This Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese is creamy, sliceable, and totally dairy free. It’s perfect for a snack or charcuterie board, a fresh Caprese salad, or sliced onto a sandwich or a wrap. Quick to make, this homemade Vegan Mozzarella is easy to slice and full of fresh mozzarella flavor. If you want a plant based cheese that’s simple and delicious, this recipe is for you.
This Vegan Mozzarella softens a bit when heated, but is not intended to fully melt like traditional mozzarella. Instead, it truly shines when served cold. Think salads, charcuterie boards, or layered onto a veggie sandwich! It can be used warm, such as on pizza or sprinkled on top of a baked dish, but rather than melting completely it will instead soften and give a lovely creamy texture.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This vegan cheese satisfies those cheese cravings without the dairy! This nondairy mozzarella is perfect for those of us who are fully vegan, or who just prefer to be dairy-free.
- Creamy and sliceable with a fresh mozzarella flavor! Perfect for salads, snacking, or to add a bit of flavor to your veggie sandwich.
- Quick and easy to make! This recipe comes together very quickly, less than 10 minutes of hands-on time required!
- Made at home for a fresher, more wholesome alternative to store-bought vegan cheeses.
Key Ingredients
- Cashews: these blend up to create a creamy, rich base that gives the cheese its smooth texture.
- Kappa carrageenan and tapioca flour: helps thicken our plant based cheese, and gives the mozzarella its sliceable, cheesy consistency.
- Nutritional yeast and seasonings: to add a cheesy, savory flavor.
- Lemon juice and miso paste: for a bit of brightness and tangy flavor.
- Coconut oil: optional, but adds a bit more richness and creaminess to our vegan mozzarella.
How to Make Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Steps 1-2: Bring water to a boil. Separately, combine kappa carrageenan, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast, and all other seasonings in a small bowl.
Steps 3-5: To the blender, add cashews, lemon juice, miso, and coconut oil (if using). Add boiling water and dry ingredients, & blend immediately. Quickly pour into a mold, cool 10–15 minutes, and refrigerate 2 hours.
Recipe Tips
- I suggest reading through the recipe before you begin, as step 3 moves very fast! You'll need to work quickly when blending, before the mixture has a chance to thicken up.
- Make sure your water is boiling when you add it - this is what activates the kappa carrageenan and allows the cheese to set properly!
- Use whatever small container you have on hand as a mold. Something like a glass storage container or a ramekin works great!
Serving Suggestions
- Serve this on a charcuterie board! Pair it with crackers, fruits, and other vegan cheeses (such as my Marinated Tofu Feta or my Lemon Tofu Ricotta!)
- This would be perfect to slice or cube for salads! Caprese salad is an obvious win, and it would also be great in my Three Bean Salad!
- Add a few slices of this to a Vegan Mozzarella Pesto Sandwich for some nondairy cheesy flavor!
- This recipe is primarily intended to be used cold (such as in the above examples), but it can also be warmed! Just note that rather than fully melting it will instead soften and become warm and creamy. I've used it this way on pizzas, cheese toast, and sprinkled onto casseroles! If heating it does best when placed under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
Substitutions & Variations
- This Vegan Mozzarella is a pretty neutral mozzarella flavor. Feel free to customize the flavor by adding herbs or spices! Basil, oregano, or smoked paprika could all be delicious.
- You are welcome to skip the coconut oil if you are oil-free or wfpb! Just know that your vegan cheese won't be as firm and you'll likely get a much softer texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kappa carrageenan is an extract from a specific type of seaweed, and it acts as a plant-based thickening and gelling agent.
Food-grade kappa carrageenan is considered safe by the FDA and is commonly used in vegan cheeses to create a firm, sliceable texture. Some concerns around carrageenan have circulated over the years, but most are based on studies using degraded carrageenan (rather than food-grade) or extremely high doses. The FDA considers food-grade carrageenan safe to consume in normal amounts. However you may of course consult credible sources if you would like more information!
Yes! The coconut oil is optional. If you leave it out, the cheese will have a softer, slightly less firm texture. But this is a great option if you are oil-free.
You can! Just note that this cheese recipe was primarily intended for cold purposes (such as salads and charcuterie boards), so it won’t fully melt or bubble like dairy cheese. However, it will soften, get creamy, and provide a delicious cheesy flavor!
Other Cheesy Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Oil-Free Option!)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 tablespoon kappa carrageenan
- 4 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup raw cashews - soaked in very hot water for 20-30 minutes (OR in room temperature water overnight)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1.5 tablespoon white miso paste
- Optional: ¼ cup coconut oil* - melted
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil on the stovetop.
- In a small bowl, whisk together kappa carrageenan, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside.Before moving on, make sure your mold is nearby and ready - step 3 moves fast! A small Tupperware or similar container works well.
- To a high speed blender, add the cashews, lemon juice, white miso paste, and melted coconut oil (if using).Once water is boiling, carefully pour it into the blender, followed immediately by the dry mix from step 2. Blend right away until smooth. You need to work quickly here - the boiling water activates the kappa carrageenan and it will start to thicken fast!
- Quickly pour the mixture into your prepared mold. It will begin to set almost immediately.
- Allow to cool at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Then transfer to the fridge (uncovered) and chill for 2 hours to fully set.
- Slice and enjoy however you like!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your mozzarella-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
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