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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!
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Cheese Recipe
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: 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, I’m still amazed by the scarcity of fresh vegan mozzarella on the market. Miyoko’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 Miyoko’s Fresh Cashew Mozzarella, but at a fraction of the cost—less than $2.75 compared to nearly $8!
Watch How to Make It
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Making Homemade Vegan Cheese
Traditionally, homemade mozzarella is made by curdling fresh cow’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 Miyoko’s Plant Milk Mozzarella for inspiration. Surprisingly, it’s made with the following simple ingredients: “Filtered Water, Organic Cashews, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Tapioca Starch, Sea Salt, Organic Agar, Mushroom Extract, Organic Konjac, Cultures.”
This homemade vegan mozzarella uses 7 of these ingredients. I’ve omitted konjac, as it’s hard to source, and opted to keep the recipe simple by making it uncultured.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Cashews
This is the base of the vegan cheese and what gives this recipe it’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
I’ve opted for olive oil for a savory flavor. Miyoko’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 Starch
Tapioca Starch is what gives the ‘cheese’ it’s stretchy texture and helps hold it together (this is also what I use in my homemade boba pearls recipe). It’s also sometimes called tapioca flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour which you should be able to find at your local grocery stores.
Agar Agar Powder
Agar Agar Powder is often used as a substitute for gelatin in vegan cooking and baking. It’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, I’ve added in mushroom seasoning. I found mine at Trader Joe’s but you can order mushroom seasoning or bouillon online. This can be substituted for nutritional yeast, however, it won’t provide the same flavor.
Helpful Equipment
Here are a few tools that will make creating this recipe extra easy:
- High-Speed Blender: This is super important for blending up the cashews
- Small Pot: For heating the mixture
- Circular 3-4″ Airtight Container: For storing and chilling the vegan cheese
Step By Step Guide
Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 3 hours or overnight. The cashews should weigh 90 grams before soaking.
Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender jar.
Blend on high until completely smooth, then pour into a small saucepan.
Heat over medium low heat, stirring continuously.
Keep stirring the mixture over the heat until the liquid cheese mixture starts to clump up.
After stirring for a few minutes, the mixture will come together into a smooth ball.
Storage
Once the dough comes together into a smooth ball, transfer the vegan cheese mixture to a lightly oiled 4″ container or 2 round 2″ 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 don’t recommend storing the mozzarella in the marinade for longer than 1 hour because it will puff up and become too soft.
Serving
If you’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 it’s 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 doesn’t spread or melt extensively, but it adds a lovely creamy texture)
Helpful Tips For The BEST Vegan Mozzarella
- Soak the Cashews: If you skip soaking or the cashews aren’t soaked long enough, the vegan cheese will have a grainy texture.
- Measure Accurately: For the best results, I always recommend using a digital scale.
- 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.
- 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.
these create the best flavor & texture!
More Vegan Staples
Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- ¾ cup raw cashews, (90g) soaked in hot water overnight (or at least 3 hours)
- ¾ cup water, (150g) or unsweetened plant based milk
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, (15g)
- 3 ½ tbsp tapioca starch, (28g) also called tapioca flour
- ¾ tsp fine salt, (4g)
- ¼ 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.¾ cup raw cashews
- Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.¾ cup raw cashews, ¾ cup water, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 3 ½ tbsp tapioca starch, ¾ tsp fine salt, ¼ 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 3-4” 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 ½ 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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