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    Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Paleo, Gluten-Free)

    By Elaine Gordon · Published: Mar 25, 2021 · Modified: Jan 4, 2022

    Jump to Recipe
    VGGFPSFEKF

    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!

    Vegan Mozzarella Recipe

    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.

    Vegan Pizza Recipe

    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.

    Vegan Mozzarella Ingredients
    Blender Vegan Mozzarella

    How to Make Homemade Vegan Mozzarella

    This recipe is made on the stovetop in just a couple minutes.

    1. 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.
    2. 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!
    3. 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!
    Easy Vegan Mozzarella
    Stovetop Vegan Mozzarella Recipe

    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!

    Read the Post: How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews
    Vegan Pizza Cheese
    Vegan Pizza Mozzarella

    More Creams and Cheeses

    Homemade Vegan Cashew Cream
    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)

    Print
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    Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipe

    Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Paleo, Gluten-Free)


    5 from 9 reviews

    • Author: Elaine Gordon
    • Total Time: 10
    • Yield: 2 cups 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    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

    Scale
    • 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

    Vitamix High-Speed Blender

    high-speed blender

    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

    Keywords: vegan mozzarella cheese

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @eatingbyelaine on Instagram and hashtag it #eatingbyelaine

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Megan feldman says

      May 22, 2021 at 7:53 am

      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! ❤️






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        May 23, 2021 at 8:43 pm

        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

        Reply
    2. Megan says

      May 22, 2021 at 7:54 am

      Edit: I also used arrowroot in place of the tapioca






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        May 23, 2021 at 8:43 pm

        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?

        Reply
    3. Sara says

      May 26, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      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!






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        May 26, 2021 at 2:46 pm

        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!

        Reply
    4. sonia velazquez says

      May 31, 2021 at 12:25 am

      My family family loved this as me lol!!! A must try! So good!

      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        May 31, 2021 at 8:55 am

        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

        Reply
    5. Cynthia Lawson says

      May 31, 2021 at 10:11 pm

      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.






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        June 01, 2021 at 3:26 pm

        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

        Reply
    6. Deanna says

      September 18, 2021 at 10:45 am

      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 ?






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        September 18, 2021 at 12:08 pm

        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

        Reply
    7. Jodi says

      December 10, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      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!!






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        December 10, 2021 at 8:48 pm

        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

        Reply
    8. Heidi says

      January 30, 2022 at 6:35 pm

      REALLY good. Double it. I also subbed arrowroot and it worked just fine.






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        February 01, 2022 at 2:57 pm

        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

        Reply
    9. Anne says

      December 09, 2022 at 8:33 am

      This really tastes great. Easy and delicious. Thank you so much.






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        January 10, 2023 at 11:34 am

        Thank you so much, Anne! I'm so happy you enjoyed this one and found it easy. Best, Elaine

        Reply
    10. Karem says

      May 28, 2023 at 2:42 pm

      I have made this twice,thanks for sharing






      Reply
      • Elaine Gordon says

        May 30, 2023 at 5:20 pm

        Thank you, Karem! So happy to hear you have been enjoying this one. Thank you for the five star review. Best, Elaine

        Reply

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