The Complete Guide to Vegan Cheese Making

Everything I learned from making over 100 batches of plant-based cheese. This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic cashew cheese to advanced fermentation techniques. Learn the science behind stretchy, melty, tangy cheese alternatives that actually taste like cheese.

Why I Became Obsessed with Vegan Cheese

Let me be completely honest: cheese was the ONLY thing I missed when I went plant-based. I could live without meat. Dairy milk was easy to replace. But cheese? That was my Achilles heel. The thought of never having creamy mac and cheese, never melting cheese on pizza, never enjoying a cheese board with friends – it genuinely made me question whether I could stick with being vegan.

So I did what any reasonable person would do: I became completely obsessed with figuring out how to make plant-based cheese that didn't suck. I'm talking hundreds of hours, over 100 batches, countless failed experiments, and more wasted cashews than I care to admit.

But here's the thing: I cracked the code. I figured out the science. I learned the techniques. And now I'm going to share everything I learned so you don't have to go through the same trial and error I did.

The Science of Cheese (And Why It Matters)

Before we dive into techniques, you need to understand what makes cheese "cheesy." When you know the science, you can troubleshoot problems and even create your own recipes. Here's what's actually happening in cheese:

The Three Pillars of Cheese

1. Fat Content

Dairy cheese gets its richness and mouthfeel from milk fat. In vegan cheese, we replicate this using nuts (especially cashews), seeds, or coconut oil. The fat content is what makes cheese feel indulgent and satisfying, not just a sad paste.

This is why low-fat vegan cheese never works. You need that fat for proper texture and satisfaction. I learned this the hard way after making about 15 batches of "healthy" low-fat cheese that tasted like sadness.

2. Acidity/Tanginess

Real cheese has a tangy, slightly sour flavor from fermentation. We create this in vegan cheese using lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or actual fermentation with probiotics. This tang is CRUCIAL – without it, you just have a nut paste, not cheese.

The amount of acid you use determines how "sharp" your cheese tastes. More acid = sharper, tangier cheese (like aged cheddar). Less acid = milder, creamier cheese (like mozzarella or cream cheese).

3. Umami Depth

Cheese has that savory, complex flavor we call umami. In vegan cheese, we build this using nutritional yeast (the MVP of vegan cheese), miso paste, white miso, and sometimes even a touch of mustard or garlic powder.

Nutritional yeast is non-negotiable in most vegan cheese recipes. It's naturally cheesy-tasting and packed with umami. If someone tells you they don't like nutritional yeast, they probably haven't had it in a well-balanced recipe where it's complemented by other flavors.

Essential Ingredients and Equipment

Good news: you don't need fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. Here's what I actually use:

The Must-Have Ingredients

• Raw cashews – The base for most vegan cheeses. They're naturally creamy when blended and have a mild flavor that takes on seasonings well. Buy them in bulk from warehouse stores to save money.
• Nutritional yeast – Your secret weapon for cheesy flavor. I go through about a pound a month. Get the flakes, not the powder – better texture.
• Refined coconut oil – Creates that "meltiness" and helps cheese solidify when chilled. Use REFINED, not virgin – virgin coconut oil tastes like coconut and will ruin your cheese.
• Tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour) – The magic ingredient for stretchy, melty cheese. This is what makes mozzarella actually stretch. Don't substitute cornstarch – it doesn't work the same way.
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar – For that tangy cheese flavor. I prefer lemon for milder cheeses and ACV for sharper ones.
• Salt – More than you think. Cheese is salty. Don't be shy.
• Garlic powder and onion powder – Add depth and complexity. Fresh garlic is too strong and can overpower the cheese flavor.

Optional But Awesome Ingredients

• White miso paste – Adds fermented, funky depth. Great in aged-style cheeses.
• Probiotic powder – If you want to make actually fermented cheese (more on this later).
• Agar powder – For firm, sliceable cheeses. Creates a different texture than coconut oil.
• Rejuvelac – Fermented grain water that adds incredible tang and probiotics.

Equipment You Need

• High-speed blender – Vitamix or Blendtec are ideal, but even a good regular blender works if you soak your cashews long enough. I started with a $40 blender and made it work.
• Pot for cooking – Many cheese recipes require cooking to activate the tapioca starch or melt the coconut oil.
• Storage containers – Glass containers with lids work best. The cheese will last about a week in the fridge.

The Three Levels of Vegan Cheese Making

I organize vegan cheese into three levels of complexity. Start with Level 1 until you're comfortable, then progress to the more advanced techniques.

Level 1: Basic Cashew Cheese (Start Here!)

This is where everyone should start. Basic cashew cheese is incredibly versatile – use it as a spread, sauce, or base for more complex cheeses. It's essentially blended soaked cashews with seasonings.

The Basic Formula:

• 1 cup soaked cashews
• 1/4 cup water (adjust for desired thickness)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Blend until completely smooth. That's it. You've made cheese. From here, you can customize infinitely: add herbs, roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle peppers, whatever you want.

What I learned the hard way:

• Soak your cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes, or cold water overnight. Unsoaked cashews = grainy, gritty cheese no matter how long you blend.
• Start with less water than you think you need. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Too much water = soup, not cheese.
• Taste and adjust. Every batch of cashews is slightly different. Some are sweeter, some more bitter. Adjust your lemon juice and salt accordingly.
• Blend longer than you think necessary. Even when it looks smooth, blend for another 30 seconds. The smoother it is, the better it tastes.

Level 2: Melty, Stretchy Cheese (The Game Changer)

This is where things get exciting. This is the cheese that melts on pizza, stretches on sandwiches, and makes people go "WAIT, this is vegan?!" The secret is tapioca starch and the cooking method.

When you cook tapioca starch with liquid, it creates these long starch molecules that give cheese that stretchy quality. Combined with cashews for creaminess and coconut oil for fat, you get something that genuinely behaves like melted cheese.

The technique in a nutshell:

1. Blend your cashews with liquid and seasonings (same as basic cheese)
2. Add tapioca starch and coconut oil
3. Cook on the stove, stirring constantly, until it gets thick and stretchy
4. Pour into a container and let it set in the fridge

The magic happens during cooking. You'll see the mixture transform from liquid to thick to stretchy. It's kind of amazing to watch, honestly. When you lift your spoon and the cheese stretches like mozzarella, you'll feel like a wizard.

Level 3: Fermented Cheese (Advanced But Worth It)

This is where vegan cheese becomes legitimately fancy. Fermented cashew cheese develops complex, tangy flavors that are incredibly close to aged dairy cheese. It requires patience (fermentation takes 24-48 hours), but the results are spectacular.

The process involves adding probiotic powder or rejuvelac to your cashew mixture, then letting it sit at room temperature to ferment. The bacteria break down some of the cashew proteins and create that tangy, funky flavor that cheese lovers crave.

I won't lie – my first few attempts at fermentation were disasters. One batch grew mold. Another smelled like gym socks (not in a good cheese way). But once I figured out the technique, I made cheese that my cheese-obsessed friends couldn't believe was vegan.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

I've made every mistake possible. Here's how to fix the most common issues:

Problem: Cheese is grainy or gritty

Solution: Your cashews weren't soaked long enough, or you didn't blend long enough. Soak for at least 4 hours (overnight is better) and blend for a full 2-3 minutes. If you have a regular blender, you might need to blend even longer.

Problem: Cheese won't melt

Solution: You need tapioca starch and you need to cook it. Basic cashew cheese won't melt – you need the stretchy cheese method with tapioca. Also, make sure you're using refined coconut oil, not virgin.

Problem: Cheese is too thick/too thin

Solution: Adjust the liquid. Start with less than the recipe calls for, then add more as needed. You can always thin it out with water or plant milk, but you can't remove liquid once it's in.

Problem: Cheese doesn't taste "cheesy" enough

Solution: Add more nutritional yeast, more salt, and more acid (lemon juice or vinegar). Most people undersalt vegan cheese. Also try adding a teaspoon of white miso paste for extra umami depth.

Problem: Fermented cheese smells weird

Solution: Cheese should smell tangy and slightly funky, like blue cheese or aged cheddar. But if it smells rotten, ammonia-like, or has visible mold (unless you're making a mold cheese on purpose), toss it and start over. Fermentation can be finicky.

My Favorite Cheese Recipes to Start With

These are the recipes I recommend for beginners. They're relatively simple but deliver impressive results:

1. Creamy Cashew Cheese Spread

Perfect for crackers, sandwiches, or as a base for other recipes. Takes 5 minutes to make, keeps for a week. Mix in herbs, garlic, or sun-dried tomatoes for variations.

2. Stretchy Mozzarella

The gateway drug to vegan cheese making. When you successfully make cheese that stretches, you'll be hooked. Use this on pizza, in grilled cheese, or anywhere you need melty cheese.

3. Sharp Cheddar Sauce

The base for my famous mac and cheese. Tangy, rich, and incredibly versatile. Use it on nachos, vegetables, baked potatoes, or literally anything that needs cheese sauce.

4. Herbed Cream Cheese

Spreadable, tangy, perfect on bagels. Add chives, dill, or everything bagel seasoning. This is the recipe that convinced my cream cheese-obsessed sister to go vegan.

The Bottom Line on Vegan Cheese

Making vegan cheese is part science, part art, and part patience. Your first batch might not be perfect. That's okay. Mine definitely wasn't. I've made cheese that was too salty, too bland, too thick, too thin, grainy, weird-smelling, and completely inedible.

But I kept at it because I refused to accept that plant-based cheese had to be mediocre. And eventually, I figured it out. Now I make cheese that my non-vegan friends request for parties. Cheese that makes people question whether I'm lying about it being vegan. Cheese that's legitimately delicious, not just "good for vegan."

Start with the basic cashew cheese. Master that. Then move to the stretchy cheese. Once you've got those down, experiment with fermentation or different nuts or whatever sounds interesting to you.

The Pro membership includes step-by-step video tutorials for all my cheese recipes, showing exactly what the texture should look like at each stage. But even with just the information in this guide, you can start making really good vegan cheese.

And remember: the goal isn't to perfectly replicate dairy cheese. The goal is to make something delicious that happens to be plant-based. Once you let go of the expectation of exact replication, you can start appreciating vegan cheese for what it is – creamy, tangy, satisfying, and damn good.

Now get in the kitchen and make some cheese. Report back and let me know how it goes. I'm always excited to hear about people's cheese-making adventures, successes, and even failures. We're all learning together.