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    Home » Recipes

    BEST Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Melts and Stretches)

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    The BEST Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe is chewy, stretchy, and melts just like the real thing. Best of all, it’s completely healthy, plant-based, and so easy to make. Perfect for pizza, making the perfect vegan grilled cheese, or your favorite pasta bake.

    vegan mozzarella on top of pizza.

    Cheese, cheese, cheese! Ask anyone what prevents them from going plant-based or vegan and they’ll almost always tell you it’s the cheese. But, now that excuse is no longer valid.

    I totally get it. Who doesn’t love that melty, gooey, stretchy texture? Come on, be honest.

    This dairy-free mozzarella is so close to the real thing it’s scary and sure to satisfy your cheese cravings. It stretches, melts, and has just the right amount of tang.

    You can use it on top of your favorite vegan pizza or make one amazing grilled cheese sandwich. But, the fun doesn’t stop there. You can whip up some amazing quesadillas or bake up some tortilla chips and enjoy it as a dip.

    Bottom line: cheese is back in your life and for the better. Because it’s healthy and made entirely out of whole foods and uses no oil. So, time to leave those store-bought brands alone!

    Alright, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: LET’S MAKE IT!

    ingredients on top of cutting board.

    Table of Contents

    • Ingredients You’ll Need
    • How To Make The Best Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
    • How Do I Use Vegan Mozarella
    • Tips, Notes, and Suggestions
    • More Vegan Cheese Recipes
    • BEST Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Melts and Stretches)

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    All you need are 7 simple ingredients and 10 minutes to make this delicious vegan cheese.

    • Cashews: cashews are the perfect base for plant-based cheeses. They’re creamy and blend very easily. Be sure and use only raw cashews that have not been roasted so they’re free of salt and oil.
    • Liquid: I use water in this recipe but you could unsweetened soy milk or any other non-dairy milk if your prefer.
    • Nutritional Yeast: you can’t have vegan cheese without the nooch.
    • Acid: lemon juice and apple cider vinegar provide “tang” and brightness.
    • Garlic Powder: Unlike the dominating flavor of fresh garlic, garlic powder adds a subtle fullness of natural flavor that may be more difficult to detect than with fresh garlic, but it makes the recipe taste better.
    • Tapioca Flour: also known as “tapioca starch” this is literally the glue that holds everything together. It makes everything stretchy and gooey. Tapioca flour is a wonderful thickener that is much more superior to arrowroot starch, cornstarch, or potato starch.
    • Salt: I used ½ teaspoon and found it to be plenty, but make it suit your taste.
    liquid being poured into a nonstick skillet.

    How To Make The Best Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

    This vegan mozzarella recipe is so easy to make and tastes so close to the real thing. It slices, melts and stretches.

    1. Boil the cashews for 5 minutes or soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
    2. Place all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
    3. Pour the mixture into a nonstick skillet or small saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until it starts to thicken and looks like melted mozzarella cheese.
    4. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    That’s it! The easiest and best vegan mozzarella cheese recipe. Now, how can you use it?

    vegan mozzarella being stirred in skillet.

    How Do I Use Vegan Mozarella

    Well, I’m glad you asked. The easiest answer is, “just like you would regular mozzarella.” But, there are a few of my favorites…

    • Vegan Quesadillas: spoon the cheese between your favorite whole wheat tortillas with some beans and rice, heat in a nonstick skillet on both sides, and enjoy!
    • Pizza: spread some sauce on easy whole wheat vegan pizza dough, then spoon the vegan mozzarella on top to make the pizza of your dreams.
    • Caprese Salad: place the cheese in the fridge for a couple of hours, let it firm up, then pull off pieces to toss into your salad, and make the best vegan caprese salad.
    • Grilled Cheese: spoon the cheese between two pieces of your favorite whole grain or sourdough bread, place in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook until both sides are golden. All that’s left is to serve it with some delicious vegan tomato soup.
    • Party Dip: whip up some of my healthy baked tortilla chips and enjoy it as a delicious dip.
    • Vegan Lasagana Rolls: Spoon the cheese over the lasagna rolls when there is 15 minutes left to bake.
    vegan mozzarella stretching over a spoon.

    Tips, Notes, and Suggestions

    • If you don’t have cashews you can use blanched almonds. You will want to boil or soak them as well.
    • Place vegan mozzarella in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.
    • Use ONLY tapioca flour. You WILL NOT get the same stretchy and gooey texture with cornstarch or arrowroot starch.
    pizza with vegan mozzarella cheese.

    More Vegan Cheese Recipes

    Looking for more vegan cheese recipes for your gathering or just to snack on when you’re alone? Hey, no judgment here.

    Check out these delicious recipes…

    • Vegan Cashew Queso
    • Easy Garlic Herb Vegan Cheese Spread
    • Easy Vegan Cream Cheese
    • Plant-based Paremsan
    • The Best Vegan Cheese Sauce
    • Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese

    And, just for fun, I think it’d be great if you checked out this article about the Best Healthy Substitutes for Cream Cheese.

    pizza slices with vegan cheese.

    I hope you enjoy this Vegan Mozzarella cheese recipe. Please leave a comment below with a star rating. And, be sure and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!

    Print
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    BEST Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Melts and Stretches)

    ★★★★★ 5 from 12 reviews
    • Author: Shane Martin
    • Prep Time: 10 mins.
    • Cook Time: 5 mins.
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Category: Appetizers and Snacks, Vegan Main Dishes
    • Method: Blend, Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Vegan
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe

    Description

    The BEST Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe is chewy, stretchy, and melts just like the real thing. Best of all, it’s completely healthy, plant-based, and so easy to make. Perfect for pizza, grilled cheese, or your favorite pasta bake.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ½ cup raw cashews
    • 1 cup of water
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 ½ teaspoons nutritional yeast
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ cup tapioca flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    1. Boil cashews for 5 minutes or soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
    2. Place all the ingredients into a high-speed blender and process until completely smooth.
    3. Pour the mixture into a nonstick skillet or small saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until it starts to thick and looks like melted mozzarella cheese.
    4. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    Equipment

    Tapioca Flour

    Buy Now →

    Wooden Cooking Utensils

    Buy Now →

    Cashews

    Buy Now →

    Nonstick Skillet

    Buy Now →

    Vitamix

    Buy Now →

    Notes

    If you don’t have cashews blanched almonds are a good sub. You will want to boil or soak them as well.

    Place vegan mozzarella in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.

    Use ONLY tapioca flour. You WILL NOT get the same stretchy and gooey texture with cornstarch or arrowroot starch.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: ⅛ of recipe
    • Calories: 54
    • Sugar: 0.6 g
    • Sodium: 148 mg
    • Fat: 4.1 g
    • Carbohydrates: 3.3 g
    • Fiber: 0.3 g
    • Protein: 1.8 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: vegan cheese, plant-based, vegan mozzarella, easy vegan cheese, stretchy, melty, gooey, vegan pizza cheese

    Did You Make This Recipe?

    Be sure and tag @shaneandsimplecooking on Instagram and hashtag it #shaneandsimple.

    I want to see all your delicious creations!

    « Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry (Low Fat, Healthy)
    Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake (Oil-Free) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alexandra

      April 20, 2022 at 5:58 am

      good and easy

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        April 20, 2022 at 11:34 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Deborah Shields

      April 03, 2022 at 6:15 pm

      Sorry to hear about your hand! I hope it mends quickly! This looks like a great recipe! I can’t do anything fermented or with yeast. Could I just use extra lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar and any thoughts on how I could zip things up without using nutritional yeast? Maybe some mustard powder? Would love to give this a try!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Vickie

      March 22, 2022 at 3:15 pm

      I really loved this… Is a tablespoon of garlic powder correct? I may cut it down a bit next time. Or it could be I used granulated garlic so maybe that’s stronger than [email protected]

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        March 22, 2022 at 4:00 pm

        Whoa! Good catch, Vickie. That should be 1 teaspoon. Man, I like garlic but even that would be a little too much for you me. LOL!

        Reply
    4. Lucille

      March 02, 2022 at 1:10 am

      This recipe made my heart sing. I was very happy to enjoy a pizza with your cheese, sauce, and breakfast sausage crumbles and baby spinach.. top with a balsamic glaze. Delicious!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        March 02, 2022 at 4:52 pm

        Wow, that sounds amazing!

        Reply
    5. Elaine

      February 23, 2022 at 11:59 am

      This is delish! I can’t believe how easy it was to make. Amazing how it can be meltable or not. But mostly, it is plain delicious.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        February 23, 2022 at 8:55 pm

        Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s a fave around our house.

        Peace,
        shane

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    6. Bobbie

      February 04, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      This is the first vegan cheese I have made and it is wonderful. They always seemed like too much trouble and many cannot be frozen. Used my food processor so maybe it would have been smoother using a blender but no complaints here. Can’t wait to try a grilled cheese and pizza. Maybe even on a baked potato. Thank you Shane.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Shane Martin

      January 23, 2022 at 2:06 pm

      So good.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Alisha

      January 21, 2022 at 6:48 pm

      So good! And so easy! Two things that are important to me. I didn’t have lemon juice so subbed lime juice and it is still delish. Thanks for an amazing recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. Stella

      January 20, 2022 at 10:35 pm

      You mention a high-speed blender. Is that a $500 Vitamix? I have a $40 Hamilton Beach blender. Will that work?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 22, 2022 at 6:54 pm

        Hi, Stella! No, you don’t need a Vitamix, though it’s fun and helps:) You don’t want to use a 20 dollar bargain blender. Just be sure and either boil or soak your cashews.

        Reply
    10. Brenda G Hundley

      January 20, 2022 at 9:40 pm

      Just tried this. Goes together quickly. No cashews so I subbed raw pumpkin seeds. Other than giving a slight greenish tinge of color, this was so good. Mouth feel very melty cheese. Good neutral cheesy flavor. I have really missed this! Can’t wait to try it after it chills.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    11. Mary

      January 20, 2022 at 8:17 pm

      Any chance white beans can be subbed for cashews (allergies here). Thanks!

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 22, 2022 at 6:55 pm

        Hi, Mary! Unfortunately, white beans won’t give you the same texture.

        Reply
    12. Carla

      January 20, 2022 at 5:51 pm

      Hi Shane. This looks yummy but I cannot eat nuts or seeds. Any chance you have a substitute for the nuts?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 22, 2022 at 6:56 pm

        Hi, Carla! I’m so sorry to hear that, but unfortunately, there’s really not another sub in the recipe. I’m sorry:(

        Reply
    13. Lester

      January 20, 2022 at 5:43 pm

      Can’t wait to try. Love oil-free.
      Ingredient list says tapioca starch; elsewhere says tapioca flour.
      Are they different?
      Which is correct?
      Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 20, 2022 at 7:32 pm

        They are the same thing:)

        Reply
        • Kelly

          January 21, 2022 at 11:52 am

          Curious… do you know if ground up tapioca pearls is the same thing as the flour? I think I have flour, but I know I have pearls. I haven’t tried making this yet, but certainly intend to!! THanks much!

          Reply
          • Shane Martin

            January 22, 2022 at 6:54 pm

            I’ve never tried making it that way so I can’t say for sure.

            Reply
    14. Shane Martin

      January 20, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      The BEST Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe is chewy, stretchy, and melts just like the real thing. Best of all, it’s completely healthy, plant-based, and so easy to make. Perfect for pizza, making the perfect vegan grilled cheese, or your favorite pasta bake.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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