How to Make Vegan Cheese: 4 Recipes

With cheese being one of the most versatile ingredients in cuisine, vegan cheese is also becoming more and more popular — and it can, in fact, be just as delicious as the real thing. Because of this, 5-Minute Crafts will now show you 4 recipes to make plant-based versions of some popular cheeses.

1. Vegan provolone

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of hot water
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk (you can also use any other plant-based milk or cashews)
• 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp of agar-agar powder

Instructions:

1. To start, put all the ingredients into a saucepan and begin whisking.
2. Continue stirring the sauce for 6 minutes until it heats to a slow boil, as this will allow the agar-agar powder to melt completely.
   Note: To achieve a smooth sauce, keep it at a low boil for the whole 6 minutes even though it might look like it’s ready after 3-4 minutes.
3. You can now get a container, pour it in and allow the cheese to cool off for 15 minutes without a lid on.
4. Lastly, seal the container with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 2 hours so it has time to set.

2. Vegan mozzarella

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of boiling water
• 1/4 cup of refined coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of cashew pieces
• 1/4 cup of tapioca flour
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tbsp of kappa carrageenan
• 1/2 or 1/4 tbsp of salt

Instructions:

1. Start by rinsing the cashews for several minutes under hot water.
2. Add all the ingredients into a blender.
   Note: Make sure the cashews go in first, and then everything else on top.
3. Pour boiling water into the blender, put the lid on, and blend everything until silky smooth.
4. Once the cheese sauce is completely smooth, transfer it into your preferred mold or dish and place it in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.

3. Vegan parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of raw cashews
• 2 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp of distilled white vinegar (to achieve the sharpness of typical parmesan cheese)
• 1/2 tsp of sea salt
• A pinch of ground mustard

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, place the cashews and blend until you achieve a fine crumble.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until everything is mixed.
   Note: If you simply want to use it in crumble form, stop here.
3. If you want to grate it, keep the food processor going until the mixture is smooth. Aim for a soft and dough-like consistency.
4. Shape it into a typical parmesan cheese wheel and put it in the fridge overnight so you can grate it in the morning.

4. Vegan cheddar

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of water (skip if you’re using 2 cups of plant-based milk)
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• 1 can of coconut milk (or 2 cups of any plant-based milk plus 3 tsp of oil)
• 2 tbsp of agar-agar powder
• 1/2 tsp of paprika (or smoked paprika)
• 1/4 tsp of onion powder
• 1/8 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp of white miso paste (or any miso)
• 1 squirt of spray oil (for the cheese mold)

Instructions:

1. Before starting, take out a mold for the cheese and spray it with oil. After that, pour all ingredients into a saucepan (except the cup of water and miso), turn the heat to medium, and begin stirring.
2. While stirring, let the cheese sauce slowly cook until it’s boiled for 6 minutes.
3. After that, mix the miso paste into the water until it has totally dissolved and pour it into the cheese sauce. Continue stirring the cheese sauce until the miso is incorporated.
4. To finish, pour your sauce into the mold and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then cover and put it in the fridge for 2-3 hours until it sets completely.