The Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese of your dreams, made with just 5 ingredients and in 15 minutes! Perfect for grilled cheese, lasagna, pizza and more!
Meet the vegan mozzarella cheese of your dreams! Stretchy, tangy and oh-so-delicious. I love using this mozzarella on pizza and my new favorite place for it is on top of Vegan Lasagna. Oh my goodness, it takes the lasagna to a whole new level of amazing!
This cheese also makes a mouthwatering vegan grilled cheese sandwich, which I love alongside tomato soup. Talk about an easy meal that kids and grown-ups will love!
I’m sure you could use this vegan mozzarella in many more ways that I haven’t even discovered yet. I’m thinking french onion soup, eggplant parmesan, quesadillas, dips… The possibilities are endless.
How do you make Vegan Mozzarella?
It’s very easy. First, you soak your cashews in hot water for 5 minutes (or up to an hour). Drain them, and add to a high powered blender with all the other ingredients. Blend; the mixture will be very watery.
Add to a small saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat. After a few minutes, it will start to get clumpy. Keep stirring. And then all of a sudden it magically turns into smooth, stretchy vegan mozzarella! That’s it, it’s ready to use.
How to brown vegan mozzarella in the oven:
I’ve discovered something new lately about this cheese. It will totally brown and bubble in the oven, like real mozzarella would! Simply spray the cheese with a little oil (I used olive oil spray), and broil for 5-10 minutes in the oven. I spread some cheese on sourdough bread and broiled it, and wow, it was incredible cheesy bread. I think this would work on top of casseroles (like lasagna), pizza and more.
What is tapioca starch and where can I find it?
Tapioca flour is a starch extracted from cassava. Tapioca starch and flour are usually the same thing, but not always.
It’s a white powder and works similarly to cornstarch as a thickener. The difference is it’s the key to making cheeses like this stretchy instead of just thickened. It’s absolutely necessary and perfect for making this vegan mozzarella.
How to use vegan mozzarella:
- Grilled Cheese – Spoon the cheese between two slices of (vegan) buttered bread and grill for a fantastic grilled cheese.
- Pizza – Spoon dollops of cheese on top of pizza crust along with other toppings of choice and cook as you normally would. You can also try to spread it all over the pizza (this works best when the mozzarella is very fresh).
- Lasagna – Spoon the cheese all over the top of the lasagna in the last 20 minutes of baking in the oven. Bake uncovered with the cheese, and broil if desired to brown in spots.
- Anywhere else you’d like! Dip chips into it, make quesadillas, in enchiladas, etc.
Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker.
EASY Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh from about 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons tapioca starch
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of water (I just heat up water in my tea kettle). Pour the water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes and up to an hour.
- Drain the cashews, and add them to a blender along with 1 1/3 cups fresh water (not the water you soaked the cashews in), lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and tapioca starch. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. It will be very watery at this point.
- Now pour the watery mixture into a small saucepan and bring the heat to medium. Begin to stir with a spatula or spoon.
- After a few minutes, it will begin to get clumpy. Keep stirring, constantly until suddenly it will become super gooey, stretchy, thick and smooth. It will become one big mass of stretchy vegan cheese. Remove from heat as soon as this happens.
- Use immediately, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator. It is easiest to use immediately, because it will thicken up more in the fridge and be less stretchy. So if possible, especially for using on pizza or lasagna, make right before using.
- For pizza, drop 1-2 tablespoon sized balls onto the crust and pat down a little bit. Or spread it all over. It will brown in the oven. For lasagna, drop dollops of the cheese all over the top towards the end of cooking time. Or place between bread and grill for grilled cheese.
Video
Notes
- Tapioca starch/flour is essential in this recipe, cornstarch will not create the same "stretchy" quality.
- I've never tried it with another nut, but I suspect raw slivered almonds could work.
- If you want the cheese to brown in the oven (like it looks on the bread in the post above), simply spray with a little oil and broil for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully. This is wonderful for lasagna, pizza, or just atop bread for cheesy bread.Â
- I have frozen this and while it is still edible, it definitely tastes best fresh. It will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. But again, it will be the most stretchy and easy to work with immediately.Â
Awsome!!! I did it on my first try! Here comes mozzarella sticks, jalapeno peppers, stuffed peppers with cheese, vegan cheese steak….making a pasta bake now with this. I like my mozzarella salty, so I will add 2 tablespoons to my recipe.
Thanks for the recipe!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! So many fun recipes to make with this cheese, I agree. 🙂
Love your recipes! I want to make your vegan lasagna at someone else’s house this weekend. Could I purée the soaked cashews and other ingreds then transport it in its pre-cooked, liquid form, or should I just plan to pack my Vitamix? 🙂 Thank you!
Yes, that works! You don’t have to pack your vitamix. 🙂
Wow, I just can’t tell you how easy, delicious, and useful this recipe is. I thought I was going to for sure screw up my first batch buts its essentially foolproof. What’s even more, is that by the next day in the fridge, it got that rubbery texture of cold fresh mozz. Its pretty tangy, but I like that. I tried it on both pizza and grilled cheese and I’m just so happy. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Amazing flavor and texture! My kids and I are so excited about this recipe turning out so well on our pizza! Thank you, Nora! This will be a staple in our house for sure.
My gosh, a vegan cheese recipe WITHOUT NUTRITIONAL YEAST. I’m excited already.
Hey Nora! Thank you for the recipe 🙂 the consistency is great but the vinegar taste is predominant. Any idea on what might could have gone wrong?
Try using less or only lemon juice if you don’t like the vinegar taste. Some people are very sensitive to it.
YES! This is by far the best-tasting vegan cheese that I’ve cooked with, and the texture is wonderful. I made chick’n parmesan with it last night – it was fantastic, and I can’t wait to make other dishes like your lasagne. Thank you for another great recipe Nora!
You’re welcome!
Seriously awesome. I have been looking for a WFPB cheese recipe that is nooch free for what feels like forever. I tried this tonight and made cheese pizza. I fooled my 12 year old cheese loving daughter and my die hard carnivore grandmother into thinking it was real cheese! They were floored when they found out the truth. Thanks so much! I can’t wait to try it in other dishes.
You’re welcome!
Thanks Nora for wonderful vegan recipes!
Can apple cider vinegar be substituted with something else?
Lemon juice or white vinegar works as well. Thank you!
I dream about this at night. I’ve only ever made it once and I’m so afraid it won’t be as good the second time it’s taken me 7 months to risk it again!! The best lasagne I’ve ever ever had.
Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Nora,
Can’t wait to try this! But we are allergic to cashews and soy. Is there another alternative other than cashews and tofu?
Thanks so much!
Raw slivered almonds work if you soak them very well and have a high powered blender like a Vitamix. Or sunflower seeds! Thanks!
Can I use potato starch instead of tapioca? I just want to say I love all your recipes that I have tried! This is my favorite site to come for recipes!
Thank you so much! Potato starch might work ok, but it won’t be as stretchy. Hope that helps!
We are making pizza on Monday. Can I use cassava flour instead of tapioca flour?
I’m not sure that you will get the same stretchy quality to the cheese if you do, but it might work ok. Thanks!
It worked 🙂 so delish! I’m so thrilled with the taste and texture.
Yay! Thank you.
Hello! Thank you so much for the recipe. I’m allergic to yeast and I love that this recipe doesn’t contain yeast!
I was wondering if this cheese can be used to make vegan fathead dough recipes? I will try it and let you know.
I’d love to know how it turns out, I’m not sure! So glad you like the recipe.
My 12 year old daughter made this tonight to put on pizza. Doubled the recipe (but only 2 c of water) – quick and really good!
So glad to hear that!
Hi, Is it ok to freeze this mozza? If so, can it be shredded when frozen?
Thanks! Leah
I have tried shredding it from frozen and while it worked, it was kind of weird… Like mushy shreds. I still used it on pizza but I wouldn’t do it again. It can be frozen if you really need to, but it’s better fresh for sure.
Thank you!! In quarantine here in Portland, OR and ran out of Daiya right away. This cheese is sooo much better than any store bought vegan cheese! My husband was very skeptical. He took over the saucepan step on the 1st batch and he was like a kid with a volcano at a science fair IT’S ACTUALLY WORKING!! Texture and flavor were perfect for Margherita pizza. Just made a 2nd batch with 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika for grilled cheese sandwiches. Smoky, creamy, melty deliciousness. Thank you again for sharing:-)
You’re welcome! Glad it came out great!
I love this mozzarella and have made it a bunch since finding the recipe! I’m soaking my cashews right now and realizing I’m out of lemon juice. Is there anything I can use as a replacement?
I’m glad you love it! Yes, you could sub vinegar like apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if needed.
Would lime juice work? I’m in the small boat out of lemon juice.
Sure, or more vinegar.
Would this work with agar agar?
Probably, have you seen my recipe for Shreddable Vegan Mozzarella? It’s similar but uses kappa carrageenan or agar agar.
I’m so excited to try this!!!
I follow you and have made many of your recipes ?
Do you think I could use Arrowroot starch instead of tapioca starch?
I have a big bag of it and I would love to use it up!
Thank you so much! Gosh, I’m not sure, you could try it. It might not have the same exact stretchy quality, but it would probably work.
Nora can you put this on nachos!
YES! Yum.
ADD MORE SALT
Other than adding more salt this is the best recipe! Its become a staple. And honestly so easy to make.
Thanks for creating this!
You’re welcome.
Cruelty free cheese that comes together in a few minutes. And it tastes and behaves better than Daiya. This came out really well and was super easy to make. I served it over pasta and it was a hit. The cheese melted really nicely into the pasta and sauce. I could see it working really well in other pasta dishes like baked ziti and lasagna. Will definitely be making this again and trying grilled cheese and pizza next! I think you could have fooled me that this was real cheese.
That’s so great! Thanks for the comment!
Tried this tonight on lasagna and did exactly what you said, making it as the lasagna cooked the first 20mins or so and then adding it with 20 mins cooking time left. I cut the recipe in half so I wouldn’t have any leftovers though, since you said it’s better fresh. It came together beautifully and it was so weird when it turned thick and stretchy! It tastes pretty similar to mozzarella too! Will def make this again!
So glad to hear that!
what’s the serving size? 1/4 cup? tablespoon? thanks heaps! love this mozerella cheese! i get so excited when it starts clumping together hehe
thank you
I don’t know the exact serving size, but it you were to split it up into 8 servings, that is the serving size. I think it’s about 1/3 cup, maybe a bit more. I’m so glad you love it!