Here it is! The Best Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe that I’ve ever tasted! Only 7 ingredients, oil-free, no nutritional yeast and no tapioca starch! So creamy, rich, thick and amazing! Made with healthy whole foods that make pizza, grilled cheese, pasta bakes incredibly delicious and even non-vegans will love it!
BEST VEGAN MOZZARELLA CHEESE
SO, vegan mozzarella cheese is not a new thing, I know. It’s pretty much all over the internet. The recipes are very similar…they contain cashews, tapioca starch or agar agar, oil, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. I’ve tried many online and store-bought versions and I can confidently say that my family and I agreed that this is the best vegan mozzarella cheese we’ve ever tasted. My hope is that you will all love it as much as we do. It was a labor of love and multiple testing. I also didn’t want any complicated ingredients. My recipe is very different and the method is different as well. This cheese does not use a starch flour, nor is it cooked over the stove top to thicken. To be honest, I’ve tried them with tapioca and that is not the texture I wanted.
In other words, my version is not stretchy like what you’d expect from shredded mozzarella in those packages, but my recipe is more similar to the fresh dairy mozzarella, you know the extremely smooth, creamy and softer style of mozzarella, but plenty gooey!
When I say I’ve tested this vegan mozzarella cheese recipe probably 20 times, I’m not exaggerating. The quest for my favorite mozzarella began when I shared a mild version of this cheese on my emeal plan. It is a sauce that bakes up on a zucchini pasta bake. It is delicious, but wasn’t specifically a cheese. So, that started my testing stages of perfecting this recipe.
I’ve been making this recipe for months for pizza night, tweaking the cheese recipe multiple times with varying acidity levels, liquids, etc. until I finally feel like I created the best tasting vegan mozzarella cheese ever. Both my hubby and daughter LOVE IT. They are not fans of store-bought vegan cheese at all, but my husband consistently remarks on how delicious the pizza is with this cheese and when I make grilled cheese sandwiches with it served alongside my Vegan Tomato Bisque.
So, what ingredients are in this vegan mozzarella cheese?
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(full amounts and details on recipe card below)
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
- Raw cashews: Of course, this is what makes the cheese creamy and smooth.
- Gold potato: I’ve been using potatoes in my cheese recipes and sauces for years on this blog. I also use it here in my Vegan Cheese Sauce (nut-free). It is also the ingredient for the cheese in my Pizza Quesadillas in my cookbook.
- Cooked white rice: Surprise! You might not be expecting this, but when I was trialing this multiple times I was thinking of ways I could make this cheese gooey and rich without using starch/flour. It is stickier and more neutral in flavor than brown rice, so stick with white. It aids in the amazing texture!
- Non-dairy plain yogurt: Y’all know how much I love using yogurt in my recipes. I’ve done it for years and have been putting yogurt in my Almond Ricotta Cheese, nearly all my vegan cream cheese recipes, too. So, no surprise I used it hear for extra tang and flavor that lemon juice just doesn’t solely provide.
- White vinegar: This is key to the cheese flavor that apple cider vinegar or lemon alone do not provide, so don’t skip this! I use this in my cream cheese recipes and many others as well.
- Lemon juice: Just a small amount is used here for tang, but not too much or it ends up tasting too lemony.
- Salt: Of course, without salt, nothing is tasting cheesy.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN MOZZARELLA CHEESE
Step 1: First, if you don’t have a high-powered blender, you will need to soak the cashews overnight in a bowl of warm water so they can be really soft. Otherwise, you will end up with a gritty cheese. No need to soak if you have a Vitamix.
Step 2: Cook the rice and potato. I just popped a couple of potatoes in the microwave wrapped in a wet paper towel and cooked until really soft. Let cool and then peel the skin off and weigh 120 grams and add to a blender or a food processor if you don’t have a high-powered blender. For the rice, you can use those frozen white rice packets that cook in 3 minutes or use some already cooked white rice. Just make sure it is not cold stiff rice from the fridge, or it will be hard to blend it up smoothly. Just briefly warm it in the microwave and make sure it is a thick/sticky rice.
Step 3: Add the broth first to the blender, this will make for easier blending. Add the yogurt, cashews, potato, rice, vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Blend on high until 100% smooth, thick and creamy, as pictured. You may need to scrap down the sides a couple of times to get it going. Taste that amazingness! It will taste a bit salty which is important so that it stands out in grilled cheese sandwiches and on pizza, since technically you aren’t eating it on its own. It should be very thick, creamy and gooey.
Step 4: If using for a pizza, you can use it right away and follow the instructions below on how to add it to the pizza. OR, place it in the fridge to chill and firm up some.
For grilled cheese or quesadillas: The method is slightly different. You will need to add the cheese from the blender to a 6 inch round cake pan, lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F. This firms up the cheese just a bit. This allows the cheese to get much more thick/firm and not ooze out all over the place when you make the grilled cheese or quesadillas. You can use it right away or put in the fridge to firm up even more before using.
WAYS TO USE THIS VEGAN MOZZARELLA
- Pizza: Duh, of course on pizza! The mozzarella browns beautifully, as you can see here! And for that pizza, make sure to use my 5 Minute Homemade Pizza Sauce and No Yeast Pizza Crust! The pizza sauce takes all of 5 minutes and thousands of readers have made it and said they will never buy store-bought again. It is such a hit, that it is even included in my cookbook. To make on pizza, see exact instructions on the recipe card below.
- Pasta bakes: Just drizzle or dollop this cheese over any pasta or casserole and it will bake and firm up beautifully in the oven!
- Grilled cheese: One of our favorite uses with this cheese is grilled cheese! For this use, the method is different. It is actually baked briefly beforehand to firm it up slightly, then cooled and then used in grilled cheese. This creates the perfect texture for grilled cheese. We’ve eaten a ton of vegan grilled cheese sandwiches using this cheese with my Tomato Bisque and my husband absolutely goes crazy for it! I’m confident in saying it is so good, that I believe any non-vegans would love this, too. It tastes so much like grilled cheese I use to eat back in the day, that my life feels complete, haha. My daughter will only eat grilled cheese with this recipe, that is how much she loves it.
- Dipping: This cheese is thick and creamy and you can just dip chips into it too or even soft baked pretzels. My husband remarked on how it reminds him of the cheese that is served with pretzels.
MORE VEGAN CHEESE RECIPES
- Baked Smoky Cashew Cheese
- Baked Herbed cashew Cheese
- Best Vegan Queso
- Lemon Parmesan Cheese
- Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese
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If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
*I worked extremely hard on testing and perfecting this recipe, so please do not post or copy my recipe onto your site, but instead link to my recipe giving proper credit, should you choose to make it.
Best Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (No Oil!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120g) low-sodium veggie broth
- 1/4 cup (60g) dairy-free plain, unsweetened high fat yogurt (I used Kite Hill almond yogurt that is high fat, super thick and creamy. The thicker the yogurt, the thicker the cheese. You can also use soy or coconut.) You can find this at Krogers or Sprouts
- 1/2 cup (75g) raw, unsalted cashews
- 1/2 packed cup (120g) of cooked, peeled and mashed gold potato (You are weighing the 120 grams AFTER you've cooked/peeled & mashed the potato)
- 1/4 packed cup (50g) cooked white rice
- 1/2-1 tablespoon (15g) distilled white vinegar-use 1/2 for mild tang and 1 for extra tang (this is key to the cheesy flavor, so don't sub)
- 1 teaspoon (5g) fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (This is KEY to the cheesy flavor, so don't omit or reduce so it stands out on pizza and in grilled cheese, etc.)
NOTE
- Please weigh your ingredients if possible, so you get the exactly right ratios for this cheese to turn out perfectly! You don't need to use the cups to compare measurements, just simply use my gram weights listed. I literally just put my Vitamix on my scale, hit zero, and add each ingredient, hitting zero in between each addition. SO easy and fast.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- First, if you don't have a high-powered blender, you will need to soak the cashews overnight in a bowl of warm water so they can be really soft. Otherwise, you will end up with a gritty cheese. No need to soak if you have a Vitamix.
- Cook the rice and potato. I just popped a couple of potatoes in the microwave wrapped in a wet paper towel and cooked until really soft. Cool and peel the skin off and weigh 120 grams (a packed 1/2 cup). Add to a blender or a food processor if you don't have a high-powered blender. For the rice, you can use those frozen white rice packets that cook in 3 minutes or already made rice. Make sure it is not cold stiff rice from the fridge, or it will be hard to blend.
- Add the broth first to the blender. Add the yogurt, cashews, potato, rice, vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Blend on high until 100% smooth, thick and creamy. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times to get it going. The salt is important so that it stands out in grilled cheese sandwiches and pizza. While it tastes amazing straight out of the blender, wait to fully judge it on pizza and grilled cheese! Use it right away or place in the fridge to firm up.
- TO USE FOR GRILLED CHEESE OR QUESADILLAS: This method is different since the cheese is a bit too runny to use right away. To create a firmer cheese, you will line a 6 inch round cake pan with parchment paper (as pictured) pressing it along the sides of the pan to fit flat. Pour the cheese in the pan and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. This firms up the cheese just a bit, making it less saucy. This allows the cheese to get more thick/firm and less saucy and not ooze everywhere when used for grilled cheese or quesadillas.
- TO USE FOR PIZZA: The cheese is the perfect consistency to use on pizza right after blending, as it's very easy to spread and drizzle or dollop. I always use my Homemade No Yeast Pizza Crust (which is pictured in the post). Simply add the pizza sauce to your pizza crust and all the toppings you want. Then drizzle/spoon the cheese sauce all over the pizza. You want to be generous with adding on top of the pizza, so you really taste the cheese in every bite. Bake at 400°F until the cheese is starting to look firm and a bit brown on top. I always cook my pizza at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or so until the cheese and crust are golden.
Notes
- STORAGE: This cheese lasts 1-2 weeks in the fridge.
- NO STARCH: As noted in the post in the beginning, this recipe does not call for tapioca starch or agar agar like nearly all vegan mozzarella cheese recipes do. Why? Some have asked and well, I wanted my version to be as whole foods based as possible and easy to find ingredients. We've always preferred the texture of real fresh classic dairy mozzarella, which is very smooth, creamy and soft. Not like the mozzarella shreds. We also love the texture of thick, creamy queso. Those dairy cheeses are not crazy stretchy, so that was the texture I was after here. It gets plenty thick and gooey from the cashews, potato and rice!
- If you want yours even thicker than it is out of the blender, you can always heat it up over the stove for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. It will become thicker and more gooey. But it is totally not needed for pizza or grilled cheese.
You did it again Brandi, and you continue to be my favorite vegan food blogger. This recipe was so good. I have been plant based for 5 years now and have yet to find a cheese recipe my kids like. Made grilled cheese with this earlier this week and everyone LOVED them. In fact my teenager asked me to make it again tonight. I doubled the recipe this time so we could store extra in the fridge. You are amazing, your recipes are always my favorite!
Aww thank you Stephanie for such a kind comment! This was so incredible to hear that everybody loved this!! Yay!
I don’t normally leave comments, but WOW – this recipe is amazing! I have made countless variations of vegan cheeses before, but this is probably the best! It really does taste just like a rich, queso dip straight out of the blender. I was eating it straight with a spoon – haha. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I think it will become a quick staple for me.
That is so wonderful to hear Lisa, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I cannot find high fat plant based yogurt where I live. What can I use instead?
Use so delicious brand, silk, any of them will work as long as hey don’t say low fat.
Brandi,
Love this recipe.
I made a couple of small changes in subsequent batches that might interest you.
1. I strain my almond yogurt using a coffee filter and a strainer prior to weighing
2. I added a few drops of smoke
3. I added a ¼ tsp of ground turmeric for color
Thank you for all the great recipes
So glad you loved it Beth, thank you!
Excellent both ways. You did it again Brandi. Thanis!!
I only have cider vinegar. Will this work? Thanks! Very excited to make this, made the vegan lemon cake. What a DREAM best cake I’ve ever made or had. Gets better each day. X
Hi there, white vinegar really gives a much better cheesy flavor than apple cider vinegar, which is a very different flavor and sweet. The white distilled vinegar has the most true cheese flavor, so I would definitely get the white vinegar if you can. It can be found at any store, any grocery store, walmart, etc.! And really glad to hear that about the lemon cake!
This “cheese” is delicious. I made it for the quesadilla recipe and I kept wanting to eat mouthfuls of it. I will make it again and put it over scrambled tofu with veggies and potatoes. Such an interesting mix of ingredients too. I am reluctant to eat white rice but it is worth it for this recipe.
And by the way, I love your salad dressings, especially the Caesar which I believe I have commented on before. Thanks Brandi!!
So thrilled to hear this Sita, thank you for the review!
WOW Brandi! You are a plant-based kitchen magician! Seriously, it is like you are the chemist of natural foods ! How you come up these recipes boggles the mind. This vegan mozzarella is amazing! And I REALLY appreciate that it is oil free, relatively low fat, AND that it has no nutritional yeast because I have a daughter with Crohn’s disease (in remission), but she cannot have nutritional yeast. I made a double batch and baked half of it so we could have some for pizza and some for quesadillas. If we were to make a queso dip, would you add anything to it? Thanks girl! xo! Tanya
Yay, you are so kind, I’m really happy to hear that Tanya!! Thank you! For queso, I would stir in some rotel or some chopped up tomatoes and green chiles and even pickled jalapenos if you like those!
This recipe is soooooooo good! I used two ways…one over pizza and it was amazing and as a dip mixed with finely diced jalepenos and tortilla chips. Delicious. Will be a go-to recipe for me!
Yay!
Hi Brandi,
Do you think this would make a good cheese substitute to use in a vegetable lasagna using GF oven ready noodles?
Yes, definitely, several readers have already used it in lasagna!
Hey Brandi! Could we use cashew butter instead of cashews for this recipe?
I think that should work, just make sure you are using 100% raw cashew butter, not roasted and no added oils or anything! And make sure to use the same weight listed in grams, 75g.
Making this for the third time because it’s so good. Can it be frozen? Thank you.
Awesome! It can, but it gets hard as a rock of course and changes the texture. I would suggest thawing it and reblending so it’s smooth again.
Should we count the many reasons why I love this cheese and all the ways I used it?? 🙂 Brandi, this was SO incredible!!! First we used it on pizza and the gooey creaminess paired with sauce and all of our toppings…heaven. Probably my favorite pizza to date! This cheese is perfectly tangy, and the texture is spot on. The best part is that this recipe uses ingredients that we always have on hand, which means that we will be making this A LOT! Haha! I’m excited to try it for grilled cheese and quesadillas next time! With our leftover cheese, I stirred in some Trader Joe’s Pepita Salsa and baked it for a few minutes just to warm it a bit…whoa! We used fresh veggies and some crackers to dip and it was the perfect appetizer! The possibilities are endless. Thank you for another fantastic recipe, Brandi! Hope you and your family are doing well!
Hi Brandi!
I made this over the weekend and loved it! I’ve shared this with many friends since. I don’t know what mozzarella cheese tastes like anymore so I had my non vegan husband taste it and he liked it! He said it was pretty close to the real thing! He is so picky! I used it on my pizza and made a Grilled cheese w mushrooms! Also have some in the freezer. Love your cookbook! Thank you for sharing your talents with us! Also, I’m obsessed with my instant pot. Do you use one? Stay safe and well!
Do you need to like the plain yogurt you choose for the recipe? I haven’t found any almond yogurt I like yet. I prefer coconut yogurt but wonder if that would be too overwhelming?
coconut yogurt is fine!
When others say they’ve eating this ‘cheese’ straight out of the blender, it’s no joke! It’s that good! Tried my first grilled cheese tonight and it was truly decadent. Next up, pizza. Thank you Brandi for another winner! xoxo
Woohoo, love hearing that Jodi!
Just made my first batch – I am AMAZED at how close this is to regular cheese! Oh.My.Goodness! Can’t wait to try it on pizza!
Woohoo, love hearing that Diana!!
Brandi- THIS. CHEESE. IS. AMAZING. I can’t believe how much it actually tastes like cheese. I had planned to firm it up for a grilled cheese, but I ended up eating so much of it straight from the blender with some chips. Oops! Even my husband (who is not vegan at all) loved it! He said it tasted similar to a white queso. I truly don’t know how you do it. Potatoes? Rice? Who would have thought! Another one that you knocked out of the park.
Aww, so thrilled to read this Amy! You are so sweet, I’m so happy you and your hubby both loved it!!
So impressed with this! I could eat this on its own, nothing else with it it’s so good! Extremely easy to make. The texture is perfect and I love the way Brandi has provided a few different ways to prepare/cook this depending on how you want to eat it, so helpful! There has been few vegan cheese I have purchased that I have liked, and virtually no homemade recipes I have liked (honestly aside from Brandis queso cheese, which I also strongly recommend). But this, IS FANTASTIC.
Brandi… I have no words to describe how good this is… mainly because I’m currently stuffing my face with a delicious grilled cheese I just made with the cheese from this recipe! Lemme tell you.. I was a straight up cheese-aholic prior to going vegan. I’ve tried a lot of the vegan cheese options out there – most of them pricey, highly processed, and full of oils- none of them fully satisfying my cheese craving leaving me feeling gross and guilty about how much saturated fat I consumed with each slice. Well lemme tell you something, Brandi, this recipe does not disappoint! (Of course I didn’t expect anything but awesomeness because any recipe I’ve ever tired of yours is always a slam dunk!). I will be saving so much money without having to continue to experiment and taste test new cheeses out there as this recipe satisfies my cheese cravings! It will now be my go to recipe for grilled cheese, Mac and cheese, and lasagna. Thank you for all the great work you do! Because of you and your amazing vegan comfort food recipes, I’ve been able to maintain a whole food plant based vegan lifestyle for over a year now! Sorry for the long comment y’all but you all need to know that Brandi is the best at what she does!!
The flavor of this “cheese” is absolutely delicious, and I love that it’s oil free! After I finished making it, it was pretty difficult to stop myself from just standing at the kitchen counter and eating it all with a spoon. I let it firm up in the fridge for a while and then used it on homemade pizza. There’s plenty left to try using it in other ways. For the yogurt, I used homemade soy yogurt that I had strained to make it thick. Worked great.
Aww yay Megan, I’m thrilled to hear that!! Thanks for the feedback!
Made this last night. Love it!
Awesome, thank you Penny!
Brandi this looks so good!!! I want to make it today!! I have been dreaming of the pizza quesadillas in your cookbook, do you think this would work well in that recipe? I love the sauce in that recipe, I just started to wonder if this would work too? I love homemade pizza sauce and cheese together!
Yes, in fact, this cheese would be even better in my opinion because it’s much thicker and more gooey!
WOW!!!!! Once again I’m left without enough adjectives!!! So delicious and creamy!! And it was brilliant in the pizza quesadillas from your cookbook! You just made my whole week! 🙂
Using yogurt keeps me from making a lot of your recipes. We don’t normally eat yogurt and when I have to buy an expensive item like Kite Hill I usually scroll on by. Any substitute for the yogurt? Thank you!
That is addressed on the recipe card under Recipe Notes
Cheese is my biggest hurdle to being completely vegan. I made this today and it’s so good, I was licking off the spatula! I made a double batch, so I could bake half to firm up for grilled cheese like you suggested. Half I left as-is for pizza or mac’n’cheez. Can’t wait to try your pizza dough with this. Thank you !
haha, we lick the spatula/spoon too! So glad you loved this so much Erika, thank you for the review!!
Giving it 5 stars because I know it will be good, but have a few questions! Would boiling the potato work? We don’t have a microwave, unfortunately. And does it need to be plain white rice, or is it worth trying with white jasmine? Excited to try this out soon 🙂
Thank you Shauna! Boiling it will add extra water, but shouldn’t be too much, just throw in a couple extra cashews if needed and yes jasmine white rice is fine!
This was amazing! I really don’t know how you come up with this stuff, but I am happy to keep benefiting from it. 🙂 I so appreciate how detail-oriented you are; it really helps in getting the recipe the right the first time!
Aww thank you so much Lori for taking the time to leave a review! Your grilled cheese looked so amazing on IG!