cashew cheese

A super simple and tasty Vegan Mozzarella Cheese that will slice, shred, melt, and blow your mind!!  

Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

Cashews (Rinsed under hot water for several minutes)

Refined Coconut Oil

Tapioca Flour

Tbsp Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Tbsp Kappa Carrageenan

Lemon

Salt

Water

Select a heat-safe preferably glass dish that can hold approx 3C and set aside.  (This is your cheese mold.)

Rinse Cashews under HOT water for several minutes.

Put your water in a small pot on the stove to boil.

Add all ingredients (except the water!) to the blender. &nbsp;Add the cashews first and then everything else on top of the cashews.

Carefully add (so you don't burn yourself!!!) the boiling hot water into your blender. &nbsp;Put the blender lid on! &nbsp;And blend immediately until completely smooth.

Stop blending once if need be to quickly scrape sides of blender and resume blending right after.

Immediately transfer your cheese to your chosen dish/mold as it will start to solidify quickly as it cools.

Place in refrigerator to chill.  No need to cover yet.

After 2-3 hours or when fully chilled, remove cheese block from dish/mold and wrap in paper towels and then tightly plastic wrap.  The flavor gets better over a day or two but it’s great as soon as it’s hardened, too.  Yeay!  You are officially a cheese-maker!

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/wr1ufhryyc1qtvtee1v8

Easy vegan mozzarella recipe! This dairy free mozzarella cheese is meltable, sliceable, and shreddable - a perfect vegan cheese! Give this easy vegan mozzarella cheese a try.

Vegan Mozzarella

Making your own homemade cultured cashew cream cheese is easy! This thick and creamy vegan cheese is delicious as a spread over bagels or toast, and will quickly become a staple!

Homemade Cultured Cashew Cream Cheese

cashews

water,

salt

yeast

salt,

Soak your cashews in cold filtered water for...

Soak your cashews in cold filtered water for 2-4 hours. If using a less powerful blender, soak for longer. You can soak up to overnight, but keep in the refrigerator if soaking for longer than 4 hours. Drain the soaking water and rinse the cashews.

Sanitize everything that will come into contact with...

Sanitize everything that will come into contact with the cheese mixture by rinsing with boiling hot water. Pour it over the blender or food processor, including the blades, lid, and tamper stick--anything that will touch the cashew cheese. Pour it over the measuring cups, the silicon spatula (ideally with a wooden or silicon handle), and the glass bowl you will culture in, including its lid if it has one. Pour off the boiling hot water once it's rinsed and scalded every surface and let the steam mostly evaporate (its ok if a little water is left behind). Be careful not to burn yourself with the water when you do this.

Add the soaked cashews to the sanitized blender...

Add the soaked cashews to the sanitized blender or food processor along with 1/2 cup of distilled water and a pinch of salt. Blend or process until smooth, using the tamper to keep the mixture moving if applicable, or pausing to scrape down periodically. If needed add up to 1/4 cup extra distilled water to make a smooth and thick cream.

Transfer the thick cashew cream to the sanitized...

Transfer the thick cashew cream to the sanitized glass bowl using the sanitized silicon spatula. Add the probiotic and mix in to combine using the spatula. Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the top (this inhibits any undesirable mold) and cover using the lid of the glass bowl or plastic wrap.

Leave out on the counter to culture for...

Leave out on the counter to culture for 1-3 days. Stir once every 12-24 hours using a sanitized rubber spatula, sprinkling a bit of salt over the top after each time. Taste after 1 day, and let culture until you reach your desired level of tangy-sourness. The cheese will thicken as it cultures. Culturing will take longer when the kitchen is cold and shorter when the kitchen is very warm.

Once cultured to taste, add in the nutritional...

Once cultured to taste, add in the nutritional yeast and salt. It's ok for metal to touch the mixture at this point. Taste and add more salt if desired.

At this point add in any mix-ins you...

At this point add in any mix-ins you like, then refrigerate. It will firm up after being refrigerated for several hours. The cheese will keep for at least 1-2 weeks.

Vegan cashew cheese that is sliceable and perfect for a vegan cheese board! It's delicious on crackers and you can slice it into perfect slices and you can mash it up on a cracker if you like. Full flavored, authentic looking and quick and easy to make too!

Hard Sliceable Cashew Cheese

(150 grams) Raw Cashew Nuts

(80 milliliters) Water

Lemon Juice (Freshly Squeezed)

Tbsp Coconut Oil

(60 grams) Tahini

Medium Carrot, peeled and sliced (~30 grams)

2 and 1/2 tsp Salt*

Paprika

Cayenne Pepper

Dijon Mustard

Nutritional Yeast

tsp Garlic Powder (or flakes)

(240 milliliters) Water

Tbsp Agar Agar Powder (not flakes)*

Add the cashews, 1/3 cup water, lemon juice, coconut oil, tahini, carrot, salt, paprika, cayenne, dijon mustard, nutritional yeast and garlic powder to the blender and blend until very smooth. Leave the mix in the blender and set aside.

Add 1 cup of water and the agar agar powder to a saucepan and heat, stirring regularly until boiling.  Boil it for 1 minute (time it), stirring regularly and after 1 minute remove it from the heat and pour it into the blender on top of the cheese mix.

Moving quickly, as it will start setting up very fast, pour the mix out into a round dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

Refrigerate until set. To remove from the bowl, turn upside down onto a plate.

I made this yesterday and tastes amazing. I used 1 and 1/2 tsp salt but I didn’t change anything else and I loved it! Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for creating these recipes! Converting from vegetarian to vegan took me some time as it was hard to give up cheese. What helped me convert was finding Violife vegan cheese.  You might have heard the brand. Your recipes sound delicious and easy I will definitely try them!

Ive made this a few times now and I love the recipe but I wouldnt say it can be grated, at least not when i make it. Its more of a spreadable cheese. Ive tried adding a but more agar and it still wasn't the consistancy for shredding? Any tips?

This was my first time making a type of sliceable vegan cheese and this recipe was easy to follow and turned out great! Very happy with this, thank you! :)

How to make creamy vegan Cashew Cheese- a simple vegan alternative that can be whipped up in minutes! Use this like you would cream cheese or ricotta. Allow 3 hours of soaking time! ( Or soak cashews overnight.)

Cashew Cheese 

raw cashews, soaked in water, 3-24 hours

water

apple cider vinegar

Soak Cashews in water for 3 hours (or up to 24 hours refrigerated). Drain the cashews saving the water.

Place the cashews in a food processor with the salt and vinegar and pulse repeatedly. Scrape down the sides and continue blending, repeating if necessary.

Add the cashew water, with the motor running, a tablespoon at a time to get the desired consistency. I typically add 3-4 tablespoons. Then blend for 1-2 minutes.

Taste and feel free to add any optional additions.

For a smoky flavor add 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.

Easy to make and worth the wait. I soaked the cashews for 24 hours, seasoned with salt, ACV and nutritional yeast, served over a toasted GF everything bagel with avocado, red onion and lemon pepper.

This vegan nacho cheese sauce is easy and tastes unbelievably like the real thing! Essentially a plant based queso, it's creamy and packed with favor.

Vegan Nacho Cheese (Easy Blender Queso!)

raw unsalted whole cashews

mild green chiles

yellow mustard

garlic powder

onion powder

chili powder (make sure it’s not spicy!)

cumin

turmeric (for color, optional)

Soak or boil the cashews

Place the cashews in a bowl with water and allow them to soak for at least 1 hour (or longer, overnight if you think ahead.) OR Time saver trick! Place the cashews in a pot on the stovetop and cover with 2 inches hot water. Bring to a boil, then boil 10 minutes (for high speed blender) or 15 minutes (for standard blender). 

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high until creamy and fully combined. Place in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator.

Thank You Thank You for making a vegan nacho cheese recipe that doesn’t contain the disgusting ingredient nutritional yeast!!!!

I'm making this nacho cheese right now to have on some baked potatoes. I followed the directions exactly, and the boiling of the cashews is an amazing trick that I'll use every time now—it makes smoother cashew cheese than soaking overnight!

I did add a couple of ingredients: two tbsp nutritional yeast and a generous splash of warm water. That really perfected it for me!

I loved the simplicity of the recipe.  Next time I will use 1/2 tablespoons of mustard because it overpowered.   After reading the comments, I used 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and 1/2 pickled jalapeño and carrots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD1KDlMy_kU

Want to make a healthy vegan nacho cheese sauce at home? Basically vegan queso, this cashew cheese sauce recipe is ultra simple and delicious! 

RECIPE LINK: https://www.acouplecooks.com/how-to-make-vegan-nacho-cheese 

FULL RECIPE: 
1 cup raw unsalted whole cashews
1 7 ounce can mild green chiles
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (make sure it's not spicy!)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (for color, optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup water

Place the cashews in a bowl with water and allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes. (You can soak even longer if time allows, or even overnight if desired. If you don't have a high speed blender, we recommend soaking at least 1 hour.)

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high until creamy and fully combined. Place in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator.

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How to Make Vegan Nacho Cheese

Comfort food made healthier! These scalloped potatoes are made with all whole-food, plant-based ingredients. But they&#39;re still as rich, creamy, and satisfying as the traditional version.

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

potatoes (I use yukon gold)

onions

garlic (or more)

raw cashews

soy milk (unsweetened)

vegetable broth

Tbsp. white miso paste (or 1 1/2 tsp. salt)

smoked paprika (or more)

Chives, thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley, etc.

Quick soak the cashews: In a bowl, cover the raw cashews with hot water (~160°F / 71°C) until they’re submerged. Set aside and let sit for about 10-15 minutes. (This makes them easier to blend.)*

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

Dice onions and mince garlic.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onions for 7-8 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. vegetable broth/water for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.) Add garlic, stir, and sauté 1 more minute. Set aside.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the potatoes about 1/8-inch thick. Set aside.

Make the creamy sauce: Drain water from the soaked cashews and add them to a high-powered blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth.

In a large 9 x 13-inch casserole dish (lightly sprayed or buttered to help prevent sticking if desired), begin layering. Layer half the potatoes, then the entire onion/garlic mixture, then pour half the sauce on top.

Layer the rest of the potatoes and pour the remaining sauce on top. (Potatoes should be mostly submerged – you can gently press down if needed.)

Bake for 60 minutes or until crust is lightly golden and potatoes are cooked through. Add garnish if desired, and salt/pepper to taste.

This Paleo French Onion Chicken is made all in one skillet and has become a family favorite!  The chicken is pan fried and loaded with caramelized onions, a savory gravy and an addicting dairy free cheese sauce.  This easy, flavor-packed dinner is quick enough for weeknights and the leftovers are delicious too!  Whole30 compliant and keto friendly.

Paleo French Onion Chicken {Whole30, Keto}

cashews (soaked in hot water

Tbsp lemon juice

yellow onions (thinly sliced)

ghee

Sea salt and black pepper

chicken

Tbsp tapioca flour

beef bone broth

Cashew Cheese (see above)

thyme or parsley for topping

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender (I used a smaller one - Nutribullet) and blend/pulse until very creamy.  You will need to stop blending to scrape down the sides and incorporate all the cashews.  Once done, set aside until ready to use.

Cashew Cheese:

Preheat your oven to 375° F.  In a large oven proof skillet, over medium heat, melt the ghee or coconut oil.  Add the onions and saute onions 3-4 minutes until translucent then sprinkle with salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally so the onions don&#039;t burn, for about 15 minutes longer until browned and very tender.  Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

While onions are cooking, prepare the chicken by seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and Italian herbs. Once onions have finished cooking and are removed from the pan, raise the heat to medium-high and add the additional ghee.  Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side (don&#039;t clean out the pan between the onions and chicken) until browned on both sides. (Chicken may not be fully cooked through)

Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm and return the onions to the pan. Sprinkle tapioca flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute over medium heat. Add beef broth and continue to cook, stirring throughout, until mixture comes to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to pan and spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken.

Top the chicken with the cashew cheese and transfer skillet to the preheated oven.  Bake for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through completely.

Spoon some of the onions and gravy over the top of the chicken, garnish with thyme and/or parsley and serve right away.

Chicken:

Mac &amp; cheese gets a Mexican-style twist! Pasta and veggies are tossed in a taco-seasoned cheese sauce with green chiles. It&#39;s richly flavorful and made with healthy ingredients!

Mexican Mac and Cheese (Vegan!)

elbow noodles (gluten-free if desired)

green onions

red pepper

roma tomatoes

raw cashews (soaked*)

nutritional yeast

Tbsp. taco seasoning

green chiles (I use mild)

lemon juice

Cook pasta according to package instructions, leaving al dente (slightly firm, not mushy). Drain when finished.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce: Place all sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.

Slice green onions.

In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add cheese sauce and green onions. Heat for 6-7 minutes, stirring often until slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, finely dice tomato and roasted pepper.

When cheese sauce has slightly thickened, add drained pasta, tomato, and roasted pepper.

Heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, or until warmed through.

Yum…just YUM!  So delicious! I followed your suggestions in “Other Additions” and used fresh red bell pepper, corn and black beans.  This was super easy to make and super flavourful! Awesome weeknight meal.  Thanks for sharing this recipe!

This vegan cheese sauce is the real deal! It comes together in just 5 minutes without any cooking! This is the best dairy-free cheese sauce to use on everything from veggies and baked potatoes, to nachos, pasta, and more! Oil-free, gluten-free, and made without coconut or soy.Yield: makes about 2 cups

Vegan Cheese Sauce (No-Cook)

raw cashews (Decrease to ¾ cup

rolled oats (Certified gluten-free, if needed)

Tablespoons rice vinegar

chickpea

fine sea salt

sauce,

Blend

If using a standard blender, about 1 hour before you plan to make cheese sauce, place cashews in a bowl, cover with boiling water, soak for an hour, then drain and proceed.Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender, and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until completely smooth.

Taste

After blending, taste and adjust salt/acid balance, as desired. Even the slightest tweaks in salt, lemon, rice vinegar, cashews, or water can &quot;fix&quot; the flavor if it&#39;s too tangy or salty for your preference.

Serve

The sauce will get warm during blending. It can be used right away, or refrigerated until ready to use. The cheese sauce will thicken as it cools.

This was the best and easiest vegan cheese sauce I've ever made!  I whipped it up in 10 minutes in the Vitamix.  Thank you!

I've been making this for a bit now, ever since you posted it. It is by far our favorite vegan cheese sauce, and we use it on many things and it really is the best! 
Thought I would share one of my favorite ways to use it. I make a quick and easy cheesy enchilada bake: in a casserole pan, layer corn tortillas and your cheese sauce with Hatch green chiles (I use 505 Southwestern), rehydrated soy curls, and thawed frozen spinach. Bake and eat!
All thanks to you and your delicious cheese sauce!
Thanks, Lori!

Fabulous!  I just polished off the best grilled cheese sandwich I've had since I gave up dairy.  On rye bread, it's unbelievably delicious!  Thanks for sharing this recipe, Lori. 
 I've tried lots of other recipes, but none can even come close to this one.  You're a genius!

My cheese-loving husband and I loved this sauce! We poured it over baked potatoes with roasted mushrooms and broccoli on them. I think this recipe is very clever, and I’m sure it took a lot of work to get it this good. Although the jarred peppers I used did not have sugar or other sweetener in it, we thought the sauce still has some sweetness to it. It isn’t a bad thing but we thought substituting white vinegar or similar vinegar might take the sweetness down a notch. This one is a keeper!

Hello Lori!!Recipe #3 of yours I have made and once again it is a winner!!!! I only used 3/4 cup of cashews as I still need to lose weight. I have made sooooo many cheese sauces and I have not liked any of them enough to make again. This one is going on a recipe card!! YUM! Thank you Lori!! I feel like I just got the best Christmas present finding your website and all of these recipes being sooo delicious!!! xoxox

I made this as a dip and the first taste brought back childhood cheese memories - it's really clever. Thanks

Yes!!! Finally!!! I’m his one actually does taste like Mac and cheese sauce!  🙌

I am blown away at how satisfyingly great this “cheese” sauce is. Honestly, I’ve put off making it as I expected to be disappointed. But - to my great delight I am enjoying every bite!  If you’re on-the-fence, as I was, - make it and see. Enjoy everyone!

This sauce is amazing.  I call it ‘Insanity Sauce’ because it is just so incredibly good.  I followed the recipe exactly, including a bit of sriracha sauce and I didn’t think it made it so much ‘nacho-y’ as just gave the flavor some depth.  I think this would be incredible on pasta or really anything.  Maybe steamed broccoli?  But frankly just eaten with a spoon is pretty fantastic.  Thanks for your incredible recipes.  Also really appreciate your videos.

Wow, so excited to have a no cook version- this is wonderful! Tasty, easy, another winning recipe. Thanks!

I love this recipe!
I've made twice so far and agree it can see how it can be taken in sooo many directions. My second batch had a few drops of liquid smoke and a 1/4tsp of strong horse radish. 

After 2min in the vita-mix on high the oats thicken like they do in oatmeal, giving this sauce a great texture. I put it in a squeeze bottle and put it on whatever.

Next I'm going to try a Lemon based version. 
Like an earlier comment, I'll have no problem serving this to anyone. 
And I would not tell people it is a substitute anything, it's a creation.
Thanks Lori.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/W1AvRAaj.mp4

Easy, no-cook vegan cheese sauce made with healthy ingredients. Just blend and serve.

Top 9 cashew cheese recipes from across the web

The most viewed cashew cheese recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

Homemade Cultured Cashew Cream Chee...

Hard Sliceable Cashew Cheese

Cashew Cheese

Vegan Nacho Cheese (Easy Blender Qu...

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

Paleo French Onion Chicken {Whole30...

Mexican Mac and Cheese (Vegan!)

Vegan Cheese Sauce (No-Cook)

Top 9 cashew cheese recipes from across the web

The most viewed cashew cheese recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

Homemade Cultured Cashew Cream Chee...

Hard Sliceable Cashew Cheese

Cashew Cheese

Vegan Nacho Cheese (Easy Blender Qu...

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

Paleo French Onion Chicken {Whole30...

Mexican Mac and Cheese (Vegan!)

Vegan Cheese Sauce (No-Cook)

The most viewed cashew cheese recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine