this vegan cashew mozzarella is delicious, creamy, and salty! perfect for pizza or even just eating cold.
the inspiration
I have shared many vegan mozzarella recipes. We have done the stretchy vegan cauliflower mozzarella (one of my most popular recipes), easy liquid vegan mozzarella, and vegan bocconcini (mozzarella balls). So, I figured let’s add to the vegan mozzarella family with a cashew based one!
Cashew based mozzarella isn’t anything new. It has been around for many years and the cashews lend themselves perfectly to creating that creamy base. Of course, if you are nut free please check out all my other vegan mozzarella recipes which contain no nuts.
the ingredients
- Soaked Cashews: the base of our vegan mozzarella. Cashews become creamy when soaked and blended. They work perfectly in vegan cheese making.
- Non-Dairy Milk: this will help to blend our vegan cashews up.
- Refined Coconut Oil: the refined coconut oil helps to add a bit of fat to the dish as well as helping keep it creamy. Using refined coconut oil helps it to not taste like coconut.
- Agar Powder: the agar powder helps to solidify it.
- Tapioca Starch: the tapioca starch (sometimes seen as tapioca flour) will help to create texture and stretchiness to the vegan cashew mozzarella.
- Salt: of course cheese is salty so we must add salt to our vegan mozzarella.
- Nutritional Yeast: this will add umami, cheesy flavor, and B vitamins. If you want to substitute if for miso paste you can do that.
tapioca starch and agar powder
When it comes to vegan cheese making I try to keep the ingredients I use to things that aren’t too obscure or hard to get. So you will need two ingredients that if you are new to vegan cheese making may be different for you.
Tapioca starch/flour is a type of flour that comes from the cassava root. It is makes things gooey and stretchy. You can either order it online or you should be able to easily find it at health food stores like Whole Foods or Sprouts.
Agar powder is almost like vegan gelatin. It works to help solidify things while keeping a soft, smooth texture. So, it is great for making things like vegan cheese or even vegan deviled eggs. Agar powder comes from seaweed and it is really cool to work with!
Now I know what you want to know, can I substitute these things? I will always tell you no. As the recipe was created and developed with using these. If you decide to experiment with other things and you want to let me know how it goes, feel free to have fun. However, do not hold it against me if things don’t work.
how to make the vegan cashew mozzarella
First, you need to start with soaked cashews. You can do this up to 2 hours ahead of time. I like to just take boiling water, pour it over the cashews, and let them sit for about a half hour. They will increase in size and get softer.
This is important because it helps the blender to break things down more easily. Then, into the blender you will add non-dairy milk, salt, the soaked and drained cashews, melted refined coconut oil, and nutritional yeast. Blend for 1 minute with high speed blender.
Once the liquid is smooth it is time to add in the agar powder and tapioca starch. Blend again for another 15 seconds to get everything well integrated.
cooking the vegan cashew mozzarella
Now, after you have the liquid you will need to cook the vegan cashew mozzarella. So, just transfer the liquid into a pot. Then, bring it to the stove and let it cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. It will go from a liquid to a thick, gooey consistency.
This is an important part of the process as it starts to activate the tapioca starch and agar powder. If this is your first time cooking with these starches you can cook it for up to 15 minutes to ensure they are cooked properly.
chilling the vegan cashew mozzarella
Once it is cooked, it is now time to chill the vegan cashew mozzarella. So, I like to use a glass storage container that is a medium size. Spray it with a touch of spray oil or grease it with a little oil to ensure there isn’t any sticking.
Pour the vegan cashew mozzarella in and that is it! Place it in the fridge for at least an hour to chill. However, this can be made up to 2 days in advance before you want to use it.
what can I use the vegan cashew mozzarella for?
This recipe is great for enjoying just on it’s own in a Caprese, sandwiches, salads! It is also great for putting on pizza or in pasta. You will be able to cut this vegan cashew mozzarella into cubes or slices. You can use it anywhere you like. It is a really fun recipe.
There is one thing about this recipe that I will say and it is not very great for shredding. If you would like to make it better for shredding you can add another tablespoon of agar powder and it should make it harder.
why you’ll love this recipe
Unlike my other vegan mozzarella recipes this one is great to enjoy cold. It is great for snacking on and also great for putting on pizza. It is very versatile and delicious.
It also has a nice creamy element to it thanks to the cashews and refined coconut oil. I do think this is a recipe you will really love!
more vegan cheese recipes
vegan cashew mozzarella faq
- Is this recipe soy free? Yes.
- Is this recipe nut free? No.
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes.
- Can I make this recipe oil free? I haven’t tried it without. However, I do think it would be totally fine, it may be a little less creamy and soft.
- How long does this recipe last? Up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Can I store it in the freezer to last longer? Yes, I would say up to 8 days in the freezer.
- How well does this melt? To be fair this doesn’t have the best melty quality. It will spread a bit though and it is delicious.
- Can I use this with a grater? The recipe as is, is too soft so grate. However, if you want to make it better for shredding or grating you can add in an extra tablespoon of agar powder.
- Do you have nut free vegan mozzarella recipes? Yes! Feel free to check them out here.
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Vegan Cashew Mozzarella
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews soaked
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil melted
- 1 ½ cups non-dairy milk unflavored and unsweetened
- ½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon agar powder
Instructions
- Into a high speed blender add the soaked cashews, salt, nutritional yeast, non-dairy milk, and melted refined coconut oil. Blend for 1 minute until smooth and creamy, there should be no clumps. Add in the agar powder and tapioca starch and blend for 15 seconds to integrate.
- Pour into a small pot. Cook on medium high heat for about 5 minutes mixing continuously with a spatula until it starts to thicken. Once it thickens and is becoming stretchy lower the heat to medium and continue to cook for 8 to 10 more minutes mixing with the spatula.
- Then pour into a lightly oiled small rectangle storage container or pan (approx 5 to 6 inches long). Place in the fridge and allow to set for at least an hour, or until firm.
- When ready remove and enjoy immediately however you like!
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- You need to soak the cashews for 30 minutes prior to use. You can also boil them for 20 minutes as well.
- This recipe will make 1 block of vegan mozzarella that weighs approximately 13.8 ounces/393g.
- I am using Ripple pea protein milk but you can use any non-dairy milk you like.
- Please read the whole blog post as it goes very in depth for the process.
I have given it 5 stars for its simplicity.
However I cannot tolerate coconut oil,
So can you recommend an alternative.
Tc
Hi, you can try using olive oil however please keep in mind i have not tested this and it may not work. i do have many other vegan mozzarella recipes that do not include coconut oil and may be a better fit for you! i had them linked in the beginning part of the blog post
Hi looks good! Can I substitute cauliflower for the cashews in this recipe?
Hi Mia, in this recipe I would be a bit nervous to try that. If you would like to try you can but it may not yield the intended result.
love it! thx
you are so welcome!
Can I use unrefined coconut oil?
It will have a coconut taste
I am about to try this recipe for the first time but I’m unsure if you are using a 1/2 measuring cup of dry cashew bits? 1/2 cup of soaked cashew bits? or 4 oz measured ( which are a lot more!)??
Have followed your earlier recipes (seitan ribs) etc for years and love your channel & recipes.
Looking forward to trying this one.
Cheers
Hi, it is a 1/2 cup cashews and then you will cover them in soak them in water. Does that make sense? Thank you for being here!