Vegan Mozzarella...can it be made at home? I say yes! This recipe is surprisingly simple, quick, and absolutely delicious. It's perfect for all of your favorite savory dishes, and especially good on pizza!
Is it just me, or does making your own vegan cheese sound kind of intimidating? I always thought I might as well just buy it at the store...that is, until I stumbled upon this method! It turns out that making your own vegan mozzarella is surprisingly easy and the results are so much better than the vegan cheeses I've found in the store. It's a win all around! My absolute favorite way to enjoy this mozzarella is on pizza, but I think you'll find that it's delicious any way you use it.
Ingredients in Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
This is a short and straightforward ingredient list! We'll be working with just 5 ingredients:
- Raw cashews - they'll need to be soaked overnight for this recipe or for at least an hour in boiling water. Learn more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post.
- Filtered water
- Tapioca starch - you should be able to find this at your local grocery store!
- Pure maple syrup - I buy this in bulk because I use it in so many of my recipes.
- Salt
If you like a little tang in your cheese you could add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice too. I personally like it better without but I know some people have to have that tang so I thought I would mention.
How to Make Homemade Vegan Mozzarella
This recipe is made on the stovetop in just a couple minutes.
- Start by blending all of the ingredients at a high speed. Let the blender run for at least a minute--you want everything to be totally smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a preheated saucepan. Stir it continuously for five minutes and watch as it thickens and clumps. Keep stirring! It will become stretchy and uniform and look like...well, mozzarella!
- Remove it from the heat and use your vegan mozzarella immediately. You can also store it in the fridge for up to a week, but keep in mind that it will thicken the longer it stays refrigerated. It's so quick to make that I usually make it right before using!
All About Cashews
The base for this vegan cheese is cashews, which I use and love all the time in creams and sauces. Raw cashews are a nutrient-dense base. They offer plant-based protein and are considered an excellent source of copper and a good source of magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, phosphorous and zinc. They also offer iron and vitamin B6. Store cashews in the refrigerator, where they can last up to six months!
For more information on cashews, check out my complete guide on Cashews Benefits for Vegans (+ Recipes).
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Easy Homemade Cashew Milk
Vegan Sour Cream Recipe
Creamy Vegan Cinnamon Vanilla Fruit Dip
Homemade Vegan Ricotta Cheese
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
How to Make Oat Milk
The Best Homemade Almond Milk
Blender Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream
Recipes that use this Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Easy Vegan + Paleo Zucchini Pizza Bites
One-Skillet Baked Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage
Easy Vegan Baked Taquitos
Easy No-Boil Vegan Baked Ziti with Veggies – One Dish!
Healthy Halloween Toast (No Waste + Vegan)
Easy Cast Iron Skillet Pizza (vegan + paleo)
Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 10
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Mozzarella...can it be made at home? I say yes! This recipe is surprisingly simple, quick, and absolutely delicious. It's perfect for all of your favorite savory dishes, and especially good on pizza!
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked, drained and rinsed well*
- 1 ⅓ cups filtered water
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend for one minute on the highest speed until very smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the preheated medium saucepan. Stir well for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken and clump as it heats. Continue stirring until it becomes thick and stretchy and mostly uniform.
- Remove from heat and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- It is best to use immediately, because it will thicken up more in the fridge. So if possible, make right before using.
- This cheese will brown well in the oven on the broiler setting when drizzled with a little olive oil - watch closely so it doesn't burn. Use on pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese sandwiches, baked ziti or manicotti or any recipe that calls for mozzarella cheese that will be cooked until melted. For pizza, I drop 1 tablespoon of the cheese at a time overtop the pizza sauce and crust and scatter overtop.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
*Soak cashews in boiling water for at least one hour. Or soak overnight in water for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse well before using in this recipe. Do not use the soaking water in this recipe. Learn more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post.
Recipes that use this Homemade Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Easy Vegan + Paleo Zucchini Pizza Bites
One-Skillet Baked Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage
Easy Vegan Baked Taquitos
Easy No-Boil Vegan Baked Ziti with Veggies – One Dish!
Healthy Halloween Toast (No Waste + Vegan)
Easy Cast Iron Skillet Pizza (vegan + paleo)
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Blender and Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Megan feldman says
I made this not thinking it would taste exactly like mozzerella but close but no it’s literally the same taste and texture! I soaked my cashews for 1.5 hrs in boiling water and blended them with a hand Emerson blender and our pizza cheese was fantastic! Thanks Elaine! Can’t wait to use this one over and over! ❤️
Elaine Gordon says
Aw yay! So happy to hear this one was well enjoyed by you! My husband cannot believe it either and he is a HUGE cheese lover. It really is incredible how plant-based eating can mimic the same flavor and texture of dairy foods! Thank you again! XO
Megan says
Edit: I also used arrowroot in place of the tapioca
Elaine Gordon says
Awesome thanks for noting that this works as a substitutions so other readers will know! I thought the tapioca would make it stretchy but I believe you said in my IG DMs that it was still stretchy for you with the arrowroot, correct?
Sara says
IM IN SHOCK!!! Ok-- I have always made these elaborate vegan mozzarella recipes that involve a lot (and bizarre ingredients that are hard to find). They always taste good but I don't make it that much because of how long it takes!! THEN I FOUND THIS AND MY LIFE IS CHANGED--ITS EVEN BETTER AND SO GOOOOOOD!!!!!! THANK YOU Elaine! You are magic! I substituted arrowroot since I was out of tapioca and it was beautifully stretchy and amazing. I used it in a buffalo dip as the "cheese"!!! YUM!
Elaine Gordon says
OMG you are making my day today, thank you! I agree sometimes recipes can be overly complicated and use hard to find ingredients. I'm glad the arrowroot substitution worked for you. I still need to try that myself... I know arrowroot powder is more of a thickener and tapioca really gives it the stretch so if you every try it with tapioca I would love to know how you think it compares! Anyhow, thank you again so much and I'm so happy this was a life changing find for you! I love when that happens. I made a batch last night for taquito Tuesday! It worked great!
sonia velazquez says
My family family loved this as me lol!!! A must try! So good!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Sonia! So happy to hear you and your family loved this one! We make it all the time here and my family loves it too :). Best, Elaine
Cynthia Lawson says
We have an outdoor pizza oven. I made the Mozzarella “cheese” to put on my cauliflower pizza. Our guests were enjoying my pizza more then the traditional pizza. I made this a couple of days ahead and it held beautifully.
Elaine Gordon says
Hi Cynthia, Thank you so much! I am dying to get an outdoor pizza oven myself... I tried the Ooni pizza oven once and was blown away at what it did to the entire pizza experience... it was like restaurant quality in terms of the flavor and texture! Those powerful high burning ovens really do make a huge difference... also happy to hear it held up for you after a couple of days! I have done that as well with great results too! Thrilled this cheese went over better than the traditional pizzas you also were serving - that is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to leave this review/rating! Best, Elaine
Deanna says
This was not only delicious but also so fun to make! Loved seeing it thicken right before my eyes. Taste and texture are on point and I love the hint of sweetness from the maple syrup ?
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Deanna! I'm so happy you enjoyed this one. I agree... watching it thicken is kinda of magical! I always love a touch of sweetness as you know by now I'm sure :). Thank you for the five star review! Best, Elaine
Jodi says
I LOVE YOU ELAINE! This "cheese" is a game changer for sure!!! I have an extremly restrictive diet that feels a bit like a chore at times but with your recipes I don't feel like I'm giving anything up. Instead I feel like I'm indulging. I try not to use too much salt so substituted a 1/2 tsp. of granulated garlic and 1/4 tsp. of salt for the full tsp. of salt. I enjoyed this as a grilled cheese sandwich and can't wait to try with vegetables and on pizza. Thanks for all you do!!
Elaine Gordon says
Aw thank you so much, Jodi! I'm sooo happy to hear how much this recipe has helped you. I agree sometimes avoiding certain foods can feel so restrictive until you find the right alternative! I hope you love it with your pizza. Pour it overtop before it gets too thick so it spreads out nicely. Best, Elaine
Heidi says
REALLY good. Double it. I also subbed arrowroot and it worked just fine.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much for this five star rating, Heidi! I really appreciate you taking the time to review it thoughtfully! And good to know the arrowroot powder worked for you too! Best, Elaine
Anne says
This really tastes great. Easy and delicious. Thank you so much.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Anne! I'm so happy you enjoyed this one and found it easy. Best, Elaine
Karem says
I have made this twice,thanks for sharing
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you, Karem! So happy to hear you have been enjoying this one. Thank you for the five star review. Best, Elaine
Deborah Vari says
If I didn’t make it myself I would not have known it wasn’t the real thing!
Delicious-I used it on a chickpea crust pizza with tomatoes, basil, red onion & broccoli.
Elaine Gordon says
Aw thank you so much, Deborah! So happy to hear that! That was definitely the goal so that is wonderful to hear. Thank you for the five star review! Best, Elaine