Ok friends, this is it. After all of the love for my Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella, it’s time for a follow-up act: Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Nacho Cheese. (I know, I am just so incredibly original with the new name).
With the help of reader Amanda (hi Amanda!), I toyed around with different spices and flavours to achieve a cheddar-like cheese recipe. No small task, especially when you don’t eat cow’s milk cheddar to compare. With a little zing and zang, salty and sweet, ooey and gooey, I managed to achieve… are you ready for it?…nacho heaven. Big plate of nachos, hello again. Oh, how I missed you. Now I will devour you!
This recipe is good for more than just nachos. You can load up a baked potato, make a grilled cheese, layer on a veggie patty for a melty cheeseburger, or stir into noodles for quick mac and cheese. Anywhere that you would use melted cheddar cheese, you can now use this recipe.
Do you want more good news? Of course you do. It’s oil, gluten, and dairy free, only 150 calories per serving, omnivores love it, over 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and only 15 minutes to make. Vegan high fives all around!
Can we see another shot of this ooey, gooey, melty-ness. Ahhh…. there we go.
Notes about this cheese:
- You have to use tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour). Corn starch, potato starch or any other starch won’t have the same stretchy quality. If you can’t find tapioca starch in your grocery store, you can always order it online here. If you have tapioca pearls, you can use a coffee grinder or a high powered blender to grind them into a homemade batch of tapioca starch.
- You can store the leftover cheese in an airtight container in the fridge and it should last for several days. This cheese will never turn into a solid block. It will always remain in a melty state. If you want to return the cold nacho cheese back to dipping consistency, reheat over medium heat while stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Once it is hot and bubbling it might have thickened up too much. You can thin it out by adding a tablespoon of water at a time, stirring it in until desired consistency is reached.
- Please beware, once you make a batch, you will probably eat the whole thing in one sitting. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
To make this nacho cheese, first start by soaking the cashews for four hours or overnight. OR if you need to eat this immediately (and I always do), you can skip the soaking, and instead boil the cashews for 10 minutes until soft and tender, then drain before using. Sneaky deaky cashew softening trick.
Toss all the ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth. It will be very watery, don’t worry, it will get cheesy!
If you don’t have a high powered blender, you may want to pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into the pot to remove any cashew bits that didn’t grind up. This will ensure a smooth cheese texture.
Put the pan over medium-high heat. Stir to keep anything from burning. You will start to see clumps forming.
Ooo clumpy. Keep stirring!
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.
Adapted from my Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella.
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (see notes)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- To soften the cashews: Boil them for 10 minutes until soft. OR soak the cashews for four hours or overnight. Drain before using.
- To make the nacho vegan nacho cheese: Add the softened cashews, water, and all the remaining ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. It will be very watery.
Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, while stirring. If you don't have a high-powered blender, you may want to pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into the pot, to remove any cashew bits that didn't grind up. This will ensure a smooth cheese texture. As you stir it will start forming clumps, and then all of a sudden it will become a cheesy gooey mass of yumminess. This takes about 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir for an additional minute or two to make sure it has firmed up completely.
*I originally went with ¼ cup of cashews, but lately I have been loving using a ½ cup for an even creamier consistency.
*If you want to return the cold cheese back to dipping consistency, reheat over medium heat while stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Once it is hot and bubbling it might have thickened up too much. You can thin it out by adding a tablespoon of water at a time, stirring it in until desired consistency is reached.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
I never leave comments but l made this for over nachos last night and everyone loved it. Best gooey cheese alternative so far on our vegan journey. Brilliant!! X
Hey! Can I use soybean paste in place of miso paste? or does it matter
I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it should work. I believe soybean paste tends to be much stronger in flavour than white miso, so I would recommend starting with less.
OMG! This tastes so good! I had some with chips and made some Nacho Cheese jalapeno poppers with the coconut bacon bits! I have a tip for those of us without a high powered blender. At first add only a 1/2 cup of water and blend until very smooth then add the other half and blend. Works great! Also if I replace the tapioca starch with corn starch, will it make a nice smooth nacho cheese sauce?
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Kimberly. And yes, cornstarch will make it more of a sauce. Enjoy!
This cheese is delicious! My omnivore husband who usually hates any kind of vegan cheese is obsessed with it!! Thank you! If we wanted it a tad less “stretchy” and a tiny bit more liquid-y what would be the best way to do that? Less tapioca starch? Substitute a bit of a different starch? More water?
Thanks!
Awesome! So happy you enjoy it, Katie! Yes, you can add more water to reach the desired consistency. Enjoy!
I may have commented already last year but it bears repeating, I love this cheese! I use it in so many things and always credit you with the recipe. I just updated a page on my blog today and on my instagram page of a picture of a grilled cheese sandwich I made with this cheese. I give a link to the recipe and tell everyone to bookmark your website!
Haha, that’s awesome, thank you maggie 🙂
No words for how good this is!! An absolute must-make. Made the perfect topping for our loaded potato nachos. I am actually eating the leftovers COLD right now as a dip for veggies and it’s still bomb. I did use tapioca pearls (ground in the Vitamix) because I couldn’t find the flour/starch. Was worried it would turn out gritty, but it was just perfect. Added smoked paprika (which added an amazing flavor!) and extra nooch. Thank you for the incredible recipe!!! xoxo
Yay!!!! So very happy you enjoyed it so much, Georgia!!! 😀
I made this so I can have pasta and cheese sauce for lunch. Another winner!
Since I am not an extremely competent cook, I really appreciate how your recipes always work for me.
Thanks!
You’re most welcome, Steve! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This is the best vegan nacho cheese there is!
Woot woot!! Thrilled you think so 🙂
I made this for the first time tonight & put it on refried beans, with salsa & spinach in ssoft taco shells. So good! And I was totally excited that the recipe turned out as described ( my cooking skills in question, not your recipe – lol).
Hahaha wonderful. Thrilled you enjoed it so much, Cora!
After making the ‘mozzarella’ I just had to give this one a try too (and make use of all that tapioca starch :D). I substituted miso paste with marmite (how very Britsh of me) and it turned out delicious. I’m looking forward to trying the loaded nacho recipe with this *_*
Oooh! I bet you marmite would be great in this! Fun idea 😉
Hey Sam!
Love all your recipes! One question. I’ve made the Nacho cheese recipe from your book and love it. I noticed that this one has miso paste. Did you add this recently or remove it for the book? Is one better/different than the other
Thanks
Sharon
Hi Sharon! The recipes in the book are my new versions, but both recipes are great and just have a slightly different flavour just like if you were to buy different brands of cheese. I hope you enjoy!
Sounds good! I bought the miso so will try that version also. LooOove all of your recipes that i have tried so far!!! Thanks for the super quick response!
You’re most welcome! And thank you so much 🙂
Could you use raw sunflower seeds instead of cashews because I am allergic to nuts?
Yes, the colour might be slightly funny, but I have heard that others have tried this with success 🙂
OMG. My lacto-ovo vegetarian teenage sons scarfed this down so fast…and they are very skeptical of vegan cheese. Next time making a double or triple batch.
Hahahah! Love it! 😀
Help! My daughter likes the look of this but ontop of the allergies to dairy and eggs, tree nuts are also added except almonds. Can we sub the almonds for cashew? You are a life saver. I love your recipes.
Hi Eve, yes for sure, blanched almonds work well. You might need to soften them a tad longer to ensure they are nice and soft. Enjoy! 😀
Love this stuff! You omitted the miso paste and it makes no difference. I guess the miso paste was never necessary. Still turned out great. Thanks Sam!
The miso adds an umami flavour, but of course if you prefer it without, that’s perfect! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sorry Sam, I meant to say that the miso paste was omitted from the cookbook and the recipe Is still great. I hope the cookbook is selling like hot cakes… vegan hot cakes.
Ah yes there are some small tweaks and additions in the cookbook 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! I used to love nacho cheese, and this really hits the spot! I adjusted the recipe to use half the amount of tapioca flour called for, and it ends up just the perfect level of gooeyness.
Perfect, so happy you enjoyed it, Julie 🙂
Sam, this is really the best nacho cheese out there. I try other recipes to just kinda see how they taste in comparison. This is by far the very best.
I love adding some wine and spinach to it with pasta., it’s so creamy and tasty.
I’ve used it for nachos also. With your tofu crumbles. Yum!
I’m so excited in getting your cookbook. You really make being vegan so easy, so tasty and so earth friendly.
Thank you, our animals love you, the earth loves you and so does my family !
Oh geeze, you made me blush! Thanks Samantha (great name by the way 😉 ) I’m so thrilled you are loving what I’m doing. It’s truely a joy to share my recipes with the world!
This is perfect with a dash of cayenne. I’ve made it twice in two days. The real test was when the hubby likes it and I didnt tell him it was vegan.
Hahaha! Love it! 🙂
WOW! I have made a bunch of different vegan “cheese” sauce recipes over time. A TON. And I usually like them, but the kids aren’t swayed. I made this to serve as nachos for a party tonight and when I sampled the finished product I said WOW! WOW! WOW! right out loud to myself. Haha. Super tasty! The stretch in the texture is unmatched in other vegan recipes. Almost reminded me why I stopped eating dairy (that whole coats-your-mouth-with-goo feeling isn’t always amazing)… but this is the closest I’ve had to the real deal since switching to a vegan diet. Love it! Thanks for the recipe. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
(( Can you tell how happy I am? ))
Hahahaha! WOW! I’m happy to, Becca 🙂
I made this tonight. I used raw cashew butter. (A tip for those without high powered blenders). I also added a little cumin to the cheese. This turned out DIVINE! I do have an awesome Ninja Blender, but it does sometimes leave little grit when blending cashews, and I had the butter on hand, so I used it. It was just great. I can’t say enough about it. It was AMAZING!!
Woohoo! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Marlene 😀
@Marlene how mucb cashew butter did you use?
Marlene I too have a ninja blender and the 1st time I made this it was gritty but I learned a trick. Just put 1/2 cup of water in with all the other ingredients and blend until very smooth. Then add the other 1/2 cup to blend all together. It comes out perfectly smooth that way!
i love this recipe its awesome and i tried a few vegan cheeses and this is my fav. i have to say though that i didnt particularly like the texture way too much, a liiiitle too jiggly, and the texture reminds me of something( (i wont say so i wont gross anybody out lol) so what i did was cut the tapioca in half and i loved the texture, it was creamy like velveeta! i did macaroni and cheese and omg i loved it! i did add a little mustard powder (like a pinch probably to it and then like 2-3 tbsp. of plant milk and like half tsp. (i think i dont really measure when i cook) of coconut oil to make it buttery…oh wow! a revelation, the texture was exactly like velveeta and even tasted like it too , i was shocked!
and a tip for anyone who like didnt have miso paste and didnt wanna buy either, i had tahini thankfully, just substitute it w/ that and maybe a pinch of salt (or not cuz my cheese i think came out a tiny bit salty cuz i added that extra salt w/ the tahini)
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, clulu and that you were able to adapt it to your own taste 🙂 Thanks for the lovely review!
This was delicious. My omnivore husband even ate it…. like, a LOT of it. I loaded it up with layers of nachos, cheese and veggies, but left the top layer without the cheese. Covered it and popped it in the oven for 15 minutes. While it was baking, I added some pickled jalapeno juice into the remaining mixture and then poured it over the top with additional veggies. I will be making this again, for sure! The only thing I felt guilty over was the tortilla chips. Next time I think I’ll make my own and skip the unnecessary fat.
Yay! So happy to hear it was so well enjoyed by all 🙂
Can you freeze it? If you could freeze it solid you could grate it onto chips and such for an oven baked nacho experiance
Hi Meg, yes you can freeze and grate it. Just note that it thaws rather rapidly which makes it difficult to grate as it gets ooeey and gooey. I prefer just spooning it over, such as in my Loaded Vegan Nachos. Enjoy!
My husband is vegan and I am not quite ready to take the leap because of my adoration of cheese. I want to make this to see if I can live without cow cheese, but I know nothing of miso. Once it is opened, does it need refrigerated? How long is it good for? I am debating whether I should spend the $10 to buy it if it will go bad quickly. Thank you!
Hi Danielle,
Miso keeps for a very long time. Once opened I would say at least a year in the fridge. I used to be addicted to cheese, but broke the addiction by cutting it out of my diet, and now the smell is so gross to me! Amazing how your tastes can change. You might be interested in this video about cheese addiction. I hope you enjoy my recipe 🙂
Wow, Sam!! This recipe hit the nachos out of the ballpark! The flavor,the consistency- oooey, gooey deliciousness!! (Super easy, to boot!) I have tried many “cheese sauce” recipes before, but the tapioca starch adding the body to this one is the bomb!! Def the key to this ultimate comfort food!. Thank you for this!! X0!
Woohoo! Thrilled you loved it so much, Patti! You’re right, the tapioca is key. 🙂
What can I substitute for white miso paste?? I can’t find it! Thanks in advance.
Hi Taylor, it adds an umami flavour. Just skip it, but you may need to up other seasonings to taste. Enjoy!
Thank you! It was soooo good. My meat eating friends forgot it was even vegan! I loved it.
Haha! Perfect 🙂
Could I substitute acv for the lemon juice?
Yes! It will of course have a slightly different taste.
Okay so this could totally be my issue and not the recipe but I didn’t really care for it. It wasn’t bad by any means but the smell is quite different from cheese and it affected how it tasted for me. I’m happy I made it and got to try it but likely won’t be making it again. Nothing beats some good melted queso at a mexican restuarant. Either way, thank you for sharing! It’s been a struggle finding foods that I like. I’m not a vegan but I want to be healthier and cut back on processed meats and dairy so I’m always looking for alternatives. It was fun to make! Wish it had turned out better
Too bad you didn’t enjoy it, Ben. Vegan cheeses are never going to be exactly like cow’s milk cheese, and I’ve heard from some people that it takes a little to get used to the new flavours. Best of luck!
Unfortunately you aren’t likely to enjoy non-dairy cheeses while still eating dairy cheese. When I cut dairy out of my diet I did 6 weeks, cold turkey, and avoided anything that resembled cheese in all forms. After that time my palate had changed and lost the taste for dairy cheese.
If you are going to dabble in non dairy cheese, do remember that any facsimiles will not be just like dairy – getting in to the mindset of renaming things can help! Instead of thinking of a recipe as vegan mac and cheese, call it macaroni and savoury cashew cream (just an example). Good luck!
I was very excited to try this last night, but I’m sorry to say was very disappointed. It was indeed very gooey and cheesy-looking, but the smell turned me off. I don’t know if it was the miso, the nooch (nutritional yeast), or a combination of things, but it smelled like something very unappealing…Reminded me of when my husband steams mussels in garlic. :-p
I’m not giving up! I’m looking forward to trying the vegan mozzarella next time with the tapioca starch I now have on hand!
On a positive note, I tried the rice paper vegan bacon and it was AH-MA-ZING! The closest thing I’ve had to bacon in 4+ years. Yum, yum, yummy! 🙂
Oh too bad you didn’t like it, glad you enjoyed the rice paper bacon tho!
I want to try this but my question is “Where is the cheese”?
I would like to try this but my son is allergic to nuts. What can I use instead
This is a recipe for vegan cheese so there is no cow’s milk cheese involved. While some readers have tried substitutes for nuts that they are happy with (you can check out the comments here and on my mozzarella cheese recipe), I personally haven’t found anything that I loved other than nuts.
Since going vegan, I’ve tried a couple of recipes with nutritional yeast/cashew sauce and haven’t cared for them at all. I’m wondering if it is perhaps the brand of yeast I am using. Any suggestions? Sure would love to love this recipe! Miss my Mexican nights with cheese dip!
Hi Nona, it could just be the recipes you’ve tried, or it could be that you just don’t like the taste of nutritional yeast. Have you tried sampling it straight from the jar? The first time I tried it I didn’t like it. It took me awhile to warm up to it but now I am obsessed and sprinkle it all over my popcorn. Hope that helps!
The Taco Cleanse Cookbook has a nutritional yeast free recipe for cashew queso! There are vegan cheeses that don’t have the nooch out there.
Hi I was wondering where the 10 grams of protein comes from? According to my calculations, 1/2 cup cashews only has 11 or 12 total while 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast (Bob’s Red Mill for reference) has 6 grams. The total would only be 18 grams, divided by 3 is 6 grams of protein per serving?
I am definitely looking for high protein vegan cheeses so just wondering if I missed something?
P.S. LOVED this recipe <3
Hi Ella! So happy you love the recipe 🙂 I used this nutrition tool in which I copy and paste the ingredient list and it figures out the nutrition for me. Hope that helps!
Just made this… honestly didn’t think it would turn out like cheese but it did. It was even better than real cheese. It worked exactly like she said, gooey after about 5 minutes and really firm with 2 more minutes. Minor change i made was to use a food processor instead of a blender: i I soaked the cashews over night, put them in a food processor with 1/2 of the water and the other ingredients.. Once they were really smooth i put it in a pan and added the other 1/2 of the water. It came out excellent. This is a crazy good recipe.
So happy you loved the recipe so much and that you like it even better than real cheese! 😀
Thank you so much for this recipe!! It’s simply amazing and I can’t believe how healthy it is. I tripled the recipe, brought it at a bachelorette party and someone asked me what type of cheese that was. She could not believe it was cashew-based. Definitely going to make this again!
Woohoo!! So happy you love it, Stephanie!
Can I just use cashew butter for the softened,blended cashews?
Ok….I used cashew butter. I don’t know if that’s the reason it came out looking like a cross between Gerber strained peas and Grey Poupon Mustard….
Oh doesn’t sound very yummy! As I think you discovered, cashew butter is not the same thing. Cashew butter is made by grinding the nuts until the oils release. In this recipe, we are just making a thick cashew cream to make the cheese rich and creamy.
Hi! This looks so yummy and it brought up a question I’ve been needing the answer to… Is there any substitute for nutritional yeast? Or, do you think it would hurt to omit it from this recipe? In case you are wondering why I’m asking, it’s because I’m supposed to be on a yeast-free diet, which is practically impossible, but I at least try to avoid obviously yeast(y) things. In this case, the nutritional yeast. Thanks so much!
Hi Mary! Nutritional yeast does provide a cheesy flavour, but it isn’t crucial to the texture of the recipe. I would suggest trying the recipe and just skipping the yeast. You may need to boost up the other spices a little, and the taste might not be quite as cheesy, but I still think it will taste good. Enjoy!
Wow, that was a speedy response! Thank you! I appreciate you giving me the 411 on the nutritional yeast. Good to know what it contributes to this recipe. Wish I could use it! Still think I might give the recipe a try though and do what you said. I’m only now making the conversion to a vegan diet. Came across your blog and excited to give some of your recipes a try. 😀 Thanks again! (Love the little monster pics that get chosen for us when we comment too. Really cute! haha)
Hahaha, you caught me while I was in the midst of responding to comments. I usually respond to all comments within 24 hours 🙂 Welcome to veganism!!! Let me know if you ever have any more questions or need any support 🙂
Awww, thank you so much!! 🙂
No problem!
Hey Mary! A little late, but if you’re still avoiding yeast, nutritional yeast is a deactivated form of yeast , and so I can’t think of any reason you would need to avoid it…
Never too late! This tidbit of information helped!! Thank you, Kat!
Hi Mary –
Not sure exactly the guidelines of your diet, but I was looking up about brewer’s vs nutritional yeast online and it says both are “inactive” yeasts, meaning they don’t cause yeast growth (if you have candida issues) so maybe you’d be able to use it? Just a thought!
Thanks so much, Krysti! I looked into it a little more after my initial comment and I think you might be right! Not sure why (when I first investigated) I had found information discouraging its use when on the candida diet. (You were right about that being the issue.) Since then, I’ve come across the same info you found, so hopefully all will be good. I haven’t bought it yet, but I finally spotted it at my local Trader Joe’s, so I’m going to pick some up. Thanks again for the reply.
I tried this recipe few days ago. Oh my. I couldn’t stop eating straight from the pan! Absolutely mind blowing! I never liked cheese when I was still eating meat and I’ve spent all this years being vegan without paying to much attention to it, but this just changed. Bravo!
Woohoo! So thrilled you loved it so much, Nina!!! 😀
Good stuff! The tapioca really makes it! I had some alternate ingredients on hand and tried them out. Instead of water, I used the liquid strained from a can of diced tomatoes and chilies (and reserved those for garnish later). I also substituted the paprika, turmeric and salt with just one tsp of Sazon Tropical (this has other seasonings and coloring in it, so though it made the dip look and taste good, the original recipe is probably healthier). I did not have miso paste and reduced the syrup to 1/2 teaspoon. I ate half of the bowl before also adding a little bit of ground mustard powder and some vinegar from a jar of jalapenos.
Awesome! So happy you were able to make it your own 🙂
I’m obsessed with this. I make spinach and artichoke dip with it and eat the entire thing way to fast! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Hahaha! Perfect! So happy you love it, Megan!
As a very new vegan (as in one week) and a former cheese lover I so needed this recipe! Thanks for the inspiration!
Congrats on your new veganism, Simone!! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. Let me know if you ever have any questions or need any support 🙂
Hey just wondering, when it’s refrigerated, does it become hard enough to grate?
No, it stays melty and gooey.
Ok so I NEVER leave comments about recipes but after making this, I had to. I made it exactly as the recipe showed and it came out delicious! I added close to 1/4 of water afterward though because I found it to be a little too thick. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for a great recipe!! (:
Woohoo!! So happy you loved it so much, Cherise 😀
Hi, is the white miso paste necessary? I cannot find it anywhere.
Thanks
It just adds some lovely umami. You can skip it, but you might want to boost up some of the other spices a bit. Or you can also order it online. Enjoy!
Sam, May I ask what brand of nutritional yeast you use ? I currently have on in my refrigerator that I dislike the taste of . Thank you so much for your help. Matilda
Hi Matilda, I’m actually not very picky when it comes to nutritional yeast as I don’t find there is much difference between brands. I think the one I have now was called Purley Bulk, which I bought because it was the cheapest. I will say, however, that I find when storing nutritional yeast in the fridge it can suck up fridge flavours and not taste good at all. Instead, I recommend storing it in an airtight jar in the cupboard. It won’t go bad and lasts forever. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! How would it turn out if I used soy milk instead of water?
I find it gets an odd sliminess to it when using soy or other non-dairy milks, so I wouldn’t recommend it!
It’s true! I made it with almond milk and it turned out slimy hahahaha had to mix some agar agar to it, so it ended up being a block of vegan cheese, still delicious though! Maybe with a tad less lemon juice (maybe my lemons were too sour). Thank you! <3
*Hi Javi… Did it melt when you grated/sliced and tried to melt it???*
*And how much agar agar powder did you add???”
*Would really appreciate if you could help with the replies..*
It does 🙂 to this quantity of cheese I added 2 tbsp of agar agar powder (powder not flakes) disolved in one cup of water and activated over the stove on low-med heat (here it’s KEY that you stir at all times and when it’s starts to bubble keep it over the stove for at least 5 to 10 minutes! It will bubble and thicken but keep stirring to activate the agar. After those 5-10 min, add the cheese sauce slowly until it mixes smoothly with the agar still over the stove. Then pour on a mold and refrigerate). 🙂 I hope it helps!
*Yeah… Thanks so much.*
Hello! I am dairy free & gluten free but looking to have some comfort food ie grilled cheese, pizza, Cesar salad. I have found a number of vegan cheese recipes this one and the stretchy mozzeralla of yours look the best so far! 🙂 However, I am not able to use cashews. Any other suggestions for the nuts? I see blanched almonds were suggested above but I didn’t see any feedback.
Also have you developed a pizza cheese????? Please say yes.
Thank you.
Donna V
I have done the original recipe and love it. I put it on mini english muffin pizzas, grilled cheese and tacos. The only problem is cashews are really expensive and other nuts have too much of a “nutty” flavor. I’ve tried sunflower seeds with the mozzarella recipe, but it was also too “nutty” for my taste. How about tofu? I haven’t tried this yet myself, but I think subbing 4oz extra firm tofu for the cashews might work well. I calculated that 1/2 cup of cashews costs $0.91 ($5.70/lb at bulk store) vs. 4 oz tofu costs 61.6 cents ($1.85/12.3 oz). 29.4 cents doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but if you like this cheese as much as I do the saving will add up. I’m excited to try this out this weekend.
I haven’t tried it with tofu, but if it works well, let me know! 🙂
I replaced the 1/2 cup of cashews with 1 (~8oz) boiled and pureed potato and added an extra tablespoon or two of tapioca starch and it worked great. I will be cooking it this way from now on because it tastes virtually the same with more convenience and lower cost. Yum for vegan cheese.
Wow! That’s a great tip! Thanks, Clare, I will have to try that 🙂
Yes, blanched almonds work well, you just have to boil them or soak them for a little longer until they are tender so they blend properly. I do have a pizza cheese, but it will be in my cookbook which comes out in October 🙂
All I can say is….WOW. You are a genius. Used this cheese recipe to make a vegan mac & cheese and it was perfect. Even waited till the rest of my family (not vegan) came home just so they could try it & they fell in love with it too. They were pretty much in shock when they found out it wasn’t their normal cheese!
Thank you Sam!
Haha! I love that! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Brooke 🙂
My husband was almost offended that this sauce tasted actually more cheesy than the standard nachos. It was hilarious.
AHAHAHAHA! That’s awesome! Comment of the day for sure! 😀
Didn’t have raw cashews, but had cashew milk so I subbed the water and cashews for one cup cashew milk, and it turned out amazing!!!! Definitely kept it at a runnier texture which was actually perfect for pouring on nachos 🙂 I added a chipotle pepper for a bit of an extra smokey spice. SO good
Woohoo! SO happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I absolutely love the taste but I made a mistake- my cashews are not as blended so there are still bits. I don’t want to throw it away because it’s too good. Do you think I can just blend it again? Next time I make, can I substitute potatoes (mashed very well) instead of cashews for my child who cannot have nuts?
Hi Joy, If you have cashew bits left over, I recommend straining the cheese when it is in liquid form before cooking so that all the little bits are removed. I have never tried re-blending it, so I am not sure how it would turn out. I have also never tried potato so I am not sure how that would turn out! If you give it a try, let us know. 🙂
Check out the minimalist baker website she has a cashew-less version made from eggplant.
A comment from someone in March said she subbed 1/2 with potato and it worked, not sure if it would work subbing all the cashews ? but maybe you’ve tried it since posting this in Feb? 🙂
I tried substituting with all potato. It just made the cheese slimy and not very good (in my opinion).
Well, I finally made this sucker, and it was DEFINITELY well worth the wait. I initially saw that I was missing an ingredient (the white miso paste) and saw from previous comments that it could be left out—- but that it contributed to the Umami taste, I COULDN’T AGREE MORE. This recipe is truly “uncious.” I can EASILY see this as a cheese substitute on pizza, or just a glob spread out and wrapped in tortilla as a snack. Mine is sorta a little too thick for prolly even the strongest chip (I’m sure I could remedy that with a splash of water or nut milk). All in all though— EXCELLENT recipe. Extremely satisfying. Thank you, Sam, for the delish recipe. I’ll have to scour your website for more delish recipes. Yay!!
Wohoo!! So happy you enjoyed it so much! Haha, if it gets a little too thick just whisk in a little water or nut milk as you suggested until you reach the desired consistency. So happy you loved it!
Sam, I don’t have white miso paste, what about using Braggs Liquid Amino? Could that work? I am dying to try this. I’ve just started going vegan and oil free. I am …was… a cheese addict. My husband was buying Taco Bell breakfast bowls all the time, then had some chest pains THAT’S IT! no more cheese for you buddy and I’ve been trying to get that cheese monkey off my own back for a while now.
Thanks!
Marsha
Liquid aminos have a very different taste than miso, and also might affect the colour of the cheese. You can find white miso paste in the Asian section of your grocery store or online here. I highly recommend picking some up as it does help with those cheesy flavours. So happy you are making the switch, you are going to feel so much better! 🙂
Thanks, I’ll pick some up online. I’ll probably be making this a LOT. So plan B it is, I’ll try your Vegan Mozzarella!
I also binged on food documentaries over the holidays. Once seen..it cannot be unseen.
Marsha
It’s so true, once you know, you can’t un-know. Documentaries are great for that. Enjoy the cheese!
I wanted to try this so bad but had no cashews on hand, so subbed in white beans. I’m sure it would be better with the cashews, but it was great!
Haha, good to know that white beans work as well 🙂
Anyone try freezing this? I don’t anticipate leftovers but I might make a double batch so I have it on hand in the freezer for sudden nacho emergencies.
It freezes just fine 🙂
Can’t wait to try this cheese sauce! I’ve been vegetarian for 5 years and have been transitioning to vegan this year. Having a problem with “letting go” of cheeses, especially cheese sauces for recipes (such as mac & cheese). I’m making some M&C for Easter and just wondered with regards to the amount of servings per 1 recipe = 3 servings…do you think I would have to double the recipe to make a 9X13 dish of Mac & Cheese? Or would one batch be enough? Love your recipes!
Thanks so much, Susan! I would double the batch, just to be safe. If you have any leftovers you can always enjoy it as a snack or pop it in the fridge or freezer for later. You also might like my nacho cheese recipe which will add a bit more oomf to your mac and cheese. Enjoy!
I didn’t want to believe it…but this cheese exceeded my expectations! You have my trust and I look forward to a future playing with the variety of recipes on this site.
Beautiful and delicious recipe! Used it to make potato nachos. This was the perfect touch.
Ahaha! That’s amazing! So happy I gained your trust Era 🙂
I’ve never like vegan cheese until I made Sam’s Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Nacho Cheese, which is delicious. I wish this cheese was bit less unwieldy, though– perhaps it’s just like this for me as I may not have added enough water to thin it out? I also wonder if it has to do with the tapioca flour I use? The cheese is so sticky I struggle in smearing it on the quesadilla or over nachos and cleaning the pot I cooked it in afterward is a struggle. I was hesitant to add in too much water at the end while it was cooking as I didn’t want to dilute the flavor. I’m curious, Sam how much water, if any, you typically have to add in to thin it out? Another reviewer mentioned being able to drizzle it– are you able to drizzle it? I’ve made this receipt twice now and neither time was it even close to a consistency in which I could drizzle it. Even with the struggle to apply the cheese, it’s still worth it as it tastes amazing!
Hi Rebecca!
If you are finding the cheese to thick, just add more water to thin it out and stir in. I would start with just a couple tablespoons at a time, and add more as needed to reach desired consistency. Hope that helps 🙂
Yes, adding water did the trick. Third time was the charm. I think in total I added something like 6 tablespoons but I ended up dividing the batch into thirds and only adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of water at a time. I didn’t notice a difference in taste after adding the water.
Glad it worked out for you 🙂
Ok I know you say not to use anything else but Tapioca Starch BUT I don’t have any and right now I’m on a very limited budget. :-\ Anyway, can I substitute Organic Corn Starch or Arrowroot Powder? If so, what are the amounts I should use in ratio to the Tapioca Starch?
Thanks so much for this bangin’ recipe and for your help!!!
Di =)
Hi Diane,
Cornstarch or arrowroot powder, will not give the gooey, stretchy, cheese texture, and instead will just make a sauce. I am not sure of the quantities because I haven’t tested the recipe with those. Hope that helps!
Thanks for your reply! I’ve scoured the internet and found out that it’s basically a 2:1 ratio between tapioca starch and the other two.
I’d actually like to use the cheese for the corn and black bean quesadillas, not nachos. Hopefully it all works out! Lol I’ll let ya know my outcome after dinner tonight! 😉
Yes do let us know! 🙂
Ok, here’s the deal, lol, I bucked up and gathered change and bought a bag of Tapioca Starch.
Two things: 1.) I reduced the amount of fresh squeezed lemon juice to 1 TBSP after reading other’s comments.
2.) This cheese is Da-Bomb!!! My carnivore husband, who usually makes me use his dairy cheese on his servings, asked me to use this cheese instead after he tasted a bite of my Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla! It is hands-down one of the best cheese “sauce” recipes I’ve made so far, and I’ve been making them for 7 yrs now!
Good job! Thank you sooooo much for sharing, I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
Di =)
Awww wow!!! Best comment ever!! So happy you and your husband love the cheese so much Diane. I’m blushing 🙂
Idk how to include my picture of my baked potato on here but it’s beautiful!!! Has broccoli, corn and bean mixture from quesadillas and covered in this nacho cheese. Yum!!!
Sounds amazing! Pictures can’t be posted on my blog, but I would love to see it. Feel free to tag me on Instagram @itdoesnttastelikechicken or post the photo on my Facebook page 🙂
Just made a double batch of this and it was great! I also love the idea of mixing all the dry ingredients first for later use. I live in Texas, the land of queso dip. Next time I’m going to take down the salt and lemon juice a bit (maybe try lime), and add cilantro, pico de gallo, chiles, and cayenne because I like it spicy! Thanks for the great recipe!
Ooo love the idea of making a spicy version as well. So happy you enjoyed the recipe so much Dianne 🙂
I am TOTALLY looking forward to nachos this week! I could drown in this stuff!
Hahaha!! So happy you love it so very much 🙂
Delish! I just made ‘Mac and Cheese’ and I love it! Thanks for sharing…I think I’ll prepackage the dry goods and label it ‘nacho cheese’ so it’ll be faster to put together next time! 🙂
Yay! So happy. I love that idea of making pre-packaged dry powder. Very cool 🙂
can u leave out the miso or sub it with something? Miso always comes in such large packages.
Miso adds to the umami flavour of these cheese. If you don’t have it on hand you can skip it, I am sure the cheese will still taste pretty good. Enjoy!
Hi, can we replace cashews with almonds. My vegan daughter is allergic to cashews
Hi Aarti, yes blanched almonds should work fine. They are a little tougher than cashews, so make sure to really soak or boil them so they are nice and tender and blend well. Enjoy!
Ok, so the look and consistency is just like a nacho cheese sauce but the flavor is seriously lacking. Nothing worse than a delicious looking sauce that doesn’t add the desired cheesy flavor. The amount of lemon juice in this recipe seems like too much as that was the strongest flavor coming from this sauce. I’m willing to try this again because you’ve figured out how to achieve the correct texture for the sauce but with definite alterations for flavor.
Aww sorry you didn’t love the flavour too much. Feel free to adjust the spices as needed.
Oh my GAHD! I cannot believe how easy and delicious this is. I had everything in my kitchen (that’s a relief!) and this will be a weekly addition for sure. I have to giggle at the 3 servings though. I am fairly certain I could eat it all while watching a movie. Haha thank you so much for sharing!!
Haha! I think that’s totally ok, I have definitely polished off an entire plate of nachos with this cheese on more than one occasion! So very happy you loved the recipe so much Dawn 🙂
**WOW*WOW*WOW** I’m SO excited!!! Excellent recipe!! This is the very first time my husband and I have shared a plate of nachos in 6 years!!! When I went vegan those many years ago, nachos were the one thing he was a little sad about, that we couldn’t share. I had given up on creating a nacho cheese like this as he is very discriminating but alas this passed with flying colors!! We have had it two nights in a row and he wants it on the menu for company. Thank you SO SO much!!
Oh yay!! I am so thrilled to heat that Shawna 🙂 I too love nachos and missed them until I figured out this recipe. Keep calm and eat vegan nachos. Haha!
Thanks for the BEST cheese sauce recipe EVER!!
So easy and so good to eat.
I have a tip that I found out, Nutritional yeast is sprayed with synthetic B vitamins and did not know that. I reacted to poorly when I ate NY. When I discovered this, I ordered non- Fortified NY on Amazon and magically – and thankfully I now can eat NY again, mystery solved!
Your recipe is fantastic, Thank you!!
Yay!! So very happy you loved the recipe so much! Interesting to know about the nutritional yeast. I will keep that in mind for if anyone else mentions a similar problem 🙂
Delicious! I don’t usually have luck with cashew cheeses, now I am a convert. I have made this and the mozzarella.
In this one I used chickpea miso and it had a great flavour.
Thanks for the great recipes!
Oh yay!! So happy you loved both recipes. Chickpea miso would work great. Thanks for the review Jen 🙂
Yum…it really worked! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
You’re very welcome Lucia!! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I made this last night and it was amazing! I used white miso paste and and it still came out more brown than the image here. but i honestly don’t care because it was so cheese like! I am newly vegan (about 6 months now) and i have made and tried every “cheese” i’ve seen and this is by far the best! I’m so excited about this! Thank you!
Oh yay!! That’s so awesome! So happy you loved it so much Tiffani 🙂
A darker miso paste*
Hi there! Thank you so much for this recipe. I made this tonight and it was quite good. I was so amazed by the chemistry of the whole thing turning into stretchy cheese. How incredible! I only had two issues that maybe you can help me with. I used a darker which made my cheese I believe more brown. I would love to get that orange color you achieved. Also, I am gluten free and I realized after that the miso contained barley. Do you know if there are other miso pastes that are gluten free? Thank you so much!
So happy you loved it Tanya! Yes, there are absolutely miso pastes that are gluten free and light in colour. I use a white soy miso, but you could also try a chickpea miso. Enjoy!
Sorry for my English…
I’m from Italy, Italian food is delicious but Italian vegan recipes are tasteless ☺
I just tried to make your cheese… Super super delicious! I couldn’t believe it really tastes like cheese…. Thank you thank you thank you for this wonderful recipe, I’m going to try all other recipes of your site!
Great day all! ☺
Ciao
Thank you so much Vittorio!!!! So happy my cheese is being enjoyed all the way over there in Italy! Saluti!
I love the complex flavors that come together to make this vegan cheese. I have to practice great restraint to avoid eating all of it at once. I liked it on nachos but I love it in grilled cheese sandwiches.
Haha!! Don’t restrain yourself! Dig in 🙂 haha. Really happy you loved it Katherine. 🙂
I just made this and it is so good! I love melty cheese. Thanks for the great recipes
You’re very welcome lillian! So happy you loved the recipe 🙂
I tried it and it’s delicious, the consistency remembers me of a cheese fondue from the old days. Mine turned quite red though, maybe my paprika is too red 😛 But anyway, it’s worth a try and get something cheesy and melty for your nachos!
So happy you loved it! Yes, it’s totally possible that your paprika is more red than the one I used. If you want a more orange colour, you can cut back on the paprika next time without effecting the taste too much. 🙂
Excellent! Just made a batch. I have made a lot of different vegan cheese sauces and this is far better than any other. I used smoked paprika which I think kicks it up a notch but I am sure great w/ regular paprika. Could add a big pinch of chipolte powder if you like ti hot. Nachos for lunch tomorrow!!!
Thank you
~G
Yay! That’s awesome! So happy you loved the recipe so much Geoffrey!
I made this for some friends and family tonight and it was a huge hit! We scraped the saucepan clean. Even my committed carnivore/vegan-sceptic brother came back for seconds. The kids adored it too. I looked for white miso in my local supermarket but not sure if what I ended up using was the brown or white variety as it was all in Japanese, was quite miso-y but delicious nonetheless and once we poured it over our quinoa and black beans, brown rice salad and corn chips it was incredible. Thank you, thank you!
Yay!! So happy you, your friends, and your family loved the recipe so much! It makes me so happy especially when non-vegans love vegan recipes! We will woo them one delicious dish at a time, muhahaha!
Where do you find miso paste, and if it’s unavailable what can you substitute?
You can find miso paste at any health food store
Thanks Guylaine,
That’s right, it can be found at a health food store, but if you have trouble finding it, it is just a flavour and adds a nice umami. If you needed to skip it, I am sure the recipe would still taste pretty good. Enjoy!
We topped a plate of nachos with this cheese tonight to eat while watching the football game, and we are happy to report that the recipe is a winner!
I didn’t have miso paste so I just omitted that ingredient (it tastes salty enough without it so I don’t think I’d worry about buying some for the next batch.) I might also cut back the lemon juice ever so slightly, maybe by just a teaspoon, so the flavor is slightly more creamy than tangy.
Thanks for putting the nachos back into football night!
Yay!!! So happy you loved the nachos Sherri 🙂 Yes, absolutely, feel free to play around with your own measurements and seasonings to get it just as you like it. So happy you have have nachos on football night again too! 🙂
Hi Sam! This looks aaamazing, congratulations!! 🙂
I only have “Mame Miso” on me and was wondering if you knew if this could work instead of the white. It’s a very dark brown miso and ingredients are: Whole soy beans, sea salt, water & koji. Again, incredible job, cannot wait to try this! xx
Hi Olivia, Thank you!
Yes I think that will work fine. It might alter the colour a bit, so just be aware of that. Enjoy!
Hi
Living in the land of metric, I’ve converted the cups to grams and ml and tried them out (it worked!)…
35g Raw Cashews
235ml Hot Water
I know I’ll be back here for the recipe again, so this is a note to self.
Is it possible to get metric-ized versions of the recipes on the site too, for your European followers?
Jim
PS Made the cheese to go with nachos and blackbeans. Excellent stuff, will definitely use again!
Haha, perfect!!
Hi Jim,
I’m glad it worked! I don’t actually have a kitchen scale (I know, shame) but here is a handy dandy chart that converts cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons to Ml. Does that help?
Notes to self in the comments are a great idea. I am sure other people will find it helpful as well. 🙂
Hi, thank you for all your hard work and then sharing with us all! I am dying to try this recipe but I have a ton of allergies… Can the miso paste be left out or is it critical to the cheese flavor? Thank you for your advice!
Hi Brandy,
You’re very welcome 🙂
Yes, you can leave the miso out and there shouldn’t be a problem.
Enjoy!
Sam
This was delicious and made a kick @ss grilled cheese sandwich and some very good chips & cheese snacks. It was a bit “sharp” for my taste but I think that’s the miso I have. I’ll probably reduce the lemon a smidge next time to compensate. SO GOOD! I’m drizzling the last of it over my chili tonight.
Yay!!! So happy you loved the recipe Amy, and yes, feel free to adjust the flavours to your own taste preference 🙂
You were right. Nothing left to refrigerate! Delicious!
Haha, so happy you enjoyed it Beth!!
Hi, thank you for this recipe and mozarella recipe. I am in transition from vegetarian to vegan and looking for recipes of my favourite dairy products.
Do you know why it is so high in sodium? Is it because of salt?
Hi Meg,
Your super welcome!!
Yes, most of the sodium is from the salt, and a little from the miso paste. You can adjust those to your preference if you like, it won’t affect the texture, only the flavour.
Let me know if you have anymore questions or if there is anyway I can help you with your transition! 😀
Thank you for the recipe, will try on my Seventh Day Adventist family. They are trying to
lose weight and stay away from most meat. All love Mexican food and Nachos are just
what they love.
You’re welcome Carolyn! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you for this recipe, I made it and it was actually delicious, so good to have nachos again!
Yay! So happy you liked the recipe Martha. Thanks for commenting! 😀
I finally made this tonight. It was so delicious! I made it to use on tacos. One of my kids said it reminded him of queso dip, so I’m seeing something like that in our future.
Yay! So happy you and your kids loved it. Thanks for sharing Krisit!
This was great, as was the mozzarella! I did not have the tapioca flour or starch. (I live in Costa Rica with limited resources), but used a good organic cornstarch brought back from US. I only used 1 1/2 tablespoons, checked some equivalency charts. As you said, not as much stretch but still very cheesy, and tasty, and gone in a flash! Thanks!, P.s. I harvest my own cashews here as you really can’t buy them. I also get cashews when I go to Nicaragua that are harvested and sold buy local families. So, that fact that this recipe uses only 1/4 cup is great!
Yay! So glad you loved it Paige and that you were able to make adapations as needed. Harvest your own cashews? That’s neat, they are the funniest looking plants! 🙂
OMG, I just looked up images for Cashew plants, lol….. so strange looking! They seem labour intensive to harvest, perhaps this explains why they are so expensive lol
Haha right!? Weirdest looking things. I am sure that’s exactly why they are so expensive.
cant wait to try it! I bet its even better than the other mozarella cheese 🙂
have you ever thought of making one specific for pizza?
I have now! haha! That’s a great idea. I think a pizza specific cheese would have to get firm enough to grate, and then be melty and stretchy coming out of the oven… now there’s a challenge. I love it!
I am looking forward to that email 😉
I am trying this one out at the weekend. Your mozarella is already a firm favourite.
Haha, great! I will work on that one too…. 😉
I love and admire your creativity 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you so much Eibhlin! 😀
This looks amazing!!! I’m leaving work and reading email as I walk out. Now I need to stop at the grocery store for cashews. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Be careful where you are walking! Haha. I hope you like the recipe Kristi!
There is nothing better than tortilla chips and gooey cheese sauce! This looks incredible! Must try!
Agree. Haha! I hope you love it 🙂
How did you know what I have been thinking of lately? I can’t tell you the last time I ate nachos but earlier this week I made an enchilada bowl (faster than real enchiladas as you don’t have to roll up the filling in the corn tortillas and then bake and since I haven’t found Non GMO corn tortillas I don’t mind skipping that part – instead I just put the yummy stuff on a rice quinoa blend and eat it that way. I was thinking this would make for good loaded nachos. And then I thought heck I would be happy with some plain nachos (with Non GMO corn chips of course). Sounds yummy! Also I would like to have some grilled cheese vegan style. I am at work right now though so I can’t make anything so yummy. Bummer! I look forward to making this later on though.
Haha, apparently I have magical brain wave sensing powers. That enchilada bowl sounds delish!
I had (vegan) nacho’s for the first time in a long time at the Toronto Vegan Food and Drink Festival last weekend and I would love to try to replicate that, so this is very timely. Thanks, I will be making this very soon.
Oh I was there and I didn’t get to try the nachos there. I hope mine are up to snuff!
Yum! I made a recipe very similar to this, I’ll have to try your exact spice ratio! After having the mozzarella version I knew I had to have a cheddar version! It makes delectable grilled cheese sandwiches too!
Yes, I love vegan grilled cheese! In fact, I might just have to have one for lunch. 🙂
My family LOVES the melty stretchy mozarella, and I’ve actually been using it on nachos up until now. I can’t wait to try this!
Yay!! I hope you like this recipe as well. It is a bit more flavourful and is perfect for nachos. Omnomnom.