This is my love language.
Ooey, gooey, stretchy, melty, where have you been all my life- vegan mozzarella. I'm pretty sure I just made all my vegan dreams come true. I made this recipe four times this week, FOUR. That's how amazing this is. Just dip some tortilla chips in this bad boy and welcome to heaven.
You can also use this anywhere you would like a melty mozzarella experience, which is, um, everywhere! Let's see... pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, dips, the possibilities of deliciousness are endless.
I haven't even gotten to some of the best news yet. This takes only 7 ingredients, one of them being water. It takes only 15 minutes to make, AND it doesn't even have any oils or "bad stuff". Can you tell I'm excited? I'm SO excited.
So what makes it stretchy and gooey. Tapioca! Who knew right? It's the main ingredient in Daiya, a well-known brand of vegan cheese, and I found that Somer McCowan from the blog Vedged Out also used tapioca starch in her Fresh Moxarella Cheese. She is one smart cookie, er.. well some smart cheese, because she knew what was up. I adapted her original recipe to make a mozzarella that suited my own taste buds but be sure to try her original recipe and check out her blog. So many delicious vegan recipes to be had!
Back to tapioca. Tapioca provides this amazing stretchy, melty quality that any good vegan cheese deserves. It is an absolute must for this recipe. Any other starch will make a thick sauce, but only tapioca will give it that stretch. If you can't find it in stores you can pick it up on Amazon here.
This recipe will stay in a melty stretchy state, even when cold, but if you are looking for a grate-able cheese, try my recipe for The Best Vegan Mozzarella.
To make melty stretchy gooey vegan mozzarella:
Watch my video to see how it’s done, or skip directly to the step by step photos below!
To make Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella: Boil the cashews for 10 minutes until softened. Then toss into the blender with the remaining ingredients, and blend until completely smooth. It will be very watery, don't worry, it will get cheesy!
Pour it in a small sauce pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Stir to keep anything from burning. You will start to see clumps forming.
Then all of a sudden, magic! Everything comes together and makes this cheesy, melty, deliciousness. Keep stirring and cooking for another minute or two, to make sure it's finished firming up. It should take about 5 minutes to cook total. That's it! Done. So easy.
If you want to save it for later, store in an air tight container in the fridge. It won't firm up like a hard cheese, it will stay pretty soft, but let's get real, who needs hard mozzarella anyways?
Serve as a dip, spread onto some toast, dollop onto pizza, do whatever your creative cooking spirit tells you. Don't worry if you eat it all in one sitting (cause I would never do that), you can always make more.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews, softened (see step 1)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Softening the cashews:
- Softening the cashews first helps them blend. If you have a high-powered blender you may be able to skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get a smooth cheese. You can either boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews (the fast method): add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours or overnight until tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
To make the vegan mozzarella:
- Add the cashews along with the 1 cup of water and all the remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. It will be very watery.
- Pour into a small saucepan and put over medium-high heat. Continually stir. The cheese will start forming clumps, keep stirring and it will continue clumping until the mixture turns from watery to a thicker melty cheese sauce. This takes about 5 minutes. Serve hot or allow to cool and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. The cheese will get thicker as it cools but will stay in a melty state.
Notes
*If you want to return the cold mozzarella back to dipping consistency, reheat over medium heat while stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Once it is hot and bubbling it might have thickened up too much. You can thin it out by adding a splash of water at a time, stirring it in until desired consistency is reached.
*To ensure a smooth cheese, you may also want to pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth before cooking to remove any cashew bits that didn't grind up. This will ensure a smooth cheese texture.
Nutrition
Sonya says
I've made this and it is yummilicious ! Has anyone tried using almond or soy milk instead of water? Wonder how that might turn out.
Fox Clementine says
I made this about a few months back but instead of cooking it the way advised I put it in my lasagna with a few other homemade vegan cheeses and seitan and used a "chicken Alfredo lasagna" recipe to make my vegan one. It came out very well being cooked once with the whole dish opposed to twice once by itself and once in the lasagna. I loved it so much.
R Young says
Loved this recipe!!! Thank you so much!!! I followed it to the T except I used red wine vinegar and arrowroot starch because that's all I had on hand!! I also omitted the nutritional yeast (didn't have any in my pantry) and it still tastes great!
Mike says
At least you followed it to a T.
C says
❤️
Mike says
In other words you did not follow it to a "T" if you changed 2 ingredients. To a "T" means exactly. LoL
Andre says
I am going to try and use it as a fondue cheese. I hope it works out.
Ann Marie says
This is a great recipe. I don't boil the cashews but let them soak overnight and use my Vitamix blender. I add 1 tsp red pepper flakes when cooking on stove, after it begins to thicken a bit. It gives it a nice 'pepper jack' flavor!
Ashley says
Can I use almonds instead of cashews and just make sure they are soft? Thank you!
Fefe says
The recipe looks very nice! Will try it soon 🙂
I'm making a new menu with vegan options, i got all the ingredients but i have some hydrated tapioca starch powder from before, is it okay to use it on this recipe?
Shani says
Just had this in a toastie! Thanks for making it easier to be vegan -and satisfying those craving 🙂 Keep doing what you're doing, Sam!
Lisa says
I’ve made your sunflower cheese and your sharp cheddar multiple times since I discovered your website in October. Both are delicious!!
Which mozzarella recipe would you suggest for lasagna? This one or the shredded one or doesn’t it matter?
Thank you for providing such great recipes!
Cindy says
I Love this vegan version of poutine. This "cheese" is the pretty close to the real stuff. I had to copy and paste this recipe to a word doc because this website takes forever to upload and when it does there are way too many distracting pop-ups and advertisements. However, I am gratemful for this recipe thank you for tha!
Avery Bollinger says
Hi!!! I was wondering if there is a yeast-gluten free substitute for nutritional yeast in this recipe? I can have those so it’s hard to know what can substitute, but I want to try this sooo bad!!!!
Malin Pegenius says
Try some miso paste? Good luck!
Karen says
Just wanted to say that I’ve made this multiple times to perfection! I use arrowroot flour as a 1:1 replacement for the tapioca, otherwise I follow the recipe. Delicious and stretchy, it blows my mind every time. Great addition for our Friday night pizzas!
Sandra says
This is a really great cheese, and it's so easy to adjust to your liking just by putting in a few spices and such. It's actually my non-vegan roommate's favorite!
I also discovered that you can freeze it easily in the ice cubes BEFORE you heat it up, so when it's still all watery. Makes it super easy to use exactly the amount you need; for example, if I want a cheese sandwich, I just pop out two of the cheese-icecubs, heat them up until it's thickening and I have the perfect amount. So now I have two ice trays full of this mozzarella, waiting to be cooked 🙂
Ren says
Has anyone tried using soy milk in place of the cashews/water? Maybe I should just add a bit of oil to it to counter the fat content in the cashews? 🙂
Sandra says
I've tried it with soy-based cooking cream instead of water and it turned out delicious. I recommend!
Ren says
Awesome thank you!
Theresa says
This is amazing! Thank you!
Christina says
This is the first time I have used cashews to make cheese, I normally avoid it because cashews can be so expensive! But I decided to try this one for a vegan parmesan dish I was making and didn't want to buy vegan cheese.
I did have to order the tapioca flour online but found a good price and hope to find other recipes to use it with 😉
This recipe was so easy to make and my goodness, I was really impressed with the flavour!!! So simple but spot on!
Thanks!
Krystal J. says
Hey Sam I made this cheese and it was bom! Way better than store bought.
Martyna says
I've just had the best vegan pizza using this mozzarella! I only added a bit more salt 🙂
Allie says
It's hard to find good vegan cheese, but this came together quickly and tastes great! I upped the nooch 2x (cuz I love nooch), but other than that I followed the recipe. This is a great recipe for a pizza or a fundido dip.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed!!
Allison says
I can't have cashews, almonds, or sunflower seeds. Would macadamia nuts work for this? Could I use macadamia butter to save the soaking/blending step? Or would tigernuts possibly work? And same question using tigernut butter, or even tigernut flour?
ROB says
Yes, you can use macadamia too. More pricy if I'm correct but honestly better for vegan cheeses. You can increase chesiness with little white miso, and some liquid from lactofermented veg.
Yetişkin sohbet says
You have great shares, I like to follow thanks
Cindy Bass says
I love this "cheese" so much!!!!
Maggie says
I LOVE this recipe!! & your site! I'm making it today for the ?4th time... &(this time only) IN the blender it becomes SUPER-thick! I'm wondering 1-is my blender the problem? & 2- what can I do to fix the already super-thick cheesy-sauce I have!
Amy says
It may have gotten thick in the blender if you blended too long especially if you have a vitamin that heats up. Also in the notes above she mentioned if it’s thick then add spoonful of water at a time to thin to your liking
Freddy says
I love this recipe, just made it tonight for pizza. Best vegan cheese I've ever had. I wonder if you can use almond milk instead of water? Love you Sam!
Jeannie Miller says
How do you spread the Ooey gooey mozzarella cheese on pizza?
Carol Anne says
I love this recipe! I like to modify it a tad to creat a queso dip: I double it, reduce the tapioca a little bit, add a little smoked paprika, a dash of turmeric for color, and a can of mild rotel with green chiles. I love it and it’s been a hit with friends and family as well! I love to eat it with blue corn tortilla chips 🙂 thanks so much for this!!
kels says
Carol Anne: That sounds delicious! Do you add the rotel after blending? and do you drain the rotel first??? (I know you posted months ago, but, well, I'm slow...)
Lo McEllin says
My guess is she drains the rotel first and adds it at the very end to combine. It would be too runny otherwise.
Lindsay says
This looks so good! Can you use salted, canned cashews for this recipe?
Marie Roberts says
no- all nut sauces need raw, unsalted nuts.
Danielle Liddick says
I use roasted cashews for everythingand they come out delicious. The only thing i dont use roasted for is cheesecake.
Eve says
We love your recipes and cookbook. I need help though. I have to use almonds instead of cashews due to allergies and both times they have come out grainy. Tried your nachos and mozzarella recipes and boiling the almonds. Both yummy just want to improve the texture.
Sam Turnbull says
You may need to boil the almonds a little longer. Make sure the blend as well as you can, and then I would recommend pouring the mixture through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer before cooking to get any leftover bits out. Hope that helps!
Marie says
A better alternative for cashews In sauces is raw sunflower seeds.
VeggieTater says
You can also try reducing the dry almonds to a powder first in the blender, then soak in the one cup of hot water for a few hours or even overnight. Or better yet... add a spoonful of active plain yogurt or other probiotic to a cup of WARM water to soak your almonds... and let it ferment on the counter over night or longer. (hot water will kill the microbes... cooking does too, but by then they've done their job!) Not only does it help break down the fiber if you can't strain them,(straining will still yield the smoothest result) but adds a wonderful "cheesy" depth of flavor without the addition of the vinegar. (I even do this with cashews for the flavor boost!)
Lynn says
We also have to use almonds due to allergies. I found using blanched almond flour (we buy at Costco) helps to make the texture more creamy and reduces steps since you don't need to boil and peel first. Hope this works for you as well.
An says
THANK YOU!!! I am about to eat all of this straight from the pan with a bag of chips ha! But I'll save it for our grilled veggie panini's later. We also had your tofu bites for lunch! Thank you so much for the great recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! You're welcome 🙂
Brandee says
Can I use agar agar instead of tapioca flour?
I don’t have tahani nor miso paste.
I do have nutritional yeast, Bragg soy sauce, and agar agar.
Help!
I’m trying to work with what I have for a pizza.
How do I learn what I can substitute with or what to have in my pantry? Do you have a video or book on that?
Wee says
I so miss grilled cheese on pizza. Kappa carrageenan is not easily available in my country and dolloping this on a pizza is lovely and stretchy by the grilled factor is missing. I'm wondering if I freeze this and grate it whilst frozen and then use it as a topping on a pizza prior to baking, will it work?
Molly says
Awesome recipe! So easy to make and delicious. I made a chickpea flour frittata with sautéed veggies and poured this cheese on top. My husband has made various vegan cheeses before and he gushed over this cheese! Thank you.
Carrie says
Can you sub The tapioca flour for arrowroot flour?
T
Niki Nelson says
I cannot find tapioca flour can I use Cassava flour instead? Also is there an alternative to nutritional yeast as I can’t tolerate it?
cindy says
cassava is the same as tapioca!
Doug says
This is so easy. Why have I waited so long to try making it? I will be using it in your Vegan Lasagna Soup.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! SO happy you love it, Doug 🙂
shan says
This recipe is sooooooooo good. I've been making it once a week since I first acquired tapioca starch =D
I cook it until it sort of solidifies though and then use it all week like it's a fresh ball of mozzarella.
I've also found that if you add 1-2 tsp of liquid smoke to the mix it gives it a good smoked cheese flavor that's really really good if you use this to make a grilled cheese sandwich.
it's just soooooooooooo crazy good!!!
Chris says
What!?! I’ve been making vegan nacho cheese for sometime but this changes everything!! Just crazy that a few simple ingredients can taste like cheese!! Awesome!!! Turned out great. Super simple. Only thing I’d change is next time I’m gonna double or triple!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So thrilled you enjoyed, Chris 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Delish! So happy you enjoyed, Shan 🙂
Simone says
Hello. This is probably quite a dumb question, but I have recently become fully vegan. I do not miss cheese in any recipes except for one. I used to put mozzarella in my korean ramen and let it melt. Of course I can't use any vegan cheese for that purpose, but I was wondering how this cheese would work if I poured it into hot liquid. I'm assuming it probably wouldn't work, but I wanted to ask.
Best,
Simone
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Simone, yes it will work. It will just be cheesy meltiness. Enjoy!
Karen says
Hi Sam your amazing! So far all your recipes are FANTASTIC I love em! Thank you ...... Keep it up your the best!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks Karen!
Emilie says
This is amazing. The best vegan cheese recipe i've tried so far. Looking forward to trying your other cheese recipes. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww wonderful! I hope you love them all 🙂
Mandy says
Easy and absolutely DELICIOUS!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!
Leah says
Can I make this a day ahead of time and then use it on pizza? Will it affect the flavor/consistency?
Sam Turnbull says
Absolutely! It gets a little stiffer when chilled in the fridge so you can either just dollop it on the pizza and have spots of mozzarella, or you can thin it back out by whisking extra water into it when reheating. Enjoy!
Kirby says
Just made this minus the nooch because i hate it and predictably ot was bland. Any flavours i could add to keep is cheesy but more flavorful?
Georgiann says
Try adding in some miso paste instead of nooch.
I would recommend trying nooch in thing in smaller amounts to get used to it. Many people do not like nooch at first, (myself included) but when you just put in small amount, the flavor isn't as noticeable and you may find yourself adding in ore and more as time goes on... I used to use it very sparingly and now I throw it in by the handful! I love it now and so glad I gave it a chance!! 🙂
Brie says
Had anyone tried using this as pasta sauce for mac n cheese?
Sam Turnbull says
That would work. My nacho cheese or my mac & cheese powder will be a more traditional flavour tho 🙂
Bianca says
Hi Sam! Did this twice for pizza and loved it! I wanted to turn this into fondue this time, but I thought it would be nice to incorporate white wine somehow to make it taste more like tradicional fondue. Any ideas in regards to the amount of wine I could add without compromising the texture?
Bianca says
Ok, so I experimented with a few tweaks and the result was amazeballs! Anyone looking for a fondue recipe, I highly recommend the following:
- 150 grams of cashews
- 350 ml of water
- 1 tbsp of light oil (canola, sunflower, etc)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 100ml of white wine
Same thing: boil the cashews, drain them, then blend with everything else.
You're gonna fool people with this "cheese" fondue!
Joan says
Nice! Sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Bianca, you can just sub some of the water for the wine. I would start with a couple of tablespoons and if you need more you can always stir some in later on 🙂
Chris says
Hi Sam,
Given the thick consistency of the finished and cooled cheese, should I heat it up and then spread on my pizza crust (almond flour base) or can I spread it cold onto the crust and heat for 10 minutes like a regular pizza with the rest of the toppings?
Sam Turnbull says
I would recommend dolloping it on 🙂
Erin says
All I can say is “Wow”! Used as a topping on our pizza as well as in a vegan spinach and artichoke dip. Ah-may-zing!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! Thrilled you love it, Erin 🙂
Mary says
OMG. We are not vegan, but we are trying to have a couple of days a week eating vegan meals. I am good with it; my significant other needs some convincing. Trying the Lasagna Soup and made this as a topping...all I can say is wow! The taste is amazing. I can see myself making this as a dip to serve during football games. Thanks for the recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful, so happy you loved it, Mary!
Nir says
Hi Thank your for the recipe, how long will it last in the fridge?
Can in be frozzen and than used for toast?
Sam Turnbull says
It will last for 3 - 5 days in the fridge, and yes, it can be frozen 🙂
Melanie says
I thought this was good and has so much potential. I found it a bit powdery tasting (from the tapioca starch). Does anybody know how to avoid that? I followed the recipe exactly.
Also; do you think there’s a possibility of making this a sliceable cheese by setting it with agar (or gelatin, for nonvegans)?
Sam Turnbull says
I have a solid mozzarella recipe here. The powdery taste should get cooked out. Try cooking a little longer next time to see if that helps. Enjoy!
Jessika Fairbarn says
I was wondering this exact thing. I just made it for the first time, put on a pizza and am in love!
Sara says
I'm allergic to garlic, do you think it will taste the same without?
Sam Turnbull says
Not the same, but still good!
Georgiann says
Maybe try adding some miso paste in place of the garlic?
Val says
This did not work. I was hopeful but disappointed with the outcome. Mine was like a thick sauce but nowhere near stretchy, ooey or gooey. The only thing I omitted was the nutritional yeast. It never clumped but I also whisked it almost constantly, would that have been the reason it didn't work? I didn't STIR like I maybe should have??
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, stirring, not whisking is required. The nutritional yeast shouldn't affect the texture. Watch the video to see how it's done.
Alexandra Abraham says
I am really, really new to becoming vegetarian/vegan. I haven't fully given up meat yet, but I'm gradually getting there, so please bear with me!
I recently read a report that cashew nuts are not very ethically-sourced. The shells contain a toxic element which blackens and poisons the fingers of the women who pick, shell and sort them. The vast majority of the people who process these cashews are women, and they are massively exploited and grossly underpaid, so because it's difficult to find ethically-sourced cashews in the uk, can I use peanuts or other nuts instead? (Please don't take my comments as any criticism of your recipe ingredients, I'm not trying to send you on a guilt trip here. I'm just telling you the difficulty I have in the UK.)
Lynn says
Alexandra Abraham, a previous commenter said she used hemp hearts and it worked wonderfully! I'm glad to hear that. I buy certified organic cashews and know about the issue you mentioned. It's unfortunate but almost everything we buy will have some kind of dark side. Eventually, I'll probably phase cashews out of my diet. They're expensive! I can't wait to try this tomorrow with hemp hearts! I can buy those domestically, rather than cashews shipped across the world 🙂
Jef says
Do you know how much hemp to substitute for the cashews?
Lynn says
I imagine it would be half a cup of hemp? Since it's half a cup of cashews. I tried it first with cashews and it didn't work. I'll try hemp next! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
You can sub macadamia nuts or blanched almonds 🙂
Courtney Kohout says
INSANE! I’ve made many vegan “cheeses”, but this is the best! I’m so impressed with the texture and taste... it’s like real cheese! Do you think this could be used for a Mac and cheese dish? Going to try tomorrow!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes it absolutely could! Enjoy 🙂
Andrea Ball says
I made the recipe exactly as written and it was melty, stretchy, gooey, and mozzarella-y, just as advertised. I do, however, have two questions. First of all, how do I stop eating the whole batch myself? And second, what kind of sorcery is this? ♀️
Sam Turnbull says
Bahahaha! Love it!!
Hannah says
I use this to make lasagna and it is the best thing in the world! I make a triple batch for a full sized lasagna. Truly the best thing I make and the most requested thing I make!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's so awesome, Hannah!! Thrilled you love it so much!
Carrie says
This is legit! I don’t know who came up with this nut cheese idea in general, but thanks to them, and to you for these amazing recipes! Mine’s in the fridge setting up and will be sliced onto my pizza later! Yum!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Carrie! Just a heads up, this cheese will stay in a melty state, even when chilled. So it's not really sliceable. You will be able to dollop it only your pizza tho 🙂
Christine says
I just made this replacing hemp hearts for the cashews and it worked out great! I’ve also tried with raw sunflower seeds which was also very yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! Love the alternative options, thanks for sharing Christine 🙂
Jenjen says
Did you soak the hemp hearts at all ?
If so for how long ?
My partner is allergic to all nuts sunflower and pumpkin seeds so I am experimenting using hemp as a substitute . Thank you. Jenjen
christine says
I didn’t soak them first, just substitute the for the same amount of cashews. I replace hemp hearts for cashews in tons of recipes and it works it well!
Amanda says
I’ve made this a few times. It is so easy and amazing each time. So happy to find your cheese recipes. Definitely saves money on Daiya.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! Thrilled you love it so much, Amanda 🙂
May says
I put it on a pizza!! It was sooo good!!!
My only suggestion is that in your post, maybe instead of pointing people to Amazon, you could suggest another online retailer such as nuts.com (that's where I got my tapioca starch for this gooey delight), and save us all from Jeff Bezos getting yet more money and power.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing, so happy you enjoyed, May! Of course, feel free to shop wherever you like. 🙂
Susan says
Amazon also employs many people, my son in law included. He and thousands of others are able to care for their families because of Amazon.
Maureen Cram says
Back in the US where I can get my hands on plenty of tofu so I made omelets (tofu and chickpea flour mainly) for supper last night and then filled them with this recipe and some left over pasta sauce. You can use this for sooooo many dishes. And always make a double batch and freeze half!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Joe says
Hello! This was absolutely amazing. I think it's my favorite discovery since switching to a plant based diet. My question is, how would I tweak the recipe if I wanted to make it a little less solid and a little less stringy/stretchy ? I only ask because I used it with pasta and it was a little hard to mix cause of how solid it was. I can't wait to try it as is on pizza though, that's for sure. Thanks,
Joe
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! You can always add more water to thin it out to the desired consistency. Hope that helps!
Kayla Denic says
Hi! I'm so excited to make this after seeing all of the positive reviews! How long would you say the cheese can be stored?
Sam Turnbull says
A couple of days in the fridge or longer in the freezer. Keep in mind that the cheese will remain in a gooey state even when chilled so it is best served hot. Enjoy!
Cassandra Bachrodt says
SAM!!! Oh my god!! I just made this and literally had to stop what I was doing to come post this review. I've made several cheese sauces/dips over the years since going vegan and have always been disappointed for one reason or another. Too nutritional yeast-y, too garlicky, too tangy, not gooey enough. I was fully expecting this to be another fail, but holy cannoli this mozzarella recipe is ridiculous in the absolute best possible way. I didn't change a single thing and it is PERFECT. I just texted my husband that I can't believe *I* made this... not to mention in only 15 minutes! It's going on pizza tonight, and I'm already trying to come up with more excuses to make this again asap.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Amazing, Cassandra! So incredibly flattered you loved it so much 🙂
Kari says
Amazing! You could probably breaak the internet (in the best possible way) if you teach us how to make/pack this into a portable "string cheese"! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
OOooohh that's tricky but I love that idea!
Michelle says
Is this shreddable after it gets cold?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Michelle, no it's not, but you can try my recipe for The Best Vegan Mozzarella which is designed to be grateable. 🙂
Soul Sista Shakti says
I just made this (and ate half) and I was VERY pleased. What I was NOT pleased with is seeing you dip a blue corn tortilla chip in this cheezy delight...what's wrong with you girl! I baked some sea salt rosemary crackers beforehand and the whole thing was super delish! Not to mention more filling than I thought, which is a good thing 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
What's wrong with blue corn chips?
Cyndi says
Maybe because corn is GMO? Dunno??? Weird thing to say.
I'm making mine for pizza and spinach artichoke dip.
I’m trying says
I’ve been brewing over your comment for days. Just because you’re a vegan (maybe carnivore) who doesn’t eat GMO foods doesn’t mean that every other vegan or person should. This wonderful lady shared a recipe for you to try or not, or share your unique take on it. You don’t need to push your “holier than thou” attitude on anyone. We will never be enough. Where does it stop? Shame on her for not buying organic, shame on her for shopping at Walmart, shame on her for not riding her bike to the store. Shame on her for not sourcing the products locally.... I am sorry that you are missing out on blue corn GMO chips, or the yellow corn (probably GMO) chips that I tried this dip with. You might be in a better mood if you didn’t try to be perfect all the time.
Vincent M Harry says
I'm not trying to say for or against anything, but sweet potatoes are the world's first known GMO. Just as some vegan food is unhealthy, it's possible some GMO is good.
Toni says
So, I'm guessing you think blue corn chips are dyed or genetically modified or in some way artificial? Actually, do an online search if you like, but blue corn is a very old heritage corn, Native American tribes especially the Hopi and Cherokee have cultivated it from, like, forever. Generally more diverse plants, different colors, shapes and sizes, are often really old types, at times containing actually even more beneficial bioactive chemicals than the standard varieties. Diversity Forever! Good for you for making cool crackers. If short on time blue corn chips work. And if they are organic, they can't legally be a GMO corn crop, so, all bases covered! If that's an issue, which for some of us, it is.
Lindsey says
I have the unfortunate situation of being both lactose intolerant AND I have an issue with cashews. Is there another nut you would suggest to substitute?
Nina says
try almonds
Sam Turnbull says
I would suggest my new recipe for mozzarella which is nut free. 🙂
Mari says
Can I use roasted cashews? I don't have any raw ones on hand
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Mari, roasted cashews are oily and dry, whereas raw ones are tender. The results won't likely be very good with the roasted cashews so I would recommend waiting until you have some raw cashews. Hope that helps!
Colleen says
Try raw sunflower seeds. I sub these for cashews in everything, however I haven’t tried this recipe yet.
Becca says
How much is a serving for the cheese?
Sam Turnbull says
1/4 of the recipe, about 1/4 cup. You can see the info at the top of the recipe. Enjoy!
Michelle says
I am a brand new vegan, and seriously, you have saved me. I miss cheese most of all, and this stuff is unbelievably awesome. Thank you so much for all you do: for your positive attitude, your cheeriness and your delicious recipes. You're the best.
Sam Turnbull says
Awwww shucks, Thank you so much, Michelle!! Thrilled that I have been able to help you in some small way 🙂
Vanessa Harmon says
I doubled this recipe the second time I made it and omitted the teaspoons of tapioca because I wanted a different consistency. I put it in a mason jar and mixed it with leftover pizza sauce to make a pizza dip. It was SO good. I loaded up on unsalted cashews because I plan on making this every week! Hoping to try different mix-ins next week.
Sam Turnbull says
Ooooh pizza dip, sounds delish, Vanessa!
Alex says
Wow Sam, this recipe was amazing! Both me and my husband were in love at first bite. And the mozzarella, OMG! I am sure it will become a staple in our house. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome! So happy you enjoyed, Alex 🙂
Kiki says
Yum! Thank you Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Kiki 🙂
Marta says
This was so good. At first I thought it a bit bland but I remembered that mozzarella isn't an explosion of flavour. It was a great fast and easy cheese fix. Kept going back to the fridge for bites. I think it would make a good spread after refrigeration.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it Marta! Yes, mozzarella is very mild. If you are interested in a punchier flavoured cheese try my nacho cheese 🙂
Renae H says
This was pretty good. The only thing I would do is add just a little more salt. I’m curious to see how it melts.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed! You can always add more salt to taste. This cheese stays in the melty form and will brown nicely when baked. Enjoy!
Josiah Brush says
Oh my this was so good! It actually did taste quite a bit like dairy mozzarella and the taste/texture combination were exquisite. I used about 2/3 of my batch on my pizza and ate most of the rest straight off my spatula . Thanks once again!
Sam Turnbull says
that's wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Josiah 🙂
Josiah Brush says
I tried some leftovers on a Beyond Burger tonight and wow! Don’t tell anyone I said this but it was the best burger I’ve had in a long time, vegan or not. Your mozzarella cheese made the burger extraordinary. Happy tummy 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
A great topper 🙂
Joshua Austill says
We made this tonight and ab'd it on pizza vs daiya shredded mozzarella and it won hands down. The only thing I did differently was I dropped it in an ice-cold salt brine for an hour after cooling it down, that made it spreadable on the pizza dough.
I would point out that your metric measurements aren't quite right The tapioca just says 55 with no unit, it comes out to around 27g in reality. The nutritional yeast is 5g per tbsp, not 15g. And the salt measures out to around .8g not 1.25g. That could be a difference in types of salt though?
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Joshua 🙂 Thanks for your notes on measurements. My wonderful assistant is currently working on converting all of my recipes into metric, so I will bring this to her attention to make sure it's up to date. 🙂
Jenna says
This recipe is SO GOOD I have it memorized. You will find yourself making it over and over again.
Thanks Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's awesome, thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Jenna 🙂
Jenny says
Used this inside homemade garlic dough balls - amazzziiinnnggggg! Thanks so much x
Sam Turnbull says
Ohhh that sounds epic!! 🙂
Irina says
Hello! Can you write mesures in Metric pls?
Sam Turnbull says
Working on it!
Pam says
Loved, Loved this recipe. Used it on veggie lasagna.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Pam 🙂
Betty says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Marta says
Oh good idea.
Maureen Cram says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Sounds delish!!!!! Wish I could try 🙂
Carol says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's so awesome, Carol! So happy you are enjoying my recipes so much 🙂
Angela says
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 :))
Sam Turnbull says
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?
Essa Grey says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Kara_western says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Rob says
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.
Alicia Cromwell says
Well I have tried a handful of vegan cheeses and this is the only one we really like! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome! Thrilled you like it so much, Alicia 🙂
Zaden says
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 ^^.
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Laura says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoy, Laura 🙂
Jes says
So could I use gluten free flour ( it has tapioca flour in it).. instead of just tapioca flour?
Sam Turnbull says
No I would recommend using straight tapioca flour.
Nicole says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome, so happy you enjoyed!
James says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Great idea!
shakila says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
María says
Hey Sam! Tried this recipe right after the seitan pepperoni one. Neither me nor my boyfriend are vegetarian, but we are both blown away by them, I just had a bread roll filled with those two for breakfast and cannot wrap my head around this sorcery... 2 out of 2 delicious, affordable and easy alternatives that have me checking your site for the next wonder to test! Thank you SO much
Sam Turnbull says
Oh wow! I love that you are so adventurous in the kitchen and enjoying these vegan foods! I hope you enjoy many more to come 🙂
María says
I just placed an order for Kappa Carrageenan and found Kala Namak in a local store, so there are at least 2 more ahead this weekend!!! We're trying to eat more consciously and your site is so great I keep on recommending it and inviting my colleagues and friends to try what I cooked. Again, thank you so much from this Spaniard living in Germany <3
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, María! I very much appreciate it 🙂
Julie Nguyen says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!!! So very thrilled you love it so much, Julie! Thanks for the fabulous review 🙂
Jessica says
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...
Jersey Robinson says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Jersey Robinson says
Ok thanks!
Jersey Robinson says
About how much does one batch make? I'm wondering if I should double it for the lasagna...
Sam Turnbull says
About 1 1/2 cups.
RoseAnne says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!!! So happy you no longer have to miss anything! 🙂
Rebecca says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's so awesome! I'm so delighted you are enjoying my recipes so much!! Thank you so much, Rebecca 🙂
Deborah Rene says
Can this cheese substitute be used in eggplant parmesan? I haven't tried it yet, but I will this weekend.
Sam Turnbull says
Absolutely!
Emily says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Jamie says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
Emilie Perron says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
Karen Ackerman says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Yep, I see both of your comments! Yes you can freeze it. Enjoy!
Christina says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Christina, both recipes are great and it will depend on your flavour preferences, but the cookbook has my new and improved version. Enjoy!
Sonia says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
Gabriella says
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!!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! Welcome, Gabriella, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Christina says
Hi! Do you have an alternative to cashews that would work? My boyfriend has a nut allergy. I was thinking maybe garbanzo beans?
Sam Turnbull says
I've heard people had good success with sunflower seeds. I think it does give it a green tinge tho.
Amy says
Would pine nuts work? My daughter is allergic to cashews.
Sam Turnbull says
I have never tried pine nuts, but blanched almonds work well.
Jennifer Loula says
How big is a serving? And how long does this cheese last for?
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Karen Ackerman says
I did not see any information about whether the Mozzarella Cheese could be frozen. Please respond.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, it can. Enjoy!
Linda Ferris says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Alex says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome! thrilled you and your family loved it so much, Alex 🙂
Kristi says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
Mary says
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
Sam Turnbull says
You're good to go!
Jennifer Bushee says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Jillee says
Exactly!
Theresa says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!!! So happy you loved it so much, Theresa 😀 Thank you for the wonderful review!
shakila says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Diana Sleiman says
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.
Kayla Phillips says
I just finished making it with arrowroot it turned out goofy and melty as expected!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Barb says
Do you think this would freeze ok? Or does it become firm in the fridge that you could grate it? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Barb, it does freeze fine. It stays in a melty gooey state when in the fridge. Enjoy!
Regina says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha awesome!!
Sophia says
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!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! That's so awesome. Thanks so much for the review, Sophia. Thrilled you loved it so much 🙂
Madison says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Linnea Hanson says
I use this all the time. Thanks so much!
Sam Turnbull says
So glad it's a fave!
Nelli says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
Blanched almonds work well. You just have to boil them a little longer 🙂
Grace says
I use sunflower seeds instead of cashews. They give a slightly nuttier, less sweet taste, but work well for most dishes. I tend to add a little extra salt and sometimes even a tiny bit of sweetener to balance the harshness.
Sam Turnbull says
Great idea!
Sam says
Some times with cashew recipes you can use sunflower seeds too. I'm doing the regular recipe but it's worth the try
ama says
Fantastic recipe...thank you! Used it on pizza.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, ama 🙂
Claire says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled you love it so much, Claire! Cheers from Canada 🙂
Sonya D. says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderufl, so happy you enjoyed, Sonya!
Barbara says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Barb says
Thanks a lot for your reply! I just did it and it is awesome!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!
Heather Renee Holloway says
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!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! Great ideas for playing around with it too 😀
Courtney Ransom says
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 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks so much, Courtney, thrilled you love the cheese so much and my blog. Welcome! Excited to have you here 🙂
Maria says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Molly says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you loved it so much, Molly!! You can always reduce the garlic to taste 🙂
Tiffany says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Mary says
I can’t wait to try this!
Christine says
Sam, this is glorious! Thank you so much!!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! You're most welcome, Christine 🙂
CC says
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.
JoAnn M Lakes says
Can you explain what you're talking about (i.e. recipe)? I'm not getting it! Sorry!
Sam Turnbull says
Interesting! I've never tried that!
Cassy says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Cassy says
Thanks for the reply, I thought the cashews would be best, too, but my partner doesn't like them .
Molly says
Raw cashews blended into things like this don't taste at all cashew-y, if that helps!
Cassy says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
JoAnn M Lakes says
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.
Matilda says
How did it go with the almond meal?
Terri says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Terri says
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!!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! You're most welcome, Terri 🙂
Celeste says
Going to make this tonight, so I haven't actually tried it. Just wanted to say older beans and nuts need to soak a lot longer. Also, nuts should be stored in the fridge or freezer to slow them from going rancid.
Jessica says
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.
Molly says
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. 🙂
Libby H says
Just tried this with potato starch and subbed lemon juice for ACV. Worked great! Love that it's oil-free.
Sam McBride says
This is so delicious and melty. So satisfying! I'm going to use this on everything
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo!
Rosann Ashe says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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
Hi Rosann, did you know that vinegar actually turns alkaline in the body?
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!
Brittney says
Can I soak the nuts overnight instead of cooking them in the boiling water? Or will they be too soft?
Sam Turnbull says
Yep absolutely, it's just slower. 🙂
Brittney says
does this recipe double easily? Can I just use 2x of everything? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yep! Exactly. 🙂
Kevin says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!
Jennifer Maron says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Shawn says
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:)
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Thrilled you love it so much, Shawn 😀
Diana says
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).
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Joyce says
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 😉
Sam Turnbull says
Interesting! Did the cheese have a peanut taste for you? So happy you enjoyed it!
Shawn says
Thanks for posting that. I never thought of using cheap peanuts. I will give it a try.
Jessica S. says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful 🙂
Melissa says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Too bad you didn't enjoy it.
Carrie says
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!
Nancy Nurse says
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!
Jackie says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Jackie says
Thank you! I look forward to purchasing your cookbook. ❤️
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! 😀
NewbornVegan says
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
Sorry you didn't enjoy!
Rachel says
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 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Rachel says
Ok, brilliant! I'm going to do that! Thank you 🙂
Emily Hansen says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha, awesome! So happy you are enjoying it. Enjoy the pizza!
Nicole says
Hello,
We have to avoid cashews. Is there a substitute for the nut? Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
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!
The most creative name says
I've heard of using tofu as a substitute.
Catherine says
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 :).
Emily says
Sunflower seeds are a great replacement but make sure they are raw.
Mylène says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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.
shan says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks so much! It just has a little more flavour punch 🙂
Destiny says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! You're most welcome, Destiny! So very happy you enjoyed it so much. Pretty cool right!? 😀
Audrey says
Hi, how did your lasagne turn out. I would like to make one and freeze it. What do you think.
Ali says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Jessica Kelsey says
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!
STACEY says
This was AMAZING! How long will it keep in the fridge?
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it. I would say about 3-4 days in the fridge, a month in the freezer.
Nyeva says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful! SO happy you loved your first vegan cheese experiment, Nyeva!
Angela says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thank you! So happy you love it so much 😀
Nicole says
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! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
I would cook the veggies and boil the pasta ahead of time, then mix it all together with the cheese and bake. 🙂
Mary A Burkhalter says
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.)
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you love it, Mary 🙂
corie says
if i prep this ahead of time, can i just blend it and leave the heating until later? really excited to try it!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Kim says
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.
Erica Vermette says
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!!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's cool, never tried that! So happy you like it, Erica!
Maile says
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.
Nicole says
Can I use coconut flour instead of any starch?
Sam Turnbull says
Only tapioca starch will give it the melty stretchy gooey texture.
Stacey E. says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Stacey, you can add (or not add) garlic powder to taste. If you find it bland you can add other spices. Enjoy!
Sarah Brown says
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
Eve says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! So very happy it was such a surprise hit for you, Eve 😀
Amberma53@gmail.com says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Lindsey says
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!!!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Lindsey! So very happy you and your son enjoyed it so much 😀
Emily B. says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy to hear that cashew butter worked for you, Emily! I must try it myself 🙂
Hadar says
Wow!! Amazing!!
(And im not a vegan)
Just yumyyyy
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Hadar 🙂
lovethescents says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
lovethescents says
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....
Heat says
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.
Haley says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Chrissy says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! So happy you enjoyed it, Chrissy!
Emma says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Angela Moore says
Hi!
Have you attempted to make mozzarella sticks with this cheese? If so any tips?
Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't, but that's a great idea! I will add it to my list 🙂
Kari says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yes, the seasoning combos are endless!! So happy it's become a new staple for you, Kari 😀
Paige says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww yay!! Thrilled you love it so much. Yes, my fave mac and cheese recipe is in my new cookbook 😀
Michelle says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Michelle says
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:)
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much! Glad you are enjoying my blog 🙂
Kristi says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Great tips, Kristi!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Queen says
Its four servings, what is the serving size?
Nyssa says
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! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Debbie says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Ashley says
I wonder if you could freeze this somewhat for the purposes of grating it and then put it on pizza?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Oli says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Joanne says
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!
Imdad says
Order off Amazon! Cheaper than H&B 🙂 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Engevita-Savoury-Yeast-Condiment-Pack/dp/B00A4C48LQ
Mel says
Holland and Barrett or Amazon both sell nutritional yeast 🙂
Laura says
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?
Laura says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Amber says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Lemon juice will work for sure, just a slightly different flavour. Enjoy!
Carol says
I used cashews that had been soaked and frozen. I used them in the Vitamix straight from the freezer and it worked perfectly.
anthony says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! You're most welcome Anthony! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Ashley says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Arrowroot will make a cheese sauce, but only tapioca will give it that stretchy texture. Enjoy!
laura says
does it mess it up to leave out the yeast? 🙂
anthony says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavour, so without it, the cheese might be pretty bland.
Tammy says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Sorry the recipe wasn't to your taste! I hope you find one you enjoy.
Joey says
I agree. I made this at it seemed gelatinous, it was mucousy not gooey.
Sharon says
Same. I was disappointed, Might try it with coconut milk instead of water & cut down on the tapioca. Glad others have like it though.
Victoria says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Thrilled you and your boyfriend loved it so much, Victoria 🙂
Amber says
Have you ever tried it with something other than cashews? I have a tree nut allergy, so I'm looking for a suitable replacement!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
April says
To reheat can this be microwaved so I can take left. Overs to work?
Sam Turnbull says
Yep, that should be just fine. 🙂
Wanda J says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes! It works wonderfully. Enjoy!
Anna says
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 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Wow, that's an interesting sub! So happy you love it so much and it turned out perfectly for you 🙂
Sloane says
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!!
Sam Turnbull says
I think it would last about a month in an airtight container. Enjoy!
nathan nobis says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Very cool! Good to know 🙂
Julia says
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!
CBZ says
Putting the cashews through a strainer is one of the notes.
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Alannah says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes absolutely, prepare the cheese then spread onto your lasagna and bake away!
Kayla says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Boom! Can't get a much better review than that!! So happy you and your boyfriend loved it Kayla!! 🙂
celeste says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Patty says
Hi Sam! Can I use potato starch instead of tapioca starch? What is the difference?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Patty, if you read the post or recipe, it explains that any other starch will not get the same results.
Virginia Wiemken says
Can I put regular tapioca in my Vitamix and make tapioca flour?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, you can!
Karissa says
Oh my gosh. This is AMAZING. I could eat it by the spoonful.
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! So happy to hear that 🙂
Dana Lasswell says
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!!!! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Well at least the artichoke dip is enjoyed!
Farah Yasmina says
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 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! So happy you loved it Farah 🙂
Jess says
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/
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it 🙂
Christina Bauer says
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!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Corn flour would make a cheese like sauce, but only tapioca starch will give it that stretchiness.
Polly says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Nathan says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Maria says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Glad you love it! Yes, agar will definitely change the texture. Let us know how it sets and re-melts for you! Enjoy 🙂
Trevor Gillian Doge says
Hey can I use macadamia nuts instead? I don't like chashews
Sam Turnbull says
Yes you can! You will likely have to soak or boil them for longer as they don't soften as quickly. Enjoy!
fran says
Hi! Is there a way to store this cheese as a solid? All the pictures only show it melted, thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi fran,
The cheese will always stay in a melty form, think of it as more of a melty gooey sauce. 🙂
fran says
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:)
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Wayne says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Sarah says
Hi there I'm just wondering how long this will stay good for in the fridge?
Sam Turnbull says
I would say about a week. Follow the directions to reheat it. Enjoy 🙂
Maureen Cram says
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 :).
Sam Turnbull says
Woot! So happy you love it Maureen. You could also try my Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas if you like. 🙂
Monique Amar says
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 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
Me says
Can i put these into jalapenos and bake them to make jalapeno poppers?
Sam Turnbull says
Sure!
sarah says
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!!
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome!! So happy it worked out for you Sarah 🙂
Josh says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Aurora Brenes says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Marie says
Have you ever swapped arrowroot for the tapioca?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Marie, arrowroot will make it more of cheese like sauce, only tapioca will give it that stretchy cheesy quality. Hope that helps!
Bob says
Sam:
Can I substitute Lemon juice for the apple vinegar?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes you can! It will have a slightly different flavour, but will still be great. Enjoy!
Lea says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Awww thanks Lea! So happy you loved my adaption. I made a nacho cheese version too if you are interested. Enjoy!
Yo says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Shay says
Can I put this in the oven instead of cooking it on the stovetop ? Cooking it like mac n cheese
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Ashley Medina says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome!! So happy everyone loved it so much 🙂
Debbie H Carter says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Audrey says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
Crissy says
I used full fat canned coconut milk and it's amazing
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!
bobby sue jabat says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Brittney Johnson says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Woot woot! Thrilled you're a fan Brittney 🙂
Sam says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Other starches will thicken it and make it into a sauce, but only tapioca will give you the stretchy cheesy like texture.
Laura says
I made this and the taste was great but the texture was a little gelatinous. Any suggestions on fixing this?
Sam Turnbull says
You can always thin it out a bit by stirring in a little more water. Hope that helps!
Eilis says
Could I freeze the mozzarella ,then grate it for toppings like pizza etc.
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Adriana says
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 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's awesome!! Was it a funny greenish colour? So happy it worked out for you 🙂
Adriana says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yay!
qn says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Ooooh smoked mozzarella!! What a fab idea. So happy you enjoyed it so much qn 🙂
ZeroKNS says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Una says
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!!
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
Bianca Salinas says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
You could try adding more seasonings such as in my Nacho Cheese Recipe. Hope that helps!
Jim Redman says
Suggestion: Blend more, faster, longer.
Karianne says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
Joy says
I have used sunflower seeds in this recipe when we had a guest that was allergic to nuts. It still tasted great!
Sam Turnbull says
Great to know!
Ziv says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you and your family enjoyed it so much Ziv 🙂
Kim Keesee says
Are you able to shred this once it's chilled?
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Cecilia says
Thanks for this recipe! Is it possible to replace the cashews with any other nut, say almonds? My partner is allergic to cashews 🙁
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, blanched almonds work well too. The resulting cheese is not quite as creamy, but still pretty tasty 🙂
Cecilia says
Thanks Sam, will give this a go!
Cassie Smith says
Do you know if tofu would work? My friend is allergic to all nuts :-/
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
maria says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Bianca Salinas says
Let us know the outcome I am super curious! I am really curious of what it would be like with macademia's as well!
Jackie says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you loved it Jackie 🙂
Michelle says
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!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! So happy you and your husband loved it so much Michelle 🙂
Alyssa Mozelle McCord says
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!"
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
Lena M. says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Lisa says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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! 🙂
Shani Bob says
Can I refrigerate the mixture without cooking it? And use it day? Will it go bad?
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Alyssa says
Could I use arrow root powder instead of tapioca?
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Aileen says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Brandon Lillibridge says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Elaine says
You can go to an Asian grocery store and get tapioca starch for prices ranging from $0.89 to $1.99.
Sam Turnbull says
Great tip!
Sam says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Awww yay! So happy you love it so much Sam 😀
Chris says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Chris,
Yes, you can freeze it and it comes back to life just fine. So very happy you loved the recipe! 😀
Pj says
It's delicious.....and was so easy to make.....thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Joanie says
Just branching into homemade vegan cheese. Can I use a nutrabullet to make the cheese? Do I have to adjust the recipe?
Sam Turnbull says
Should be no problem, just make sure to soak or boil the cashews first as instructed 🙂
RT says
Do I still need to soak the cashews if I have a Blendtec?
Sam Turnbull says
Nope, you should be good to go! I used the smoothie button and it seems to cream the cashews perfectly
Elizabeth says
Sam this recipe is amazing! We just made it, and sampled, delish, - it's going to be great on pizza later! Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it! 😀
Astrid says
Please help!!!
I just tried making this tonight, and it didn't form clumps and it didn't become gooey 🙁
It just thickened, as if i had used cornstarch or something!
What did i do wrong do you think?
- Astrid
Sam Turnbull says
Oh no! I am assuming you used tapioca starch, so my only guess is that you might have mis-measured something..? If the ratios aren't correct it could mess up the recipe. Sorry I couldn't be more help, it's hard to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you! Hope that helps at least a little
Astrid says
Yes i did! Maybe i mis-measured or maybe my tapioca starch is different somehow? (I live in Denmark and could only find one kind). I Will have to try it again and see if i can figure it out! Because it looks amazing!
(I still ended up putting it on my pizza and it tastes deliscious, but i wanna nail the stretchy consistency).
Thank you! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
I really hope it works for you! The starchiness is so fun! 🙂
Traci says
I made this tonight--it's fabulous. I've tried just about every kind of vegan cheese for pizza, and this is by far the best. I saw some similar recipes online, but really like what you've done with your version! Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it so much Traci and that you like my version. Thanks for leaving such a lovely comment 😀
Amber R. says
I made this today and LOVE it!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!! I also followed the directions exactly and mine turned out wonderfully. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
That's so awesome to hear Amber! So happy you love it 😀
Rachel T. says
I made this according to intrucations and it tasted like nothing, absolutely no flavor, and it was just goo. Not melty, just tasteless goo.
Rachel T. says
*instructions
Sam Turnbull says
Sorry you didn't like it! It is mild in flavour, because mozzarella is mild in flavour. You can always add seasonings to your taste.
Crissy says
My first experience with it was the same as yours but it worked for pizza since the sauce had enough flavor. I just made it again tonight and replace the water with full fat coconut milk. I doubled the cashews and added a little onion powder and it was amazing!! It's so good I might try it as a grilled cheese sandwich!
Megan says
Apologies if this has been asked and answered already, but could you start with cashew butter and skip the soaking & blending of them?
Sam Turnbull says
No problem. No, cashew butter is made by blending the cashews until their oil is released. If you used that instead the cheese would be too oily, and probably taste a little odd as well. It only takes 10 minutes to boil the cashews!
Kate M says
I made a variant of this today and it turned out awesome ! I was wondering if this can be chilled and then grated? Or would I need to add agar so it could set up hard?
Sam Turnbull says
It does not get firm in the fridge, but I have heard from other readers that they have frozen it then grated it. I tried it myself, and wasn't thrilled with the result as the grated flakes melt and return to goo quickly. I have also tried adding agar, but once agar is added, it does not have the same meltiness. I find the best way to use it in a more spreadable way is to add a bit more water. Hope that helps!
Lorna Stafford says
Went out and bought tapioca starch today, cant wait to try this recipe!! How long will this keep? Im the only vegan in my family so i tend do stretch my food over a few days!
Sam Turnbull says
I wil keep for about a week in the fridge, and then just follow the instructions in the notes to reheat it. But from my experience, there are never leftovers! Haha. Also it's so super quick to whip up whenever you are in cheesy need. Enjoy Lorna!!
Isabelle Falardeau says
Hi,
I tried the recipe with pine nuts instead of cashews as I am allergic. All went perfectly, the gooey texture was there for about 30 seconds and then it just became "creamy liquidy" again and never got back to gooey (I kept it going for 5-6 minutes afterward). Do you think it is because of the pine nut replacement or is there something else I might be doing wrong? (the taste though is amazing so I will use the result as a "bechamel" replacement). Any thought? Thanks for your super great recipes by the way. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Isabelle,
Hmm, yes my guess is that the pine nuts are to blame, because I have never had that happen before. Pine nuts are very oily, so maybe that's why. I recently tried blanched almonds as a substitute for cashews, and they would perfectly. Can you eat those?
Isabelle Falardeau says
Thanks! I was afraid to use almonds (I can indeed eat them) because I thought they would not be creamy enough. I will definitely give it a try!
Sam Turnbull says
Enjoy!
Taya says
THIS IS INSANELY DELICIOUS!!!! Incredible! Thanks for sharing. I made it for the artichoke and spinach dip listed on this sight. My non-vegan husband loved it! Thank you so much!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that. So very happy you and your hubby loved it 😀
Robert Schlotzhauer says
I love this recipe. Thanks for posting. It's my go-to cheese recipe when I need something cheesy. I've used it for pizza, ziti, mac and cheese, on sandwiches (vegan cheese steaks, hamburgers included), and anything else that requires some gooey goodness.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy to hear that Robert. 😀
Richa says
Is there any substite to nutritional yeast or will it work if i skip it from the recipe
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Richa,
You can skip it if you like. Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavour to the recipe, so if you skip it, you might need to boost up the other spices. Enjoy!
Richa says
Other spices as in ?....or what else can I use to add up the cheesy flavour?
Robert Schlotzhauer says
I almost skipped this step too but upon doing some research discovered that its key to this recipe. So I ordered nutritional yeast from Amazon. And the research was accurate. Nutritional yeast is key for giving it the cheesy flavor.
Sam Turnbull says
That's right, you can season the cheese with other spices such as garlic and onion powder, miso paste, etc. but nutritional yeast is what will give it the cheesy flavour.
Thandi says
Can I sub the cashews for anything else if you have a nut allergy? What would you recommend?
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't tried anything else myself, but the cashews and water together make a thick cream. Perhaps sunflower seeds might work? Or soy cream? I don't know for sure. If you try something let us know how it turns out. Sorry I can't be of more help!
Andrea says
I always use sunflower seeds instead of cashews. cheaper and less fat. It works well.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome tip! Thank you 🙂
Amy says
OMG! I love this recipe!! I am trying to be vegan, love almost every vegan recipe I have ever made since I love food, it works. My husband and I are shifting into the vegan mindset slowly....like I had cheese earlier today, sorry. Then I decided to try this recipe since I saw someone used cashew milk.....and another person used arrowroot powder....and I have those things, so I gave it a whirl.
It came together nicely, as in it got clumpy then gooey just like you said it should. Then I tasted it and was not impressed. So I added more yeast, salt and a bit of pepper until it was satisfactory. I probably ended up adding 3-4tbs of yeast....please don't be mad or judge me.....like I said, I had cheese earlier today and the flavor just needed to be stronger for me, right now. I'm sure once I let go of cheese altogether and my taste buds change, I'll be able to pull back on that. I did go to the store today and did not purchase more cheese so that was me being good!!!
Anyway, I served it over spaghetti squash warmed up with onions and garlic, topped it with chopped spinach and dried basil. SUPER GOOD!!!! I even have some sauce leftover in the fridge.....not sure what I'll use that for but I know it will be delish!!! Thanks for this recipe and your awesome blog!! I hope its ok if I share the version I made:
: 1 1/4 cups cashew milk, unsweetened
1 cup water
3-4 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp + 2 tsp arrow root powder
Sam says
Amy, I will never, ever, ever judge you for trying to eat more vegan! If you are making efforts to eat vegan, well that's just the best news ever! So happy you were able to make this recipe suit your own tastes. If you ever have any questions or need any support just let me know, that's what I am here for 🙂
Amy says
Hey Sam! I made this again today, using almond milk instead of cashew and it came out great!!
I'm using it in a crockpot vegan lasagna that is cooking right now, I can't wait to try it!! I can't find the original recipe that I found for the vegetarian lasagna, I came across it a few months ago. It has been a go to ever since. The original called for cheese which I subbed for this. I love using my crock pot so this is a win win. Just layer lasagna noodles, i used whole wheat, sauce, veggies and cheese. This time I used frozen veggies--yellow squash, mushrooms, green beans, and peas, its what I had in my freezer. I've done many different combinations and they are all good. I just wanted to share.
I am getting closer to going full vegan everyday. I got oatmeal for breakfasts so I can stop using eggs. Thanks for all the great recipes and being so welcoming. I love that you respond to almost every comment, it shows you really care about what people have to say and want to start a dialogue. I appreciate that! Thanks so much!
Sam Turnbull says
That lasagna sounds great! I don't have a crockpot... maybe I should get one. Hmm...
Congrats on getting more and more vegan! And thank you, yes I really do care what people have to say! Responding to comments is actually one of my favourite parts. It lets me know that I am indeed making a difference, even if people are just eating one dish vegan. 🙂
Mary says
I was just thinking, "I wonder if I can use arrowroot powder instead..." since that is what I have in the pantry, and then read this post. Perfect! Making this tonight for our vegan pizza. Can't wait 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
I hope you enjoy!
Karena Edgecombe says
How long is the life of this cheese?
Sam says
I would say about 5 days when kept in an air-tight container in the fridge. See the notes for re-melting it. 🙂
Maureen Cram says
Did not look at all the comments but wanted to add that if you do make double or triple or quadruple to save on washing up, you can freeze this. Just give it a good stir up when you thaw it out and you are good to go. I used the thawed sauce for a grilled cheese sandwich with home made almond pesto... Drool 🙂
Sam says
Vegan pesto grilled cheese sandwich!?!?! Um, don't be surprised if you see that appearing on the blog soon 🙂
Heather says
Thanks for the suggestion. I wonder if I could out it in an ice cube tray then just throw those on a pizza.
Areesh says
Nutritional Yeast isn't available anywhere in my county and I can't order it online :/ (I'm not legal to own a credit card just yet.) Any subsitute I can use instead of nutritional yeast?
Sam says
Nutritional yeast is just for flavour in this recipe, so you can just skip it but it does provide the cheesy flavour, so the recipe won't be quite the same. You might want to boost up some of the other flavours to help replace it. Hope that helps!
Areesh says
Thanks for the advice! I added garlic powder instead of the nutritional yeast and it was absolutely delicious! Once again, thanks a lot for the response and this wonderful recipe!
Sam says
You're very welcome! I'm glad it turned out for you 🙂
Karena Edgecombe says
Hi there, can you tell me if this would work in a dairy free cheese sauce?
my boy LOVES this cheese by the way!!!!
Sam says
Hmmm... difficult for me to know. Do you have a recipe for this cheese sauce? The cheese itself is already pretty saucy, so if you are just mixing it with macaroni or something it should be good to go!
Karena Edgecombe says
I made Mac and cheese with it last night. Using almond milk for the cheese sauce... It actually tastes really good
Sam says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Dawn says
Wow! I just found this on Pinterest and I think my jaw actually hit the desk. I cannot wait to try this. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! You're very welcome Dawn! I hope you like it 🙂
Tanya says
I just came across this recipe and had to try it immediately. It turned out fantastic! I used the cashews as well as cashew milk to replace the water. It worked perfectly. I'm turning it into the Spinach Artichoke dip so it looks like I'm going to have to make another batch for tomorrow night's pizzas! Thanks for the inspiration.
Sam says
You're very welcome Tanya! So happy you enjoyed it so much and are making it again already 🙂
Danielle says
I made this last night to put on pizza and it was yummy! Will make again! I did everything the recipe called for but instead of 1/4 cup of cashews I used 1/2 cup and did not up the other measurements and it was great-- nice a gooey.
Sam says
So happy you loved it Danielle 🙂
Craig says
Hi just an update. I tried to make Macaroni and cheese with this recipe. Worked out pretty well!
Basically, I boiled one cup macaroni, then when el dente, drained the pot and put back on the stove with the gas off. I then made the cheese as per the recipe, but cooked it together with the cooked macaroni while stirring. Tastes good, but next time I will double the pasta and add some celery pepper and a little more salt
Sam says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it. My recipe for Melty Stretchy Gooey Nacho Cheese might work well for a more rich flavour 🙂
Cristina says
OMG! I made this tonight for my pizza and it was delicious!! Thank you so much for such an easy and perfect recipe! I had to go and buy some crips to dip into it to finish the remainder of it, I just couldn't leave it haha
Sam says
Haha! THat's awesome. So very happy you enjoyed it Cristina 🙂
Christian says
Have you tried to put it in ice water and brine to make it firm up like dairy mozzarella? I would be interested to hear how that would turn out.
Sam says
No I haven't, but my guess is that it wouldn't firm up the same way, as this cheese doesn't have any of the firm qualities, it's really intended to stay melty. If you would like a vegan mozzarella that does firm up in brine, I recommend trying Miyoko Schinners.
Christian says
So, when I attempted this recipe, the cheese turned into this snot like consistency, and it was really weird... Did I do something wrong?
Sam says
It's difficult for me to know without being with you in the kitchen, but it should be a gooey and stretchy consistency. Sorry I can't be of more help!
Craig says
Love this, but not quite Mozzarella..
I really like this, but I think it is not quite a substitute for mozzarella in some dishes.
Great sub for Roux/white/cheese sauce though!
I must say that my yeast may not be the best, so will try another yeast before my final comments.
I really must say though, your blog is great, positive and has so many wonderful ideas. I am addicted to it now!
heers
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks so much Craig!!
Make sure you are using Nutritional Yeast, other yeasts are a totally different thing and I imagine wouldn't taste very good!
max says
Love this recipe! Ive done it before but didnt thought about cashews in this one. Have you tried using oatmeal milk instead of water? I think it could helps a bit for a creamy consistence, dont you agree?
Thank you ! Greetings from Argentina.
Sam says
Hi Max, So happy you love the recipe! I use cashews because they make the creamiest milk. I don't think oat milk would be as successful as oats do not have the same richness as cashews. If you happen to give it a try however, let us know how it turns out 🙂
Charlene says
Hi, I tried this recipe but didn't have the tapioca flour, so I used ground white grits. Ok, so the texture was not the same, but it tasted like cheese grits, which my husband loves. It was wonderful. Thank you! I can't wait to try more of your recipes.
Sam says
Hey very cool, that sounds like a whole new recipe on it's own!
Bubs says
What is the serving size the nutritional information is based on please?
Thanks!
Sam says
There are three servings in the recipe, so the serving size is 1/3 of the recipe.
Bubs says
Thanks!! One more thing, does this solidify like conventional mozzarella on refrigeration, please? 🙂
Sam says
No it doesn't, it stays on gooey form.
Sara says
Heeeeey! First of all, THANK YOU for making this recipe! Could you please provide the exact metric measurements (ml/g) of this recipe? I just made it (I'm from Spain, I don't know if our measuring tools have the same... measures; yeah, a bit silly) and it resulted being very... salty and not so gooey as it should be. I followed the same steps as the recipe indicates, and I didn't forget any ingredient... I don't know what could have happened. Thaaaank you very much again for this magical recipe, I'm really looking forward to do this!
Sam says
Hi Sara, you're welcome 🙂
Perhaps you will find this chart helpful? I know another fan ended up purchasing American measuring cups and spoons so they could make my recipes without converting. Hope that helps!!
Sam
B. Christine says
I made this recipe a while back and it was great! Like you said, it's a little hard to spread on pizza and you have to put blobs on the pizza. It's still delicious, though! But I put some in the freezer to save for later. I actually forgot about it for about 2 months but it was still great when I used it again. Also, while it was still in a frozen chunk, I shredded it with a regular cheese grater and it grated pretty easily and it was easy to sprinkle on the pizza! If you freeze and shred it, the only suggestion I have is to make sure it is still frozen solid when shredding, otherwise it gets kind of sticky. Thanks for this recipe, it's fabulous and I will definitely be making more! I like the convenience of the frozen shreds!
Sam says
I love that idea of freezing the cheese to grate it! I thought of doing that, but I still have an untouched frozen block of cheese in my freezer. Haha. So happy it works for you, and that you love the cheese. I will definitely be giving that a try 🙂
Sara says
Made this tonight for a group of non-vegans and they ate it right up!
Only change I made was to brown the onions and garlic in a skillet before mixing in with everything.
Sam says
So happy you and the non-vegans loved the recipe Sara 🙂
Sara says
This comment was supposed to be on the spinach-artichoke dip recipe but I had both open at the time and it ended up here. Anyway, it was really good 🙂
Sam says
Haha, I thought so! 🙂
Jane says
Great for dipping and likely great in nacho or lasagna applications, but not great on pizza in my opinion. It dries out too much. I'm wondering if maybe some added fat would help? Earth balance perhaps? Something solid at room temp like mozz fats. Any ideas?
Dan says
Wow, simply amazing. NEVER thought I would ever taste a "vegan" cheese that actually just simply tasted and had texture like cheese. Made a batch, and used it on a small french bread style pizza to try. OK....you had me at "Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella." Then my wife tried it and said "you are going to make the pizza tonight with this aren't you!" I'm not vegan, not even a complete vegetarian, but you are a great fisherman - you know to hook 'em with great recipes....and slowly reel 'em in. Can't wait to try more! Hmmm - Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Nacho Cheese anyone.
🙂
Sam says
Haha! I am the fisherman who doesn't support fishing...unless it's to woo the omnis to the greener side. Haha! Love it. I'm so very happy you loved the recipe so much. I never really expect omnis to try the vegan cheeses so it's super awesome that you are an adventurous cook, and wanted to give it a go, and even more awesome that you loved it! Thanks for the lovely comment Dan 🙂
Sgamer says
This recipe didn't do it for me. It tasted nothing like mozzarella, not even close. It didn't have the texture, the kind of mild cheesy richness or the creaminess. It tasted like cooked starch that was flavored with nutritional yeast.
Sam says
Aw that's too bad. Sorry you didn't enjoy the recipe. 🙁
Julia says
OMG this is amazing, who would of thought that such ingredients would taste so good. Perfect for my coeliac recently turned vegan daughter. It actually has more taste than boring mozarella, more like tallegio. Thankyou
Sam says
Aww yay!!! So happy you and your daughter love it Julia 🙂
Alicia says
I understand that cashews make this more creamy, but I have a nut allergy. 🙁 Would sunflower seeds still make a nice cheese, or are there other nut free alternatives? Thanks for your time!
Sam says
Hi Alicia!
Yeah, cashews are creamy which is why they work so well, but if you have an allergy, you could try another nut with varied results, just make sure the nuts are really softened before trying to blend them because they have to break down to a cream. My guess is the sunflowers would make the mozzarella green...? Haha if you are into that I say go for it. If you give it a go, let us know how it turns out 🙂
Ale says
This recipe looks amazing and I can not wait to make it. However it is pretty much impossible for me to find nutritional yeast... Is there anything I can substitute it with? Or can I leave it out?
Sam says
Thanks Ale! Nutritional yeast is just for flavour here, so you can definitely leave it out. You might want to try to amp up the flavours in another way. You could try a pinch of vegetable bullion, a small amount of white miso paste, or any seasoning you think would be yummy. Hope that helps!
Erin says
Could you use substitute corn starch for the tapioca? Thank you!
Sam says
Hi Erin,
Corn starch doesn't have the same reaction as the tapioca starch. It would make the mozzarella into a thick sauce like texture. The tapioca is the magical part that makes it melty, stretchy, and gooey, and there is really no replacement for that. Hope that helps!
Julia M. says
I tried making this today and it is SO GOOD! Instead of using cashews and water, I just used my favorite storebought cashew milk (college budget, haha) and it turned out so thick, gooey, creamy, and delicious! It tastes SO REAL. Tapioca starch is magical!
I normally don't like nutritional yeast cheese sauces, but I loved that there was only a tbsp in this one. The flavor was delicious, mild, and salty, just like mozzarella. I fed it to my boyfriend and he didn't even know the difference! 🙂
Sam says
Haha! That's awesome Julia! So very happy you loved it, and so cool to hear that it worked with cashew milk! I will have to try that myself. 🙂
Sammy says
That's so cool! I would love to know what amount of cashew milk you added. Also on a budget 😛
Julia M. says
Hey Sammy! I used 1 1/4 cup of unsweetened Silk Cashew Milk. I've remade this multiple times with that , it's so good!
Sam says
Thanks for letting us know Julia! I will have to try this myself sometime too 🙂
Deanna says
This is the most amazing vegan cheese I have ever had! Thank you for sharing his recipe!!! I actually had this as a meal the first time I made it because I couldn't stop eating it!!
Sam says
Haha!! I did the EXACT same thing Deanna! So incredibly happy you loved it 🙂
Lacey says
Never mind, I see now it says the recipe serves 3. :). So 282 calories and 15 grams of fat total.
Sam says
Haha yep! Glad you found it ok 🙂
Lacey says
How many servings are in the recipe? I see the nutritional information per serving, thanks for providing that! I'm trying to import it into my fitness pal but I need to know the amount of servings. I made one test batch and it was wonderful, so i promptly made a second batch! Thanks,
Bea says
Hi, I'd love to try this recipe but as I'm new in the world of vegan cheese I have a little question (sorry if someone asked it in previous comments but I couldn't read everything...).
I read a lot of vegan cheese recipes and almost everyone calls for cashews. Are they so important for taste/texture or can I use other nuts like almonds?
Thank you in advice.
Sam says
Hi Bea,
No problem! Cashews are supremely creamy and pretty neutral in taste so they do work really well for anything creamy. If have an allergy, you could try another nut with varied results, just make sure the nuts are really softened before trying to blend them because they have to break down to a cream. Hope that helps!
Bea says
Thank you very much! I'm gonna try it with almonds, not because of an allergy but because where I live it's pretty impossible to find cashews 🙁
I only have another little question... I'm planning to make it for days but to be honest I don't know what to do with it :-S
We don't usually have snacks so I wouldn't use it as a dip... I actually use mozzarella just in pizza... but do I have to put it on my pizza at the end or can I use it just like a regular mozzarella? (so I'd put it on the pizza dough with other ingredients and then bake it).
Or... any other suggestions?
Thank you, again!
P.S. English isn't my first language, so please excuse any mistakes!
Sam says
This mozzarella works great on pizza! It doesn't spread very well, so I just spoon small blobs across the pizza, and then bake as normal. You could also try making a Mozzarella Grilled Cheese, Crispy Rice Balls, layering it in lasagna, or adding it in a burrito. Really, anywhere you might traditionally use mozzarella, you can use this vegan mozzarella. Enjoy!
Bea says
I tried it and it was GREAT! I liked it very much. I made pizza and as you said, it's hard to spread well but when it came out of the oven it was such a pleasure! Perfectly melted.
I would post a photo if I could.
I have some leftovers and I think I will use it for grilled cheese, yum!
Sam says
Yay!! So happy you loved it Bea!! Yeah it bubbles up perfectly on pizza....mmmmmm....pizza....
Sam says
Yeah I agree! It's so nice when you are able to make your own recipes at home from scratch instead. Hope you enjoy this one 🙂
Pam Bodnar says
Great recipe! I put some in a drizzle bottle slightly watered down with a bit of hot water. I then drizzled it on the pizza and my cheese pizza loving toddler was impressed. We are going vegan but I wanted to replace some of her favorites.
Sam says
Ooooh very cool idea Pam! So happy you loved it 🙂
Maria says
Hi. I tried making this tonight for my pizza but found it rather floury/pasty textured rather than being melty, chewy like cheese. Is it meant to be paste-like or have I done something wrong? I'm wondering if making a roux with the flour and some oil before combining with the rest of the ingredients will help? Any suggestions would be gratefully received! Thanks. x
Sam says
Hi Maria,
It sounds like something might have gone wrong when you made the recipe. The mozzarella is very melty and stretchy and not pasty or floury. Did you perhaps use too much of the tapioca starch? I wouldn't make a roux, tapioca starch is not the same as a wheat flour. It sounds like perhaps your measurements were off. Maybe check the recipe to ensure you followed it exactly? Sorry I can't help more, hard to know what went wrong.
Alyssa McCord says
Making this again tonight for a lasagna!!! White bean "ricotta" and your melty cheese...it should be amazing!!!
Sam says
Ooooo that sounds delish! I want some 🙂
Anna says
Delicious!!! I used the boiling method skeptically but it worked great. It definitely tastes more like nacho cheese like one person said but I used it on a pizza it tasted amazing. I was surprised at how easy it was. It took no more than 20 minutes including the 10 minutes of boiling the nuts. Sooooo easy! Next time I'll double it!
Sam says
Yes, I love the boiling trick! You can pretty much boil cashews for any recipe that requires soaked cashews. I almost always do that, because I am not one of those people who thinks to make a recipe hours in advance. Haha.
Dana Lasswell says
This is magic! I love it! My hubby and I miss an ooey gooey fondue periodically, but not enough to resort to multiple ingredient cheeze alternatives. So after finding this recipe, I added a little cream sherry, fresh pressed garlic, white pepper, and a splash of dry white wine. Helloooooo sourdough bread and delicious, naughty cheesiness! Thank you soooo much for this fabulous post! Happy happy joy joy!
Sam says
Haha! Is that a little Ren & Stimpy through back I see? I love it! So happy the recipe was a hit and that you were able to make it your own 🙂
Dana Lasswell says
Super funny! I have no idea how that great little cartoon became my representative photo. I've tried to figure it out to no avail...but at least it makes me giggle...so, oh well! Cheers, Dana
Sam says
Haha! All I see is your lovely face Dana. The little monster cartoons are set as a default if you don't have a photo of yourself uploaded, so it comes from my end. I think their funny. 🙂
Dana Lasswell says
tee hee! I figured it out...I kinda miss the little guy though... 😉 Keep up the fabulous work! My hubby and I are plant based foodies in a sea of meatasauruses, and all of the great ideas and original and shared recipes help us "break through" and help us find other fabulous blogs like Somer's. 🙂 January 2nd we're hosting an annual party for a big group of pals. Pajamas, games, and breakfast for dinner! I'm going to add some of the Ooey Gooey to my plant based frittata for some "mo' bettah!" Too bad you don't live closer! 🙂
Sam says
Oh I love the sounds of that party!!! I wish I lived closer too 🙂
Stephanie says
I made this for a lasagna last night, and it was delicious! I tripled the recipe, and it's a good thing I did because my kids were sneaking spoonfuls the whole time I was building the layers for the lasagna. I'm excited to try this cheesy goodness for other things too - my husband suggested fondue with some hearty bread chunks. Mmmm... Anyway, I posted about my lasagna (including your mozzarella) here: https://yummyhealthyblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/22/festive-vegan-lasagna-with-homemade-spinach-kale-noodles-almond-ricotta-and-cashew-mozzarella/
Sam says
Oh yay!! so happy you loved it and that the lasagna worked so well for you. 😀
Caroline says
Question! I am planning on make this for Christmas in lasagna and was wondering the best way to adapt it, so it remains like melted cheese between the layers.. Thanks!!
-Caroline
Sam says
Hi Caroline,
No adaptions necessary. This cheese will work great in lasagna. Enjoy!
Vanessa says
Hi Sam!
I have made this recipe and your recipe for spinach-artichoke dip using it multiple times. Last night, I wanted pizza dip, which I haven't had since I went more plant based. I used this recipe as the cheese base, put homemade pizza sauce on top, then added my favorite vegetable pizza toppings (caramelized onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers) and baked until bubbly. It was delicious with toasted bread, and it tasted very similar to the original I used to make with animal products. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Sam says
Ooo that pizza dip sounds amazing!! So happy you love the recipe so much! 🙂
SJ Cory says
My husband and I made homemade pizza last night. (It's the only way can enjoy dairy free, gluten free, and vegan favorite foods on the cheap). We used this sauce for our cheese. I broiled the pizza for a minute to give it that slightly toasted look. The final result was beyond yummilicious!!!!!!!! Thank you for such a simple and quick recipe.
Note: I did not have garlic powder do I used a half clove of fresh garlic.
Sam says
Yay!! So happy you loved the recipe and that it went swimmingly well with your pizza. Thanks for the comment SJ 🙂
Kristi says
Hi Sam,
This recipe looks amazing!!
My mom has recently gone gluten dairy free and craves oowy gooey cheese all the time! I'm making Christmas dinner for her this year, I'm wondering can.I.add this to my gluten dairy free baked Mac n cheese? Would that taste all right and not make it to watery? Also could this be breaded fried s cheese sticks or how would I do that? Lolk
Sam says
Hi Kristi!
You can use this recipe anywhere you like, but I think in a mac and cheese it might be a little too mild in flavour. You could try my Vegan Gluten Free Mac and Cheese or my Healthy Broccoli Mac and Cheese. I think the breaded and fried cheese sticks could work, you could try freezing the cheese for a couple of hours to firm it up, cut into sticks, and then bread and fry. I recommend giving this a test run first. I hope that helps!
Kristi says
Thank you so much for the advice, very helpful! Your Mac n cheese recipe looks delicious:)was thinking about trying this recipe http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2005/11/baked-mac-cheese-gluten-free.html?m=1 and just adding additional spices for flavor but I still want the strechy meltyness you get from my non vegan macaroni, would it work if I use da:iry/caisen freecheese sauce with spices, and add the vegan mozzarella to get the stringy texture? Regular dairy free shredded cheese just melts like liquidy. Want the pull apart stretchy cheesy goodness!! 😉 but I still want it to be good. Lol
Sam says
No problem, yes I think it might work, but you would have to give it a try to know for sure one way or the other, as I haven't tried doing that. Hope that helps!
Maria HD says
Did you try it, and if so, how was it? 🙂
Imani Reynnolds says
Im looking forward to trying this recipe! My boyfriend was upset to have to give up nice gooey mozzarella and now we can eat it again!
However, my question is, what would I add to it if I wanted the cheese to set? Like I want to make mozzarella cheese sticks and pizza and this recipe doesn't seem like one that will solidify.
Tiffany says
agar gar powder
Sam says
Yay! So happy you are excited about the recipe. I am actually toying around with a new recipe that sets, but so far have not perfected it. You could try agar, but I don't know the ratios or how well it would work.
Enjoy!
Laura says
Easy and quick to make. Tastes great! I cannot even believe how good this tastes. I've been searching for good vegan cheese recipe for 2 years. Thank you thank you thank you!
Sam says
Aww you're so welcome Laura!! I am so happy you love it 🙂
Paula says
WOW. I just made this cheese and put it on my burritos and my goodness is it ever GOOD!!!! Thank you for a gooey dairy free cheese, it's exactly what i've been looking for!
Sam says
Aww that's awesome!! I'm so glad you loved it Paula. Thanks for coming back and leaving your review!
Bev says
I made this and it was very good . I did not have tapioca flour so I used 1 tab. Thai rice flour . Turned out great!!!!
Sam says
That's great to hear Bev! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Imia says
What if you added to much water
Sam says
Oh no! I have never done that before. Did you accidentally add double the water? If so I would add double the remaining ingredients. If you are unsure of how much water you added, you might have to start again. Good luck!
Vegzi says
Hi I jus tried the recipe. Unfortunately I accidentally put too much garlic powder and now it tasted very garlicky. I also used arrow root powder instead of tapioca but it turned out great. The taste of it is more like cheddar and perfect for nachos. It definitely has a more nutty flavour and I wouldn't call my version mozzarella style as it has too much flavour in it and mozzarella is normally quite subtle. But I would definitely recommend it to you to try!
Sam says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! When you don't use as much garlic powder it will be more subtle in flavour and taste a bit more like mozzarella. I also have a Vegan Nacho Cheese recipe in case you're interested. 🙂
vegzi says
Hi,
I would like to try this recipe but I've got roasted cashew butter and I was wondering if I could use that instead of soaking raw cashews. Do you think that would be ok and how much would I have to use for this recipe?
Thanks,
Sam says
Hi vegzi,
I haven't tried it, so I really am not sure about this one. The cashews in this recipe are made into a cashew cream. Cashew butter, has been blended for a long time until the oils release. So if you give it a go, the resulting texture might be different and oily. Like I said I am not sure tho. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out!
Massiel says
Thanks so much for this! Just had a grilled cheese and it was delicious. I've only been a vegan for 3 months but I've been looking for cheese that actually satisfies the cheese craving and this is it! it's a good thing too since I was sick of that wierd butter taste of Daiya. Not to mention, this is way cheaper too 🙂
Sam says
Yay!! So happy you loved the recipe Massiel. I love making my own versions of cheese because I can control the taste (and price). So happy you found this recipe and it makes you so happy 😀
wanderlust says
This makes the most addicting grilled "cheese" sandwiches! I'm not vegan but I would have to encourage everyone to try this. The mouthfeel is gooey like American cheese and it has a tangy, nutty, cheesy taste, but in a good way 🙂 My only gripe about the recipe is that it is really small for the amount of time it takes to make this. I've never been able to cook this in the 15 minutes, and larger batches takes a significantly longer amount of time, so I'm trying to see if a larger batch can somehow be made in a crockpot. I'll let you know if it works!
Sam says
So happy you enjoy the recipe wanderlust! Really? This recipe is always so quick for me, even if it is a larger batch. I've never tried a crockpot, so if it works out for you let me know. I love that you aren't vegan and still love this recipe!! 🙂
Diane says
Thank you so much for this!!!! The one thing that bothered me about purchasing the vegan cheeses is that there are 'other' ingredients in there I don't always like. I worry about GMOs in the ingredients in some of them. When I make it myself, I'm in control so this is fantastic!! I'm going to make a pizza with it this weekend!! I have all those ingredients already. I had no idea we could make our own like this. THANK YOU!!
Sam says
You're very welcome Diane! So happy you love the recipe, and enjoy your pizza 😀
Gia Ciambotti says
Hi, I made this and LOVE it, spinach artichoke dip.. Yum! Wondering if I can use another nut other than cashews? I have a friend who's allergic, having him over for dinner. Thank you:)
Sam says
Hi Gia,
So happy you love the recipe! I think macadamia nuts would work well. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out 🙂
Stephanie Johnson says
You are a GENIUS and I think I love you! Haha
I recently had my suspicions confirmed and found out I have a dairy allergy. I miss cheese so much. This recipe makes everything alright. It's perfect. It's ooey gooey and stringy and cheesy perfection.
I may or may not have just eaten it off the spoon.
I can't wait to try your cheddar version.
THANK YOU..so much!!
Sam says
Awwwww that makes me so happy! I am delighted you like the recipe so much Stephanie 🙂
Emilie @ Emilie Eats says
Hey Sam! I've made this before and LOVED it, but tonight I'm making enchiladas and wondering if this cheeze could be baked? Thanks!
Sam says
Hi Emilie,
Absolutely! It will brown up on the top so just be sure to keep an eye on it. If you are baking the enchiladas for a long time, maybe bake it most of the way first, and pour the cheese over for the last 5-10 minutes so that it doesn't burn before the dish is done. Hope that helps!
Wanda J says
This recipe looks like it would be good for spinach artichoke dip! I might just have to try it!
Sam says
It totally is! Here is my Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe 🙂
Ellie says
WOW so many comments on this!
Well done Sam 🙂
I will be making this for the first time tonight and just wanted to add my 2 cents... can't read all the comments (too many!!) so this may already be suggested....
To put this on a pizza I would fill a baggy with the warm cheese, cut a wee hole out of a corner, and, rather like icing, squiggle it all over the pizza ready to go in the oven - have done a similar thing with corn starch vegan cheese years ago and it goes everywhere you want it (which you know is everywhere 😉 and it browned nicely, looks like grated moo cow cheese. Bet dairy eaters wouldn't know it wasn't!!
Sam says
Haha, thank you Ellie! I don't think anyone has suggested the bag method, that's a great idea! Thank you for sharing, I will have to try this myself. I hope you enjoy the recipe 😀
Lea says
Thank you so much ! I had a blast ! As a raw vegan, eating cheese can be very expensive. Best recipe ever 🙂
Sam says
Awww shucks! Thats awesome 🙂
Ayal says
Wow that looks insanely good. Never thought about tapioca for cheese, very psyched to try this!
Sam says
Thank you so much!! Yeah tapioca is pretty amazing stuff! I just posted my new recipe for Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Nacho Cheese as well 😉
Tom says
My vegan daughter and her husband and I made your cheese tonight and it was amazing! We did a couple of pizzas on chickpea crusts and your recipe provided more than enough "cheese" for the pizzas. You're right, much easier just to blob it on in certain places rather than spread it everywhere. We were pleasantly surprised that a quarter cup of cashews and a little tapioca starch produced so much for it. Thank-you!!!
Sam says
Yay!! So happy you and your family loved the recipe so much Tom 😀
CZ says
Hi Sam, my cheese didn't get super gooey. I'm sure I made a mistake somewhere but wondering now that it's made, can I add more tapioca starch now and would that thicken/goo it up a bit more? Would I just add it straight to the cheese or dissolve in water first?
Thanks
Sam says
Hi CZ
To be honest, I'm not sure. I have never tried to add it in afterwards. I don't see why it wouldn't work however. Just try whisking in the tapioca and then cooking while stirring. Let us know if you are able to rescue it!
Amanda says
OMG! This is the best recipe ever. I love it so much. Just made it for the first time and ate it on crisp bread. Can't wait to make a pizza with it! Thank you! 🙂
Sam says
Thank you so much Amanda!! I'm so happy you love the recipe so much 😀
Amanda says
I can't get over how great the texture of this is. I used the spices I usually use for "cheddar" with this recipe today and put it on baked potato with beans. So, so yummy!
Sam says
So happy you love it so much Amanda! What cheddar flavours did you use?? I am curious because I am working on my own cheddar version!
Amanda says
I have this great recipe book called 20 minutes to dinner by Bryanna Clark Gorgan. It is simply amazing and most of the recipes are really low fat (80/10/10).
The spices for the cheddar are:
1/3 of a cup of nutritional yeast
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 tablespoon of miso paste (says light miso in the book but I only had dark)
I think I might try with the vinegar instead of the lemon juice next time.
Sam says
Amazing!! Thanks Amanda! I am going to try playing around with some of those flavours and see what I can come up with 🙂
Amanda says
Good luck. I'm sure it will turn out great. I made moussaka in the slow cooker today with the mozzarella style recipe on top, can't wait to try it!
Sam says
Thank you! Ooooo that sounds great!! I want to eat it.
Liz says
Thanks, Sam!
Liz says
This was nothing short of amazing! My carnivorous husband and daughter loved it and i am so happy to have found a comfort food I won't feel terrible about eating!
I have family coming for the weekend and would like to use as a hot dip. Can you think of a good emulsifier to keep it thinned out if it is kept warm?
Again-thank you so much for sharing this!
Sam says
Thank you so very much Liz! So happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe so much. 🙂
I think it should stay pretty ooey gooey if you keep it warm, but you could try adding a bit more water or even oil to keep it thinner if you like. Hope that helps!
christophe says
Hi Sam,
This looks fantastic.
What could I use to substitute tapioca? I searched it where I live and they dont have it anywhere.
Sam says
Hi Christophe,
Thank you! Unfortunately, tapioca is crucial to this recipe. Other starches just don't provide the same stretchy texture. I don't know where you live, but you can try ordering it online. Amazon sells it here.
christophe says
I live in Luxembourg, and unfortunately only amazon.de ships food items to Luxembourg. (.com and .co.uk dont send out food or even powders anymore)
btw you linked me to nutritional yiest.
maybe my local asian store sells Tapioca flour. Can I buy tapioca in thicket beans and grind it myself? I have a vitamix so it should work right?
like this: http://www.amazon.de/TRS-Sago-Tapioka-Perlen-500g/dp/B003XIJYJ4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1437492129&sr=8-3&keywords=tapioca
Sam says
Hi Christophe,
Yes, sorry about that, I fixed the link shortly after.
Yes you can absolutely buy tapioca pearls and grind them yourself! It's the exact same thing. Another reader said she did this and it worked perfectly for her. 😀
christophe says
Hi,
I found the Tapioca starch, I will try the recipe soon.
I might just go with one cup of cashews, 1/4 cup doesnt seem like much :).
I also bought "american cups" so now its easier to follow recipes.
Sam says
Great! If you go with 1 cup of cashews, remember to multiply all of the other ingredients by 4 as well. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
christophe says
Quick question, your tablespoons and teaspoons, are they heaped? or just flat kinda.
Sam says
Hi Christophe!
I always heap the spoon and then use my finger or a knife to wipe off the excess making it flat. This way my measurements are always consistent. Here is a pic to show what I mean. I hope that helps!
christophe says
Ok Thanks.
And you use normal tbl spoons? I recently bought these american cups (no one in europe uses them) so I wanna make sure I dont need different special spoons for this recipe.
Sam says
I had to look that one up! I had no idea, but according to this tool, no they aren't the same.
christophe says
Thanks I tried the recipe and it was great!!
I will try to experiment with this recipe to make it more tangy like cheese.
So far I only used it on bread and pizza and both is great.
Have you tried different experiments for this one? Do you have a tip for how to easily put it on pizza? this part was a pain 🙂
Sam says
Yay! You could try increasing the vinegar for a more tangy flavour. For the pizza, I found it easiest to put little blobs of the cheese on the pizza. (Instead of evenly trying to spread it out). Lightly greasing the spoon before you do this can help too. So happy you loved the recipe! 😀
christophe says
Hi Sam,
I made it again for the fourth time ( I always make this based on one cup of nuts, so enough for a week)
and I used vinegar instead of lemon, and I loved it a lot more!! it actually tasted like cheese!
I also added olive oil to the final base to make it more fatty for cheese replacement. I will experiment more with this. So far I use it on pizza, fajitas (instead of sour cream and cheese) avocado sandwiches and spagetti "cheese"
Sam says
I agree!! I love the vinegar more than the lemon too. I am so happy you love the recipe so much and are able to use it in so many ways 🙂
Eibhlin says
this is fantabulous! SO easy to make and so stretchy and gooey... i used it as a topping on cremini-bell pepper-smoked tofu rolls - I sent a picture to my friend and she said she was going straight out for tapioca flour the next day 😉
Sam says
awww yay!!!! So happy you loved the recipe so much and that you are spreading the delicious vegan word! Those tofu rolls sound amazing!! 😀
Michela says
OHMYGOD! This is just fantabulous! Just prepared and I had to control myself if I wouldn't just finish it spoon after spoon!!! I've added in my preferite recipes!
Thanks!
Michela
Sam says
Haha! That's awesome Michela! So happy you love the recipe so much 😀
Leah says
I was having trouble getting the cheese to come out smoothly because I do not have a high powered blender. I finally ground the raw cashews in my spice grinder until the nuts become a fine meal. Then, I added the 1 cup boiling water and let the nut meal soak. After an hour or so, I proceed to add the nuts, water, and all other ingredients to my standard blender, and I get a nice, smooth product.
I would like to continue tweaking this recipe, but so far, it is the best one I have found. Thanks to you and Somer for saving pizza, nachos, etc. for me.
Another alteration I plan soon: adding some white wine and cherry kirsch to make fondu. I think this recipe will be a perfect base for that!
Sam says
Great idea Leah! Sounds delicious. If your blender isn't as high powered, I also fine just using a fine mesh strainer and straining the liquid into the pot works well too. This just takes out any bits of cashews that didn't get ground up. Hope that helps 😀
Sandi says
This looks delicious! I'm allergic to cashews though,, is there anything else I can switch that out with? I've made cheesy dishes with roasted eggplant before, might that work here?
Sam says
You can try using macadamia nuts. I believe they have a similar texture. I think eggplant is a big jump from cashews, so I'm afraid, I have no idea how it would turn out. If you do give it a try, let us know how it turns out for you. 😀
Sierra says
This recipe is phenomenal! Thank you so much for sharing. The fact that I only need 7 ingredients and it takes so little time is great, as I can get it together while I prepare the rest of my meal as well. I'm already thinking about meals I can make now that I have a nice, melted, gooey cheese to go with it... pizza, cheesesteak, grilled cheese. The possibilities are endless!
Sam says
I'm so happy you love the recipe so much Sierra!! You're right, the possibilities are endless! Let us know if you come up with any really good uses 😀
tulipity says
Hi Sam!
Your recipe is over marvelous to me ~ however around my place, nutritional yeast is really hard to find, and also difficult for me to afford it online for some reason, too :(( Can you please suggest any healthy substitute? I really really craving to get that nutty cheesy creamy flavor T.T
Sam says
Hi tulipity!
So happy you love the recipe. You can buy nutritional yeast on Amazon for a pretty good deal. Here is a 1 pound bag for cheap, which will last you a very long time! Other than that I would suggest a pinch of a vegetable bullion cube will help with a flavour boost. Hope that helps!
Bethany says
Hi Sam, I made this mozzarella for my first attempt at vegan margherita pizza on Saturday. IT. WAS. GORGEOUS! I literally can't wait to make it again. As others have suggested above I also think it will be amazing as a fondue (which is also a good excuse to buy white wine!). Anyway I have mentioned it on my blog at http://freedombirdie.com/2015/05/25/vegan-margherita-pizza/ Thank you again for this recipe!
kristin says
Thank you...thank you...thank you for posting this!!!! Since having to do dairy free i've been craving fondue and this hits the spot without the compromise. It's way more healthy than tons of butter and cream in regular types of gooey cheese. Finally, I can feel like I don't have to settle for the closest thing to cheese. This is amazing!
Sam says
You are so super welcome Kristin! I couldn't be happier that you are so please! 😀
Jessica says
Hi Sam, I have made this recipe several times and used it in a variety of hot dips in place the cheese. The consistency is spot on! It was to me a little on the bland side which consequently worked very well in that you can really adapt the flavor to your liking. And lets face it mozzarella made from dairy isn't all that tasty on its own either. I'm curious to see a recipe making a traditional simple pizza using this recipe for the cheese. I'm still struggling to find a good sub for my girls and I have tried many vegan cheeses out there and they either don't like the taste or texture. I will hopefully look forward to seeing your creatives ideas for this in the future!
Sam says
Hi Jessica,
Welcome! I agree it doesn't have a ton of flavour punch, but from my memory either does mozzarella! I am so happy you have had fun flavouring it up. This will definitely work for pizza, I will keep that in mind and make a pizza post in the future.
Cheers!
Sam
CC says
Love this idea for pizza. It might not harden in the fridge, but maybe you could freeze it and then grate it like cheese when it's frozen and sprinkle it over pizza. Have you tried freezing (Or has it ever lasted long enough for you to get around to freezing (: )? Does it ruin the consistency?
Sam says
Welcome CC!
Freezing it! I never thought of that, it never lasts that long! Haha. I will definitely try this at some point, but if you try it before me, let me know how it turns out 🙂
Lito says
How many time does it last? Should I keep it in the fridge?
Sam says
Hi Lito,
It lasts about a week in the fridge stored in an air tight container. It will become firmer, but will still be gooey. To reheat and soften it, follow the directions under the "Notes" section. Enjoy!!
Taylor says
WOW! This looks amazing!! I need to make this to put on my tempeh reuben sandwiches! This would also be great in a grilled cheese.
Sam says
Thank you Taylor!
OMG Vegan ruben sandwiches!!! Yes please.
This absolutely makes a great grilled cheese, I made one here. 😀
Alicja says
Hi Sam! This recipe sounds great, I will definately be trying it tomorrow!
Unfortunately I dont have tapioca starch,I do however have potato starch and corn starch. I would try both versions by myself, but i only have a handful of cashews left... So its gonna have to be one of those options this time. Do you happen to know which one of those would work better? And should i substitute an equal amount?
Sam says
Hi Alicja,
Unfortunately, neither potato or corn starch will work well. They would result in a thick sauce like consistency, but you really need the magical properties of tapioca to get the stretchy cheese quality. If you can't find tapioca starch in your store, you can order it online here. Hope that helps!
Alicja says
Oh that's a pity! I guess I'll be ordering it in that case. Thanks for the reply 😉
Sam says
No problem! If your grocery store sells whole tapioca, you can buy that and grind it in a blender or coffee grinder into a fine powder, it's the same thing!
Youcef says
Hi Sam!
This looks great!
Have you or anyone tried with the whole cassava root (that tapioca is extracted from)?
I want to try but before I'd go to great lengths to get cassava, thought I'd ask you to clarify first.
Thanks.
Sam Turnbull says
I have not heard of anyone trying that no. I have heard people grinding up tapioca pearls and that working when they couldn't find the pre-ground starch. Sorry I can't help more!
Tracey says
This was delicious and easy. I'm going to try pizza with it tonight and I envision a spinach artichoke dip in my future. The possibilities are endless.
Sam says
So happy you loved it Tracey! It's so true, the possibilities are endless!!!! Try my Spinach and Artichoke Dip which uses this recipe as a base. So yummy!
Lauren says
Hi! just wanted to say i tried this yesterday finally and it was awesome!!! i was wondering though if i could maybe try it with actually cashew milk instead of the actually cashews, and how much would i use.
Thanks!
Lauren says
silk carton cashew milk to be specific, or even maybe a soy milk?
Sam says
Hi Lauren,
I know some people have tried this with coconut cream or cashew cream. A light cashew or soy milk might be ok, but I think there would be a risk in loosing the richness and creaminess. I would try 1/4 cup cashew cream and add and additional pinch more tapioca starch. If you give it a whirl, let us know how it turns out.
Enjoy!
Sam
Andrew says
Hi Sam, I was wondering what I could use in place of cashews, my daughter is allergic to all nuts, and how much I would use? Also, can I use gelatin in place of agar as she doesn't like it, and how much?
Sam says
Hi Andrew,
I tried the recipe with coconut cream and it works alright. The texture and look is slightly different but it still tastes yummy. Use 1/4 cup coconut cream, if you are using a can of coconut milk, do not shake the can, and scrape the cream from the top of the can, leaving the water. Increase the tapioca starch by another teaspoon.
I don't use agar in this recipe, so you don't need gelatin or anything like that.
Alternatively you could try using macadamia nuts instead of cashews. I haven't tried them myself, but they have a similar texture and creaminess that might work. Let us know what you try!
Enjoy!
Renee says
Do you think it would still be good without the garlic powder? My vegan uncle can't eat anything onion related!
Sam says
Hi Renee, yes I think it would be just fine. Garlic powder adds a bit of flavour so if you taste it and find it a little bland, you could add any other spice you like to kick it up a notch.
Aude says
OMG This «cheese» dip is freakin' amazing!!! I am even lazier... I bought natural cashew milk at my grocery store. The flavour is awesome and I WILL be making more 😀
Sam says
Haha Hi Aude. I love your laziness!! What a great idea. So happy you loved the recipe so much 🙂
rosiepaige says
How was it with the cashew milk? My blender does more of a chashew purée and the texture comes out a bit fritters than I'd like.
rosiepaige says
*grittier not fritters - yay autocorrect
Sam says
I was gonna say... cashew fritters sound awesome!!! Haha.
I haven't tried cashew milk yet, but if you soak your cashews for a long time, or boil them for extra long, until they are almost soft enough to squish between your fingers, then they should work. As a back up, you can use a fine strainer or cheesecloth to strain out any remaining grit, and then it should work fine. Let us know how it goes!
rosiepaige says
I tried the soaking plus boiling method and did nearly 8 minutes in the blender; it made for a smoother texture. My husband and son agreed it was better with less grit. Then I made more mozzarella dip again for some non-vegan friends and they demolished it. All things said, it is a winner. Thanks! Now, you may be onto something with the cashew fritter idea...
Sam says
Yeah you definitely want a totally smooth texture. My Blentec blender does wonders, but if you still find grit when blending your cashews, you can just use a fine mesh strainer to strain it out. So happy you and your non-vegan friends love it so much!! 😀
Anna says
But 2 teaspoon = 1 tablespoon or does it not? 😛
Because then I would add 3 tablespoon tapioca.
Sam says
Haha, nope! There are three teaspoons in a tablespoon. 🙂
Rameesha says
Hey ! Isn't there only 2 tsp in a tbsp ?
Sam says
Nope, there's 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon 🙂
Melissa Lujan says
Holy crap, this looks and sounds amazing. I need to try this.
Sam says
Hahaha! Yes you do Melissa!!
greensgunsnrock says
OH. MY. GOD. I need this now, not in 4+ hours!!!!!!!!!!!!! :O
Sam says
Haha! You can do it! Boil the cashews and it will only take 15 minutes.
greensgunsnrock says
:O!!! I think we're gonna get along just fine haha
Sam says
I think we are 🙂
Krista says
I am new to the vegan lifestyle, and so far have been super disappointed in all store bought and homemade "cheeses"...but this one is definitely going in my recipe book!! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Sam says
You're very welcome Krista! I'm so glad you love the recipe 🙂
rhonda elko says
I have made a couple of your recipes and they are awesome! I have been looking for some simple oil free, processed sugar free recipes and most of the ones you posted fit the bill or can be easily modified! Keep up the great work.
Peace and love,
Rhonda
Sam says
Thank you so much Rhonda! It makes my day that you love my recipes so much 🙂
Anonymous says
Hi Sam, just curious if you had tried this cheese on pizza yet and how it set. I'm trying to find a good cheese for pizza that my husband might enjoy.
Sam says
This works great on pizza! I find it's best if you use a lightly oil spoon and drop little dollops all over the pizza, as it is difficult to spread in a thin layer. Enjoy!
Alixe says
Hi Sam,
I found your recipe this morning and pinned it, even though it called for nutritional yeast. I have been experimenting with a plant based diet for the past couple of years and have tried and tried to like nutritional yeast, but just have not been able to develop a taste for it. Your recipe looked so amazing though, that I broke down and bought some on my way home from work this afternoon (as well as some tapioca flour). I must say, I was really happy with the results! I have not been too happy with the vegan cheese options out there, but this one is a game changer for me. Thank you! I did add a bit of cayenne, which I thought added a nice little kick. I will definitely be making this again! Should I be ashamed to admit that I ate the whole batch in one sitting? Do you think it would still work if I leave out the nutritional yeast? Can't wait to check out more of your recipes!
Sam says
Hi Alixe,
Yay!!! I am so glad you loved the recipe so much 🙂 I LOVE that you ate the whole batch! Haha. If you don't like nutritional yeast, you can just skip it, it's just for flavour. Nutritional adds a sort of cheesy, umami flavour to foods but can generally be omitted if you aren't a fan. If you still want a little flavour boost, you could use a small pinch of vegetable bouillon powder, or a teaspoon of white miso paste, or whatever spices you like.
I know when I first tried nutritional yeast I thought it was gross, but I have grown to absolutely adore it. I hope you enjoy more of my recipes too. If they have nutritional yeast, unless it is in a really large quantity, you are safe to omit it. If you are unsure just drop me a comment 🙂
Cheers,
Sam
Alixe says
Thanks! That's very helpful! There are a ton of rec
Sam says
No problem Alixe!
Somer McCowan says
Hey Sam, I wanted to thank you for our conversation outside of this post. I appreciate you adding another line to your post giving my recipe proper accreditation. I'm glad we worked this out. All the best to you. Take care!
Sam says
Thank you for the chat as well, and I'm glad we worked it out too!
Best,
Sam
snewfav says
Summer McCowen, I'm sorry hun but you sound like a spoiled brat. Sam has every right to change an existing recipe and post it. Grow up honey, this isn't grade school. Sam love the recipe and yes, adding the added tapioca and vinegar made a huge difference! Love it. I also love your mature responses to adolescent adults. Classy!
Sam says
Thank you snewfav! I very much appreciate the support.
harsh says
does this actually taste good? how close is it to dairy mozzarella? im all about the taste 😀
if it doesnt taste like mozzarella, then what does it taste like? i know its all subjective but i like to get an idea.
Sam says
I think this tastes pretty close to dairy mozzarella. Mind you I haven't eaten the dairy version in over two years. Anyone else who's made this recipe want to chime in?
harsh says
im making it right now, i have a very good memory of mozzarella cheese, will let you know the results.
Sam says
Oh yes, please do!
harsh says
Alright after finally been done making this cheese. this tastes nothing like dairy mozzarella. nutritional yeast does not taste like cheese and it overpowers everything.
2/5 stars for me. texture is alright but flavor is bad. well off the miyoko recipe to try out the buffalo mozzarella.
thanks for the effort. one day there will be great vegan cheese, but alas today is not that day.
although i found this one company that has legitimate tasting cheese slices called "chao cheese" by field roast. its vegan and comes in 3 different flavors.
Sam says
Oh bummer. Too bad you didn't enjoy it so much. I love it!
Laima says
Hi Sam,
Do you think this recipe would work with other starch like arrowroot instead of tapioca?
Cheers,
Laima
Sam says
Hi Laima,
No unfortunately. Other starches such as arrowroot would make a thicker sauce like texture, but it's tapioca that has the magic stretch factor. If you are having trouble finding tapioca starch, you can either order it online: http://amzn.to/1vdr9lH or buy tapioca pearls and grind yourself in a coffee grinder or high speed blender. Hope that helps!
Laima says
Thanks! I'll be off to the asian food store. Denmark seems to have zero interest in tapioca 😀
Sam says
Haha, aww bummer. I know you can order it online in some places, such as Amazon. I am not sure if the Amazon for Denmark has it though. Once you get a bag it should last you a while. Best of luck finding tapioca Laima!
Adrianne says
You may be able to try potato starch for a firm, maybe even shreddable product which melts on reheating for pizza. I think the stretch from the tapioca is from overcooking the starch (like when you overmash potatoes and they turn to glue). Amioca starch becomes cohesive like this and may be an alternative, but I'm not sure if this is sold in retail. I haven't tried any of these out but they are my guesses.
Sam says
Hmmm never tried potato starch before, will have to see what that does!
Stephanie says
Hi!
Thanks for this amazing recipe, I will definitely try it! However, before doing so, I was wondering if this faux-cheese could be used cold, in a tomato/mozzarella/balsamic vinegar kind of salad?
Thank you!
Samantha Turnbull says
You're welcome Stephanie! This wouldn't really be the right recipe to serve as a cold cheese. When it's cold it is still pretty soft and melty. It might be a better texture for caprese salad if you use a little less water... I'm not really sure though as I haven't tried it. I will have to figure out a recipe for that too! 🙂
Stephanie says
I could try that! Thank you! ☺
Samantha Turnbull says
Yes you could! You're welcome Stephanie. 🙂
Christine says
I just tried this recipe and I believe I may have misread it. It was not clear if you add the water into the blender along with cashews and other ingredients. It was not watery at all so I added water to it.
It did form cheesy like but I think I don't like the apple cider taste. Will try again with lemon.
Thanks for the recipe
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Christine,
Yep, you add all the ingredients to the blender including the hot water. If you don't like the taste of apple cider vinegar, go for the lemon, or you can always just skip it. It should be a very mild taste and just adds a slight tang to the cheese. I hope it works out better for you next time 🙂
klothklicker says
Thank you so much, I am so excited to find a diy cheese substitute! 🙂
Samantha Turnbull says
You're welcome klothklicker! Enjoy!
Laura says
Soooo....I was super hesitant to try any of the cashew "cheese" recipes floating around out there. This one didn't require an overnight soak, there's no way I'd remember that! And it didn't have a million ingredients. It was so good! So I made it again and added a splash liquid smoke a sprinkle of chipotle pepper, and a little salsa. I miss queso dips so I thought I'd try to make my own - it was great! My carnivore husband even liked it!
I'm going to make this again (for me) for the Super Bowl tomorrow.
I also clicked the link to the blog where the original recipe was. I always click through on a blog if another blog is mentioned because a new favorite recipe could be waiting for me! I had never heard of Vedged Out - thanks for introducing me to it. 🙂
P.S. - months later and I'm still making Smoked Apple Veggie Burgers. It has become my go-to homemade veggie burger recipe!
Samantha Turnbull says
I'm so with you, I don't have the time, or forethought to soak cashews hours in advance. I figured out that for almost any recipe that calls for soaked cashews, you can boil them instead! Much more convenient. I'm so glad you loved the recipe. I love the queso version! It's so much fun that everyone has been able to adapt this recipe and make it their own. You're welcome for the intro. Enjoy the Super Bowl! So happy you have the Smoked Apple Veggie Burger too 🙂
Amanda Maloney says
Yay! vegan cheeeese. I just made this, but I doubled it and used roasted cashews 'cause that's what I have. It is yummy and I'm eating it right meow 🙂
Samantha Turnbull says
Yay! I'm so glad you like it Amanda. If you have raw cashews laying around one day, I recommend trying it again. Roasted cashews are dried out and they don't quite get that awesome creaminess that raw ones do. I'm so glad it worked out anyways! Vegan cheese for everyone!
Amanda Maloney says
I just got raw cashews, I'm gonna try it soon!
Samantha Turnbull says
Awesome! Enjoy!!
Catherine Ford says
I was scrolling down the comments to see those who had tried and liked the recipe and found the last few comments regarding the issue of adaptation. I appreciate the explanation and citations for reference and your patience in addressing the issue. I then compared the two recipes - simply to decide which version I'd like to try - and did note some distinct differences. I applaud both of you having this conversation remain civil, and thank you both for sharing your discoveries with us. I look forward to trying the recipe without the oil and am excited about the prospects of having a delicious homemade cheese at my fingertips! I am not very creative with my cooking, and appreciate those of you who are for sharing your talents with us, especially as I search for delicious vegan alternatives to add to my menus. Thank you again.
Samantha Turnbull says
Thank you so much Catherine! I really hope you enjoy the recipe. It's a great vegan recipe to have on hand! 🙂
Liza says
Have you ever tried to add white wine, kirsch, a little nutmeg to replicate a Fonda type item? Your pictures look just like fondue
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Liza,
I haven't yet, but I have thought about it. I wouldn't be surprised if that shows up on the blog sooner or later. 😉
Katherine says
I wanna do the fondue thing too!! Dear my husband would be happy!!
Sam says
That's awesome, do it!!
Brenda says
How much is a serving?
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Brenda,
This recipe is for 3 servings, (you can see that under prep time), each serving would be about 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.
mbentfield says
I doubled this recipe and I used it in....drumroll please... My own adaptation of another two bloggers' enchilada recipes! I cooked for a large Mexican family (teaching them about healthy food and nutrition, and they gobbled it up). I LOVE adapting recipes, since I am almost incapable of making my own recipes the same way twice anyhow... Just ask my husband, when he wants something again, I bashfully say "I will try!" when we both know the chance is slim to none. On another note, I have made the veged out moxarella many, MANY times before, making similar changes as you have, but I like the consistency of your "inspired version" better! I think the garlic powder change, as simple as it sounds, is a genius alternative to when I am *gasp!* out of fresh garlic, in a hurry, want a milder flavor or don't want to get garlicky hands. So one thing I like to add when I am cooking for non veg folks (which happens a lot), is either a splash of liquid smoke (for a smoked mozzarella flavor), or 1/8 tsp each of smoked paprika and Chipotle powder for an extra kick to add to spicier dishes. It is delectable! I used to make my own mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheeses from farm fresh cow's milk, and it just wasn't as adaptable as this.
Thank you for posting this! I will now use this as my "go to" for when people ask for my cheese recipes, and link to veged out for an alternative...I tend to share things from people who have good attitudes. 😉
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha! I used to be like that too, incapable of making the same recipe twice. The only reason that changed is when I started using measuring cups and spoons for everything, and writing down the recipes. Now I love that I have my own collection posted online that I can reference any time I want.
I'm glad you liked my vegan mozzarella recipe! I love the consistency too, and the idea of pulling out a cutting board and knife for one little clove of garlic, well I am just too lazy for that. Haha! I love the liquid smoke addition, that's one of my favourite secret weapons when I am cooking for meat eaters.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and am definitely going to try making enchiladas. 🙂
Bob Benhardt says
Follow up -
I made this recipe this afternoon. Wonderful recipe Sam! Reminded me of back in the day of making homemade biscuits and sausage gravy on Sundays for brunch. Liquid, liquid, stir, stir - there is goes, keep stirring, stirring and bam!
Ooyey, gooey and oh so yummy! So much so I just woke up from a short coma nap as I have not have anything this comforting since I started the vegan trail in October of 2013! Good thing I made a 4x batch as there is only around a single batch left resting in the fridge.
One thing of note, with the larger batches I would recommend heating and stirring in a large non stick skillet as I did in order to get a nice balanced heat over the entire batch.
Thanks again!!
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha! I love that this recipe gave you a comfort food nap. Perfect. Great tip for larger batches! Really glad you loved the recipe as much as I do 🙂
conniefletch says
Hi Sam!!! I'm so very happy to have found you!!! You're my favorite person of the day!!! I can't wait to make this, and I'm so very sorry for Somer's response. "There is nothing new under the sun"....that is truth! So sad and such a waste of energy... Don't bother getting caught up in it. I loved your response. Well said!
Samantha Turnbull says
Aww shucks, I'm happy to have found you too! Thank you for the support conniefletch! I was pretty bummed at first, as it's certainly not my intention to upset anyone, but all the love and support I have gotten in the comments has made me feel like a million bucks! Thank you.
Toni says
I think this recipe looks great and have to say that it's more adapted than some recipes I've seen out there and at least the original author was given credit. I created a pie crust recipe and wanted to make sure my idea wasn't already created by someone else and read two recipes which were identical to each other and one was supposed to be an adaptation. Only diff was one called for regular yogurt and the other called for Greek yogurt.
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Toni,
I agree, I have seen recipes that are barely adapted, or not adapted at all. I think that's what happens when you post your recipes online, but I don't think it's a bad thing. Recipes are for sharing. Many people have adapted my recipes, (however much), and I usually will leave a comment and thank them for referencing me as they didn't have to. Thanks for the encouragement Toni, and I hope you enjoy the mozzarella!
Grandma Shelley says
Hello there Sam and Happy New Year...WOW--this is the best recipe I've ever seen for vegan moz cheese-- regarding short x and short list of ingredients. I saw one recently that took two days with mounds of ingredients!! Believe it or not!! I can't wait to try it and am sure my family will love it...especially on 'pizza night' ..we'll all swoon over it..(old school word.) I also enjoy your artsycrafsyness( is that a word?). I enjoy your catchy title of your site as well. You're really cute and lovable obviously outside, by your pic, and inside as well.
Anyway I'm so sorry Somer was offended by your 'copying' 'her' recipe-never heard of such! Would have impressed me and many other bloggers as well if you had used 'our' recipes. I actually agree with you on every point of your actually NOT having copied it.
Well, my dear, may God continue to bless you and yours as you keep up the good work.
Samantha Turnbull says
Oh my goodness, two days to prepare! I do not have patience for recipes like that. I usually don't even have enough patience to wait for cashews to soak, which is why I usually just boil them instead! haha. I think "swoon" is a great word, I'm bringing it back, watch out! 😉 Thank you for all the lovely comments! I'm so flattered. I look very forward to seeing your around, and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Lexi Recknagle says
Anastasia and Somer: Chill out. If you don't want your recipes to be shared online, then maybe you should make your own cookbook and copyright it instead of posting your recipes on a website or blog. Get a clue. Anyways, this recipe looks amazing! Can't wait to try it.
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha, thank you Lexi! Enjoy the vegan mozzarella! 🙂
Somer McCowan says
Lexi. I do have a cookbook coming out. But a recipe online isn't any different from a cookbook. It doesn't make it fair game! The rules are the same. An ingredient list cannot be copyrighted. So there's a fine line here. What I'm talking about here is blogger ethics. No blogger I know worth their salt takes recipes like this with such minor changes and then posts them on their pages! This is a very unique recipe. I spent weeks testing and developing it. And this is essentially the same!
It would have been nice if Samantha had simply linked to my post, and said "hey, I liked this recipe, I added a teaspoon of tapioca starch to make it a bit thicker" or whatever like so many other bloggers with a stronger moral compass have done instead of her very "lazy adaptation" and then the continued use of the recipe on her site in other recipes over and over again.
Samantha making my recipe and then making very minor adjustments didn't take any time genius or creativity. It's lazy blogging! She should create her own vegan cheese! This recipe wouldn't even be on her page if it weren't for me in the first place.
I blog to create vegan recipes that I think are useful and to help people go vegan. Not so other bloggers can take my content and then get money, traffic, etc for something they didn't put any effort into.
Melissa Thomas says
I'm happy it's on this website or I wouldn't have found it. Thank you both for the recipe. I hope we can all share more and create a more ethical world! Although, I'm happy to know about another place to look for recipes, so giving credit is always important.
Sam says
Absolutely! So glad you agree Melissa. I hope you saw that further up in the comments, Somer and I worked it all out and are totally friends now 🙂
Megan says
Hi Sam!! This looks fantastic. Just one question, I was unable to find finely ground tapioca starch, only tapioca starch pearls. Do you think if I throw them in the processor they will be finely ground enough for this recipe?
Samantha Turnbull says
It appears you can! This article sugguests you use a coffee grinder, or if you have a high powered blender like a Blendtec or a Vitamix, that would definitly do it. I hope it works for you 🙂 http://www.ehow.com/how_5732217_make-own-tapioca-flour.html#page=1
Hanah says
I did grind my tapioca pearls in the coffee grinder to make this recipe yesterday. It worked perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe. I got many compliments on the pizza I made with it!
Samantha Turnbull says
Oh yay!!!! So glad it worked out and that you were able to make your own tapioca flour. Thank you for coming back and sharing Hanah, I'm sure other people might have had difficulty finding the tapioca flour too. So glad you loved the recipe!
Ashley says
hi
I cannot have cashews which I discovered during an elimination diet after just discovering the awesomeness of cashew cheese:( However one recipe I have I was able to sub the cashews for sunflower seeds. do you think it would work here?
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Ashley,
I'm not sure as I have never tried. I was going to do a test for you, as I am curious too, but I don't have any sunflower seeds on hand. The flavour will probably be slightly different. As long as sunflower seeds are able to get creamy I am sure it will work great. Let us know how it turns out for you, it would be interesting to try all sorts of different nut and seed bases!
mbentfield says
Maybe macadamia nuts? If you can't have nuts at all, then sunflower seeds definitely over pumpkin seeds. Now I am curious too!
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha! We are going to have to try all different variations! I love the idea of macadamia nuts. Yum!
Somer McCowan says
Hey Ashley! Just wanted to let you know that sunflower seeds sometimes turn green when cooked! They should still work though! Macadamias are a nice sub or you can try using 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk (from a can) instead of the cashews.
Kathy Sturr says
I am so making this! The ingredients are already on my grocery list - TY! Moz love!
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha! Yes, moz love Kathy!!
kimlogan23 says
OMG OMG OMG: This is fabulous! Being an optimist (and having lots of tapioca starch on hand), I made 4x the recipe; since I am prepping foods for the week it seemed like a good idea. Plus I knew my husband and I would probably sample away one recipe worth while it cooked! Now I have enough for lasagna, nachos, pizza, and probably another dish or two. I think is going to be especially wonderful for pizza. The texture is exactly right and the amount cooked perfectly. I'm eager to work with it after it has chilled. Thank you!
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha! Now that is trust, just going for it and making 4 times the recipe!! Amazing. Isn't this cheese great!? I am so excited about it too, I can't stop making it. it is great on pizza, it will even brown up a bit on top. Yum!
Milinda says
I think I love you. And, yes, you made more than enough changes to make this your own; while giving your inspiration.
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha! You made me laugh out loud for real. That's so sweet. Thank you for your support Milinda, it means the world to me! 🙂
Paris says
You are a class act! Read your responses and they're perfect! I love your blog and as a "trying to go vegan" food blogger I really appreciate every one of your posts! You exude positivity in every word you type. Keep going girl! 🙂
Samantha Turnbull says
Oh thank you so much Paris! That makes me feel so good. I'm really glad you appreciate my posts, that's why I post them, for awesome people like you! 🙂
Bob Benhardt says
Sam,
Can you clarify the 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Tapioca Starch (also known as Tapioca Flour) part for me?
Thanks
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Bob,
You can buy tapioca starch in the health food section of the grocery store. Bob's Red Mill is a brand that makes it. Here it is on amazon: http://amzn.to/1z3IOOv. It's also sometimes labeled as tapioca flour, but they are the same thing. When you add the tapioca starch to the blender add two tablespoons plus two teaspoons of the starch. The amount is important, if you use less it won't be as stretchy, and if you use more, it will turn out too firm. Does that help explain?
Bob Benhardt says
Yes it does! Thanks for the clarification! Have you had any success with doubling down on the recipe and making double batches or more? Does the recipe scale out to larger amounts ok?
As I see this being a hit and disappearing really fast!
Thanks for the recipe!
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha, yes you can absolutely double it. Just make sure your blender can handle the amount. You're welcome, and enjoy!
Bob Benhardt says
Thanks for the reply, the link and the recipe. Keep on keeping on!
kimlogan23 says
Hi Bob--I just saw your comment and wanted to say I made 4x the recipe and it worked out perfectly. I probably wouldn't do more than that to be sure the blender had sufficient room to work but 4x was great.
Samantha Turnbull says
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Bob Benhardt says
Thanks for the update/insight Kimlogan23!
Wendy Beautyman says
I made this and clearly i used too much tapioca starch as it came out like stretchy rubber, it was a most unpleasant taste and texture, I would like to have another go at it (everything else i have made from your recipes has worked out perfectly). Using a tablespoon as a measure seems a bit subjective, is it heaped, level or something else? I wondered would you happen to know how much in weight you used, either in grams or ounces? that way I will be sure to get it right next time thank you x
Sam says
Oh no! That doesn't sound good at all. For all my measurements I always heap them, and then use the back of a knife or my finger to scrape off the top so that it is a perfect level measurement. Just as seen in this photo. I actually don't have a kitchen scale, so I can't give you any measurements by weight. Hope that helps!
Anastasia says
Ouch. Stealing from other bloggers is really bad juju. I sincerely doubt in posting Somer's recipe your intention was to "give her a helping hand," but to further your own blog without the tediousness of putting in the effort to create your own recipes. Somer deserves your apology not your dismissal of her very legitimate complaint.
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Anastasia,
Thanks for your comment. I didn't directly copy the recipe, I adapted it. I'm sorry that I upset Somer and you. That was certainly not my intention. My intention is as always just to post delicious vegan recipes and to help the vegan community grow.
This brings up an interesting question about food blogging ethics. What do other people think of adapting recipes? It's common practice among bloggers, but is this a good or bad thing? Is crediting the original source legit, or should adapted recipe never be posted? What is considered as a truly original recipe? Can you even make an original recipe with all the recipes out there in the world? What about traditional recipes such as chocolate chip cookies, bread, apple pie, and martinis, can these ever be counted as your own recipe? Comments on this would be interesting.
kittee says
Hi Sam,
I agree that it's common practice for bloggers to adapt recipes from other blogs and other sources, but I disagree that it's common practice to do so and then post it as if it were original. When I adapt a recipe with small changes, as you have done in this post with Somer's Moxarella recipe, I mention the original recipe and where it's from with links and then discuss my changes with photos if I have them.
It's easy to write a fun post about an inspirational recipe, without reprinting the recipe (which takes traffic away from the original). To see an example of what I mean, you can check out the flavor mods and notes I made to The Life Changing Crackers from My New Roots: http://kitteekake.blogspot.com/2014/10/life-changing-crackers.html
I think awesome recipes deserve lots of accolades. Anyone skimming this post would probably not even notice that you were inspired by Somer's hard work.
Take care!
kittee
Sam says
Hi kittee
Thank you for your comment. You have inspired me to add a line of text about where the inspiration came from, right before the recipe where everyone can see it. I should have done that all along but didn't even think about it. Somer and I had a private discussion and we have put this all behind us now. My goal is not to steal anyones recipe but just to share delicious vegan recipes to the world. If I inspire someone to prepare a vegan dish that would have otherwise eaten animal products, well that's just the best feeling ever! Animals lives are being saved, that's the end goal for me.
Best,
Sam
kittee says
So glad!
xo
kittee
Jodie says
To be honest, the people getting their knickers in a twist about recipes/links being used/shared, those are the sites I won't bother with.
That's what this world IS, everything is shared because of the internet! Being rude, name calling is never acceptable.
Somer's initial comments (several of them) guarantee I will NEVER visit her site. There's a diplomatic way to deal with matters and then the way she whined, complained and did her best to create a dislike for Sam that absolutely turns me off.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks, Jodie 🙂
Somer McCowan says
Anastasia thanks for your thoughts. Certainly Samantha isn't trying to help me. Especially now that she has 3 recipes on her site with the moxarella. She's milking it for all its worth.
Somer McCowan says
Hi Sam! I appreciate you linking to me, but this "adaptation" doesn't really follow any proper rules of adaptation. It feels more like you copied my recipe and pasted it on your site. It's basically my moxarella with garlic powder instead of fresh garlic (um, not really a difference) and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast added in. Why not just link to my site and say you added nutritional yeast? I spent weeks creating and perfecting this recipe and it's disheartening to me to see it pasted all over the internet just because someone changed one ingredient. It's not good blogger ethics. I hope you will consider removing the printed recipe from your site. -Somer
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Somer,
I'm sorry you are unhappy with my post. I actually made more changes than that. I added 1 teaspoon more tapioca starch (I liked the consistency better), I cut the oil, (I try to always avoid excess of oils), I added nutritional yeast for more flavour, I reduced the salt, I added garlic powder, and I gave the option of either lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, both which I found yummy.
Aside from that I am in my right to post this recipe. You can't copyright a recipe. Here is an article about this for your reference: http://opensourcecook.com/recipes-copyright-law
If you could then there would only be one recipe for apple pie, one recipe for chocolate chip cookies, one recipe for pizza dough, one recipe for a martini! No one else would be able to make their own? That doesn't make sense. What you can't do is copy anyones words or instructions, which I didn't do and would never.
For blogger ethics, adapting a recipe to your own and the crediting the original source is very common. The very well know blogger Oh She Glows does this all the time. Here's an example: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/02/20/detox-blonde-macaroons/ Linking to your site is a good thing and helpful for bloggers. The more links to your site, the higher google will rank your site, and the sooner your site will show up in search engines. This is why bloggers do this even though we don't have to. We are giving each other a helping hand.
Recipes are meant for sharing! That's why we are food bloggers in the first place. The more people that are lured in by delicious vegan recipes the better in my opinion.
If you do not like my recipe associated with yours I can remove the link. My intention was to give you a helping hand, not to upset you.
Somer McCowan says
Or you could behave more ethically and do something like this so that traffic actually gets clicked through to my site to the original recipe.
http://vedgedout.com/2013/03/21/vegan-pudla-omelet-thingy/
They way you have handled this means no one will be clicking through to my site, or the original recipe, because you took the recipe and posted it on your page.
Just because something is legal, doesn't make it right in our small community of vegan bloggers.
This isn't apple pie or another cookie recipe. It's an entirely original idea for vegan cheese, which you've put a tiny spin on and called it your own. The olive oil was always optional. Garlic powder/garlic? One more teaspoon of tapioca starch? Possibility of using another acid? That does not make it an original recipe on your site! It makes you an unoriginal hack! Good luck with making blogger friends with your methods. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't find yourself feeling so cozy about this if you were on the receiving end of this issue.
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Somer,
I am sorry I upset you, that was certainly never my intention.
Hopefully you will be happy to see that lots of people are clicking through to your site. In fact in the last 30 days, your site has ranked 1st in clickthroughs to other blogs, and received 151 visits from my link as of today. Here is a screenshot so you can see: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Screen-Shot-2015-02-11-at-5.51.03-PM.png
Again, sorry I upset you, I will not reference any of your recipes in the future.
Best,
Sam
Somer McCowan says
All I see is the continued use of the recipe over and over again on your site! How original! Seriously! Create your own vegan cheese! So not classy!
Dana Lasswell says
I'm soooo glad this was shared!!! I would not have found this wonderful idea or traveled to your great site without it Somer! Yipppeee for sharing all of our amazing ideas so the world can eat healthier and happier! That's the goal, right? Cheers, Love and Peace, Dana
Sam says
Aww I love that! You're awesome Dana!