Author: 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:
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.
(click stars to vote)
Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella
Servings: (makes about 1 cup)
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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
- Tapioca starch is essential for this recipe. It's what gives the cheese it’s gooey and stretchy texture. Any other starch or flour will not get the same result.
- If you want to return the cold mozzarella back to dipping consistency, reheat over medium heat while stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Once it is hot and bubbling it might have thickened up too much. You can thin it out by adding a splash of water at a time, stirring it in until desired consistency is reached.
- To ensure a smooth cheese, you may also want to pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth before cooking to remove any cashew bits that didn't grind up. This will ensure a smooth cheese texture.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕
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.
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.