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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Cheeses

    January 23, 2015 1,000 Comments

    Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella

    147.1K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    Easy Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. Just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, nachos- it's the best! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #vegancheese #veganrecipe

    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:

    Blend the ingredients in a high-powered blender.

    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!

    The mozzarella starts to form quickly!

    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.

    homemade vegan mozzarella is so easy to make and melts beautifully!

    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.

    Easy Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. Just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, nachos- it's the best! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #vegancheese #veganrecipe

    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?

    Easy Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. Just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, nachos- it's the best! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #vegancheese #veganrecipe

    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.

    Easy Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. Just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, nachos- it's the best! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #vegancheese #veganrecipe

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam.

    Print Recipe
    4.96 from 338 votes

    Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella

    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.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course : Side DishSnack
    Cuisine : AmericanCanadianItalian
    Servings: 4 (makes about 1 cup)
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    • ½ 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
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    Softening the cashews:

    • Softening the cashews first helps them blend. 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.

    To make the vegan mozzarella:

    • 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 stirring 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.

    Notes

    *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

    Serving: 1serving (¼ of the recipe) | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

     

     

    « Tuscan Vegetable Soup
    Vegan Mozzarella Grilled Cheese »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nigel k says

      June 06, 2023 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      I don't know that I'd say it tastes like mozzarella but it does work well on pizza and is a great GREAT base for spinach artichoke dip.

      I feel like real mozzarella has a more buttery taste and contemplated adding vegan butter to it but I ended up using everything as the aforementioned dip.

      Found this recipe in the Fuss Free Vegan cookbook (which is amazing!) and thought it was so good I had to track it down online to leave a review.

      So many good recipes. As a recently converted vegan from vegetarian you've been a great source of information so thanks.

      Reply
    2. Susan says

      May 03, 2023 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      I made this quick Mozzarella tonight for a quick vegan pizza for my husband who has to go whole food plant base grudgingly because of health reasons. He ABSOLUTELY loved it! That says volumes because he always refused to eat my food, meat & potatoes for him. Thank you for the cause!

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        May 08, 2023 at 2:01 pm

        We're so thrilled to hear he enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Melissa says

      March 20, 2023 at 3:56 pm

      2 stars
      I hate to be a bummer here, but this just tastes like stretchy cashew cream sauce. Just meh.

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        March 21, 2023 at 3:15 pm

        Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy! You may want to check out the many other Vegan Cheese recipes to see if there is another recipe that may appeal to you! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Sarina says

      February 25, 2023 at 9:57 am

      5 stars
      This was fantastic for lasagna! I used corn starch instead of tapioca flour and it came out well. I will Diego text be using this again, and will test the flavor/texture/usage difference between the two thickeners.

      Reply
    5. Marj says

      February 05, 2023 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      Loved it!!!! Best vegan cheeses ever! Hey, has Anybody tried freezing this?

      Reply
      • Maureen says

        May 17, 2023 at 1:55 pm

        5 stars
        I always make a double batch and then freeze one of them. Just give it a good stir up once thawed out and it's good to go.

        Reply
    6. Christine Tetreault says

      January 17, 2023 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      Ermygawd!!! This is freaking magic and alchemy wrapped into one. This is day two on my Veganuary challenge, and I just made this dip. It was soooooo much fun to make and watch the texture transmorgify. It is crazy delicious, too. I am having so much fun trying your recipes…thank you.

      Reply
    7. Jen says

      January 13, 2023 at 6:33 pm

      I'm confused about the water amount in this recipe. It gives an amount in the recipe but then the directions say something about 1 cup of water. if this in addition to the amount in the recipe? I made these, successfully, years ago but when I made it a few days ago, it was rather gummy. Thanks for some insight!

      Reply
    8. Kevin Bosch says

      January 02, 2023 at 1:02 pm

      4 stars
      Glad I found this recipe. But I have a question...how do you apply it to pizza? The best that I could do was in small balls, ala margherita-style. Also, it never really got to a hot/bubly state by the time the rest of the pizza was done. Thoughts on that?

      Lastly, how do you store this? And if the answer is to freeze, do you simply thaw to re-use?

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Carrie says

        January 13, 2023 at 4:52 pm

        I came here with the exact same questions, after getting a basically identical recipe elsewhere. I did put mine on pizza, and it turned out the same. As for freezing, it should theoretically freeze okay because it's tapioca starch (corn starch breaks down when frozen) but I'd like confirmation on that.

        Reply
    9. Leslie says

      September 11, 2022 at 10:23 pm

      5 stars
      So good and easy!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 13, 2022 at 3:27 pm

        Yay!!

        Reply
    10. Donna says

      July 13, 2022 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      You are a superstar! Thank you for all of your amazing recipes. Keep on rockin!

      Reply
    11. Iodine says

      July 04, 2022 at 6:09 pm

      5 stars
      Cannot believe how easy and delicious this recipe is. I used my NutriBullet and didn’t need to strain the cheeze. This was my first time using tapioca flour, and it was mesmerizing watching the mozzarella coagulate. Thanks!

      Reply
    12. Jayne says

      June 26, 2022 at 4:11 pm

      I made this and really liked it. My Dh not so much.

      It makes a lot, so I ended up having to freeze it, twice! The first time it bounced back nicely in the microwave, the second time I had to add a little water and mix it with a whisk over heat for a bit.

      I added a bit to my vegan mac and cheese and it made the dish very creamy and cheesy. Definitely a keeper. Thank you!

      Reply
    13. Kristin says

      June 24, 2022 at 8:50 am

      5 stars
      This cheese is insanely easy and insanely delicious! I made a margarita pizza with this and it was probably the best vegan pizza I've ever had. I will make this over and over, for sure.

      Reply
    14. Beaudi Gibbons says

      June 07, 2022 at 3:07 am

      Hi, I have an allergy to nuts, therefore, can't use the cashews in the recipe, Is there something I can substitute it for?

      Reply
      • Maureen Cram says

        June 21, 2022 at 11:29 am

        5 stars
        I have used sunflower seeds when I make it for my daughter who doesn't eat cashews.

        Reply
        • Chrissy says

          June 23, 2022 at 3:23 pm

          5 stars
          My daughter is allergic to cashew and peanuts. I just used hemp seeds and it’s delicious! I did add some more ACV and salt . I’m not sure if that’s my flavor preference or if it had to do with the hemp seeds. Yummy recipe!!

        • Kristin says

          June 26, 2022 at 12:34 pm

          How did it turn out with the sunflower seeds?

        • Maureen Cram says

          June 26, 2022 at 1:40 pm

          5 stars
          Forgot to say she loved it using the sunflower seeds.Slightly darker in color but tasted great.

    15. WritingWyo says

      June 01, 2022 at 3:26 pm

      If you use this on pizza or lasagna, do you put it on before you bake it or after? I just found a great vegan ricotta recipe and would love to make a lasagna

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 13, 2022 at 9:08 am

        Before you bake. Enjoy!

        Reply
        • WritimgWyo says

          June 13, 2022 at 9:23 am

          Awesome! I've made it once, and it was amazing! My omnivore husband approved, so it looks like lasagna is in my future! I've been recommending your website and plan to try more recipes. Might buy the cookbooks too. Thanks for the great resource!

    16. Anissa says

      May 16, 2022 at 8:25 pm

      5 stars
      My family really loves this recipe. We make it all of the time. We never have tapioca starch on hand, so we just substitute with corn starch, throw everything in a bowl and microwave for speed.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 26, 2022 at 10:35 am

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    17. Robert says

      February 17, 2022 at 1:33 am

      I made it and it's pretty good. The closet thing I can find to real cheese. Better than what is sold in stores. Now I can make a pizza or lasagna once in a while. Thank you.

      Reply
    18. Meg says

      January 12, 2022 at 9:23 am

      5 stars
      Fantastic recipe. Substitute slivered almonds if I am in a hurry as all they need is a quick soak in hot water to blend smoothly. The almond version tastes a little more "ricotta" like (but obviously without the ricotta texture). The cashew version is a much better choice when replicating cheese, but wanted to throw out the almond version out there as I saw some people commenting about it.

      Also, I did not want to comment on this but I can't help myself. I would not have found this recipe if it weren't for your blog. If you are in the blogging world, sharing is caring, as there literally are billions of recipes all very similar. All about finding your own take. I've seen similar recipes to this elsewhere, but this one is the easiest to access, and has the clearest instructions. Thank you for your post, and thanks to everyone else who contributes to providing easy, free recipes to vegans.

      Reply
    19. Marna Scarpaci says

      December 29, 2021 at 6:15 am

      What's up to every one, since I am really eager of reading this webpage's post to be updated daily. It contains nice information.

      Reply
    20. Stephanie says

      December 07, 2021 at 11:21 am

      I followed this exactly and its very gummy and unpleasant. Any ideas where I went wrong as all other reviews are positive!!! I've tried loosening with more water but gummy texture remains.

      Reply
      • B says

        January 11, 2022 at 11:17 am

        I've been having the same difficulty. I still like the flavor but I have to fight with it to get it on pizza. I'm thinking I need to use less tapioca starch?

        Reply
        • Annie says

          May 26, 2022 at 8:20 pm

          This recipe is amazing for its ease of making and versatility. I use an icing bag to spread it out on pizza or lasagna.

          All non-dairy cheeses fail to live up to the real thing until you stop insisting that they taste the same as dairy cheese. If the gummy texture is a major turn-off and you want it to taste more like the real thing then you may need to spend more time making a cultured cheese. It's a pain, but doable.

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