When people turn vegan one of the hardest things they would have to give up would be their favorite cheeses. Worry no more as there are tons of ways to create non-dairy vegan cheese as you pursue a plant-based diet.

Base Ingredients for Vegan Cheeses

Almond Milk – Milk from almonds that are very creamy with a bit of nutty flavor. They can be flavored to imitate dairy milk products.

Coconut Milk – Milk extracted from the pulp of mature coconuts and has a very rich taste.

Soy Milk – Drink or milk made from grounded soybeans that are boiled and filtered. It is full of protein and can also be rich and creamy.

Cashew Nuts – They are usually used as the base for most types of vegan cheeses. They are usually soaked in water so it will soften before it is grated in the blender.

Vegetarian Cheese Recipes

We’ll be providing the 3 most common types of vegan cheeses that are easy to prepare. They are perfect for salads, pasta and can be grated, sliced and they melt like real cheese.

Parmesan Cheese

That grainy texture of parmesan cheese is captured perfectly through this wonderful and easy recipe.

Directions:

Step 1: Put everything in the blender.

Step 2: Blend everything for about 1-2 minutes or until you get a cheesy powdery consistency.

Step 3: Store in a jar and use whenever needed.

Tip: All Ingredients are dry and when blended, the moisture from the nuts would make it have that cheesy flavor with the help of nutritional yeast.

Mozzarella Cheese

Good for pizzas, lasagna and even carbonara or pesto. It’s 100% non-dairy mozzarella cheese. It captures that wonderfully stretchy and gooey consistency. Let’s get started!

Directions:

Step 1: Soak the cashews overnight.

Step 2: Drain the cashews and place in the blender together with salt, soy or coconut yogurt then blend for about 2-3 minutes until smooth or until all cashews are no longer visible.

Step 3: Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or cloth and set aside for 8 hours or overnight.

Step 4: Remove cover then add the tapioca flour and use a whisk to mix for about 3-5 minutes or until smooth and set aside.

Step 5: Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside.

Step 6: In a small cooking pot, put in 1/2 cup of water and 1 tbsp of agar-agar powder. Under low heat, constantly stir and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes or until it has a thick and smooth consistency.

Step 7: Add the cheese mixture into the pot with the agar mixture and keep stirring with a silicone or wooden spoon until the mixture becomes stretchy, glossy and smooth like a sticky smooth dough.

Step 8: Using a scoop or ladle, scoop some of the mixture to form cheese balls and dip into the ice cold water. Repeat until everything has been placed into the ice cold water.

Step 9: Let the balls sit for 30 minutes or until they become firm.

Step 10: Drain the water and put into containers. Keep refrigerated and use whenever needed.

Tip: If you need to make more at one time, you can always double to amount.

Regular Firm Cheese

If you’re looking for the usual everyday cheese slices then look no further! We’ve got you covered with this firm vegan cheese. With a bit of ingenuity, you’d be able to create this delicious cheese in no time.

Directions:

Step 1: Place the soaked cashews with the water in the blender together with paprika, cumin, garlic salt, soy sauce, 2 cloves of garlic, half lemon’s juice or apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast. Blend until pureed for about 2-3 minutes.

Step 2: Under medium heat, place 1 cup of water in a saucepan or cooking pot and put in 2 1/2 tbsp of agar-agar powder. Mix and stir for about 4-5 minutes or until it has a nice and thick consistency.

Step 3: Pour the agar mixture into the blender with the previous mixture and blend once again until smooth and creamy.

Step 4: Pour the contents into containers or into a mold and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours before serving. You can store them for about 4-5 days in the fridge and use whenever necessary.

Tip: This cheese is good as filling for vegan burgers and sandwiches or salads.

Conclusion

Being a vegan also means giving up a lot of meat-based products and cheese is one of them. If you’re sure in pursuing this path then I hope we were able to help you solve one of your worries. You can actually experiment and put include vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes to your cheese recipes for added color and flavor. Happy cooking!