This easy homemade vegan mozzarella cheese recipe will satisfy all your gooey, cheesy desires with tangy, savory, and our special touch of Italian-herb flavor.
Grab your blender and saucepan. Gather 7 simple ingredients. And in less than 30 minutes total, you'll have a great plant-based, dairy-free vegan pizza cheese!
This post contains helpful tips and tricks to ensure success on your first attempt. Below, you'll find a handy table of contents with links. But if you're in a rush, please use the link at the top to jump to the recipe card at the end!
Table of Contents
⭐Why this recipe works
Quick and easy. The ingredients you'll need are available at many grocery stores. This vegan cheese recipe cuts through some of the challenges around using cultures and wait time.
Texture. This vegan mozzarella sets up a gooey, stretchy texture like Buffalo mozzarella. It also gets those crunchy brown edges when baked.
Flavor. A few flavor enhancements, including rosemary, garlic powder, and salt, transform this yummy vegan cheese into a full-flavor experience.
📋 Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
Below are descriptions of all the ingredients you'll need and helpful substitutes in case you need them.
Cashews. Raw cashews work best for this recipe, although you could use blanched almonds. I've not used sunflower seeds for mozzarella; however, they work brilliantly for making sunflower seed sour cream. If you try this, the seeds should be ground rather than soaked. Macadamia nuts would be slightly higher in fat. Still, since they have a relatively neutral flavor, they might be worth trying.
Tapioca starch. Also known as tapioca flour, this is a super binder that creates a thick, stretchy cheese texture when heated. Tapioca starch, derived from the cassava root, is a handy gluten-free thickener. Cassava flour has more fiber and different processing and can be used in place of tapioca starch.
Lemon juice. Mozzarella traditionally has tangy overtones; hence, lemon juice. If you want a sharper flavor, consider adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
Plant milk. You'll get a creamier and slightly denser texture using oat milk, soy milk, or almond milk. For more richness, try light coconut milk. You can also use water, although the cheese tastes more full-bodied using plant milk.
Garlic powder. A touch of garlic powder livens up the flavor. If you use garlic salt, you may want to cut back on the salt you add (although it may not matter much). You can add onion powder if you prefer. The flavor will be slightly different.
Salt. This is one recipe where I strongly suggest adding salt and an entire teaspoon because it lifts the flavor. If you are salt-free, use a teaspoon of your favorite salt substitute.
Rosemary. You can use rosemary seeds or the flaked kind. The idea is to give the cheese a little extra flavor. Italian seasoning is also good here.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
📖 Recipe Variations
For a cheesier flavor, add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast or ½ a teaspoon of white miso paste.
If you want a firmer cheese block, replace 2 teaspoons of tapioca flour with Agar Agar powder. This is a vegan gelatine substitute.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Making mozzarella takes about 10 minutes, so resist the urge to turn up the temperature on the stove. Keep it at medium heat and keep stirring. Just when you think it won’t work – bam! It thickens and keeps getting thicker.
Step 1: After soaking the cashews in boiling water, drain them. Blend all the ingredients until they are smooth. The mixture will be thin and smooth.
Step 2: Slowly pour the mixture into a saucepan set to medium heat.
Step 3: Slowly stir the mixture and be prepared - just like magic it will start to thicken.
Step 4: Keep stirring as the mixture starts to thicken. Carefully, keep clearing the bottom of the saucepan.
Step 5: The cheese will start to hold together and lift from the pan as you stir. That's your sign that it's done.
Step 6: The stretchy mozzarella will be gooey, but shouldn't stick to the pan. Remove it as soon as it's done.
🔪 Pro Tips
- Soak the cashews first. Even if you have a high-speed blender or food processor, the creamiest mozzarella relies on soaking cashew nuts first. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with boiling hot water. Soak them for at least 15 minutes. Drain and rinse them before blending.
- Use a small saucepan. I find that a small saucepan works best. It's easier to stir all the contents consistently. If you have something non-stick, use it. Otherwise, just watch that you don't let the pan get too hot. This will cause the cheese to stick to the bottom and potentially scorch.
Serving Tip: Vegan mozzarella can be sticky due to the tapioca starch. I've found it easiest to use a metal spoon, scoop, or knife as it tends to stick to wood or plastic once it cools.
🍕 Serving Ideas
I'll be honest, a love of vegan pizza inspired this recipe. Like it wasn't enough to have homemade sweet potato pizza crust or a quick quinoa pizza base, piled with vegan sausage crumbles. Nope – a few dollops of vegan mozzarella on top of pizza, grilled, so it's brown, is pizza perfection.
Once you transfer the mozzarella cheese from the saucepan to a bowl, you can serve it immediately as a dip. Sprinkle a few chopped pickled jalapenos and turn it into queso, ready for tortilla chips, please.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
A tablespoon of nutritional yeast will add cheesy flavor notes to this recipe. You may want to reduce the amount of salt you add since 'nooch' can be salty.
To add smoky flavor to vegan mozzarella, blend in ¼ - ½ a teaspoon of liquid smoke or smoked paprika. You can also add chipotle pepper powder or flakes for a spicy, smoky taste.
The best way to brown vegan mozzarella is to grill it in the oven. When you top your pizza, or lasagna, or are making open-faced cheese sandwiches, heat them through and then turn on the grill for 1-2 minutes. Your cheese will get brown with a slightly crispy top layer.
Allow any leftover cheese to cool to room temperature, and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mozzarella will keep for 4-5 days.
To freeze vegan mozzarella cheese, cool it completely, wrap it in parchment paper, the place it in a freezer bag or container. Slice it once it starts to thaw a bit, then grill or bake it on pizza, bread, or lasagna. Fresh is better if you are making a salad and eating it cool.
📖 Vegan Pizza Topping Ideas
Do you have a question or recipe request or need a cooking tip? Leave a comment below or contact Denise. I’m here to help! If you want more healthy vegan recipes, please subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for the latest updates.
If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It’s much appreciated!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Easy Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
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Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 ⅓ cups plant milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary - or Italian herb blend
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons tapioca starch - or tapioca flour
Instructions
- Soak the cashews. Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Allow them to soak for 15 minutes.
- Blend the ingredients. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and transfer them to a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Cook the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and set the heat to medium. Begin stirring the mozzarella mixture using a whisk or spoon. As soon as the mixture heats, it will start clumping. And then, presto! You've got stretchy mozzarella.
- Transfer the mozzarella. Spoon the mozzarella into a small bowl and allow it to cool and set. It will thicken a little more. You can also serve it immediately as a dip or add it to pizzas, sandwiches, lasagna, and more creations.
Notes
- The best way to brown mozzarella is to grill it in the oven. It will only slightly melt, but it definitely browns and crisps.
- Allow any leftover cheese to cool to room temperature, and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mozzarella will keep for 4-5 days.
- If you want firmer mozzarella, replace 2 teaspoons of tapioca starch with 2 agar agar flakes. Place the mozzarella into a mold or small bowl and cool it. This should yield more of a cheese block.
- Experiment with different spices to make your own unique brand of vegan mozzarella. Add a dash of liquid smoke, smoked paprika, or chipotle powder if you want a smoky flavor.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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