Best Vegan Cheese Recipe (Sliceable)
This vegan cheese recipe has been a long time coming. Though I have a number of great dairy-free cheese recipes already, all of them have been sauces. That’s where this one is different. It’s actually a sliceable vegan cheese for serving on crackers, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards.
When I say that there are a number of vegan cheese sauce recipes on this website already, it’s the truth. We have everything from vegan cheddar sauce to sweet potato cheese. If what you really want is dairy-free ricotta or vegan nacho cheese, you’ll find it on our vegan cheese recipe page. Most recently, I’ve even added easy cashew cream cheese.
The biggest challenge has been coming up with cheese that is firm instead of being a sauce. So many followers have asked for a solid cheese and the closest I was able to come to until now was my stretchy cashew mozzarella which can be frozen and sliced or grated. However, as soon as it defrosts, it turns back into its original form.
One thing I’ve learned during the process of coming up with this new sliceable version is that ALL of my previous vegan cheese recipes can now be made sliceable. How cool is that? The secret ingredient that can be added to each of them to firm them up is agar.
Ingredients needed
- Vegetables- Potatoes, carrots, and onions are the surprising ingredients for this cheese sauce.
- Cashews– I like to use cashews for the cream texture, but this recipe can be made with white beans instead or a combination of both.
- Nutritional yeast- It imparts a rich, cheesy flavor that mimics the taste of dairy cheese.
- Lemon juice- To add a tangy, acidic flavor that mimics the sharpness found in traditional dairy cheeses. It also helps balance the richness of ingredients like nuts or seeds, creating a more authentic and well-rounded cheese-like taste.
- Spices- Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne powder round out the flavor.
- Agar powder– This is to solidify the cheese to make it sliceable.
What is agar-agar?
Yes, I know it’s the same word twice, but that is the correct way to say it, though in actuality, I personally only say it once. I understand that single pronunciation is common in culinary circles as well.
Agar is a plant-based vegan gelatin that is made from seaweed. It is white, translucent, and tasteless, and it comes in flakes, powder, bars, and strands. Agar powder is probably the most common and best for recipes, in my opinion. It is a perfect vegan gelling agent for basically any recipe.
Twenty years ago, when I taught science classes to homeschoolers, we used agar in Petri dishes when we were growing bacteria. It was easy to use and pretty neat. Little did I know that decades later I would be making dairy-free cheese with it.
Substitutions and variations
One of the best things about this vegan cheese is that it can be made with either cashews or white beans for those avoiding nuts. Better yet, do a combination of both to reduce the fat but maintain the creamy rich texture.
- 1st Version: Originally, I made it with 1/2 cup of raw cashews.
- 2nd Version: Now, I sometimes sub out white beans–like navy beans or cannellini–to lower the fat content even more. For those avoiding nuts completely, this is a terrific nut-free cheese sauce.
- 3rd Version: Nowadays, I mostly make with a combination of the two–1/4 cup cashews + 1/4 cup white beans. It has a warm creamy texture with less fat. This easy vegan cheese sauce has so many options!
How to make vegan cheese
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Begin by dicing up the potatoes, carrots, and onion. I like to leave the peelings on mine, but you can peel them if desired.
In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in a pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
STEP #2: When veggies are tender, drain them and place them in a blender. Reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to the blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
I have a Vitamix blender and so don’t take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn’t jet engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes before adding them to this recipe will help this recipe come out more creamy.
Once blended to a nice and smooth consistency, set the cheese sauce to the side while you prepare the thickener.
At this point, this dairy-free cheese sauce could be used in nacho vegan cheese dip, dairy-free mac-n-cheese, topping for steamed broccoli, or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. This recipe makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
STEP #3: In a small to medium saucepan, add 1 cup water plus 2.5 tablespoons agar POWDER and bring it to a boil. It is important not to leave it at this point because it will thicken pretty quickly.
I found that agar powder works better than the agar flakes for getting this cheese nice and firm. If you only have agar flakes on hand, you’ll need to triple the amount (7.5 tablespoons).
Turn down the heat to low and whisk continually until the mixture thickens to a molasses-like consistency.
STEP #4: Next, quickly pour it into the blender with the prepared cheese sauce and blend for approximately 30 seconds to mix it well.
Pour the cheese into containers that are the shape that you would like your hard cheese in. Personally, I use mini loaf pans and round souffle dishes. Another good option would be mini loaf nonstick silicone molds.
STEP #5: Place the molds into the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours or longer. As it chills, the harder the cheese becomes, so the longer the better. Carefully turn out the cheese blocks onto a plate or serving platter with crackers.
STEP #6: You may need to use a knife to run along the edges of your dish or mold to make the cheese release. Then turn it upside down onto a plate.
Ways to serve
We love to serve these with an oil-free cracker called Mary’s Gone Crackers. If you’re entertaining, this vegan cheese recipe makes the perfect addition to a vegan charcuterie board along with some oil-free hummus, veggies, and even fruit. It even makes an awesome vegan grilled cheese sandwich.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Best Vegan Cheese Recipe (Sliceable)
Ingredients
- 1 cup potatoes peeled & diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (or 1/2 c white beans)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
- 1 cup water
- 2.5 tablespoons agar-agar POWDER OR flakes 7.5 TBS
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender–approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
- I have a Vitamix blender so I don't take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn't jet engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30-minutes before adding to this recipe will help this recipe come out more creamy.
- Once blended to a nice and smooth consistency, set the cheese sauce to the side while you prepare the thickener. By the way, at this point, this dairy-free cheese sauce could be used in nacho cheese dip, mac-n-cheese, topping for steamed broccoli, or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. This recipe makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- In a small or medium saucepan, add 1 cup water plus 2.5 tablespoons agar powder and bring it to a boil. It is important not to leave it at this point because it will thicken pretty quickly. I have found that agar POWDER works better than agar flakes for firming up this cheese recipe. If you only have agar flakes on hand, you'll need to triple the amount (7.5 tablespoons).
- Turn down the heat to low and whisk continually until the mixture thickens to a molasses-like consistency.
- Next, quickly pour it into the blender with the prepared cheese sauce and blend for approximately 30 seconds to mix it well.
- Now, it’s time to pour the cheese into containers that are the shape that you would like your hard cheese in. Personally, I use mini loaf pans and round souffle dishes. Another good option would be mini loaf nonstick silicone molds.
- Smooth out the top of each one with a spoon or spatula so that when they are flipped out onto a plate, the bottom will be flat.
- Place the molds into the refrigerator for a at least couple of hours or longer. As it chills, the harder the cheese becomes, so the longer the better. Carefully turn out the cheese blocks onto a plate or serving platter with crackers.
- You may need to use a knife to run along the edges of your dish or mold to make the cheese release. Then turn it upside down onto a plate.
- We love to serve these with an oil-free cracker called Mary’s Gone Crackers. If you’re entertaining, this vegan cheese recipe makes the perfect addition to a Charcuterie Board along with some hummus, veggies, and even fruit.
Video
Notes
- 1st Version: Originally, I made it with 1/2 cup of raw cashews.
- 2nd Version: Now, I sometimes sub out white beans–like navy beans or cannellini–to lower the fat content even more. For those avoiding nuts completely, this is a terrific nut-free cheese sauce.
- 3rd Version: Nowadays, I mostly make with a combination of the two–1/4 cup cashews + 1/4 cup white beans. It has a warm creamy texture with less fat. This easy vegan cheese sauce has so many options!
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
My husband recently had a heart health scare so he is now on board with my WFPB, SOS free diet. He had been using vegan “cheese” products but because they are loaded with oil and other not good for you ingredients, I searched for a cheese I could make for him and found this recipe. I made it today, let it set in the refrigerator for about 5 hours and it is wonderful! My husband said it tastes great and he’s happy!! Thank you for posting this!
This makes me SO happy to read! I love that your husband liked it so much too!