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square image of a block of vegan cheddar
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4.83 stars (23 ratings)

Vegan Cheddar Cheese

Tangy Vegan Cheddar Cheese is so easy to make with just 8 ingredients! It's firm, sliceable and delicious on cold sandwiches, grilled cheese or as an addition to a snack platter with crackers and grapes. 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Chilling time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 82kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Pour the hot water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes. Prepare 2 small ramekins or 1 larger dish by lightly spraying with oil.
  • Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add them to a blender along with the lemon juice, refined coconut oil, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, paprika, turmeric, salt and 1 cup of fresh water (not the full 2 cups). Blend well, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed, until completely smooth.
  • In a small-medium pot, add the remaining cup of water and the agar agar powder. Stir until it dissolves (this only take a minute). Now add the cashew mixture from the blender to the pot.
  • Turn the heat on to high, bring to a boil and stir for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly. It will thicken somewhat in the pot. *See the photos in the post above for reference.
  • Immediately pour the cheese into the prepared ramekins and smooth out the top with a spoon.
  • Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firm, then turn upside down on a plate to remove the cheese from the container. Slice and serve in sandwiches, make a grilled cheese sandwich, spread on crackers and eat as a snack.
  • Storing: I like to wrap it in paper towels and then plastic wrap to keep it dry and firm. It will keep in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. I haven't tried freezing it but I think it will work okay.

Notes

  1. I can't stress enough that you use REFINED coconut oil, not unrefined. Refined coconut oil has no coconut taste whatsoever, and if you use anything else, it will not work.
  2. May sub tapioca starch for cornstarch if needed.
  3. I have only tested this using agar agar powder, but if you have flakes 3 tablespoons should work. You typically need more flakes than powder. 
  4. Kappa Carrageenan - If you would rather use this than agar agar, it will work but the process is a bit different. Simply add 1 1/2 tablespoons kappa carrageenan to the blender along with 2 full cups of boiling hot water and carefully blend. The cheese will be more firm, and I don't believe it tastes as good cold. But it will shred better.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg