These days, grocery stores aren’t short on vegan cheese. If you walk into Kroger, Walmart, Target, or Trader Joe’s, you’ll find dairy-free versions of everything from mozzarella to cheddar. And the range of options is only going to grow. In 2023, the vegan cheese market was valued at $2.8 billion, and by 2030, it’s expected be worth just over $7.6 billion, according to Market Research Future.
But while it’s never been easier to get our hands on delicious, store-bought vegan cheese, there’s also something special about making it from scratch at home. It’s fun, it’s rewarding, and you have total control over the ingredients. So here, we’ve gathered some of our favorite vegan cheese recipes, from velvety cashew cream cheese to crumbly, nutty feta.
What is vegan cheese made out of?
We love how easy it is to buy vegan cheese from the grocery store now. There’s no doubt that the market progressed leaps and bounds in the last few years, successfully managing to shake off its reputation for being a sub-par alternative to dairy cheese. But while they are more delicious than ever, vegan cheese products, which often rely on ingredients like coconut oil, can be high in saturated fat and sodium, so it’s best to consume them in moderation.
However, if you’re craving cheesy, creamy goodness made with healthier ingredients, you can make your own from home using nutritious whole foods like tofu, cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, aquafaba, and nutritional yeast. You’ll also need kitchen tools like a blender, cheesecloth, and occasionally, a dehydrator. Rejuvelac, which is a fermented liquid made from sprouted grains, and probiotic powders are also key ingredients in many vegan cheesemaking recipes.
Make vegan cheese from scratch: 8 delicious recipes
If you’re not sure how tofu can become feta, or how cashews can replicate your favorite cream cheese spread, check out our recipes below to find out how the magic happens.
Hannah Kaminsky
1 Vegan Almond Cheese
If you thought making vegan cheese from scratch was going to be complicated, let this recipe show you just how easy it can be. Simply blend blanched almonds and Rejuvelac, which is a fermented liquid made from sprouted grains, and then strain, ferment, and refrigerate for a creamy, impressive pantry staple.
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Julie Piatt
2 Vegan Coconut-Cashew Cream Cheese
This dreamy, four-ingredient, dairy-free delight is made by soaking cashews, before blending them with coconut, aquafaba, and oil. After that, they are dehydrated for a versatile, flavorful spread perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
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Terry Hope Romero
3 Herbed Vegan Almond Cheese Wheels
This recipe is slightly more complicated, and you’ll need a few days to pull it together, but the result will be more than worth it. It’s essentially blended almonds and cashews, which are fermented and then coated with herbs and spices to create a versatile, crumbly treat for crackers or salads.
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David Malosh
4 Cashew Cheese Sauce
If you don’t want to spend time dehydrating and fermenting your vegan cheese, another quicker, easier option is to make a delicious cheesy sauce instead. Just blend cashews, water, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and salt until smooth. You can use it in many different recipes, but it’s particularly delicious when drizzled over nachos.
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Estella Schweizer
5 Creamy Vegan Cheese Fondue
We’re officially declaring it: regular fondue nights are out, and vegan fondue nights are in. Get your friends over and impress them with this delicious recipe, which relies on white beans, cashew butter, miso, and nutritional yeast.
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Ed Tatton
6 Vegan Macadamia Feta Cheese
This recipe masterfully blends macadamia nuts, lemon, and nutritional yeast to create a crumbly, rich, and creamy vegan feta cheese that’s even better than the traditional version. It does take four days, but the authentic taste is worth the wait.
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7 Tofu Herbed Cheese
This creamy, silken tofu-based herbed cheese is the perfect choice for carrot lox. It’s easy to make, and delicious when spread generously on toast and garnished with capers, dill, pickled onions, and arugula.
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Moku Roots
8 Macadamia Nut and Herb-Crusted Swiss Cheeseballs
Redefine Swiss cheese with this (relatively) quick and easy vegan recipe, which pulls together ingredients like macadamia nuts, nutritional yeast, miso, and agar agar. The resulting flavor is mellow and tangy, and the coating, which consists of chopped macadamia nuts, herbs, salt, and pepper, is exquisite.
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This post was originally published on VegNews.com.