A vegan mozzarella cheese that stretches and melts!! No dairy, just delicious stretchy goodness that is perfect for dunking, or topping on everything!
This recipe was originally published in August 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.
The sky is the limit here folks! This incredibly addictive vegan mozzarella is perfect for pizza, grilled cheese and even POUTINE!
And unlike dairy cheese, this one is oil free, low in saturated fat, and of course, free from yucky hormones.
My favourite part?
All you’ll need is six ingredients, and about 10 minutes from start to finish. Happy dance!
But I can’t take all the credit for this amazing stretchy cheese. I’ve adapted this recipe from Sam’s delicious mozza over at It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.
And look at that streeetch!
How to make it
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Gather your ingredients. The KEY ingredient here is the tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour). So do not skip or substitute the tapioca for another ingredient. It’s essential to getting stretchy vegan mozzarella cheese.
Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender. (photo 1)
Process until completely smooth. This may take up to a minute or so, depending on your blender. (photo 2)
Pour the liquid mixture into a small sauce pot or skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. (photo 3)
Continue cooking until your mixture goes from liquid, to small clumps, and eventually a big blob of gooey mozzarella. This process will take about 3-4 minutes. (photos 4-6)
How to use it
So many glorious options!
Use it on a platter of veggies, crackers and chips and dunk away!
It’s also great in lasagna, eggplant parmesan or top it on a pizza! The mozzarella is easier to handle after it cools slightly, if you’re not using it as a dip.
Once cooled, you can cut it up or scoop delicious blobs of gooeyness over your pizza crust or as cheese curds for a POUTINE!
(Speaking of cheese curds, if you listen carefully when scooping after being refrigerated, you’ll even hear it squeak!!)
Commonly Asked Questions
Keep your vegan mozzarella cheese refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
YES! You may freeze the fully cooked cheese in a freezer safe, air tight container. OR, you may freeze the liquid (before cooking) in an ice cube tray for individual portions to heat and use as needed.
Just reduce the tapioca starch to 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon, instead.
Expert Tips
- If you do not have a powerful blender, presoak your cashews. Soak them either overnight in cool water or for at least 30 minutes in boiling hot water. Soaking will help them soften and expand, making them easier to blend. If you have a Vitamix, NO need to soak first.
- Do NOT substitute the tapioca starch (or tapioca flour) for another ingredient. The tapioca is essential to getting stretchy vegan mozzarella.
- Use a smaller blender if possible, to assist in a smoother consistency. This gives the cashew bits less space to float around in. Or, after blending your ingredients, strain through a nut milk bag for a perfectly smooth cheese. I like the bigger better nut bag that I use to make my homemade cashew milk.
- One last tip, if you don’t have a high speed blender. It helps to add only half of the water to begin blending your ingredients into a paste first. Once blended, add the remaining water and blend to stir it in. This helps prevent loose cashew bits in your cheese.
More vegan cheese recipes
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Vegan Walnut Cheese Sauce
- Spicy Cauliflower Cheese Sauce
- Instant Pot Vegan Mac and Cheese
If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.
Buon appetito,
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews or blanched almonds*
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Add everything to your blender and process, starting on low speed and increasing to high speed until smooth.
- Pour the liquid into a small sauce pot or pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. You will see the mixture go from liquid, to lumpy, to eventually a big ball of cheese. This process will take about 3-4 minutes. Make sure to keep stirring so it doesn't burn.
- Serve hot with crackers, chips or veggies for dunking. Or scoop onto pizza, or into a grilled cheese.
James Guilford says
This sounds great, Rosa! I’m wondering what you would add to make this cheese more “cheddar-y”? Thanks, and keep the great recipes coming!
Rosa says
I think a bit more salt and a touch of turmeric for colour will do the trick, but I haven’t tested this as a cheddar so I can’t make an exact suggestion.
Dominique says
Hi, I love your recipes! Thanks so much! Do you think I can substitute cornstarch for tapioca starch/flour in this recipe?
Rosa says
Tapioca not only thickens the cheese but also gives it the stretchy texture, so while cornstarch works for thickening, the texture won’t be the same.
Lynn says
Cheese is the one thing I really miss… until now, this is amazing! I added a big scoop to my pasta and it really kicked it up a notch. I can’t wait to try it on pizza. Thank you for the recipe.
Rosa says
Yay! Thrilled to hear that Lynn. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
James says
Can this be used for mac and cheese?
Rosa says
It’s a bit thick for mac and cheese, so you’d likely need to add more water. Or check out this mac and cheese sauce instead.
Howard LeCover says
looks great! Question though, can this gob of ‘cheese’ be grated to use in a variety of recipes?
Rosa says
Thanks Howard. Since it’s pretty sticky, it’s tough to grate, unless you freeze it first. It’s easier to slice to add to different recipes. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Stella says
Do you have to use nuts? Can you use white bean as to make it low fat?
Rosa says
Hi Stella, I haven’t tried with white beans, but I believe it would work. Let me know if you try it that way. 🙂
Susan says
I’ve made this 3 times now. Absolutely love it!
Rosa says
Thanks for sharing Susan. 🙂