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This homemade vegan mozzarella is so creamy, stretchy, and sliceable. Its versatile texture makes it perfect for dairy-free Caprese salads, bruschetta, paninis, and a variety of other dishes that call for fresh mozzarella cheese!

vegan mozzarella slices with tomatoes on a vintage platter.
vegan mozzarella in a caprese salad

๐Ÿ“ Why Youโ€™ll Love This Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Recipe:

  • Taste: Salty and savory! 
  • Texture: Creamy and stretchy like real mozzarella cheese. 
  • Difficulty: Very easy with only 7 ingredients (one of which is water).
  • Why We Love This Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese: After 13 years of being vegan, Iโ€™m still amazed by the scarcity of fresh vegan mozzarella on the market. Miyokoโ€™s version is delicious but can be pricey, which inspired me to create this homemade alternative. This recipe replicates the perfect texture and stretchy consistency of Miyokoโ€™s Fresh Cashew Mozzarella, but at a fraction of the costโ€”less than $2.75 compared to nearly $8!

โ€‹Making Homemade Vegan Cheese

Traditionally, homemade mozzarella is made by curdling fresh cowโ€™s milk with rennet. The curds are then heated in whey until they become stretchy and elastic. A traditional cheesemaker will knead and stretch the curds by hand until smooth, and formed into larger balls or loaves. Bocconcini are essentially smaller, bite-sized balls of the same fresh mozzarella, perfect for salads or snacks.

For dairy-free alternatives, the stretchy texture can be replicated using ingredients like tapioca starch and agar agar. Tapioca starch, when heated, becomes stretchy and elastic, mimicking the texture of traditional mozzarella. Agar agar, a plant-based gelatin substitute, helps the cheese hold its shape. These ingredients, combined with plant-based milks and flavorings, can create convincing vegan versions of both mozzarella and bocconcini.

When developing this recipe, I looked to Miyokoโ€™s Plant Milk Mozzarella for inspiration. Surprisingly, itโ€™s made with the following simple ingredients: โ€œFiltered Water, Organic Cashews, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Tapioca Starch, Sea Salt, Organic Agar, Mushroom Extract, Organic Konjac, Cultures.โ€

This homemade vegan mozzarella uses 7 of these ingredients. Iโ€™ve omitted konjac, as itโ€™s hard to source, and opted to keep the recipe simple by making it uncultured. The key ingredients this recipe uses are tapioca starch for stretchiness and agar for structure. These help replicate the texture of traditional mozzarella, whether formed into larger balls or bite-sized bocconcini. See below to learn more about the ingredients we use in this recipe.

Ingredients:

Ingredients like soaked cashews, agar agar powder, tapioca starch, salt and olive oil on a tan stone surface.
ingredients youโ€™ll need

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

  • Cashews: This is the base of the vegan cheese and what gives this recipe itโ€™s creamy texture. You could try using other nuts like almonds but for the best taste and texture I recommend sticking to cashews.
  • Olive Oil: Iโ€™ve opted for olive oil for a savory flavor. Miyokoโ€™s uses coconut oil which can be subbed for the olive oil. Be sure to use refined coconut oil to prevent the mozzarella from having a coconut flavor. 
  • Tapioca StarchThis is what gives the โ€˜cheeseโ€™ itโ€™s stretchy texture and helps hold it together (this is also what I use in my homemade boba pearls recipe). Tapioca starch is sometimes call tapioca flour. I used Bobโ€™s Red Mill Tapioca Flour which you should be able to find at your local grocery stores.
  • Agar Agar Powder:  Agar Agar is often used as a substitute for gelatin in vegan cooking and baking. Itโ€™s a powder made from algae and when heated, it helps mixtures gel up and set when chilled. This can be ordered online or purchased at specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods.
  • Mushroom Seasoning: To add a savory and almost cheesy flavor, Iโ€™ve added in mushroom seasoning. I found mine at Trader Joeโ€™s but you can order mushroom seasoning or bouillon online. This can be substituted for nutritional yeast, however, it wonโ€™t provide the same flavor.  

Helpful Equipment

Here are a few tools that will make creating this recipe extra easy:

  • High-Speed Blender: โ€‹This is super important for blending up the cashews
  • Small Pot: For heating the mixture
  • Circular 3-4โ€ณ Airtight Container: For storing and chilling the vegan cheese

Step-by-Step Instructions

*Ingredient Quantities & Video are in the Recipe Card Below!*

STEP 1: Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 3 hours or overnight. The cashews should weigh 90 grams before soaking.

STEP 2: Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender jar. 

STEP 3: Blend on high until completely smooth, then pour into a small saucepan. 

STEP 4: Heat over medium low heat, stirring continuously, until the liquid cheese mixture starts to clump up. After stirring for a few minutes, the mixture will come together into a smooth ball. 

๐Ÿ“Œ TIP: The entire cooking process only took about 2-3 minutes on a gas stove top. It took about 8-10 minutes on an electric stove.

Storage

Once the dough comes together into a smooth ball, transfer the vegan cheese mixture to a lightly oiled 4โ€ณ container or 2 round 2โ€ณ containers (for small balls). Use a silicone spatula to smooth out the top and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Transfer to the fridge to finish setting for 4 hours or overnight.

You can also use a small cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to make small mozzarella balls (vegan bocconcini). If making small balls, drop them into ice water and let them chill for 1-2 minutes before removing and transferring to an airtight container and placing in the fridge.

The vegan mozzarella will stay fresh in the fridge for about 3-4 days.  

Vegan Bocconcini

You can also add the vegan bocconcini to a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar marinade like shown below. I combined about 1/4 cup olive oil with 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, 1 clove garlic (minced) and dried basil.

Marinate the small mozzarella balls for about an hour. I donโ€™t recommend storing the mozzarella in the marinade for longer than 1 hour because it will puff up and become too soft.

Serving

If youโ€™re looking for the best vegan or dairy-free mozzarella recipe, this is it!

This recipe achieves an authentic texture with simple ingredients and the final vegan mozzarella ball is sliceable, soft, stretchy, and creamy, lending itself to a variety of dishes. My favorite way to use it is in a fresh Caprese salad, but itโ€™s also perfect for the following:

a ball of homemade vegan mozzarella cheese on crumpled wax paper with a leaf of basil on top.
fresh vegan mozzarella ball

Helpful Tips For The BEST Vegan Mozzarella

โถ Soak the Cashews: If you skip soaking or the cashews arenโ€™t soaked long enough, the vegan cheese will have a grainy texture.

โท Measure Accurately: For the best results, I always recommend using a digital scale.

โธ Heat Until the Mixture Comes Together: The times listed in the recipe below are guidelines and will vary some based on your specific stove top. Be sure to heat the mixture until it comes together into a smooth ball. 

โน Run a Sharp Knife Under Water Before Slicing: This vegan cheese is sticky and stretchy! For clean slices, run a knife under hot water in between each slice. 

vegan caprese salad with homemade dairy free mozzarella cheese.
vegan caprese salad

More Delicious Vegan Cheese Recipes & Staples:

Video Tutorial:

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Did you make this Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Recipe?
Iโ€™d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below! 

Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

5 from 1 vote
By Emily
This homemade fresh vegan mozzarella is stretchy, sliceable, and creamy! Add it to your favorite sandwiches, pastas, salads and so much more.
8 slices
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 slices
8 slices

Ingredients

  • ยพ cup raw cashews, 90g, soaked in hot water overnight (or at least 3 hours)
  • ยพ cup water, 150g, or unsweetened plant based milk
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 15g
  • 3 ยฝ tbsp tapioca starch, 28g, also called tapioca flour
  • ยพ tsp salt, 4g
  • ยผ tsp mushroom seasoning powder, 1g, I used Trader Joe's Mushroom Umami Seasoning- see notes for subs. or use 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp agar agar powder, 3g

Instructions

  • Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
    ยพ cup raw cashews
  • Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
    ยพ cup raw cashews, ยพ cup water, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 3 ยฝ tbsp tapioca starch, ยพ tsp salt, ยผ tsp mushroom seasoning powder, 1 tsp agar agar powder
  • Pour the blended ingredients into a small saucepan and heat over medium-low. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens and comes together into a cohesive ball. This process takes approximately 2-4 minutes on a gas stove or 8-10 minutes on an electric stove, depending on the strength of the burner.
  • For mozzarella balls: Shape the dough into one large ball and transfer to a lightly oiled airtight 3-4โ€ circular glass or silicone container. For smaller balls, transfer to multiple 2" containers.
  • For bocconcini: Prepare an ice bath by filling a small bowl with cold water and ice. Using a ยฝ tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the warm cheese mixture into bite-sized balls. Gently drop these into the ice bath, where they'll firm up in 1-2 minutes. Once set, transfer the bocconcini to an airtight glass container for storage.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight to finish setting.
  • For clean slices, heat your knife under hot running water before each cut, shaking the excess water off. Slice the vegan mozzarella ball into 1/8-inch thick rounds.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Video

Recipe notes

Soak the Cashews:ย If you skip soaking or the cashews arenโ€™t soaked long enough, the vegan cheese will have a grainy texture.
Olive Oil:ย Iโ€™ve opted for olive oil for a savory flavor. You can also use refined coconut oil or avocado oil.
Tapioca Starch:ย This is what gives the โ€˜cheeseโ€™ itโ€™s stretchy texture and helps hold it together. Tapioca starch is sometimes call tapioca flour. I used Bobโ€™s Red Mill Tapioca Flour which you should be able to find at your local grocery stores.
Mushroom Seasoning: I found mine at Trader Joeโ€™s but you can order mushroom seasoning or bouillon online. Mushroom seasoning can be substituted for nutritional yeast, however, it wonโ€™t provide the same flavor. ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 60kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 4.7g

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian

ยฉ Thank You Berry Much. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated, copying or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

homemade vegan mozzarella with tomatoes.

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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