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It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Fuss-Free Vegan Recipes

January 23, 2015 796 Comments

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella

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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.

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. This dairy-free mozzarella recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, the uses are endless. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

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 lightly 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.

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. This dairy-free mozzarella recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, the uses are endless. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

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!

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. This dairy-free mozzarella recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, the uses are endless. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

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.

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. This dairy-free mozzarella recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, the uses are endless. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

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.

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. This dairy-free mozzarella recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, the uses are endless. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

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?

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. This dairy-free mozzarella recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, the uses are endless. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

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.

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. This dairy-free mozzarella recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and only 7 ingredients! Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, fondue, the uses are endless. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

*This recipe is adapted from Somer McCowan’s Fresh Moxarella Cheese. Be sure to try the original version and check out her blog Vedged Out.

4.62 from 209 votes
Print
Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Inspired by Vedged Out.
Course: Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Canadian, Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 123 kcal
Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 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
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Add the cashews to a small pot and with water. Bring to a boil for 10 to 15 minutes until they are softened. This will make them easier to blend.
  2. Drain and rinse the cashews and add them along with the 1 cup of water and all the remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. It will be very watery.
  3. Pour into a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, and continually stir as it cooks. As you stir it will start forming clumps, and then all of a sudden it will become a cheesy gooey mass of yumminess. This takes about 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir for an additional minute to make sure it has firmed up completely. Serve hot. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Recipe 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 tablespoon of water at a time, stirring it in until desired consistency is reached.
*If you don't have a high-powered blender, you may 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.

Bon Appetegan!

Sam


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Categories: 10 ingredients or less Tags: appetizer, best, Cashew, cheese, cheeze, creamy, dairy free, dip, easy, egg free, Garlic, gluten free, gooey, healthy, homemade, melts, melty, mozzarella, oil free, pizza, plant based, quick, quick and easy, recipe, snack, step by step, stretches, stretcy, tapioca, vegan, vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenna says

    January 30, 2019 at 7:04 pm

    This recipe is SO GOOD I have it memorized. You will find yourself making it over and over again.
    Thanks Sam!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 5, 2019 at 1:22 pm

      Haha! That’s awesome, thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Jenna 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jenny says

    January 15, 2019 at 6:46 am

    Used this inside homemade garlic dough balls – amazzziiinnnggggg! Thanks so much x

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 16, 2019 at 9:44 am

      Ohhh that sounds epic!! 🙂

      Reply
    • Irina says

      January 21, 2019 at 3:59 pm

      Hello! Can you write mesures in Metric pls?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 25, 2019 at 3:06 pm

        Working on it!

        Reply
  3. Pam says

    January 14, 2019 at 1:28 pm

    Loved, Loved this recipe. Used it on veggie lasagna.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 16, 2019 at 9:32 am

      Yay!!! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Pam 🙂

      Reply
  4. Betty says

    January 12, 2019 at 5:21 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 14, 2019 at 10:51 am

      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!

      Reply
  5. Maureen Cram says

    December 24, 2018 at 8:57 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 3, 2019 at 10:08 am

      Sounds delish!!!!! Wish I could try 🙂

      Reply
  6. Carol says

    December 19, 2018 at 12:46 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 3, 2019 at 9:43 am

      Oh that’s so awesome, Carol! So happy you are enjoying my recipes so much 🙂

      Reply
  7. Angela says

    December 16, 2018 at 9:12 am

    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 :))

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 18, 2018 at 10:40 am

      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?

      Reply
  8. Essa Grey says

    November 25, 2018 at 1:21 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 27, 2018 at 5:43 pm

      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 🙂

      Reply
  9. Kara_western says

    November 14, 2018 at 4:57 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 17, 2018 at 4:24 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Rob says

        January 13, 2019 at 5:17 am

        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.

        Reply
  10. Alicia Cromwell says

    November 10, 2018 at 4:24 pm

    Well I have tried a handful of vegan cheeses and this is the only one we really like! Thanks for the recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 12, 2018 at 4:18 pm

      That’s awesome! Thrilled you like it so much, Alicia 🙂

      Reply
  11. Zaden says

    October 28, 2018 at 10:35 pm

    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 ^^.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 29, 2018 at 10:28 am

      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.

      Reply
  12. Laura says

    October 6, 2018 at 2:23 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 9, 2018 at 7:52 am

      Glad you enjoy, Laura 🙂

      Reply
  13. Jes says

    September 26, 2018 at 10:45 am

    So could I use gluten free flour ( it has tapioca flour in it).. instead of just tapioca flour?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 28, 2018 at 4:42 pm

      No I would recommend using straight tapioca flour.

      Reply
  14. Nicole says

    September 13, 2018 at 3:38 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 13, 2018 at 10:00 am

      Awesome, so happy you enjoyed!

      Reply
  15. James says

    September 6, 2018 at 8:02 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 6, 2018 at 8:47 am

      Great idea!

      Reply
  16. shakila says

    August 25, 2018 at 4:21 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 27, 2018 at 11:34 am

      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!

      Reply
  17. Julie Nguyen says

    August 16, 2018 at 3:28 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 17, 2018 at 10:39 am

      Yay!!!! So very thrilled you love it so much, Julie! Thanks for the fabulous review 🙂

      Reply
  18. Jessica says

    August 8, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    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…

    Reply
  19. Jersey Robinson says

    August 8, 2018 at 5:08 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 9, 2018 at 10:39 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Jersey Robinson says

        August 9, 2018 at 4:48 pm

        Ok thanks!

        Reply
        • Jersey Robinson says

          August 9, 2018 at 4:51 pm

          About how much does one batch make? I’m wondering if I should double it for the lasagna…

          Reply
          • Sam Turnbull says

            August 13, 2018 at 9:06 am

            About 1 1/2 cups.

  20. RoseAnne says

    July 31, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 3, 2018 at 7:20 pm

      Wonderful!!! So happy you no longer have to miss anything! 🙂

      Reply
  21. Rebecca says

    July 29, 2018 at 12:17 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 31, 2018 at 8:55 am

      Aww that’s so awesome! I’m so delighted you are enjoying my recipes so much!! Thank you so much, Rebecca 🙂

      Reply
      • Deborah Rene says

        August 3, 2018 at 10:12 am

        Can this cheese substitute be used in eggplant parmesan? I haven’t tried it yet, but I will this weekend.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          August 3, 2018 at 7:25 pm

          Absolutely!

          Reply
  22. Emily says

    July 17, 2018 at 5:40 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 19, 2018 at 10:44 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Jamie says

        September 14, 2018 at 8:46 pm

        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!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          September 17, 2018 at 8:43 am

          Glad you enjoyed!

          Reply
  23. Emilie Perron says

    July 10, 2018 at 3:07 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 11, 2018 at 4:50 pm

      Glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  24. Karen Ackerman says

    July 3, 2018 at 8:17 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 8, 2018 at 12:40 pm

      Yep, I see both of your comments! Yes you can freeze it. Enjoy!

      Reply
  25. Christina says

    June 25, 2018 at 10:25 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 1, 2018 at 8:45 am

      Hi Christina, both recipes are great and it will depend on your flavour preferences, but the cookbook has my new and improved version. Enjoy!

      Reply
  26. Sonia says

    June 5, 2018 at 10:54 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 8, 2018 at 4:28 pm

      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. 🙂

      Reply
  27. Gabriella says

    June 4, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    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!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 5, 2018 at 8:53 am

      Amazing! Welcome, Gabriella, I hope you enjoy it 🙂

      Reply
  28. Christina says

    May 29, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    Hi! Do you have an alternative to cashews that would work? My boyfriend has a nut allergy. I was thinking maybe garbanzo beans?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 30, 2018 at 10:54 am

      I’ve heard people had good success with sunflower seeds. I think it does give it a green tinge tho.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        August 6, 2018 at 9:22 pm

        Would pine nuts work? My daughter is allergic to cashews.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          August 9, 2018 at 10:24 am

          I have never tried pine nuts, but blanched almonds work well.

          Reply
  29. Jennifer Loula says

    May 28, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    How big is a serving? And how long does this cheese last for?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 30, 2018 at 10:37 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Karen Ackerman says

        July 3, 2018 at 8:09 pm

        I did not see any information about whether the Mozzarella Cheese could be frozen. Please respond.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          July 8, 2018 at 12:40 pm

          Yes, it can. Enjoy!

          Reply
  30. Linda Ferris says

    May 21, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 22, 2018 at 3:06 pm

      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 🙂

      Reply
  31. Alex says

    May 19, 2018 at 6:26 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 20, 2018 at 8:44 am

      That’s awesome! thrilled you and your family loved it so much, Alex 🙂

      Reply
  32. Kristi says

    May 13, 2018 at 1:54 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 13, 2018 at 2:21 pm

      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. 🙂

      Reply
  33. Mary says

    May 9, 2018 at 7:25 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 12, 2018 at 10:09 am

      You’re good to go!

      Reply
  34. Jennifer Bushee says

    April 23, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 25, 2018 at 1:58 pm

      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!

      Reply
    • Jillee says

      May 11, 2018 at 1:00 am

      Exactly!

      Reply
  35. Theresa says

    April 20, 2018 at 7:57 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 22, 2018 at 9:39 am

      Amazing!!! So happy you loved it so much, Theresa 😀 Thank you for the wonderful review!

      Reply
  36. shakila says

    April 20, 2018 at 8:23 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 22, 2018 at 9:36 am

      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!

      Reply
  37. Diana Sleiman says

    April 13, 2018 at 1:24 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Kayla Phillips says

      April 13, 2018 at 5:00 pm

      I just finished making it with arrowroot it turned out goofy and melty as expected!

      Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 14, 2018 at 4:17 pm

      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!

      Reply
  38. Barb says

    April 4, 2018 at 11:48 am

    Do you think this would freeze ok? Or does it become firm in the fridge that you could grate it? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 5, 2018 at 9:10 am

      Hi Barb, it does freeze fine. It stays in a melty gooey state when in the fridge. Enjoy!

      Reply
  39. Regina says

    April 2, 2018 at 9:38 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 3, 2018 at 9:03 am

      Haha awesome!!

      Reply
  40. Sophia says

    March 27, 2018 at 11:50 am

    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!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 28, 2018 at 12:42 pm

      Yay!! That’s so awesome. Thanks so much for the review, Sophia. Thrilled you loved it so much 🙂

      Reply
  41. Madison says

    March 24, 2018 at 1:31 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 24, 2018 at 8:58 pm

      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!

      Reply
  42. Linnea Hanson says

    March 22, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    I use this all the time. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 24, 2018 at 8:51 pm

      So glad it’s a fave!

      Reply
  43. Nelli says

    March 15, 2018 at 8:01 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 16, 2018 at 9:00 am

      Blanched almonds work well. You just have to boil them a little longer 🙂

      Reply
    • Sam says

      March 21, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      Some times with cashew recipes you can use sunflower seeds too. I’m doing the regular recipe but it’s worth the try

      Reply
  44. ama says

    March 2, 2018 at 9:14 pm

    Fantastic recipe…thank you! Used it on pizza.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 3, 2018 at 10:03 am

      Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, ama 🙂

      Reply
  45. Claire says

    February 28, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 2, 2018 at 9:20 am

      Wonderful! Thrilled you love it so much, Claire! Cheers from Canada 🙂

      Reply
  46. Sonya D. says

    February 25, 2018 at 3:11 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 25, 2018 at 9:43 am

      Wonderufl, so happy you enjoyed, Sonya!

      Reply
  47. Barbara says

    February 20, 2018 at 9:43 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 22, 2018 at 9:32 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Barb says

        February 24, 2018 at 8:52 pm

        Thanks a lot for your reply! I just did it and it is awesome!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          February 25, 2018 at 9:40 am

          Yay!

          Reply
  48. Heather Renee Holloway says

    February 13, 2018 at 7:42 am

    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!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 14, 2018 at 9:02 am

      Amazing! Great ideas for playing around with it too 😀

      Reply
  49. Courtney Ransom says

    February 2, 2018 at 10:15 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 3, 2018 at 10:14 am

      Aww thanks so much, Courtney, thrilled you love the cheese so much and my blog. Welcome! Excited to have you here 🙂

      Reply
  50. Maria says

    January 28, 2018 at 3:10 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 30, 2018 at 11:01 am

      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!

      Reply
  51. Molly says

    January 26, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 28, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      So thrilled you loved it so much, Molly!! You can always reduce the garlic to taste 🙂

      Reply
  52. Tiffany says

    January 23, 2018 at 3:41 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 24, 2018 at 12:11 pm

      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.

      Reply
  53. Mary says

    January 21, 2018 at 10:20 am

    I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  54. Christine says

    January 15, 2018 at 9:36 am

    Sam, this is glorious! Thank you so much!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 17, 2018 at 11:41 am

      Haha! You’re most welcome, Christine 🙂

      Reply
  55. CC says

    January 14, 2018 at 8:05 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • JoAnn M Lakes says

      January 15, 2018 at 8:30 am

      Can you explain what you’re talking about (i.e. recipe)? I’m not getting it! Sorry!

      Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 17, 2018 at 11:40 am

      Interesting! I’ve never tried that!

      Reply
  56. Cassy says

    January 9, 2018 at 10:31 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 11, 2018 at 9:43 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Cassy says

        January 12, 2018 at 7:28 pm

        Thanks for the reply, I thought the cashews would be best, too, but my partner doesn’t like them .

        Reply
        • Molly says

          January 26, 2018 at 1:42 pm

          Raw cashews blended into things like this don’t taste at all cashew-y, if that helps!

          Reply
      • Cassy says

        January 13, 2018 at 12:36 am

        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!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          January 14, 2018 at 3:05 pm

          Glad you enjoyed!

          Reply
        • JoAnn M Lakes says

          January 15, 2018 at 8:35 am

          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.

          Reply
          • Matilda says

            January 30, 2018 at 7:18 pm

            How did it go with the almond meal?

  57. Terri says

    January 2, 2018 at 12:20 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 2, 2018 at 5:55 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Terri says

        January 15, 2018 at 1:01 pm

        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!!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          January 17, 2018 at 11:43 am

          Wonderful! You’re most welcome, Terri 🙂

          Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 14, 2018 at 7:05 am

      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.

      Reply
    • Molly says

      January 26, 2018 at 1:43 pm

      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. 🙂

      Reply
  58. Libby H says

    December 31, 2017 at 5:17 pm

    Just tried this with potato starch and subbed lemon juice for ACV. Worked great! Love that it’s oil-free.

    Reply
    • Sam McBride says

      January 1, 2018 at 6:54 pm

      This is so delicious and melty. So satisfying! I’m going to use this on everything

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 2, 2018 at 5:50 pm

        Woohoo!

        Reply
        • Rosann Ashe says

          January 3, 2018 at 1:15 pm

          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

          Reply
          • Sam Turnbull says

            January 4, 2018 at 10:43 am

            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!

          • Nancy Nurse says

            January 31, 2018 at 12:06 pm

            Hi Rosann, did you know that vinegar actually turns alkaline in the body?

    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 2, 2018 at 5:33 pm

      Awesome!

      Reply
  59. Brittney says

    December 29, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    Can I soak the nuts overnight instead of cooking them in the boiling water? Or will they be too soft?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 31, 2017 at 9:39 am

      Yep absolutely, it’s just slower. 🙂

      Reply
  60. Brittney says

    December 29, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    does this recipe double easily? Can I just use 2x of everything? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 31, 2017 at 9:39 am

      Yep! Exactly. 🙂

      Reply
  61. Kevin says

    December 13, 2017 at 3:20 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 14, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      Awesome!

      Reply
  62. Jennifer Maron says

    December 12, 2017 at 11:57 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 12, 2017 at 1:43 pm

      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!

      Reply
  63. Shawn says

    December 7, 2017 at 3:16 pm

    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:)

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 8, 2017 at 10:00 am

      Woohoo! Thrilled you love it so much, Shawn 😀

      Reply
  64. Diana says

    December 7, 2017 at 11:00 am

    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).

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 7, 2017 at 12:27 pm

      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!

      Reply
  65. Joyce says

    December 6, 2017 at 11:17 pm

    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 😉

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 7, 2017 at 12:25 pm

      Interesting! Did the cheese have a peanut taste for you? So happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
    • Shawn says

      December 7, 2017 at 2:51 pm

      Thanks for posting that. I never thought of using cheap peanuts. I will give it a try.

      Reply
  66. Jessica S. says

    December 2, 2017 at 3:47 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 3, 2017 at 11:30 am

      Wonderful 🙂

      Reply
  67. Melissa says

    November 29, 2017 at 8:20 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 30, 2017 at 9:50 am

      Too bad you didn’t enjoy it.

      Reply
    • Carrie says

      December 8, 2017 at 10:19 pm

      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!

      Reply
    • Nancy Nurse says

      January 31, 2018 at 12:14 pm

      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!

      Reply
  68. Jackie says

    November 26, 2017 at 9:27 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 26, 2017 at 11:57 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Jackie says

        November 26, 2017 at 1:16 pm

        Thank you! I look forward to purchasing your cookbook. ❤️

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          November 27, 2017 at 12:22 pm

          Yay!!! 😀

          Reply
          • NewbornVegan says

            January 16, 2019 at 8:21 am

            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…

          • Sam Turnbull says

            January 16, 2019 at 9:55 am

            Sorry you didn’t enjoy!

  69. Rachel says

    November 8, 2017 at 2:57 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 8, 2017 at 1:30 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        November 9, 2017 at 2:42 am

        Ok, brilliant! I’m going to do that! Thank you 🙂

        Reply
  70. Emily Hansen says

    November 6, 2017 at 12:09 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 6, 2017 at 12:49 pm

      Hahaha, awesome! So happy you are enjoying it. Enjoy the pizza!

      Reply
  71. Nicole says

    November 4, 2017 at 2:42 am

    Hello,
    We have to avoid cashews. Is there a substitute for the nut? Thanks

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 4, 2017 at 8:56 am

      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!

      Reply
    • The most creative name says

      November 9, 2017 at 1:49 am

      I’ve heard of using tofu as a substitute.

      Reply
    • Catherine says

      December 4, 2017 at 7:36 pm

      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 :).

      Reply
    • Emily says

      December 20, 2017 at 3:07 pm

      Sunflower seeds are a great replacement but make sure they are raw.

      Reply
  72. Mylène says

    November 3, 2017 at 5:58 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 4, 2017 at 8:54 am

      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.

      Reply
  73. shan says

    October 20, 2017 at 10:55 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 22, 2017 at 9:10 am

      Thanks so much! It just has a little more flavour punch 🙂

      Reply
  74. Destiny says

    October 11, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 11, 2017 at 4:13 pm

      Hahaha! You’re most welcome, Destiny! So very happy you enjoyed it so much. Pretty cool right!? 😀

      Reply
    • Audrey says

      November 9, 2017 at 11:56 am

      Hi, how did your lasagne turn out. I would like to make one and freeze it. What do you think.

      Reply
  75. Ali says

    October 8, 2017 at 7:07 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 9, 2017 at 9:25 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
    • Jessica Kelsey says

      November 5, 2017 at 5:25 pm

      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!

      Reply
  76. STACEY says

    October 7, 2017 at 7:30 pm

    This was AMAZING! How long will it keep in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 8, 2017 at 12:43 pm

      Yay! So happy you enjoyed it. I would say about 3-4 days in the fridge, a month in the freezer.

      Reply
  77. Nyeva says

    September 30, 2017 at 7:33 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 1, 2017 at 9:38 am

      That’s wonderful! SO happy you loved your first vegan cheese experiment, Nyeva!

      Reply
  78. Angela says

    September 28, 2017 at 8:57 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 29, 2017 at 8:59 am

      Yay! Thank you! So happy you love it so much 😀

      Reply
  79. Nicole says

    September 24, 2017 at 11:35 am

    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! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 24, 2017 at 4:14 pm

      I would cook the veggies and boil the pasta ahead of time, then mix it all together with the cheese and bake. 🙂

      Reply
  80. Mary A Burkhalter says

    September 22, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    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.)

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 23, 2017 at 9:58 am

      Yay! Thrilled you love it, Mary 🙂

      Reply
  81. corie says

    September 10, 2017 at 3:19 pm

    if i prep this ahead of time, can i just blend it and leave the heating until later? really excited to try it!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 11, 2017 at 9:30 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Kim says

        September 23, 2017 at 3:44 pm

        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.

        Reply
  82. Erica Vermette says

    September 10, 2017 at 10:58 am

    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!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 11, 2017 at 9:29 am

      Oh that’s cool, never tried that! So happy you like it, Erica!

      Reply
    • Maile says

      September 29, 2017 at 12:52 pm

      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.

      Reply
  83. Nicole says

    August 31, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    Can I use coconut flour instead of any starch?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 1, 2017 at 10:17 am

      Only tapioca starch will give it the melty stretchy gooey texture.

      Reply
  84. Stacey E. says

    August 30, 2017 at 11:48 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 31, 2017 at 9:37 am

      Hi Stacey, you can add (or not add) garlic powder to taste. If you find it bland you can add other spices. Enjoy!

      Reply
    • Sarah Brown says

      September 16, 2017 at 11:33 pm

      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

      Reply
  85. Eve says

    August 18, 2017 at 7:01 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 19, 2017 at 10:40 am

      Haha! So very happy it was such a surprise hit for you, Eve 😀

      Reply
  86. Amberma53@gmail.com says

    August 18, 2017 at 12:56 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 18, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      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!

      Reply
  87. Lindsey says

    August 17, 2017 at 4:52 pm

    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!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 18, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      You’re most welcome, Lindsey! So very happy you and your son enjoyed it so much 😀

      Reply
  88. Emily B. says

    August 11, 2017 at 6:10 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 12, 2017 at 9:57 am

      So happy to hear that cashew butter worked for you, Emily! I must try it myself 🙂

      Reply
  89. Hadar says

    August 4, 2017 at 4:46 am

    Wow!! Amazing!!
    (And im not a vegan)
    Just yumyyyy

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 4, 2017 at 9:46 am

      Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Hadar 🙂

      Reply
  90. lovethescents says

    August 3, 2017 at 8:32 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 3, 2017 at 9:46 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
      • lovethescents says

        August 3, 2017 at 11:08 am

        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….

        Reply
        • Heat says

          August 14, 2017 at 7:36 am

          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.

          Reply
  91. Haley says

    July 28, 2017 at 3:44 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 31, 2017 at 10:36 am

      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!

      Reply
  92. Chrissy says

    June 27, 2017 at 11:28 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 28, 2017 at 9:03 am

      Haha! So happy you enjoyed it, Chrissy!

      Reply
  93. Emma says

    June 24, 2017 at 1:45 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 26, 2017 at 9:50 am

      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!

      Reply
  94. Angela Moore says

    June 15, 2017 at 4:21 pm

    Hi!
    Have you attempted to make mozzarella sticks with this cheese? If so any tips?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 16, 2017 at 10:06 am

      I haven’t, but that’s a great idea! I will add it to my list 🙂

      Reply
  95. Kari says

    June 7, 2017 at 10:04 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 8, 2017 at 9:33 am

      Oh yes, the seasoning combos are endless!! So happy it’s become a new staple for you, Kari 😀

      Reply
  96. Paige says

    June 7, 2017 at 4:55 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 8, 2017 at 9:29 am

      Aww yay!! Thrilled you love it so much. Yes, my fave mac and cheese recipe is in my new cookbook 😀

      Reply
  97. Michelle says

    April 16, 2017 at 2:14 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 17, 2017 at 8:51 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        April 17, 2017 at 1:44 pm

        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:)

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          April 17, 2017 at 5:22 pm

          Aww thank you so much! Glad you are enjoying my blog 🙂

          Reply
    • Kristi says

      April 20, 2017 at 4:48 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 20, 2017 at 9:04 am

        Great tips, Kristi!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

        Reply
        • Queen says

          August 27, 2017 at 10:49 am

          Its four servings, what is the serving size?

          Reply
  98. Nyssa says

    April 13, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    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! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 14, 2017 at 7:09 am

      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!

      Reply
  99. Debbie says

    April 8, 2017 at 5:24 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 9, 2017 at 10:20 am

      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!

      Reply
  100. Ashley says

    March 30, 2017 at 3:09 am

    I wonder if you could freeze this somewhat for the purposes of grating it and then put it on pizza?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 30, 2017 at 8:56 am

      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!

      Reply
  101. Oli says

    March 26, 2017 at 9:21 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 26, 2017 at 11:32 am

      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!

      Reply
    • Joanne says

      March 29, 2017 at 1:00 pm

      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!

      Reply
    • Imdad says

      March 30, 2017 at 3:30 pm

      Order off Amazon! Cheaper than H&B 🙂 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Engevita-Savoury-Yeast-Condiment-Pack/dp/B00A4C48LQ

      Reply
    • Mel says

      July 5, 2017 at 11:08 am

      Holland and Barrett or Amazon both sell nutritional yeast 🙂

      Reply
  102. Laura says

    March 24, 2017 at 5:00 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Laura says

      March 24, 2017 at 5:05 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 25, 2017 at 10:25 am

        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!

        Reply
      • Amber says

        April 26, 2017 at 9:17 am

        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.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          April 26, 2017 at 10:35 am

          Lemon juice will work for sure, just a slightly different flavour. Enjoy!

          Reply
    • Carol says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:47 pm

      I used cashews that had been soaked and frozen. I used them in the Vitamix straight from the freezer and it worked perfectly.

      Reply
  103. anthony says

    March 24, 2017 at 3:23 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 25, 2017 at 10:27 am

      Haha! You’re most welcome Anthony! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
    • Ashley says

      June 23, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 24, 2017 at 9:16 am

        Arrowroot will make a cheese sauce, but only tapioca will give it that stretchy texture. Enjoy!

        Reply
  104. laura says

    March 24, 2017 at 3:19 pm

    does it mess it up to leave out the yeast? 🙂

    Reply
    • anthony says

      March 24, 2017 at 3:25 pm

      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.

      Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 25, 2017 at 10:26 am

      The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavour, so without it, the cheese might be pretty bland.

      Reply
  105. Tammy says

    March 19, 2017 at 9:05 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 19, 2017 at 9:40 am

      Sorry the recipe wasn’t to your taste! I hope you find one you enjoy.

      Reply
    • Joey says

      April 7, 2017 at 8:27 pm

      I agree. I made this at it seemed gelatinous, it was mucousy not gooey.

      Reply
      • Sharon says

        April 9, 2017 at 3:17 am

        Same. I was disappointed, Might try it with coconut milk instead of water & cut down on the tapioca. Glad others have like it though.

        Reply
  106. Victoria says

    March 16, 2017 at 5:39 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 17, 2017 at 10:47 am

      Woohoo! Thrilled you and your boyfriend loved it so much, Victoria 🙂

      Reply
      • Amber says

        March 18, 2017 at 3:03 pm

        Have you ever tried it with something other than cashews? I have a tree nut allergy, so I’m looking for a suitable replacement!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          March 19, 2017 at 9:39 am

          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!

          Reply
      • April says

        March 30, 2017 at 12:29 pm

        To reheat can this be microwaved so I can take left. Overs to work?

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          March 30, 2017 at 2:19 pm

          Yep, that should be just fine. 🙂

          Reply
  107. Wanda J says

    March 16, 2017 at 2:17 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 16, 2017 at 10:31 am

      Yes! It works wonderfully. Enjoy!

      Reply
  108. Anna says

    March 14, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 15, 2017 at 9:07 am

      Wow, that’s an interesting sub! So happy you love it so much and it turned out perfectly for you 🙂

      Reply
  109. Sloane says

    March 5, 2017 at 12:57 am

    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!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 5, 2017 at 9:32 am

      I think it would last about a month in an airtight container. Enjoy!

      Reply
  110. nathan nobis says

    February 28, 2017 at 6:37 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 4, 2017 at 10:44 am

      Very cool! Good to know 🙂

      Reply
  111. Julia says

    February 23, 2017 at 10:49 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • CBZ says

      February 27, 2017 at 7:37 pm

      Putting the cashews through a strainer is one of the notes.

      Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 4, 2017 at 9:35 am

      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.

      Reply
  112. Alannah says

    February 21, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 22, 2017 at 9:47 am

      Yes absolutely, prepare the cheese then spread onto your lasagna and bake away!

      Reply
  113. Kayla says

    February 11, 2017 at 6:58 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 12, 2017 at 10:48 am

      Boom! Can’t get a much better review than that!! So happy you and your boyfriend loved it Kayla!! 🙂

      Reply
  114. celeste says

    February 7, 2017 at 11:58 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 8, 2017 at 4:21 pm

      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!

      Reply
  115. Patty says

    February 6, 2017 at 12:38 pm

    Hi Sam! Can I use potato starch instead of tapioca starch? What is the difference?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 7, 2017 at 9:17 am

      Hi Patty, if you read the post or recipe, it explains that any other starch will not get the same results.

      Reply
      • Virginia Wiemken says

        February 26, 2017 at 5:02 pm

        Can I put regular tapioca in my Vitamix and make tapioca flour?

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          March 4, 2017 at 9:56 am

          Yes, you can!

          Reply
  116. Karissa says

    February 5, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    Oh my gosh. This is AMAZING. I could eat it by the spoonful.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 6, 2017 at 11:43 am

      Woohoo! So happy to hear that 🙂

      Reply
  117. Dana Lasswell says

    January 14, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    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!!!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 15, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      Haha! Well at least the artichoke dip is enjoyed!

      Reply
  118. Farah Yasmina says

    January 13, 2017 at 3:07 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 13, 2017 at 9:46 am

      Woohoo! So happy you loved it Farah 🙂

      Reply
  119. Jess says

    January 9, 2017 at 12:27 pm

    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/

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 10, 2017 at 11:05 am

      Yay! So happy you loved it 🙂

      Reply
    • Christina Bauer says

      August 7, 2017 at 1:47 pm

      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!!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 7, 2017 at 4:28 pm

        Corn flour would make a cheese like sauce, but only tapioca starch will give it that stretchiness.

        Reply
  120. Polly says

    January 6, 2017 at 6:14 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 8, 2017 at 8:54 am

      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!

      Reply
  121. Nathan says

    December 26, 2016 at 8:46 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 28, 2016 at 10:11 am

      You blend it until it is completely smooth. My guess is that it wouldn’t work to get cooked in the Vitamix, but you are more than welcome to try!

      Reply
  122. Maria says

    December 14, 2016 at 12:29 am

    I just made it!!! Soo good! I put 2 tbsp of agar flakes. First I activate the agar and then I mixed with the other ingredients. Looks more stretchy than your pics though. Let’s see how it sets. The taste is sooo good!

    A big thank you very much! !!

    Maria

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 14, 2016 at 10:26 am

      Yay! Glad you love it! Yes, agar will definitely change the texture. Let us know how it sets and re-melts for you! Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
      • Trevor Gillian Doge says

        December 27, 2016 at 1:52 pm

        Hey can I use macadamia nuts instead? I don’t like chashews

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          December 28, 2016 at 10:17 am

          Yes you can! You will likely have to soak or boil them for longer as they don’t soften as quickly. Enjoy!

          Reply
  123. fran says

    December 12, 2016 at 2:42 am

    Hi! Is there a way to store this cheese as a solid? All the pictures only show it melted, thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 12, 2016 at 10:00 am

      Hi fran,
      The cheese will always stay in a melty form, think of it as more of a melty gooey sauce. 🙂

      Reply
      • fran says

        December 23, 2016 at 8:35 pm

        Thanks for responding! I’m thinking using this recipe for a vegan cheese fondue? any thoughts or ideas? Maybe add some white wine to make it a little more tart and fondue like? Thanks:)

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          December 24, 2016 at 9:03 am

          I think that would be delish! Traditionally kirsch is used in fondue (which is a clear cherry brandy), so that would definitely be the right flavour. The cheese used in fondue is also a bit tangier than mozzarella, so maybe upping the apple cider vinegar and garlic powder a bit might help. You can add the flavours in at the end so that you can taste test, it just takes more stirring to incorporate. Enjoy!

          Reply
      • Wayne says

        December 26, 2016 at 6:38 pm

        could you freeze it in wax paper or something so you could then grate it to spread it around a pizza or something? or how do you best put it on a large surface area?

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          December 28, 2016 at 10:07 am

          Some people have frozen and grated it. When I tried it, I found that it melts almost instantly when grated so you would want to grate it directly onto the pizza. Personally, I liked just spreading it out on the pizza best, but yes, it can be done!

          Reply
  124. Sarah says

    December 8, 2016 at 12:26 pm

    Hi there I’m just wondering how long this will stay good for in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 8, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      I would say about a week. Follow the directions to reheat it. Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  125. Maureen Cram says

    December 8, 2016 at 2:08 am

    Made this and used some of it for black bean quesadillas. Red, yellow and green peppers sauteed in a little olive oil, add in tablespoon of water and teaspoon of tomato powder and cook a bit, then a can of drained black beans… spread the cheese all over the wrap and the bean mix on half. heat in un-oiled pan until nice and crispy! Some vegan sour cream and salsa… great supper. thanks again for the recipe. Using the rest of the double recipe for the spinach artichoke dip today :).

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 8, 2016 at 2:51 pm

      Woot! So happy you love it Maureen. You could also try my Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas if you like. 🙂

      Reply
  126. Monique Amar says

    December 4, 2016 at 8:00 pm

    OMG. I never leave comments on recipes, but this deserves it. SO EASY, TURNED OUT PERFECTLY. I’ve never ever had such a realistic vegan cheese texture!! Will make this again, adding some cajun spice 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 5, 2016 at 8:58 am

      Haha, well I’m super flattered that you decided to leave a comment Monique! Feel free to spice the cheese up as you desire, now that you have the basic recipe you can take it anywhere you like! You might also like my Nacho Cheese recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  127. Me says

    November 27, 2016 at 1:31 pm

    Can i put these into jalapenos and bake them to make jalapeno poppers?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 27, 2016 at 5:38 pm

      Sure!

      Reply
  128. sarah says

    November 12, 2016 at 5:23 pm

    I used 3 tablespoons of potato starch (that was all I had) and added a teaspoon of agar agar.
    I got excellent results (looks just like in the picture)
    Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 14, 2016 at 8:10 am

      That’s awesome!! So happy it worked out for you Sarah 🙂

      Reply
  129. Josh says

    November 10, 2016 at 9:38 pm

    I just made this and it tasted very good, but the texture was a little slimy. Followed recipe exactly minus lemon juice for the apple cider vinegar. I tried adding water to it, but it didn’t seem to help the texture. In fact it may have made it worse. But if I use less water the whole things sticks together too much.

    Any ideas to get the texture less slimy?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 11, 2016 at 1:25 pm

      Hmmm… I’m not sure what happened here. I find it gets slimy when I tried using alternative milks instead of raw cashews… perhaps the cashews you used were a little different than the ones I have used? Not sure really. Wish I could be more helpful!

      Reply
  130. Aurora Brenes says

    November 9, 2016 at 10:52 am

    Hi!! Can I use a garlic clove instead of garlic powder?

    I already tried it before and its delicious btw but just wondering if I can use the garlic without changing the consistency?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 9, 2016 at 12:24 pm

      Hi Aurora,
      Yes, it will totally work, but because the cheese only cooks for about 5 minutes, there might be a raw garlic taste. If you’re into that, go for it!

      Reply
  131. Marie says

    November 6, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    Have you ever swapped arrowroot for the tapioca?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 7, 2016 at 8:42 am

      Hi Marie, arrowroot will make it more of cheese like sauce, only tapioca will give it that stretchy cheesy quality. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  132. Bob says

    November 6, 2016 at 10:03 am

    Sam:

    Can I substitute Lemon juice for the apple vinegar?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 6, 2016 at 10:47 am

      Yes you can! It will have a slightly different flavour, but will still be great. Enjoy!

      Reply
  133. Lea says

    November 5, 2016 at 7:44 pm

    I have to say I tried the “original” recipe (from the other blog) and I did not care for it at all. On the way home today, I started thinking about how to change it up to add more flavor, so I googled it and found you. All the ideas I had were already right here! This recipe was amazing – thank you! I can’t wait to scroll through your other recipes if they are as delicious as this one.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 6, 2016 at 8:30 am

      Awww thanks Lea! So happy you loved my adaption. I made a nacho cheese version too if you are interested. Enjoy!

      Reply
  134. Yo says

    November 1, 2016 at 11:28 pm

    What’s up Sam! So my local grocery store doesn’t have Nutritional yeast. They have Active dry yeast. Can I use that? Thanks x

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 2, 2016 at 10:52 am

      Hi Yo,
      No, don’t use active dry yeast, that is not at all the same thing! Active dry yeast is used to raise bread, it creates the bubbles. Nutritional yeast has no rising properties and provides a cheesy flavour. If your regular grocery store doesn’t carry nutritional yeast any health food store would have it for sure, or you can order it online.

      Reply
      • Shay says

        November 25, 2016 at 1:07 pm

        Can I put this in the oven instead of cooking it on the stovetop ? Cooking it like mac n cheese

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          November 25, 2016 at 1:46 pm

          Cook it on the stovetop first so that it forms a cheese, then you can use it however you like, including making a mac and cheese. Enjoy!

          Reply
  135. Ashley Medina says

    October 31, 2016 at 2:24 pm

    Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it for a party I threw on the weekend (along with your recipe for spinach and artichoke dip), and got so many compliments on it. I let guests know of the nut content in case of allergies, but otherwise, no one even knew it was vegan!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 2, 2016 at 10:45 am

      That’s awesome!! So happy everyone loved it so much 🙂

      Reply
  136. Debbie H Carter says

    October 28, 2016 at 11:36 am

    Just quick 2 questions. This recipe sounds wounderful. 1) Can this recipe be doubled, tripled, etc… without changing the quality of the recipe? 2) If using for grilled cheese sandwiches, should the vegan cheese be chilled first?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 28, 2016 at 1:04 pm

      Hi Debbie,
      You can double, triple, or triple the recipe as you like! Just make sure that you double or triple, every ingredient. You may have to blend it in batches depending on how big your blender is, but you can cook it all together.
      You can use it hot or cold for grilled cheese, just spread it on thick, and you’re good to go 🙂

      Reply
  137. Audrey says

    October 25, 2016 at 3:20 pm

    Has anyone used almond , or better yet, cashew milk in place of the one cup of water when blending together? Seems like a good way to enhance this even more. I will give it a try.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 26, 2016 at 8:29 am

      Let us know how it turns out for you Audrey! I have tried replacing the water and cashews with non-dairy milk, but I found it made the cheese kinda slimy, so I didn’t like it. But I have not tried replacing just the water. 🙂

      Reply
    • Crissy says

      October 28, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      I used full fat canned coconut milk and it’s amazing

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 29, 2016 at 10:06 am

        Awesome!

        Reply
  138. bobby sue jabat says

    October 24, 2016 at 12:37 pm

    oh man this is good!finally a “cheese” i can eat ! can you freeze it and shred it for salads or slice it for sandwiches?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 25, 2016 at 8:33 am

      Yay! Happy you love it 🙂
      You can freeze it, but one cut or shredded it melts and returns to a gooey texture almost instantly, so I recommend using this cheese only in recipes that you want gooeyness. For a sliceable cheese, you could try cheese from my friend book, one of these cheeses, or perhaps a cheeseball. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  139. Brittney Johnson says

    October 17, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    5 stars!! Honestly, I was nervous about trying to like another dairy free cheese. Everything I’ve tied prior has just been awful, but this just blew my mind! Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 17, 2016 at 1:51 pm

      Woot woot! Thrilled you’re a fan Brittney 🙂

      Reply
  140. Sam says

    October 5, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    can’t you use any starch, like corn or potato starch? i’ve seen awesome recipes for nacho cheese just using potatoes and carrots, thr potato starch makes it very gooey.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 6, 2016 at 10:31 am

      Other starches will thicken it and make it into a sauce, but only tapioca will give you the stretchy cheesy like texture.

      Reply
  141. Laura says

    October 4, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    I made this and the taste was great but the texture was a little gelatinous. Any suggestions on fixing this?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 5, 2016 at 9:29 am

      You can always thin it out a bit by stirring in a little more water. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  142. Eilis says

    September 23, 2016 at 1:01 pm

    Could I freeze the mozzarella ,then grate it for toppings like pizza etc.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 24, 2016 at 9:41 am

      Yes, I’ve done it. The best method is to grate the frozen mozzarella directly onto the pizza as it melts very quickly and will just turn into a pile of goo if you aren’t careful. Personally I prefer just blobbing it on. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  143. Adriana says

    September 22, 2016 at 10:25 pm

    Hi!! I just made this, but I tried using sunflower seeds!! Just cause where I live (argentina) cashews are ridiculous expensive since they are imported. so for 1/8 of the price soooo….
    It turned out really really good!!! obviously i guess the taste is a bit more nutty/seedy but i dont mind it… thanks so much!!!!! I made creamed spinach with it btw 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 23, 2016 at 9:32 am

      Oh that’s awesome!! Was it a funny greenish colour? So happy it worked out for you 🙂

      Reply
      • Adriana says

        September 23, 2016 at 11:17 am

        It actually wasn’t maybe more beige than white, but you know when you soak the seeds the outer skin/layer falls off so It wasnt a funny color.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          September 24, 2016 at 9:41 am

          Oh yay!

          Reply
  144. qn says

    September 17, 2016 at 6:50 pm

    This is awesome! It satisfies a real cheese craving, something that has been lacking in other cheeses substitutes I have tried.
    Tonight I decided to add some liquid smoke to taste, the result was absolutely fantastic. I added it after I blended it and then just mixed the liquid smoke in by hand.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 18, 2016 at 9:17 am

      Ooooh smoked mozzarella!! What a fab idea. So happy you enjoyed it so much qn 🙂

      Reply
  145. ZeroKNS says

    September 13, 2016 at 4:45 pm

    Hi, Sam!
    Tried this today for the first time. I’ve never been a big fan of vegan cheeses – they always seem gritty, or powdery, or just straight up… not good. Daiya tastes gross to me, every variety (although I did find a commercial almond cheese at Sprouts that’s actually pretty fantastic). But I’m willing to try new things, and after all the rave reviews in the comments here, I thought I’d give it a go. I was going to try a blend of cassava flour and arrowroot powder instead of tapioca starch because it’s what I had at home, but then I found myself at the store, and the package of tapioca starch was less than a dollar, so I decided to stick to the recipe.

    My idea of “sticking it to the recipe” was to double it (I measured out 3oz/85g of raw cashews, which was roughly a heaping 1/2 cup), use a small clove of garlic instead of the powder, and reduce the tapioca starch to 7 Tbsp (about 1 tsp LESS than the recipe calls for). It still thickened up quite a bit! I had to add about 2 extra ounces of water, and even then it’s still almost jelly like. Oh, and I used smoked salt.

    The bottom line is that it’s delicious. I made a mushroom/spinach/”ground beef” veggie crumbles quesadilla and it tasted so very very creamy and scrumptious! I want to try this cheese on everything now. I want to make eggplant pizza, and seitan Philly cheese”steak,” and spinach/sundried tomato dip. Oh, man, my mind is racing.

    I think next time I make it I might add a tad bit more ACV, and maybe fresh chopped jalapeno. And now that I’ve made it once I might just experiment with that cassava/arrowroot blend after all, in the name of science, of course.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 14, 2016 at 11:23 am

      Yay! So happy that you finally found a vegan cheese you love! Absolutely, feel free to play with the seasonings. As long as you stick to the base ingredients, you can season as you like 🙂

      Reply
  146. Una says

    September 7, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    This tastes more like ricotta than mozzarella. I ain’t complaining I’m just observing. That might also have to do with I added too much nutritional yeast. After seeing this on Nikki Limo’s YouTube channel I knew I had found the missing link in my quest for black family approved vegan cheese and macaroni. I am in the middle of making the spinach artichoke dip, that with one or two more ingredients becomes one awesome casserole.
    I might see if I can freeze it to shred it. Thanks so much!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 8, 2016 at 2:37 pm

      So happy you enjoyed it Una! I also have a recipe for Nacho cheese which is also fab in macaroni. You can freeze and shred it, but it does melt very quickly, so if you try this, I would shred it directly onto the dish you are making. 🙂

      Reply
  147. Bianca Salinas says

    September 6, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    I had just a little trouble with this recipe. I was finding that it was a little powdery after melted, I could really taste the powdery-ness of the tapioca. I thought maybe i used too much, so the next time I made it, I backed off a lot on the tapioca, but found it wasn’t stringing up easily, and so i had to continue adding more and more tapioca until it thickened. It definitely tasted good, but found the texture no only to be stingy and gooey like i like it! but also sort of powdery. (not dry powdery but i could definitely taste the tapioca powder) any suggestions?

    thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 7, 2016 at 9:29 am

      You could try adding more seasonings such as in my Nacho Cheese Recipe. Hope that helps!

      Reply
    • Jim Redman says

      September 24, 2016 at 11:13 pm

      Suggestion: Blend more, faster, longer.

      Reply
  148. Karianne says

    August 30, 2016 at 11:45 am

    Hi,
    Would love to try this recipe for a “fikastund” (best Swedish word ever, loom it up) at work, but a colleague is allergic to all nuts. Can I replace the cashews with something? No almonds

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 31, 2016 at 10:47 am

      Hmmm I haven’t tried it myself, but I heard one commenter replaced both the cashews and water with silken tofu. I don’t know if it will work the same but if you give it a try, let us know how it turns out. 🙂

      Reply
      • Joy says

        February 5, 2017 at 8:08 pm

        I have used sunflower seeds in this recipe when we had a guest that was allergic to nuts. It still tasted great!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          February 6, 2017 at 10:20 am

          Great to know!

          Reply
  149. Ziv says

    August 27, 2016 at 3:29 pm

    Made it and used it On a pizza . Me and my wife are vegan, children are not (vegeterian). Usually they are very suspicious of new vegan things I try. Pizza was a great success, this moxarella is unbelievable, children could not tell it’s vegan. Will use it many times. I highly recommend.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 28, 2016 at 9:16 am

      Yay! So happy you and your family enjoyed it so much Ziv 🙂

      Reply
  150. Kim Keesee says

    August 26, 2016 at 10:15 pm

    Are you able to shred this once it’s chilled?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 27, 2016 at 8:37 am

      No, this stays in a gooey melty state even when cold. It’s best just to skip shredding and spread wherever you would like it instead.

      Reply
  151. Cecilia says

    August 26, 2016 at 8:37 pm

    Thanks for this recipe! Is it possible to replace the cashews with any other nut, say almonds? My partner is allergic to cashews 🙁

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 27, 2016 at 8:35 am

      Yes, blanched almonds work well too. The resulting cheese is not quite as creamy, but still pretty tasty 🙂

      Reply
      • Cecilia says

        September 4, 2016 at 8:15 pm

        Thanks Sam, will give this a go!

        Reply
      • Cassie Smith says

        December 21, 2016 at 1:20 am

        Do you know if tofu would work? My friend is allergic to all nuts :-/

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          December 21, 2016 at 9:24 am

          I haven’t tried it myself, but I have heard other people try it with some success. I’m not sure what the measurements are but you are welcome to experiment 🙂

          Reply
    • maria says

      September 4, 2016 at 5:44 pm

      Try Brazil Nuts. Many years ago, (like late 90s), Vegan Rella used to be made with Brazil Nuts. It was amazing. Then, one day, it disappeared off the shelves, and I remember my food co-op put a handmade note on the shelf where it used to be saying that it was gone temporarily for reformulation (or something like that). When it came back, it was made with rice milk and it was not the same. I never bought it again.

      I just made this recipe with cashews and had great success, but i was reminded of the old days when I could make a beautiful melty quesadilla with the original Vegan Rella. I am going to try this recipe with Brazils — I suspect they will work well because they are very silky and creamy. They offer some different nutrients than cashews, as well, so it will be nice to mix it up once in while for that reason, too.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 5, 2016 at 11:10 am

        Oh that sounds like a cool idea!! Never heard of Vegan Rella. Let us know how it turns out when you give it a go 🙂

        Reply
      • Bianca Salinas says

        September 6, 2016 at 12:55 pm

        Let us know the outcome I am super curious! I am really curious of what it would be like with macademia’s as well!

        Reply
  152. Jackie says

    August 22, 2016 at 8:52 pm

    i saw the post and i had to try it! Oh my! Even without the nutritional yeast it was good! I even used potato starch and it still had a stringy texture!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 23, 2016 at 10:06 am

      Yay! Thrilled you loved it Jackie 🙂

      Reply
  153. Michelle says

    August 18, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    OMG!!! This was so yummy!!! We ate it on corn chips!!!! It was perfect!!!! I had made cabbage soup and decided to make this last minute just as a side and I am glad we did. My husband is vegan and I love trying new things!!! Yummy!!!! And I love cheese but did not miss the dairy at all!!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 19, 2016 at 9:30 am

      Yay!!! So happy you and your husband loved it so much Michelle 🙂

      Reply
  154. Alyssa Mozelle McCord says

    August 6, 2016 at 10:32 pm

    THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I have been searching for a replacement for the icky bright orange boxed mac n cheese. I made this up with almost a whole extra cup of water, lowered the tapioca starch to 2 tbs and added a 1 tsp of turmeric (to make it orange and slightly less thick) and for the first time EVER my 2yo ate her “MACK” without complaint saying “yum!”

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 7, 2016 at 9:19 am

      Yay!!! That’s so great. So happy you like and your 2 year old like it Alyssa 🙂 I also have a recipe for Nacho Cheese which might be another goodie for you. 🙂

      Reply
  155. Lena M. says

    August 1, 2016 at 4:53 pm

    So, I had no expectations at all when I made this because I’ve tried many vegan cheese dips – carrot and potato based ones, nutritional yeast based ones – and none of them worked for me. I also only have a hand-held blender and I didn’t have tapioca starch (only corn starch) but wanted to make this immediately… and it was still delicious! (Yeah, it’s all gone). It wasn’t perfectly smooth and not stretchy, either, but so good nonetheless! Will get tapioca starch ASAP and make it again. Thank you so much for this recipe!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 2, 2016 at 8:44 am

      Oh yay!!! I’m so happy you finally found a vegan cheese recipe you like so much. Tapioca start is definitely worth it. If you don’t have a high-powered blender you might want to strain the cheese before cooking it, to make sure to get any leftover lumps out. So very happy you loved the recipe so much Lena 🙂

      Reply
  156. Lisa says

    July 31, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been making this regularly for the past couple of months and I love everything about it, how easy it is to make, how well it melts and how amazing it tastes! I’ve been sharing this recipe with vegetarians who say that cheese is their last reason for not going vegan and they’ve been very impressed and have started to quit the dairy!! I used to be that kind of vegetarian too before I found recipes like this one, it’s so important to spread these around so people see how easy and tasty vegan cheese can be!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 1, 2016 at 11:04 am

      Wow that’s so awesome Lisa!! I love that you are helping vegetarians take the last step 🙂 So thrilled this recipe helped you make the last step!! I hope you have tried the nacho cheese as well. Thanks for the lovely comment! 🙂

      Reply
  157. Shani Bob says

    July 29, 2016 at 6:45 am

    Can I refrigerate the mixture without cooking it? And use it day? Will it go bad?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 29, 2016 at 9:29 am

      I’ve never tried that. I always cook it first before refrigerating it. It should be ok, you just might need to whizz it up before cooking it as the mixture might settle.

      Reply
  158. Alyssa says

    July 27, 2016 at 10:54 am

    Could I use arrow root powder instead of tapioca?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 27, 2016 at 3:08 pm

      Tapioca starch is what give it that melty stretchy quality. Arrowroot powder would make a thick sauce, but you would not get the same cheesy stretch.

      Reply
  159. Aileen says

    July 23, 2016 at 12:38 am

    Wow, this was my first vegan cheese making experience and the cheese came out precisely as you said, even before I could finish cooking pasta! Now I’m eating a bowl of vegan mozzarella over chickpea fusilli that is reminiscent of dairy cheese tortellini. I’m not vegan (yet) but am doing a cleanse and this meal fits perfectly! Also, in Juneau, AK it’s not easy to get products, so I have to say thank you Costco for the ninja professional blender and the organic chickpea fusilli. Didn’t need to soak or boil the cashews which made this meal a snap! Love your recipes, Sam!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 23, 2016 at 1:09 pm

      Yay!! So happy the cheese was a success for you Aileen. Hope you’re inspired to eat many more delicious vegan goodness. You’re meal sounds delish!

      Reply
  160. Brandon Lillibridge says

    July 22, 2016 at 6:41 pm

    You are my hero. This is fast, melty, delicious, and perfect on pizza. This will be my go to recipe when I’m in need of some cheesy goodness. Thank you 🙂 I love you?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 23, 2016 at 1:07 pm

      hahahaha! That made me laugh out loud, which made the people surrounding me in the coffee shop look at me like I was crazy (a common occurrence for me). So very happy you loved the recipe so much Brandon!

      Reply
  161. Elaine says

    July 21, 2016 at 1:11 pm

    You can go to an Asian grocery store and get tapioca starch for prices ranging from $0.89 to $1.99.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 22, 2016 at 8:12 am

      Great tip!

      Reply
  162. Sam says

    July 17, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    This stuff is the best! I’ve used a couple times now for pizza, grilled cheese and a dip and it’s a crowd pleaser every time, great recipe!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 18, 2016 at 8:36 am

      Awww yay! So happy you love it so much Sam 😀

      Reply
  163. Chris says

    July 2, 2016 at 8:49 pm

    I don’t see if this has been asked before, but can you stock up and freeze portions to thaw in a party (or craving) pinch? Will it have the same consistency? Thanks.

    Btw Made it twice already! First time it cooled back to runny before I could add to the spinach and artichoke dip but last night it was perfect. I don’t think I did anything different. I know someone said that happened when they used pine nuts but I used cashews either way, I think I got the hang of it now. Dairy lovers loved it too! Just want to know if I can mass prepare on a Sunday for a months worth in the freezer