How to Make Vegan Cheese

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Hi Bold Bakers!

For those of you who might not know me, I’m Liv! I’m Bigger Bolder Baking’s in-house alternative baker and it is my number one priority to take you along with me as I experiment with new alternative ingredients, styles of eating, and cooking. Whether you have dietary restrictions or just want to make baked goods that happen to be great for you, I have got all the tips and tricks you need!

Some of Gemma’s most beloved recipes are actually from her Bold Baking Basics series where she shows you how to make actual ingredients like Homemade Cream Cheese or Clotted Cream. Seeing as many of you are dairy-free, or just looking for a lighter way to enjoy cheese, I wanted to create my own basic recipe for How to Make Vegan Cheese!

My recipe is full of healthy fats and completely without dairy. Savory, rich, and creamy cheese that can be sliced, spread, and even melted is something you no longer need to say no to.

What Is Vegan Cheese Made Of?

This recipe, simply put, is genius. Utilizing, soaked raw cashews, coconut oil, tapioca starch, agar agar, nutritional yeast, salt and lemon juice, I can then make cheese in the blender! Each one of these ingredients plays a very important role that adds up to a cheese base that can be used in SO many different ways.

My vegan cheese recipe starts by soaking cashews in hot water to soften them. While the cashews are soaking I add the other ingredient to a food processor. I know it sounds wild and it kind of is, but each one part of this recipe adds just the right flavor or texture to make the whole cheese sing.

After the cashews have soaked I add them to the food processor and just blend away until I make what looks like cashew butter. At this point, I add hot water and this is where the mixture starts to form a “cheese.” The hot water starts to work with the agar agar to give the cheese a gooey texture. I transfer this mix to a small pot, then whisk over a simmer — and bam! — the mix starts to look like vegan white cheddar queso. This can be enjoyed at this stage or you can transfer this cheesy mix to a small bowl and set in the fridge. After setting, it will turn into more of a brie-like texture that can be sliced, spread, and even melted!

What is Agar Agar? Can It Be Substituted?

Some of you may be intimidated by working with agar agar, but don’t be.

Agar agar is a great vegan gelatin replacement derived from seaweed. The way this works is in combination with water. Agar agar will swell and form a jelly-like texture without adding any taste. This is readily available online and in many grocery stores now and can often be found in Asian markets as it appears in many Asian desserts. If you don’t want to use agar agar and want to use carrageenan here, you can, just use 1 1/2 tablespoons instead of 3. This will yield a harder, more set cheese, whereas agar agar keeps the cheese more creamy.

Does Vegan Cheese Melt?

Because of the way the agar agar works along with the coconut oil, this cheese will respond to either hot or cold temperature very well. This cheese can be put into all kinds of things from grilled cheese to pizza and everything in between.

If you want the cheese to be looser and melty, you can use 3 tablespoons of agar agar instead of 5. On the flipside, if you want this cheese to be more dry and firm, use the full amount of agar agar and set the cheese in the fridge overnight. After a night in the fridge, you can remove the cheese from the bowl and wrap it in a paper towel or cloth to dry out and develop even further.

The best part of my recipe is the versatility, so I would suggest experiment with using it in its different “states” if you will.

Can You Make Different Varieties of Vegan Cheese?

This cheese has a very neutral, white cheddar-like taste if you use the full amount of salt in the recipe. For a more creamy, less strong flavor, you can reduce the salt. In addition to altering the flavor this way, you can add in fresh herbs, dry herbs, and spices. This would be an awesome spicy cheese if you added a bit of cayenne pepper.

I also love the idea of freshly cracked black pepper, dill, and chives incorporated into the mix. Feel free to experiment and make this to your own taste!

How Long Does Vegan Cheese Last?

This cheese will last for up to 2 weeks covered and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It can also be frozen, then thawed, and used at a later date. That said, I highly doubt it will last that long!

Does Vegan Cheese Taste Different?

The main difference between this cheese and a dairy-based cheese can come from the cashews. If you do not soak the cashews for long enough they will not break down fully and can make for a slightly gritty cheese. For this reason, do not skip this step or rush through it — you can even soak the cashews overnight if you like.

Assuming you do that, this cheese is kind of a miracle in my opinion. Since cutting down on dairy I have really missed cheese, so this is one of my personal favorite recipes which I’ve created. Who could resist gooey, melty, creamy cheese that just so happens to be full of naturally healthy ingredients?

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