Easy Vegan Cheese Recipe | Sliceable

This homemade sliceable vegan cashew cheese recipe is super quick and easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. It’s creamy, cheesy, flavorful and a great healthy dairy-free alternative to real hard cheese.

I have always been a huge cheese-lover and I‘m sure many of you are so, too! Whether vegan mozzarella, cashew parmesan or tofu feta – all of these recipes are simple, homemade and keep well in the fridge for a while! It makes me super happy when even non-vegans get inspired by my recipes and consume less dairy. So, whatever recipe you try, reading your amazing feedback is my favorite!

Anyway, today it’s all about this super delicious sliceable vegan cheese! Since my easy Vegan Mac and Cheese sauce is not only a very popular recipe in my cookbook but also here on the blog, I came up with the idea to create a sliceable version of it. It is as delicious and also made with potatoes and cashews, just the consistency is much firmer because it’s thickened with agar.

Why is homemade vegan cheese better than store-bought?

In my vegan grilled cheese sandwich recipe, I suggested some store-bought dairy-free cheese alternatives. But unfortunately, they often contain many additives and unusual ingredients that aren’t super healthy at all. So I wanted to share a simple homemade alternative that is healthier, packed with flavor, relatively inexpensive, and surprisingly easy to make!

What do you eat with Sliceable Cashew Cheese?

This easy vegan Cashew Cheese can be used typically in the same way as the store-bought ones! Besides just slicing it up and enjoying it as a snack on top of bread, crackers or with grapes, it can be also used on top of a pizza, a casserole, and to gratinate any dishes. It won’t be as stretchy and melty as regular cheese when heated but it softens and gets creamy while being naturally cheesy in flavor!

Can I grate Homemade Cashew Cheese?

You can even grate this vegan sliceable cashew cheese over a dish of your choice! I recommend you to freeze the cashew cheese for about an hour until it is even firmer to make sure it can be grated easily!

Can I use other nuts for this recipe?

I think cashews will do best in this recipe because they are pretty neutral in flavor and once boiled, they are so soft that you can blend them easily. It takes just a minute in my highspeed blender and not more than 3 minutes in my food processor until the cheese mixture is super smooth and creamy.

However, feel free to substitute the cashews with other nuts of your choice. Just consider, that the taste will change, especially if you choose nuts with an intense flavor. Also, make sure to increase the soaking/ cooking and blending time if using harder nuts.

Can I make this Vegan Cheese nut-free?

If you can’t eat nuts, you could substitute seeds, such as sunflower seeds or tahini. Also, a soy-based vegan spread or coconut cream would be an option. Just consider that this will affect the taste and consistency.

Storage & Freezing Tips

I prefer to make one big cheese ball with this sliceable vegan cheese recipe but you can also make smaller portions. To make small mini balls, simply fill the dairy-free cheese mixture into ice cube boxes. Then store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for the future. So you can thaw a portion whenever you need some cheese for your vegan meals!

How to make Vegan Cashew Cheese

Step 1: Cook the Veggies & Cashews until softened

To make this delicious sliceable cashew cheese, start to cook the potatoes, carrot, and cashews in water. In the meantime, lightly grease a small bowl that holds about 1 ⅔ cups (400ml) of liquid (or another container of your choice) with a little coconut oil. I suggest putting the greased bowl in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the oil to harden but that’s just optional.

Step 2: Blend until creamy

Once the vegetables and cashews are soft, drain the cooking water and reserve 1/3 cup of it in a measuring cup. Transfer the cooked vegetables, cashew nuts, and reserved cooking water, to a blender. Add lemon juice, salt, paprika, mustard, yeast flakes, and garlic powder and blend until smooth. Then fill the cashew cheese cream in a bowl and set aside.

Step 3: Cook the agar, then mix in the cheese mixture

In a saucepan, stir the agar in 1/2 cup of cold water. Once the powder has completely dissolved, bring it to a boil while stirring constantly and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and quickly stir in the cashew potato cheese mixture until combined.

Step 4: Pour into a bowl and chill until firm!

Then immediately pour it into the chilled bowl and chill for at least 3 hours or better overnight to firm up. Once hardened you can overturn the bowl onto a board so the vegan cheese comes out as a beautiful ball. Slice and enjoy it!

This easy vegan Cashew Cheese recipe is:

• Dairy-free (Lactose-free)
• Gluten-free
• Made from scratch
• Quick & Easy to make
• Sliceable
• Melty
• Cheesy & Flavorful
• Soft & Creamy
• Savory
• Healthy
• Very versatile
• Can be used for many dishes
• So delicious!

Here are some of my favorite recipes that you can make with this vegan cashew cheese:

• Vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese Pasta Bake
• Lentil and Zucchini Lasagna
• Vegan Sweet Potato Quesadillas
• Vegan Potato Bake
• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme
• Mexican Sweet Potato Skins
• Garlic Mushroom and Spinach Pizza
• Pizza Toast with Tomatoes
• Mexican Tortilla Casserole

If you try this easy vegan cheese recipe, please leave me a comment and rating! Your feedback is always very helpful for me and other readers. And if you take a photo of your sliceable cashew cheese, please tag me on Instagram @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your remakes! Enjoy it!

Easy Vegan Cheese Recipe (Sliceable Cashew Cheese)

Author: Bianca Zapatka

This sliceable vegan cashew cheese recipe is super quick and easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. It’s creamy, cheesy, flavorful and a great healthy dairy-free alternative to real cheese.

5 von 5 Bewertungen

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Appetizer, Basics, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Servings 16 Servings

Calories 59 kcal

Ingredients

• ¾ cup raw cashews 120g (*see notes for options)
• 2 small potatoes 125g peeled
• ½ carrot 60g peeled
• ⅓ cup water
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp paprika powder
• 1 tbsp mustard optional to taste
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ cup water
• 1-2 tbsp 100% agar powder *see notes

Instructions 

*see step-by-step photos in my blog post above!

• Peel and dice the potatoes and the carrot, then put them into a saucepan along with the cashews. Cover with water and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until everything is soft.
• In the meantime, lightly grease a small bowl that holds about 1 ⅔ cups (400ml) of liquid (or another container of your choice​) with coconut oil, then chill for 5 minutes (optional).
• Once the vegetables and cashews are soft, drain them and reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking water.
• Transfer the cooked vegetables, cashews, and reserved cooking water to a blender. Add the lemon juice, salt, paprika powder, mustard, yeast flakes, and garlic powder and blend until smooth and creamy. Then fill the mixture in a bowl and scrape out the blender with a soft spatula. (This step is helpful to work quickly when mixing with the agar in step 6).
• In a small saucepan, dissolve the agar in ½ cup of water and bring it to a boil. Stir constantly and cook for 1 to 2 minutes (or according to the package instructions).
• Remove the saucepan from the heat, and quickly stir in the cashew cheese mixture until combined. Then immediately pour it into the chilled greased bowl, smoothing out evenly.
• Place the cashew cheese in the fridge for at least 3 hours (or better overnight) to firm up.
• Once firm, overturn the vegan cheese onto a plate. Slice and enjoy it!

Notes

• Agar-agar: It is important to use 100% pure agar powder (not flakes). I like the cheese a little softer, so I use 1 tablespoon of agar. If you prefer it firmer, you can use more.
• Cashews: Feel free to substitute other nuts or seeds or a rich creamy vegan spread (e.g. vegan cream cheese) or coconut cream (the solid part of full-fat coconut milk). But please consider that this will affect the taste and consistency.
• Baking: You can use this cheese on top of a pizza, a casserole, and to gratinate any dishes. It won’t be as stretchy and melty as regular cheese but it softens and gets creamy. Also, it can be grated when you freeze the cheese for about 1 hour or until it’s firm enough to grate it easily (see pizza photos in my blog post).
• Storage: You can keep this vegan cashew cheese in the fridge for up to 5 or 6 days or freeze it for longer storage. Once thawed, the consistency will be a bit softer, but you can still use it for gratinating.
• The instruction time does not include chill time.
• Please read my blog post for further information and tips!

Nutritions

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.2g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 3.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g

Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as estimate.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!

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