pleased I did. SO DELICIOUS. The nutritional yeast was perfect proportion to add umami but not overpowering. It tastes like mozzarella for real! I made it for a pizza tomorrow but already ate several glops and had to walk away to write this!
I never comment on blogs because honestly never feel compelled to but you are the sole exception, Sunshine Girl. Not only are your recipes spot on but you are the real deal. It’s really important to have open hearted and non judgmental people like yourself to help people who might have a more difficult time understanding that you can completely eat a plant based diet and be healthy. You are doing the good work!
<3
Sunshine Girl!!!! How did you know, my gang name is “Sunshine”. I know, I’m so tough. (It’s a long story and I’m not actually part of a gang). Hahaha! Thrilled you skipped the expensive store-bought vegan cheese to try your own. Homemade food is the best food! Completely flattered that you are loving my work so much, Jennifer!
Exactly!
I very rarely leave comments, but this was so delicious that I felt the need to put in my 2 cents. I’ve made vegan cheeses before and was always let down. EVERYTIME. This was not one of those times. It was absolutely delicious!!! It works really well in pizza and I could hardly stop sneaking in spoonfuls. My 4 year old loved it too! I’m going to try it on a grilled cheese tomorrow! Well done!
Amazing!!! So happy you loved it so much, Theresa 😀 Thank you for the wonderful review!
hi Sam
thanks for sharing this amazing cheese. I was looking for a delicious vegan pizza cheese for so long and I am so happy to find it here. But unfortunately I could n`t find tapioca in my country for home sale. all of them was in big mass and for industry use. Is there any other substance which could be replaced with tapioca in this recipe and still result in a gooey pizza cheese?
Hi Shakila! So happy you like the recipe! Tapioca is key in that it’s what gives the cheese it’s stretchy gooey quality. You can use another starch such as cornstarch, but the texture will be more of a sauce and not so stretchy. Enjoy!
This sounds like a great recipe! Would I be able to replace the tapioca starch with arrowroot flour? I am intolerant to Tapioca for some reason.
I just finished making it with arrowroot it turned out goofy and melty as expected!
Any other kind of starch or flour will just make a sauce, the tapioca will give it that stretchy quality. So if you are ok with just a sauce, go for it!
Do you think this would freeze ok? Or does it become firm in the fridge that you could grate it? Thanks!
Hi Barb, it does freeze fine. It stays in a melty gooey state when in the fridge. Enjoy!
I made this this weekend. Came together just like you said. I spooned it into deep dish muffin tin pizzas. Loved it and I am very picky!
Haha awesome!!
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I recently became vegan and needed a way to serve cheese to non-vegan party guests while still sticking to my vegan values. I was completely blown away at how tasty and melty it was. I’m never one to leave a review but this recipe totally deserves it. Will definitely make again!!!
Yay!! That’s so awesome. Thanks so much for the review, Sophia. Thrilled you loved it so much 🙂
I really appreciate this website and the help with identifying what vegan substitutes I can have. I have a ton of food allergies, so being vegan is most compliant for me. However, I am also allergic to nuts, which I find in a lot of vegan foods. Any suggestions for vegan cheeses that do not require the use of nuts?
Hi Madison, and welcome! If you scroll through the comments, lots of people have tried substitutes for nuts in this recipe. I believe the best results were with raw sunflower seeds. I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say how it turns out, but others seemed to be happy with the result (although it did give the cheese a green ting). Hope that helps!
I use this all the time. Thanks so much!
So glad it’s a fave!
Hello Sam, thank you for the recipe. My daughter is allergic to cashews as well as dairy. Can anything else be used instead of cashews in this recipe?
Blanched almonds work well. You just have to boil them a little longer 🙂
I use sunflower seeds instead of cashews. They give a slightly nuttier, less sweet taste, but work well for most dishes. I tend to add a little extra salt and sometimes even a tiny bit of sweetener to balance the harshness.
Great idea!
Some times with cashew recipes you can use sunflower seeds too. I’m doing the regular recipe but it’s worth the try
Fantastic recipe…thank you! Used it on pizza.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, ama 🙂
Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe Sam!
It’s definitely the best vegan cheese recipe I’ve tested so far! I was amazed how quick and easy it was to make. No fancy method needed here and the ‘gooeyness’ is real! Besides the taste is quite addictive. I actually found myself putting a spoon several times in the pot to get a taste…
Love your blog! Cheers from France
Wonderful! Thrilled you love it so much, Claire! Cheers from Canada 🙂
I’ve made this and tasted just before cooking and Wow! I simmered mine for 30 min and the cashews blended creamy and perfect. It was stringy but cooled semi firm. I’m going to cut mine and use in my vegan rellanos. Ty for sharing this recipe!
Wonderufl, so happy you enjoyed, Sonya!
Hi Sam! this looks so delicious and I want to try it asap! I am not sure if you are still replying to the comments here, but I was wondering if I could use roasted cashews instead of raw ones?
I try to reply to all questions 🙂 Raw cashews break down into a smooth creaminess, whereas roasted cashews are dried out and won’t have the same effect, so I recommend raw.
Thanks a lot for your reply! I just did it and it is awesome!
Yay!
Ok…this is AMAZING! I made 3 versions. The original then I subbed 1/4c white wine for part of the water and it was gooey delicious! THEN I added a little fresh garlic and fresh jalapeno for queso fundido so GOOD!!!
Amazing! Great ideas for playing around with it too 😀
YUM! I’ve been looking for a yummy mozzarella replacement and this sure hit the spot on my pizza earlier! I love Jasmine from Sweet Simple Vegan and she recommended your blog on Instagram earlier today-so I decided to check out your site. Wow, I’m so impressed! I’m new to the food blogging world, but I’m so passionate about creating and sharing yummy and plant powered recipes with the world. I’ve subscribed to your blog and I’m so excited to follow along on your journey and try your yummy recipes 🙂
Aww thanks so much, Courtney, thrilled you love the cheese so much and my blog. Welcome! Excited to have you here 🙂
Hello! Awesome recipe, I was shocked when it actually stretched! Hehe, but I had a little “problem”: it was all going perfectly but when I lower the heat and added a little more salt (to my taste), the stretchiness was gone. I tried adding an 1/8 teaspoon of tapioca starch, but to no result. It still tasted great, but after I took it away from the heat, it was no longer stretchy, just like a thick cheesy sauce. What did I do wrong?
Hi Maria! So happy you loved it. Hmmm… that’s weird, I have never had that happen before. Next time I would add the extra salt with the other ingredients, and remove from the heat once cooked. Hopefully, that helps!
I made this today for your spinach artichoke recipe (which I haven’t tasted yet…having a party tonight, made it ahead and haven’t baked it yet). I snuck a taste of some of the cheese stuck to the pot after I mixed the other recipe up…omg! It’s delicious, stretchy, cheesy…the garlic was pretty prominent to me, but holy cow! Now I want to try this on a pizza! And so many other things! I also couldn’t believe how quick/easy it was. Thank goodness I found tapioca starch at my local fancy grocery store. 🙂 I will definitely be making this again.
So thrilled you loved it so much, Molly!! You can always reduce the garlic to taste 🙂
I went vegan last year and have been experimenting with different brands of vegan cheese. After some major GI issues I realized I’m allergic to tapioca. I’m also allergic to nuts. Is there any substitutes for these ingredients or can you recommend any other recipes I can try?
Hi Tiffany, people have tried various different replacements in the comments that you can check out, or try checking out my post for 16 vegan cheese recipes. Perhaps there is something there you can enjoy.
I can’t wait to try this!
Sam, this is glorious! Thank you so much!!
Haha! You’re most welcome, Christine 🙂
By the way, this works also when substituting aquqfaba-based mayo in place of the cashews. A little lazy of me, but works in a pinch.
Can you explain what you’re talking about (i.e. recipe)? I’m not getting it! Sorry!
Interesting! I’ve never tried that!
Hi, I can’t consume dairy, and really wanted to have cheese in my diet still, so I started looking into vegan cheeses. I was wondering, if this recipe would work with almonds just the same, or if there is something special about the cashews? Hoping to hear from you soon. Thank you
Cashews are the best because they are the creamiest. Blanched almonds will work as well, but they will need a bit more time to soften, and they are not as creamy so I would recommend trying raw cashews first. Enjoy!
Thanks for the reply, I thought the cashews would be best, too, but my partner doesn’t like them .
Raw cashews blended into things like this don’t taste at all cashew-y, if that helps!
Since I was keen for a cheese alternative and we had almonds on hand and no cashews… I went ahead and tried with the almonds, I am delightfully happy with how well this has turned out I can’t wait to try it with cashews, but I can’t say I’m disappointed with the almond attempt. I am just so happy to have a dairy free cheese!
Glad you enjoyed!
I was looking for almond mozz also but I’m going to try this with almond flour/meal since I have a ton of it that needs to be used.
How did it go with the almond meal?
I was happy with the flavor, but my cashews didn’t break down completely. I used a Ninja food processor. Is there a trick to get the cashews to break down better? I soaked them properly. I am determined to make a successful cheese for pizza. Your pizzas look soooo good! I am not a fan of the Vegan cheese at the store. I
So happy you enjoyed it, Terri! I’ve never used a Ninja but I am sure it will work just fine for this recipe. Next time I would try boiling or soaking the cashews even longer so they are extra tender and blending a little longer to ensure the cashews break down. Enjoy!
I think that I didn’t use fresh cashews the first time. I bought a new container from Costco and my last three batches, yes, three, have turned out great! I have made lasagna, used it on pizza, and made queso with it! We love it. Thank you so much!!
Wonderful! You’re most welcome, Terri 🙂
The cup part works a lot better, I attempted this and a sauce with cauliflower and the food processor didn’t break it down enough.
I have a Ninja too, and I find that for things like this (I made cashew cream for green bean casserole at the holidays), the blender works MUCH better than the food processor at really getting it smooth. The individual blender cup is even better than the big blender, but that’s not always realistic for the volume of stuff in a recipe. 🙂
Just tried this with potato starch and subbed lemon juice for ACV. Worked great! Love that it’s oil-free.
This is so delicious and melty. So satisfying! I’m going to use this on everything
Woohoo!
Hi Sam, I love your website and recipes. In addition to being vegan, i also have to do low acid so cannot use vinegar. Are the vinegar in your cheese recipes imperative to creating consistency due to the acid interactions or just for flavor? If flavor, I can substitute by using sumac water which has worked well for me in the past. I want to experiment with this yummy sounding vegan mozz. kind regards, Rosann
Hi Rosann, the vinegar is just for flavour so you can absolutely skip it. Feel free to tweak the spices and flavours as needed. Enjoy!
Hi Rosann, did you know that vinegar actually turns alkaline in the body?
Awesome!
Can I soak the nuts overnight instead of cooking them in the boiling water? Or will they be too soft?
Yep absolutely, it’s just slower. 🙂
does this recipe double easily? Can I just use 2x of everything? Thanks!
Yep! Exactly. 🙂
I made this recipe replacing the cashews with chickpeas and half the water with liquid from the can of chickpeas. It turned out great. The color was a little off so I will add some turmeric next time and see what happens.
Awesome!
Wow thank you for this recipe. I just made it and am going to freeze it to make the spinach dip for Christmas. It was just as simple as you set out. Lumps and then perfectly smooth and gooey. It tastes great. I cannot wait to serve it. Do you have any suggestions for additional effort once it is un-frozen?
Thrilled you love it so much! Once it’s thawed you can heat it back up in the pot, adding water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Enjoy!
This is the best and easiest vegan cheese I have Ever tasted. I added an extra tbl spoon of nutritional yeast for extra cheesy goodness:)
Woohoo! Thrilled you love it so much, Shawn 😀
Hi there! I LOVE this recipe – real game changer for me as I transition from vegetarian to full vegan! I think I may add a bit more sourkraut for more tang next time, but otherwise, it was perfect! I have three questions for you:
1. How long will leftovers keep in the fridge?
2. Would it mess up the ratios if I were to cut the recipe in half?
3. If I’m using for pizza, should I return to a melted state before adding to the pizza, or can I just plop it onto the pizza cold/at room temp before cooking? I cook my pizzas on a very hot pizza steel at very high temp.
Thanks again! Love your site AND your cookbook (which I purchased a couple weeks ago).
Hi Diana! So happy you love it so much. It should keep for I’d say 3 – 4 days in the fridge. You can cut the recipe in half but your blender might have a difficult time blending the ingredients smoothly unless you have a mini blender. Since you have my book, there are already directions in there for how to use it on pizza. But yes, you can use it either way, hot or cold. Enjoy!
It works great with peanuts as well!! Cashews here where i live are 5 times more expensive than peanuts. Thank you a lot for this awesome, easy and now very cheap for me recipe. I was surprised at the results ♥♥♥ thank you!
Just in case, tapioca flour is also called “polvilho doce” here in Brazil, and when named like this, it’s usually cheaper 😉
Interesting! Did the cheese have a peanut taste for you? So happy you enjoyed it!
Thanks for posting that. I never thought of using cheap peanuts. I will give it a try.
I liked this very much. I had to special-order the tapioca flour starch before I could make it (and then I found out my local Safeway DOES carry it). I liked it on tortilla chips and I’m looking forward to trying it out on pizza. Your instructions were very clear, there were no surprises. I used my NutriBullet for the blending.
Wonderful 🙂
I am new to veganism and I have to say this just tastes like flavoured dough. Maybe it’s better in recipes that use only a little but in the spinach artichoke dip it was just too much doughy-bland. The search continues but not sure that vegan cheese is possible.
Too bad you didn’t enjoy it.
Try adding a lot of sea salt and pepper. Those spices will drawl out the doughy flavor and make it more mozerella like. Also add a little more nutritional yeast than called for in the recipe to really make it cheese like!
Carrie, there are some amazing vegan cheeses; just google them… some are now extremely successful commercial types but are amazing! Just google them… you will find them! Don’t give up!
This is incredible! i made it with the spinach artichoke dip for thanksgiving. My non vegan family enjoyed it as well. I would like to use this in a zita receipe. Do you suggest i double the receipe to get 1.5 cups cheese? Do you suggest adding some water to make it less stretchy so it mixes well with the pasta? If so, how much?
Hi Jackie! So happy you enjoyed. In my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan, I water the cheese down a bit with 1/3 cup of water when using it for pizza or lasagna so it is easier to spread and bakes up nicely. Enjoy!
Thank you! I look forward to purchasing your cookbook. ❤️
Yay!!! 😀
Taste is ok, but what’s great about it is it can be used as cementing paste, the mortar was coming lose in my bathroom tiles and I used this to glue them back, just fabulous…
Sorry you didn’t enjoy!
Hi!
Firstly can I say I ADORE this recipe, I’ve used it tons of times with almonds and cashews and it’s always delicious! I can’t thank you enough 🙂
I want to make enchilladas this weekend and pour the cheese in it’s liquid form (beofre cooking it and making it strechy and gooey, then bake it and hope it comes out the texture and consistency I’m looking for. Do you think that’s a horrible idea? Have you tried anything similar before?
Please let me know if you have any ideas 🙂
So happy you enjoy it, Rachel!
I would recommend cooking it fully first, but add a bit more water to make it a pourable consistency. That’s what I do for my pizza recipes in Fuss-Free Vegan 🙂 Enjoy!
Ok, brilliant! I’m going to do that! Thank you 🙂
OMG, Sam!
This stuff is so heavenly! My family loves it! I’m planning to make more of these for a vegan pizza recipe I’m doing this weekend. Hope it goes well!
Hahaha, awesome! So happy you are enjoying it. Enjoy the pizza!
Hello,
We have to avoid cashews. Is there a substitute for the nut? Thanks
Hi Nicole, you can use blanched almonds or macadamia nuts. If you need to avoid nuts altogether, I haven’t found a substitution I have loved but if you look through the comments, other readers have tried and enjoyed different replacements. Hope that helps!
I’ve heard of using tofu as a substitute.
Hemp seeds are supposed to be a good sub for nuts in vegan cheese recipes. I’m going to be trying t myself since I am allergic to nuts and I would be happy to share my results :).
Sunflower seeds are a great replacement but make sure they are raw.
Hi, I’ve been wanting to experiment with tapioca starch for a while now. My favorite vegan cheese has it as its main ingredient (dayia – it melts and stretches). I tried your recipe for and put it on a pizza. The stretchiness was nice but I didn’t get the ‘oily’ texture I like when the cheese actually melts. The cheese I am trying to imitate has water, tapioca starch and coconut oil as the 3 main ingredients. If I wanted to try and add oil (and reduce the amount of cashews) to this recipe, at which step would you suggest I do? I’m afraid if I put it in the blender, the tapioca will start to cook/thicken because melted coconut oil is hot. But then if I add id in the pan I don’t know if it will mix properly. Also worried about the taste (I dont want my cheese to actually taste like coconut). Thanks!
Hi Mylène, you can try adapting the recipe as you like, but as I haven’t tested your version before I am not really sure what the results would be. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Congrats on the cookbook. Hope there will be more to follow.
Love this recipe so much! Noticed that you’ve used sauerkraut/olive brine in your cookbook. Is there a big taste difference?
Thanks so much! It just has a little more flavour punch 🙂
Wow! If you haven’t already read the hundreds of other comments this is AMAZING! and Im a new vegan, past cheese fanatic so you have to believe that my mind was blown when I tried this recipe. Not only while eating it was i in amazement but it is stretchy, gooey and melts like real cheese I couldn’t stop thinking of the endless possibilities.. It arguably tastes BETTER than cheese! CHEAPER than a ball of mozeralla! and SO EASY! Thank you so much Sam! I can’t wait to fool my friends and family with a lasagna.
Hahaha! You’re most welcome, Destiny! So very happy you enjoyed it so much. Pretty cool right!? 😀
Hi, how did your lasagne turn out. I would like to make one and freeze it. What do you think.
Hey there! My flatmate is a vegan and I’d like to be able to cook more food she can eat. We don’t have a blender that could make anything near smooth enough for this though. Do you think we could get away with thinning some cashew butter down with a bit of water?
I haven’t tried it myself, but it might work. If possible, I would recommend picking up a cheap blender. It will make cooking much easier, and you can make all sorts of things like smoothies, soups, and sauces 🙂
Just fyi, I know high end blenders also have a high end price, but I was able to fund the jamba juice quiet blender on Amazon for between 65 and 98 dollars and it works so well I don’t even have to soak the cashews for any of the recipes I use. I know country of delivery may change cost/availability but I hope it helps!
This was AMAZING! How long will it keep in the fridge?
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it. I would say about 3-4 days in the fridge, a month in the freezer.
Yay! This was my first time making vegan cheese and not only was it quick and easy but it was delicious! I put dollops of it on some pizza I made. And then had 4 pieces haha. Thank you for the recipe!
That’s wonderful! SO happy you loved your first vegan cheese experiment, Nyeva!
I love the way you present this recipe. It’s so much fun. I have made so many dishes with this cheese and it’s perfect every time. It’s become my most shared recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Yay! Thank you! So happy you love it so much 😀
I just made this and I plan to use it to make loaded baked mac and cheese for dinner! I’m so excited!
My plan is onions, peppers, broccoli, macaroni missed with your cheese topped with bread crumbs and baked! Does anyone have suggestions if I should cook the veggies before or put them on raw and let them cook while it bakes.
Thanks! 🙂
I would cook the veggies and boil the pasta ahead of time, then mix it all together with the cheese and bake. 🙂
Made a double recipe last night and used it to make lasagna. OH, MY … it was fantastic. (Needless to say it also makes fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches, etc., but it made the lasagna.)
Yay! Thrilled you love it, Mary 🙂
if i prep this ahead of time, can i just blend it and leave the heating until later? really excited to try it!
That should work fine, you might just want to give it a quick blend again before cooking in case stuff settles to the bottom. Enjoy!
I put it in a pitcher or bottle with a screw lid, and give a ooh shake before I cook it. It’s so great to have it always ready, and I can pour out as much or as little as I need.
This works great for pizza! After some experimentation, I’ve found what works best for me is to pour it on the pizza right after blending so the final cooking step happens in the oven. Thanks for this!!
Oh that’s cool, never tried that! So happy you like it, Erica!
I will have to try that! I was so excited to use it for pizza, but struggled with spreading it. I found that if I spread it out to desired thickness on a piece of foil (or, lately I just cut open my flatzza package and use it as a “template” for size ), stick it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes- it peels right off and can be payed on top of sauce before baking.
Can I use coconut flour instead of any starch?
Only tapioca starch will give it the melty stretchy gooey texture.
I’m curious why all vegan cheese recipes end up being so garlicy? Is it because the “cheese” would have almost no taste at all, otherwise? I know it’s possible for vegan cheese to not taste like garlic, because I finally found a package of “Follow Your Heart” gouda cheese, and it wasn’t garlicy at all. I’ve never had packaged fake cheese before, and decided to try it because it happened to be there. But that carrot potato mix everyone posts tastes strongly of garlic, and this one does, too. I am currently baking a pizza with this on it, so maybe the garlic taste won’t matter. I did like the texture, though. Was surprised how rapidly it started to solidify once it got going. Just removed it from the oven, and the cheese puffed up a whole bunch. I had it cooking on the top shelf, so that may have been what caused that. Anyway, I wonder if it would work without adding garlic, or would it be too bland? Either all vegans are into garlic, or else that’s the only taste that comes through with these recipes. I’d really rather not spend $5 or more for fake cheese, but none of the recipes I’m trying are working. That potato carrot thing is really awful. At least so far, this stuff is a little like cheese. Don’t know how it tastes in a recipe yet.
Hi Stacey, you can add (or not add) garlic powder to taste. If you find it bland you can add other spices. Enjoy!
Hey Stacey! I’m allergic to garlic and onion so I take it out of every recipe ever. I sometimes add in some paprika or liquid smoke but usually I don’t notice the absence.
I hope that’s in some way helpful 🙂 x
What sorcery is this?!
I don’t know where to start lol. My son has kinda severe CMPA, so I tried another recipe previously and we both almost died of the yuckiness because the nutritional yeast was TOO much. I was VERY VEERRYY skeptical about this cheese, braced myself for disappointment BUT!!!! I loved it! My mom likes it which means it’s BOMB and she didn’t even know it wasn’t cheese! The best part is my DS loves it. He ate it with a spoon out of the pot. He is an extremely (not even close to his level) picky eater. I am so happy for this recipe. I put it on a pizza and that was a winner. Saved the recipe. I managed to hide some lol! That will be his cheese sandwich tomorrow. I am excited he can eat this because he had been begging did cheese since he could talk.
Thank you soooo much.
Haha! So very happy it was such a surprise hit for you, Eve 😀
HEllo there! I am excited to try this recipe this weekend for pizza! Just a few questions…Do I have to let it cool down before putting it on my pizza and will baking it for a long time (45min) over cook it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Amber, you do not have to let it cool down, and can use it right away. I normally bake my pizzas for about 20 – 25 minutes, and the cheese gets lightly golden on top, so I would think 45 minutes would be too long depending on the temperature. Hope that helps!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!! This stuff is so delicious. I made it with almonds. I purchased raw almonds so I had to blanch them. It was very easy. After that I cooked them for about 25 minutes. Once I put it in the pan and started cooking it took no time at all and the cheeze was ready. Even my 18 year old omni son said “Wow”. Thank you for an awesome recipe!!!
You’re most welcome, Lindsey! So very happy you and your son enjoyed it so much 😀
Love this recipe! The first time I made it I used raw cashews according to the directions. The 2nd time, I used 1/4 cup of pre-made cashew butter and had great results!
I saw a couple people asking about it this so I thought I’d share my experience. My blender isn’t the greatest, bless its heart, so it’s hard to get the cashews blended enough. The cashew butter made it super smooth. I did add a bit more vinegar and a touch of yellow mustard to compensate for my cashew butter being slightly sweetened. I didn’t find the resulting cheese to be any oilier than when I used raw cashews. Hope this helps someone!
So happy to hear that cashew butter worked for you, Emily! I must try it myself 🙂
Wow!! Amazing!!
(And im not a vegan)
Just yumyyyy
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Hadar 🙂
Very late comment considering the initiall posting date, but we recently just made this and were floored. We had never tried stretchy vegan mozz so didn’t know what to expect. This is absolutely delicious! Our 6 year old and 9 year old were eating it with a spoon and wanting more. Although cashews are expensive, we compared the cost of making this vs buying dairy cheese (we are only on about an 95% vegan diet so far), and it is cheaper too. Thank you for helping us get one step closer to eating plant based foods only.
Woohoo! Love that you and your kids enjoyed it so much!! Yes, raw cashews are expensive, but if you can find places to buy them in bulk such as online, or in bulk food stores, you can save money for sure. Thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂
I avoid buying anything from those bins in the bulk food stores due to pantry moths. It took us nearly a year to get rid of those little pests. Overall, the cashews we found at Costco, which happily did not come from China, are still cheaper than dairy options, not to mention that they are wonderfully cruelty-free.
What we are looking for are nut-free possibilities for the children to take to school for snacks. This is always a challenge…..
Thank you so much for your quick reply….
Hi there. I have a child with severe peanut & treenut allergies, so I know this struggle very well. For other recipes which call for cashews, I sub white kidney beans or sunflower seeds.
This was so good! It is my first time ever making vegan cheese, and I was a bit intimidated by it, but it was so easy and deliciously melty. I am wondering whether there’s a way to it up to slice it for caprese salad (tomato, basil, mozzarella slices with balsamic vinegar)? Would I need an entirely different recipe, or is there a way I could modify this one to make it more solid?
Thanks again!
So happy you enjoyed it, Haley! You could try adding agar powder to the recipe, but I’m not sure of the amounts, and it would make the cheese less melty and gooey. EnjoY!
I made this last night and it was easy and quick to make. When I first tasted it I thought, yeah its ok then noticed I couldn’t stop dipping tortilla chips in it. It was delicious and fun!
Haha! So happy you enjoyed it, Chrissy!
Made this today and it was pretty good! Didn’t put in the apple cider vinegar. Didn’t add enough water though I think, so it didn’t make as much and almost thickened immediately, it also kinda stayed blobs on my pizza in the oven, but overall I really liked it, will try to make a grilled cheese with it tomorrow! My dad tried it too and thought it tasted ok, I mean it doesnt taste like actual mozzarella (but then, how much of a taste has that) but as a cheesy thing its definitely good!
The apple cider vinegar will help it taste more like mozzarella, and using the right amount of water will help it be more melty and gooey and less blobby, if you ever test it out again. Happy you enjoyed it!
Hi!
Have you attempted to make mozzarella sticks with this cheese? If so any tips?
Thank you!
I haven’t, but that’s a great idea! I will add it to my list 🙂
This is amazing! I could eat it every day…and have been for the past week 🙂 today I wanted to mix it up a bit, so held the garlic, added a pinch of onion salt, and a heaping teaspoon of dill weed. Tasted great!
Oh yes, the seasoning combos are endless!! So happy it’s become a new staple for you, Kari 😀
This is so good. I make sure to have some prepared in my refrigerator at all times. I put it on everything! Quesadillas, burgers, paninis, you name it!! I can’t wait to thin it down a bit and use it for Mac n’ cheese! I know you have Mac n’ cheese recipes, but this tastes so good, I’m just going to figure out how to make it work!
Aww yay!! Thrilled you love it so much. Yes, my fave mac and cheese recipe is in my new cookbook 😀
This sounds really good and I wish I could try it, but I can’t eat nuts or other fatty foods. They make me ill. Are there any other recipes for this kind of cheese that have a substitute for cashews? I am getting pretty desperate for a good vegan cheese!
Hi Michelle, some other people in the comments have tried coconut milk, potatoes, and sunflower seeds. Personally, I have never had much success with those, but you are welcome to try. You could also try making mac & cheese with my cauliflower based sauce. Hope that helps!
Thank you for your quick reply, Sam. You strike me as the adventurous, determined type! I bet in time you’ll come up with some. In the meantime, I will just have to save my pennies up for some Daiya cheese, but I have tried cauliflower sauce before and it’s good.
Yesterday was my first visit to your blog, and the fact that you actually reply to your comments is a motivating factor for returning ( besides your wonderful recipes, of course:)
Aww thank you so much! Glad you are enjoying my blog 🙂
Hey Michelle!
I’ve made this five times (once, I quadrupled the batch)…and *all* times I used raw/organic sunflower seeds.
The first time I had just got finished making sunflower seed milk (which I didn’t much care for, btw), and didn’t even see that it was supposed to be unstrained…so I threw in 1/4 cup of the seed-pulp I’d just strained at the last minute…and it turned out perfectly.
The last few times I made it, I’ve made ‘double batches’ (and that quad batch), but for the double batch which should be 1 cup of sunflower seeds, I’ve been really happy with just 3/4 a cup (why add calories and/or use what you don’t have to, eh?)…but others have said it works just perfectly ‘as written’…and I’m sure it does!
I add a few pinches of mustard powder (always makes nutritional yeast a bit cheesier), and add a bit more ACV for my taste.
So far in all my vegan cheese making I’ve found I can sub sunflower seeds for cashews without problem (just a slight difference in taste).
Happy Melty Cheese!
Great tips, Kristi!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Its four servings, what is the serving size?
Hi Sam,
I want to try making this recipe this weekend but I’m wondering – can I make it in advance? How long does it last in the fridge in your experience and would it be best to keep in wrapped in plastic like cheese or in a tupperware?
Thanks! 🙂
The cheese stays in a melty state, even when chilled. Store it in a tupperware container, and follow the tips on how to reheat it in the note section under the recipe. Enjoy!
I just made this and it turned out perfect and tasted delish…just one thing wrong it had a kinda powdery taste like the flour hadn’t disolved properly or combined properly. Can you tell me why this might have been and how I could make sure it doesn’t happen for the next batch? it is seriously the only thing that went wrong with this otherwise seriously delicious recipe.
So happy you enjoyed it, Debbie! It can taste a bit powdery if the tapioca starch doesn’t get fully cooked. So next time, try keeping it on the heat a little longer. Once the cheese is formed, I usually keep stirring and cooking it for an additional minute or two to ensure it is cooked through. Enjoy!
I wonder if you could freeze this somewhat for the purposes of grating it and then put it on pizza?
Yes, other readers have tried that. You can do that, but it melts almost instantly once grated so make sure to grate directly onto the pizza. Enjoy!
Hey! Nutritional yeast is super hard to find in the uk, so I was wondering if anyone knew whether this still works without it? I’ll be able to source some online but since that’ll take a while to get here we wondered if there were any alternatives. Thanks!
It will work without, but it might be lacking in flavour, so I would try amping up some of the other spices a bit. Enjoy!
Do you have a Holland & Barret anywhere near you? I found it there and my local one is a small branch so I would imagine any H&B will have it. It’s made by Marigold under the name Engevita. HTH!
Order off Amazon! Cheaper than H&B 🙂 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Engevita-Savoury-Yeast-Condiment-Pack/dp/B00A4C48LQ
Holland and Barrett or Amazon both sell nutritional yeast 🙂
I just finally made it! 😀 I am so pleased and will make it again and again. Thank you Sam!!!!!
What I did was use 3/4 C cashews, was a bit heavier handed on the spices and added onion powder and a pinch of curry powder, and in place of water used 1/2 C coconut milk fat cream from the top of the can, and 1/2 C of the coconut milk water (bottom of can)
It cooked up almost immediately because the pot was so hot from having just boiled the cashews really well!
Next time, being me, I might season even more. As it first cooled I was a little concerned it was a bit too rubbery, but now I don’t think so. I am interested in how altering the amount of cashews or cook up time will effect the texture. It does sort of have a very slight sweet taste, presumably from all the coconut, but it’s really not bad at all. It has a very good savory taste and you can’t taste the coconut flavor at all.
Has anyone tried soaking the cashews instead of boiling them?
oh also next time I will try lemon juice instead of apple cider to see how that is, and I realized maybe it’s the amount of tapioca that effects the texture? It’s a good texture though!
Glad you enjoyed it! The texture is getting rubbery from the extra 1/4 cup of cashews you used. Try 1/2 cup as suggested, and I bet you will like the texture better. You can definitely soak the cashews, it won’t make a difference in the cheese as far as taste or texture goes tho. Enjoy!
Hey! Thanks for the extra tips…. how did it go with the lemon juice substitution? We have a lemon tree and apple cider vinegar is really expensive here, so would be perfect if it worked out.
Lemon juice will work for sure, just a slightly different flavour. Enjoy!
I used cashews that had been soaked and frozen. I used them in the Vitamix straight from the freezer and it worked perfectly.
First of all… love the recipe! Tastes delicious and is stretchy. I made two batches to compare. The second batch I used Arrow Root flour instead (without adding the additional +2 teaspoons) and did not put in the garlic powder.
I heated a garlic clove and rosemary in a teaspoon of olive oil first then poured in the mixture in the sauce pan. Firmed right up and just as stretchy!
HOLY DELICIOUS CRAP! I’ve decided to pull out the rest of my ingredients, make a pizza shell and top it off with this!
Thank you so much for sharing. Terrific recipe! #ThankYou for the #Vegan #Cheese
Haha! You’re most welcome Anthony! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I was just wondering if anyone tried it with arrowroot. That’s all I have and dying to make this for pizza! Thank you! Going to try it with arrow root
Arrowroot will make a cheese sauce, but only tapioca will give it that stretchy texture. Enjoy!
does it mess it up to leave out the yeast? 🙂
Yup. Nutritional Yeast is not the same type as a baking or rising yeast. It’s the “Parmesan” of vegan and it’s healthy and tasty and cheap! You can put it on anything.
The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavour, so without it, the cheese might be pretty bland.
Hi, I tried the recipe after all the comments being so positive and excited over this. Well, I guess I am in the minority as I did not care for it. On the plus side, it was super easy to make. I got it done in very little time and it came together just as you described. I would describe the taste as pretty salty. I did not care for the garlic taste at all, I would leave that out the next time. I would probably do something other than water, because the creaminess of a really good quality mozzarella was lacking. Maybe I’d try the full-fat coconut milk like another reader suggested. What I think was most off-putting for me was the texture. Yes, it was stretchy but where mozzarella has a rubbery-type stretchiness this was more gluey and “gloopy” for lack of a better word. I actually felt a bit ill after a few bites. If I could improve on the mouthfeel and overall texture I think I’d like it a whole lot better. I’m sorry for any negativity, I just SO wanted to love it like so many other people did. I’m a true cheese lover so trying to find alternatives has been a big struggle.
Sorry the recipe wasn’t to your taste! I hope you find one you enjoy.
I agree. I made this at it seemed gelatinous, it was mucousy not gooey.
Same. I was disappointed, Might try it with coconut milk instead of water & cut down on the tapioca. Glad others have like it though.
This is amazing! First time I ever made vegan cheese (after buying 5lbs of raw cashews this weekend to make a vegan cheesecake). So delicious. This will definitely be a repeat recipe. My boyfriend devoured it. It was so gooey and flavorful. I made it exactly as your recipe says, wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you!
Woohoo! Thrilled you and your boyfriend loved it so much, Victoria 🙂
Have you ever tried it with something other than cashews? I have a tree nut allergy, so I’m looking for a suitable replacement!
I know almonds work well, but I don’t think that would work for you. If you scroll through the comments, other readers have tried everything from coconut milk, to potato, to tofu, and say they have been successful. I haven’t tried however, so I can’t guarantee results. Hope that helps!
To reheat can this be microwaved so I can take left. Overs to work?
Yep, that should be just fine. 🙂
Sam, have you tried this recipe in mac & cheese, or any other recipe where it’s baked? Just curious if it would still be gooey.
Yes! It works wonderfully. Enjoy!
Hello!! I just made this and it is AMAZING!! I didn’t have tapioca starch on hand, so I substituted glutinous rice flour and it came out perfect! Cooked a bit faster than 5 minutes though, so if you’re using glutinous rice flour just a heads up! 🙂 Thank you so much for this yummy recipe!! Making your artichoke dip now with it 🙂
Wow, that’s an interesting sub! So happy you love it so much and it turned out perfectly for you 🙂
If I were to freeze it, how long would it stay good? I’d like to make a big batch of this and be able to use it whenever I get a cheese craving. Thanks!!
I think it would last about a month in an airtight container. Enjoy!
I just made this complete in a Vitamix. I just put all the ingredients in (and doubled the recipe), without soaking the cashews, and I think it turned out fine! It got cooked in the Vitamix.
The only challenge is getting it all out, but that’s OK.
Very cool! Good to know 🙂
Hi Sam, I’m not sure if you check the comments here anymore but I have a question. I’ve made this cheese twice so far and every time it comes out slightly gritty. Like there are tiny cashew pieces that haven’t disintegrated in the food processor for some reason. Is that normal? Should I process the cheese a bit longer? I was thinking maybe putting it through a strainer might help. Thanks!
Putting the cashews through a strainer is one of the notes.
Hi Julia! Yep, still answering comments all the time. (Although this one is a bit delayed as I just got back from holiday). Yes, if you check out the notes on the recipe it recommends straining the liquid after blending if you don’t have a high-powered blender (such as a Blendtec or Vitamix) to ensure a smooth cheese consistency.
Can you bake this? I want to make a lasagna by the I don’t know if I should put on the cheese on before or after I bake it.
Yes absolutely, prepare the cheese then spread onto your lasagna and bake away!
Just made this cheese as a topping for vegan meatball subs………. phenomenal. My boyfriend said “this cheese is SO gooey, how did you do it???” Thank you so much for this recipe!
Boom! Can’t get a much better review than that!! So happy you and your boyfriend loved it Kayla!! 🙂
I want to use this in an aubergine and tomato sauce bake – do I add it straight from the blender and skip the last stage, or cook it in the pan and then add it in between my aubergine layers? I want it to be gooey when I take it out of the oven!
Oooo sounds delish! Cook the cheese first then use it. You might want to add a bit more water to the cheese to make it a bit easier to spread. It will come out fabulously gooey! Enjoy!
Hi Sam! Can I use potato starch instead of tapioca starch? What is the difference?
Hi Patty, if you read the post or recipe, it explains that any other starch will not get the same results.
Can I put regular tapioca in my Vitamix and make tapioca flour?
Yes, you can!
Oh my gosh. This is AMAZING. I could eat it by the spoonful.
Woohoo! So happy to hear that 🙂
Ugh…our football team, the Seattle Seahawks, JUST got knocked out of the playoffs. Time for Games Night and Sam’s artichoke dip…with a spoon!!!! 🙂
Haha! Well at least the artichoke dip is enjoyed!
Waaaaaah this is AMAZING!!!! For anyone wondering: I made this with arrowroot flou rinstead of tapioca and the result was magnificent!! Maybe not as crazily stretchy as with tapioca, but the gooey texture is certainly there and it does stretch a bit.
Delicious. Easy, Healthy, thank you 🙂
Woohoo! So happy you loved it Farah 🙂
Thanks for sharing. I made this with corn flour (because I didn’t have any tapioca) for an eggplant lasagna and it turned out amazing! https://www.instagram.com/p/BPA4NEKhi1U/
Yay! So happy you loved it 🙂
I was hoping to find someone who tried this with corn flour. That’s all I have at home, so I’ll give it a shot!!!
Corn flour would make a cheese like sauce, but only tapioca starch will give it that stretchiness.
My children wanted Rotel dip on New Years Day. I did not want to buy one more block of Velveeta! I’m done with junk/fake food. So I made your “cheese” and added a can of Rotel tomatoes.
THEY LOVED IT!
In between bites, my daughter said the taste was different. My son just inhaled it. He loves any kind of nacho cheese.
They aren’t so keen with it on pizza. We’ll have to work on that one.
Thanks so much!
Hahaha, that’s awesome! So happy everyone loved it, so much healthier for them too. You might be interested in next trying my Vegan Nacho Cheese recipe. Enjoy!
Can this be cooked entirely in a Vitamix? You don’t say how long to blend it all so I wonder if it can just stay in the Vitamix and get cooked that way.