Despite being vegan for many years, I’ve never attempted to make my own vegan cheese. The process always seemed a bit daunting and since I went vegan in the Southern United States in the mid-90s, I quickly got used to living without cheese alternatives (or any processed vegan food for that matter!) Sure, I love a nutritional cheese sauce as much as the next girl, and I’ve enjoyed a couple pizzas here and there sprinkled with Vegan Gourmet or Daiya, but other than that, vegan cheese hasn’t played a big part in my diet. But when I was online-ordering some nutritional yeast the other day, I noticed that the merchant was also selling agar powder (check out my post on agar for more info) so I decided to pick some up. And in the spirit of Vegan MoFo, I decided that it was time to finally take the plunge and make some cheese!
From what I know, there are basically 5 different types of vegan cheeses:
- Cheese sauces that you pour over nachos or pasta (like this mac and cheese)
- Tofu “ricotta”, as used in vegan cannelloni and lasagna
- Spreadable cheeses made with nuts (cashews/macadamias/almonds) that are pretty much ready to eat immediately
- Cheeses that require using a nutmilk or cheese bag and probiotic bacteria to culture (Check-out JL’s probiotic cheese adventure for more info)
- Firm cheeses that contain agar
I decided to go with Ann Gentry’s Vegan Cashew Cheese recipe because it seemed simple enough and now that I had the agar powder, I had everything on hand to make it.
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Wine & Cheese anyone?
Modifications
- I halved the recipe and it produced 3 small ramekins worth of cheese.
- The recipe calls for agar flakes, not agar powder. Agar powder is much more concentrated than agar flakes so you only need about a third as much of it: 1 tsp agar powder = 1 tbsp agar flakes. So for this recipe, 1 cup agar flakes = 16 tbsp agar flakes = 16 tsp agar powder (I used 8 tsp agar powder since I was halving the recipe).
- My food processor is tiny, so rather than return the milk mixture to the food processor, I poured the cashew mixture into the saucepan and stirred it vigorously for a minute or so.
- I didn’t have any white pepper on hand, but otherwise I stuck to the recipe as-is, other than adding a handful of chopped chives to the final portion of cheese.
- I lightly oiled the ramekins before filling them, and although I had to use a knife to gently lift them out, I think it was a good idea to do this. I gently patted-down the cheese with a paper towel to remove the extra oil before serving.
The result is a firm cheese that can be easily sliced and I think that halving the recipe is probably a good idea, at least initially. I wouldn’t say that it’s super creamy, but it has a nice little sharpness to it that pairs really well with tart apple slices. The chive version that I made is AMAZING! Having said that, the plain cheese isn’t that flavorful, so I’ll definitely be experimenting with other flavors to add to it. Things like truffle oil, fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, apricots, walnuts and figs come to mind. You can halve the recipe and still have enough “batter” to make 3-4 ramekins of differently flavored cheeses. Just have your fillings ready to mix in, because as you can see from the chive version above, the cheese firms-up very quickly when taken off the heat. I just love the option of finally being able to bring my own vegan cheese to wine&cheese parties. Yay!
Update: It Melts! I just sliced a piece of cheese, stuck it on a cracker and zapped it in the microwave for 10 seconds and it melted! It wasn’t stretchy (like Daiya), but it totally melted. So I’m pretty confident that it would melt in the oven for a few minutes on the “broil” setting. Double Yay!
Other Update: I just melted-down one of the cheeses in a saucepan. I added a few tablespoons of soymilk to help it break down. I added 1 tsp of white truffle oil and a handful of chives. It hasn’t set yet, but I licked the spatula and it tastes AMAZING. I am kinda freaking out right now! What have I been missing?!
Recipe: Vegan Cashew Cheese
PS. If you’re in Australia, I really recommend these crackers. I’ve got a few friends here onto them because they’re just so good. They’re super light and crispy and check out the super-short ingredient list: brown rice, vegetable oil, cornflour, rye, salt, canola seeds, herbs. They’re miles above those regular Styrofoam rice crackers!
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Thank you for posting this! I’ve not wanted to get into making cheeses, because it seemed like a hassle. This recipe is totally doable though. I have everything except the miso.
You’re so welcome! I agree, I’ve always thought it seemed like a hassle but this was super easy! You may be able to get by without the miso, as long as you flavor it with other things. I really do recommend that you split up the batter into a few different containers, so you can try different flavor combinations. Let me know if you make it + what you think :)
That looks so good. I’ve only ever done the tofu ricotta or a cashew “cheese” sauce/dip but have shied away from the full on vegan cheese making.
Thanks Heather – Same here. This is just like making a cheese sauce, except there’s the added step of adding agar and pouring it in a container to set…
Thanks so much for posting this. Daiya is hard to come by in my city and some of the other vegan cheese slices are just yuck.
Hi Raina – Same here, no Daiya in Australia and those cheese slices taste like plastic! Give this a go but try adding your own flavors, as the base recipe is very mild. Enjoy!
I love homemade vegan cheeses! I usually keep an ongoing supply of cashew chz in my fridge. I’d like to try the sliceable version though. I have agar in my pantry!
If you’ve already got agar, then give this a go! As I’ve been saying to everyone, you may want to flavor it the first time. Chives are awesome and I’m going to try truffle oil next…
Amazing! I love the idea but have shied away from it because it seems too much of a challenge – but yours looks so good that it is truly inspiring (I have just added it to my bookmark round up post because I want to remember this one)
Hi Johanna – Same here.Give it a go, it’s really, really easy. Like I’ve been saying to everyone, think of your favorite flavor combinations and give it a go. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
I’ve only had minimal success with making vegan cheeses. You’ve just reminded me of the agar powder in my pantry. I’m going to have to try this – very soon. It looks great!
Hi Kelly – If you can make cheeze sauce, then you can make this. Like I’m mentioning to everyone, pick our your favorite flavor and add it, as the basic recipe is a bit bland. Best of luck and let me know what you think of it!
Wow. Ok.
First of all, the chives and truffle oil sound like a brilliant idea!
Secondly, I love your photos – they’re actually making my mouth water (yes, at 8:39am I read about food and drool).
And finally, how on earth have I been missing Ann’s blog this whole time? She is one of my culinary heros!
Thanks for a great post as always. Oh, and I’m still trying to figure out how to respond to comments on my blog… :)
Hey Michelle,
Brilliant is definitely the word. I was freaking out pretty hard today when I tried it!
Thanks for the kind words about the photos. I think I’m the last person on earth to know about Ann Gentry. Definitely going to be reading her blog from now on!
Good luck trying to figure out how to respond to your comments! :)
This looks so good! I’ve seen so many posts on homemade vegan cheese recently, I really want to try making something like this!
Hi Mandee – It’s totally do-able. You can do it! I’m just so mad I didn’t try it sooner :)
This is a really great post! I love that you made a cheese that melts! I gotta get back in the kitchen and make some cheese (thanks for the shout out!)
Thanks JL! You totally inspired me way back when you made yours… but I got lazy and took the easy way out with this one. Next time, I’m going probiotic, baby!
it’s been ages since i’ve made an agar cheese! i actually prefer them to storebought (i hate how daiya tastes). i used to put chopped jalapenos and red pepper flakes in mine for a sorta pepperjack flavor. very delicious.
Hi Corrina – Yum, that sounds like an awesome flavor combination. Would be great over nachos or in a burrito!
Hey,
[Fanfare] On my ‘to do’ list for a while….I kept putting it off. Now…I can put it off no longer, this is so doable! I’m hitting the shops for agar tomorrow and by Jiminy, vegan cheese will be produced within the week. THANK YOU! I am so excited it is actually quite ridiculous.
Your pics and blog are great. x
Hi India-Leigh – Thanks so much for the kind words. Try the truffle oil + chive version, you won’t regret it. Thanks for stopping by!
This cheese looks amazing. Thanks for sharing the link to the recipe, your modifications, and wonderful pictures. You sold me on making this sometime soon!
Thanks Amanda, Let me know if you make it, it’s pretty awesome stuff :)
Oh. My. Cheese. Yes, yes, yes AND yes!!!! I have agar sitting in my cupboard–I am DEFINITELY making this!!!
Hi Cara! Let me know when you make it – I had some more of the tuffle oil + chives version yesterday and it was pretty amazing :)
Wow, this is pretty amazing. The pics are awesome of showing the stages and steps. I make komboucha and kefir but have never fermented my own cheese. Nice work!
Thanks Averie! My next step is making fermented cheese. I’m pretty confident that I can do it now that I’ve done this. I’ve never even tried kefir and komboucha… I really have to get on that train!
I haven’t ever been bother to make my own cheese. It isn’t a huge part of my diet either but yours look so good – I may have to give it a go!
Hi Emmy – Let me know if you make it. I’ve been putting it on everything this week!
wow, I am totally going to try this – and I LOVE those crackers too, so good :)
Hi Lou – Add some truffle oil… you won’t be disappointed :)
I made this last weekend for a get together, but just now got around to finishing my post.
It was so good! Babygirl loved it, cheese head husband loved it, family loved it. I’m in love with making my own cheese now. Oh and thanks for the tips too, it really helped the process.
http://www.craftyearthmama.com/2011/11/yum-homemade-vegan-cheese.html
Oh I’m so glad to hear that you liked it! My batch didn’t last very long around here, and same here, my cheese-head fiance really liked it too! Going to check out your post now :)
Yum! I’d just about given up on finding vegan cheese I actually like, but this was lovely! The chives were a great idea – I made one little block with chives and another with cumin seed, which also worked really well
Hi Sarah, I’m glad you tried the recipe and liked it. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. You’re reminding me to make this again. The chive version is awesome and I loved the truffle oil too. I like your cumin seed idea – will try that!
wow wow wow!
Ha ha – glad you liked this post :)
Hey there,
Could you explain just a bit, how you added the flavours to the different ramekins? I assume that you split up the mixture from the food processor and just stirred in the relevant additions and placed in their respective moulds?
Also, have you used it for things like jalapeño poppers, burritos, grilled cheese etc.? Or do you mostly snack on it with crackers?
Thanks much!
Hi Nima – yes, I just stirred it into my separated batches. I ate it on crackers as well as melted on cheese and crackers. Let me know if you try it :)
: )
Thanks for the inspiring site and good luck.
As a Dutch Guy turning vegan I started to miss the cheese and the joy of cooking disappeared somewhat…
The first attempt to copy this turned out to be a lousy cheese but a delicious pâté… and the joy of experimenting returned.
Hope to see many more of these recipes…
Hi Wim – sorry to hear that the cheese didn’t harden up but glad you enjoyed the pate. Thanks for the feedback and let me know if you try anything else here :)
Wow!!! I’m new here…I was looking for a vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and found yours, which I love! Now, this vegan cheese recipe is amazing!!! I have used cashews in my indian cooking to substitute cream and it works great. We avoid soy based items, so we usually buy daiya and we are pleased with it, but I’ll definately try this recipe soon! Thank you for your posts!
Hi Bavani – Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you think of the cheese. It’s not like Daiya but I still really like it!
could you put up the recipe for the halved version?
Sorry for the delay… Yes, I will do that next time I make it!
hello! I am allergic to cashews, macadamia, and almonds, can i use pine nuts in place of one of those nuts? thanks so much!
melissa mueller
Hi Melissa – sorry for the delay! I don’t think that pine nuts will work, as the flavor might be too strong. But maybe try a small (quarter) batch and see? And keep us posted! Good luck!
Has anyone frozen this recipe yet? I’m thinking about making it tomorrow but don’t want any to go to waste.
Also, hello from another Canadian also in Aus, I live in Victoria!
Hello fellow Canadian-Aussie Ex-pat! I haven’t attempted to freeze this recipe, but I have a feeling that it would freeze quite well. Please let me know if you get around to doing it before I do!
Woah! Looks amazing (nice photography, too)!
I noticed that Ann says it will keep for 4 days. Is that right? Have you kept it for longer? I’m worried I won’t be able to eat it up, before it goes bad.
Thanks,
Chris
Thank you and thank you! I think it would keep for at least a week, and you could always halve the recipe if you were worried about having too much. I need to try freezing it though – I have a feeling that it would freeze quite nicely…
I’m about to attempt the halved recipe…I’m so excited! Incidentally, I just tried Daiya for the first time on a soft taco shell pizza crust and found it to melt more like cream cheese but it was stringy like real cheese. I like the flavor, the texture was just a bit different. Can’t wait to try this. I’ve been making the cashew cheese spread for years. I use pimientos and dill in that to give it a look and taste like cheddar cheese so I’m going to use that combo in this batch.thanks for the recipe! :-)
I made a whole batch. I followed the recipe but I added an extra tsp of sea salt, and I added a small drained jar of pimientos during the last blend cycle and 1/4 tsp of dill with the other dry seasonings. I also used coconut oil instead of canola. The cheese turned out amazing!!! It was Already sliceable after 1 hour and with the pimientos and dill added it had a velveeta flavor to go with the texture. My 15 yr old son (not a vegan or vegetarian), was eating it on Ritz crackers and said he thinks it would make a great cheese ball! I will def be testing out that suggestion.
Thanks for the feedback. I love your additions and I’m very happy to hear that coconut oil worked for you. I’ll definitely be trying that instead of canola oil…