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Healthy, delicious, easy-to-make vegan cashew Cheddar cheese! It is oil-free, naturally gluten-free, and easy to make, too.
Table of Contents
- It’s Time for DIY Vegan Cheddar Cheese
- Cashew Cheddar Cheese Benefits
- Ingredients
- Step by Step Instructions
- Step One: Quick-Soak the Cashews
- Step Two: Prepare the Agar (Plant-Based Gelatin)
- Step Three: Blend the Cashews
- Step Four: Add the Remaining Ingredients
- Step Four: Pour the Cheese into a Mold
- Step Five: Chill the Cheese
- More Delicious & Easy Vegan Cheese Recipes to Try:
- Vegan Cashew Cheddar Cheese (oil-free, easy) Recipe
It’s Time for DIY Vegan Cheddar Cheese
I am not sure what took me so long to try making plant-based cheese. All that I can say is that I wish I had started sooner, because the process is so simple and, more importantly, the cheese is so delicious!
If you have been on the fence, too, I urge you to give it a try.
Cashew Cheddar Cheese Benefits
My easy Cashew Cheddar Cheese is a great place to begin. It is:
- Vegan
- Paleo
- Oil-free
- Grain-free
- Packed with nutrition
- Great for slicing, shredding, cubing or melting
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- Raw cashews
- Agar-agar (powder or flakes)
- Plain nondairy milk (I used cashew milk)
- Nutritional yeast (this lends cheese-y flavor)
- Lemon juice
- Tomato paste
- Sweet or smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Dijon or yellow mustard
- Turmeric (for color)
- Salt
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
Making the cheese involves blending and chilling, plus 2 additional, yet still simple, steps.
Step One: Quick-Soak the Cashews
Place the raw cashews in a glass measuring cup, bowl, or a large mason jar. Cover the cashews with boiling water. Let the cashews stand in the boiling water for a few minutes until they are plump. Drain the cashews.
Step Two: Prepare the Agar (Plant-Based Gelatin)
Second, prepare the gelatin, which helps to hold the cheese together. The gelatin in this recipe is 100% plant-based (vegan): agar agar. Agar is an all-natural product, made from various forms of seaweed.
Agar is available in both powdered form or flakes. You can use either, but the quantities will be different depending on which type is used. For every teaspoon of powdered agar you will need to use 3 teaspoons of agar flakes.
Like traditional gelatin, agar must be dissolved and heated in order to work.
For this cheese, the agar is dissolved and simmered in nondairy milk. Any plain, nondairy milk will work, but I recommend something other than full-fat coconut milk–unless you are specifically opting for a coconut-flavored cheese :).
Step Three: Blend the Cashews
Blend the agar-milk mixture, drained cashews, and nutritional yeast in a high speed blender until completley smooth. This forms the creamy base of the cheese, as well as the essential cheese flavor (courtesy of the nutritional yeast).
Step Four: Add the Remaining Ingredients
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender to create a distinctive, sharp Cheddar flavor.
I use tomato paste (for umami and color), lemon juice and mustard for sharpness, and garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and turmeric for tang and depth. The turmeric also provides bold, yellow-orange color.
Step Four: Pour the Cheese into a Mold
Pour the cheese mixture into any mold of your choice, such as a loaf pan or a circular mold (for a wheel of cheese).
I used two small loaf pans (5×3-inches /12.5x 7.5 cm). I recommend lining the pans with plastic wrap, for easy removal. Oiling the mold or pan will also suffice.
Step Five: Chill the Cheese
Chill the cheese for at least 4 hours until firm and set, and then unmold.
If there are marks from the mold or plastic wrap, you can dip a knife in hot water to smooth them out.
Enjoy this cheese!!!
More Delicious & Easy Vegan Cheese Recipes to Try:
- Vegan Cashew Boursin Cheese
- Chickpea Flour Feta Cheese
- Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Vegetable Nacho Cheese Dip
- Easy Cashew Cream Cheese
- Chickpea Flour Queso
- Chipotle Cheese Bread Bites
Vegan Cashew Cheddar Cheese (oil-free, easy)
Ingredients
- 1 cup 4 oz/112 g raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon powdered agar-agar or 3 tablespoons agar-agar flakes
- 1 cup 250 mL nondairy milk (I used cashew milk)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons 30 mL lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon 15 mL tomato paste
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons sweet or smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon or yellow mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a mason jar or glass bowl. Add 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes until very plump. Drain and rinse the cashews.
- Meanwhile, combine the agar agar and milk in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over low to medium heat until the agar is completely dissolved. Continue stirring over low heat for 5 minutes longer until it just begins to bubble–the milk mixture should look slightly thickened (If it does not look thickened at all at this point, continuing cooking for another 30 to 60 seconds until it looks slightly thickened)
- Place the drained cashews, nutritional yeast, and agar-milk mixture in a small blender ( a nutribullet-style blender works best). Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down sides several times. Add the lemon juice, tomato paste, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard, turmeric and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
- Taste the cheese; adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Pour the cheese mixture into a small loaf pan (or any mold of choice) that has been lined with plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until firm.
- Slice, grate, cube (or melt!) the cheese, as desired, for eating and cooking.
Notes
Nutrition
Hello 🤗 I am new to cooking and this is my first time using agar agar, how thick should the mixture be before adding it to my blender? Like what consistency? So excited to try this but this was the one step I was curious about. Please and thank you!
Hi Kristen, welcome!
Thanks for asking about this. I went into the recipe card and added additional information based on your questions. You want the milk-agar mixture to just start to bubble (very low boil). The mixture should look slightly thicker. If it does not look thicker at all, continue cooking for another 30 to 60 seconds until it has a more viscous, thickened texture (for contrast, it will not be anywhere close to a pudding texture. Not thin like milk is what you are after, and DEFINITELY make sure it has come to that low bubble/boil (that is what activates the gelling). I would love to know if you try it!
I just think all you vegan cheese people should know that nutritional yeast has msg in it and everyone is dumping it on all their food that’s vegan. Would be nice to find a recipe for anything cheesy that didn’t include this noxious ingredient.
Thanks for posting your concerns, Brigid. However, you are 100% wrong about nutritional yeast containing MSG. MSG is a synthetic flavor enhancer; it is a chemically altered version of glutamic acid. Nutritional yeast DOES contain naturally occurring glutamic acid, as do many other foods, including (but not limited to meat, fish, poultry, eggs, tomatoes, cheeses (e.g., Parmesan, Romano), seaweed, and mushrooms. Also, about 30-40% of gluten (e.g., the protein in wheat) is glutamic acid. Cheers.
Hi,
I am wondering if it is possible to substitute the agar-agar with bovine gelatin. My family is not vegan, but we are dairy free and corn free. Alot of the commercial vegan cheese products have corn in them!
Thank you.
Hi Diane!
I have not used bovine gelatin, but I imagine it could work since agar is simply a vegetarian form of gelatin (from seaweed). You might need to check equivalencies (I am not sure , for example, if 1 teaspoon of bovine gelatin has the gelling equivalence of 1 teaspoon of agar agar. I am sure that some googling could answer this question.
This is my favorite cashew cheddar recipe! Ive tried a bunch. I am glad you do not have a million ingredients. This has the best flavor, with much less stuff added! I used my bullet blender. You have to act very quickly once adding the agar , it set up FAST. This is a keeper.
Hello,
I am going to try this wonderful recipe.
But may I know how long it can last in the fridge or can I freeze it ?
Thanks so much for all your recipes there so inspirational.
Best plant based cheese I’ve made so far. Will definitely make again.
Wonderful, thanks so much, David!
Hi! I made this last night but it never hardened to cheddar cheese like consistency. It’s more like a thin cream cheese.What could have caused this?
Hi Nat! I am glad you decided to make the cheese, but sorry to hear that it did not set up. The agar agar is what makes the cheese firm, and since yours did not set up, it is almost certainly the reason. Don’t worry, it is not an uncommon problem. Did you use the amount of agar agar powder or agar agar flakes specified? If so, than the issue may be in the thickening of the agar. The agar is first dissolved in the milk (that happens almost instantly with the powder, or in a 10 to 30 seconds with the flakes). Then, as per the recipe, it needs to be heated for several minutes longer (about 5, but it may be less) until thickened. If the agar-milk mixture is not thickened before adding to the cashews, the cheese will not set firm.
In the meantime, you can use the soft cheese as a spread, or add a bit more milker water to serve as queso 🙂
Can the nutritional yeast be substituted for something else. I can not do any type of yeast. I want to be able to make this.
HI Teresa! You can leave it out entirely. if you like, you can add other umami ingredients, like onion powder or soy sauce, if you like. The cheese will have as “cheesy” a flavor but it will still be very tasty
Camilla, this cheese sound wonderful, I have been watching for a good go-to-cheese and I finally found you! I will be making many more of your recipes.
Thank you!
judy
I would like to try this cheese but I’d like to use gelatin. Do you think it would be the same amount as the powdered agar? Or different? Or is that something you can even answer? I just thought I’d check before attempting to figure it out on my own. Thanks so much for your recipes! All of the ones I have tried have been great!
Hi Sara,
I think you could most likely use gelatin without a problem. I have never tried it, so I am not sure how much that would change the process steps–so sorry I cannot provide much guidance on this.
Wow let me begin by saying YOU ARE SUCH AN INSPIRATION oh my goodness gracious.
In the midst of starting a vegan catering company, right now we just have 1 skew & are exploring to expand into more. Your Vegan Cheese recipes are so favourable I could so see these working as another part of our expansion.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your recipes !
Questions:
Does this cheese melt?
– If not how could we make one that has that ooey gooey texture once melted, minus all the uncanny additives in most store bought versions? seriously meditating on this right now maybe you could help !
Hi there! Thanks so very much for the kind review 🙂 Congratulations, too, on your catering company.
This cheese does get melty, but not a lot like dairy cheese. I have found that vegan cheeses made with some agar agar or tapioca (following other recipes, not my own) melt better, but I am still experiment myself. But I would look for vegan cheese recipes with these ingredients 🙂
Do you think that roasted cashews or white cannellini beans would work in this recipe? The cheese looks incredible!
Hi Heidi! Roasted cashews will definitely work! I don’t think the beans would for this particular recipe.
Thank you!
You are welcome, Heidi!