Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (2024)

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After referencing it multiple times over my 4(!) years of blogging, I figured it was time to officially share my go-to cashew “mozzarella” recipe with you. This vegan mozzarella spreads, melts, and has a mild flavor that makes it versatile and omnivore-approved.

Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (1)

My cashew mozzarella recipe isn’t terribly different from others you’ll find online, but I do use one extra ingredient that I think gives the flavor something other recipes are missing. If you’ve made my almond feta or almond ricotta recipes before, you can probably guess what that ingredient is.

Yup, it’s plain non-dairy yogurt! Not all dairy-free yogurts are created equal, so if you can’t find a quality brand that’s unsweetened with fewer additives (I recommend coconut-based dairy-free yogurt like So Delicious or Anita’s), use the lemon juice substitution listed in the recipe notes. I also add a little bit of miso for more umami; check out the notes for how to substitute around that one too.

Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (2)

This dairy-free mozzarella isn’t meant to be enjoyed fresh by itself like its dairy counterpart. It works best in heated recipes (in the above picture it is featured in a slice of my vegan lasagna!). Consequently, I’ve never bothered trying to make mozzarella balls with it or shaping it into a mold, which would involve adding a stabilizing ingredient like carrageenan or agar agar.

Instead, it’s just tapioca starch that does all of the magic, adding a starchy, stretchy quality to the vegan mozzarella mixture that lets it remain spreadable and melty, but still maintain a little bit of body when heated.

Tapioca starch/flour is available at lots of grocery stores these days, especially those that stock other gluten-free baking ingredients. It’s also available online and is not pricey. Made from cassava root, it is naturally vegan and gluten- and grain-free, and paleo too if you’re looking for that.

Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (3)

Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (4)

I know I’ll get questions about how to make this nut-free. I’ve been experimenting ad nauseam with cashew-less versions of this based on sunflower seeds, coconut milk, or even weirder things, but I haven’t been successful yet. I’ll be sure to update here if that changes.

In this day and age there are some decent vegan mozzarella brands available at your local Whole Foods, but in my opinion the best vegan mozzarella is one that you make right at home, for less money and with complete control over the flavor.Looking for store-bought vegan mozz brand recommendations anyway? Recommended: Miyoko’s Kitchen, PEP Foods, and Vtopian. Not my favorites: Daiya, Trader Joe’s. But that’s just me!

Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (5)

Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (6)

This cashew mozzarella has a mild, slightly savory and tangy, salty flavor. It’s perfect in grilled cheese, lasagna, pizza, or anywhere else where you need a melty mozzarella texture and the exact shape isn’t important. (Try my vegan stuffed shells too!)

I use more cashews and less tapioca starch than the classic vegan mozz recipe floating around the internet. Feel free to play around with the exact proportions here to find the best dairy-free mozzarella for you.

Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (7)

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5 from 4 votes

Basic Vegan Cashew Mozzarella

Recipe for classic stretchy and melty vegan mozzarella made from cashews. This sauce-style, non-firm dairy-free mozzarella is best in pizza, lasagna, quesadillas and grilled cheese.

Course basics, condiments, staples

Cuisine dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, refined sugar-free, vegan

Keyword cashew mozzarella, vegan mozzarella

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 55kcal

Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • To prepare for making this cashew mozzarella, soak your raw cashews in hot water for 2-4 hours, or overnight in normal temperature water.

  • Drain the cashews and add them to your blender or food processor. Pulse to break down the cashews into crumbly pieces. Add the tapioca starch, yogurt, miso, salt, and garlic, and blend to combine as best you can, scraping down the sides as needed. Finally, add the hot water and blend until completely smooth. (If using a food processor or a weaker blender, this may be difficult. If desired, you can pass the mixture through a nut milk bag or mesh sieve after blending to ensure smoothness).

  • Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, preferably nonstick. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently but not constantly; and taking care to scrape around the bottom and sides of the pan. After a few minutes, the mixture will start to thicken and look like it is curdling. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture turns into a cohesive, stretchy mass of vegan mozzarella. Once the mixture is smooth, cook for 1 minute more and then remove from the heat.

  • The cashew mozzarella is then ready to be dolloped onto the food of your choosing. After cooling, it can also be kept in the refrigerator for up to approximately 4 days before using.

Notes

NON-DAIRY YOGURT: If you don't have access to unsweetened non-dairy yogurt (even if you do, if it's only soy yogurt I'd probably recommend avoiding it because it doesn't taste good); you can use lemon juice instead. Substitute 1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice for the yogurt in this recipe, plus more to taste. If you don't have miso, you can substitute it with nutritional yeast; or simply omit it.

VARIATIONS: For an orange-ish "cheddar"-y color, add 1/4 tsp paprika to this recipe.

CASHEW-FREE: I have successfully made this with macadamia nuts instead of cashews, but have yet to perfect my nut-free versions.

USES: This cashew mozzarella can not be molded, grated or shredded. It stays as a blob that can be dolloped onto things. When exposed to high heats it will brown realistically and form a slight outer crust.

CASHEW QUANTITY: Recipe updated in December 2017 to reduce the quantity of cashews for a better texture. If you are seeking a slightly richer cheeze then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or refined coconut oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1quarter cup | Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 210mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The cashew and tapioca-based vegan mozzarella technique was originally (as far as I know) heralded by Somer McCowan of Vedged Out; this is my own version tweaked over time. Many thanks go to Somer for her wonderful contributions to the world of vegan food!

Other cheeze-y recipes from my site:

Almond Ricotta – only 2 ingredients plus salt!

Pimento Cheese-less Spread – perfect for umami lovers!

Creamy Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese – made from scratch!

Basic Vegan Mozzarella Recipe | How to make Cashew Mozzarella (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan mozzarella made from? ›

Vegan Mozzarella is typically made from a combination of plant-based milk, such as soy, almond, or cashew milk, and a coagulant, such as agar agar or carrageenan. Some vegan mozzarella brands may also include starches or proteins to improve texture and flavor.

What is cashew milk mozzarella? ›

Cashews are milled into creamy plant milk, which we then culture and craft into delicious mozzarella. From there, it's packaged or cold-smoked over hickory chips for a pleasant, smoky flavor. Our artisan process results in a soft, silky cheese with a creamy texture and springy bounce.

What is a substitute for tapioca flour in vegan cheese? ›

Usually arrowroot or cornstarch could be substituted in for tapioca starch, but for vegan cheesemaking applications, it's not recommended. The cheese will thicken but it will not have the same stretchy consistency as with tapioca.

What are the ingredients in Miyoko's vegan cheese? ›

Organic Cashew Milk (Organic Cashews, Filtered Water), Organic Coconut Cream, Sea Salt, Cultures. Contains: Cashews, Coconut.

Is vegan cheese anti-inflammatory? ›

The dietary fiber and polyphenols in whole plant foods are known to reduce gut inflammation, so a plant-based diet based on whole foods that includes moderate amounts of vegan cheese will likely be overwhelmingly anti-inflammatory.

What are the ingredients in vegan cheese? ›

What Ingredients Are in Vegan Cheese? Vegan cheeses are 100% animal-free and made using vegetable proteins. Usually, they're made from soy; nuts, such as cashews and macadamias; and vegetable oils, such as coconut oil. You can also find cheeses that derive from agar, tapioca, peas and arrowroot.

What replaces milk in vegan cheese? ›

Unsweetened soy milk is the best choice because it's neutral in taste and because of its nutrient composition. It will make the best, creamiest, vegan cheese. You can replace soy milk with unsweetened oat milk although the cheese will be slightly less stringy.

What is the closest thing to tapioca flour? ›

There are a number of effective substitutes for tapioca flour. Alternative thickeners include cornstarch, potato starch, cassava flour, and arrowroot. Good substitutes for frying include cornstarch, potato starch, and rice flour. Alternatives in baking include rice flour, chestnut flour, and all-purpose flour.

Why was Miyoko's CEO removed? ›

Schinner started her namesake business in 2014. According to the original lawsuit, which accuses Schinner of stealing the company's proprietary recipes and plant-based culture configurations, the company's board unanimously voted to terminate her as CEO in June 2022.

What cheeses are naturally vegan? ›

Vegans can eat cheese that is comprised of plant-based ingredients like soybeans, peas, cashews, coconut, or almonds. The most common types of vegan cheeses are cheddar, gouda, parmesan, mozzarella, and cream cheese that can be found in non-dairy forms.

What are the ingredients in Violife vegan cheese? ›

Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Food Starch-Modified (Tapioca & Potato), Potato Starch, Salt (Sea Salt), Fructose, Cheddar Flavor (Vegan Sources), Calcium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Black Salt (Salt, Herbs), Olive Extract, Paprika Extract & Beta Carotene (Color), Vitamin B12.

Is vegan mozzarella healthy? ›

Like regular cheese, vegan cheese can be part of a healthy diet when used in moderation — but it's best to avoid highly processed options. However, not all vegan cheeses are created equally. Some versions are highly processed and have less nutritional value than others.

Is vegan cheese healthier than real cheese? ›

Is vegan cheese healthy? In terms of health, vegan cheese is generally considered better for you than dairy cheese as it's lower in saturated fat and often has added vitamin B12, which contributes to a healthy nervous system.

Does all mozzarella have animal rennet? ›

If you're wondering does mozzarella cheese have Rennet, the answer is both yes and no. You can pick an animal-based or plant-based mozzarella. In contrast, rennet-free mozzarella cheese has a mild flavor and a soft texture ideal for creating panini or pizzas.

Does vegan mozzarella taste like normal mozzarella? ›

This shredded, yellow-white cashew-milk-based vegan mozzarella had some vanilla and coconut notes, which, while not unpleasant, weren't exactly the flavors we thought we'd encounter. Raw, Parmela Creamery Plant-Based Mozzarella had a nice mouthfeel and a dairy cheese-like texture.

References

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