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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!

๐ Why Youโll 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, Iโm still amazed by the scarcity of fresh vegan mozzarella on the market. Miyokoโs 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 Miyokoโs Fresh Cashew Mozzarella, but at a fraction of the costโless than $2.75 compared to nearly $8!
โMaking Homemade Vegan Cheese
Traditionally, homemade mozzarella is made by curdling fresh cowโs 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 Miyokoโs Plant Milk Mozzarella for inspiration. Surprisingly, itโs made with the following simple ingredients: โFiltered 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. Iโve omitted konjac, as itโs 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:

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cashews: This is the base of the vegan cheese and what gives this recipe itโs creamy texture. You could try using other nuts like almonds but for the best taste and texture I recommend sticking to cashews.
- Olive Oil: Iโve opted for olive oil for a savory flavor. Miyokoโs 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 Starch: This is what gives the โcheeseโ itโs 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 Bobโs 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. Itโs 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, Iโve added in mushroom seasoning. I found mine at Trader Joeโs but you can order mushroom seasoning or bouillon online. This can be substituted for nutritional yeast, however, it wonโt provide the same flavor.


Helpful Equipment
Here are a few tools that will make creating this recipe extra easy:
- High-Speed Blender: โThis is super important for blending up the cashews
- Small Pot: For heating the mixture
- Circular 3-4โณ 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.
๐ 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 4โณ container or 2 round 2โณ 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 donโt recommend storing the mozzarella in the marinade for longer than 1 hour because it will puff up and become too soft.


Serving
If youโre 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 itโs also perfect for the following:
- Vegan Cheese Sandwiches (I have a recipe for a peach grilled cheese in my e-book!)
- Paninis with homemade vegan focaccia
- Lasagna
- Vegan Baked Ziti
- Open Faced Toasted Sandwiches with Pesto
- Caprese Pasta Salad (I have a recipe in my e-book!)
- Pasta Bakes
- Calzones
- Pizza Topping (note: this cheese doesnโt spread or melt extensively, but it adds a lovely creamy texture)

Helpful Tips For The BEST Vegan Mozzarella
โถ Soak the Cashews: If you skip soaking or the cashews arenโt soaked long enough, the vegan cheese will have a grainy texture.
โท Measure Accurately: For the best results, I always recommend using a digital scale.
โธ 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.
โน 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.

More Delicious Vegan Cheese Recipes & Staples:
Video Tutorial:
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Did you make this Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Recipe?
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Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
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

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