Vegan Mozzarella that can be shredded or sliced! It melts and stretches beautifully just like the real thing and only takes minutes to make! Nut free option.
I have probably tested this vegan mozzarella 10-15 times in the last couple of months, trying to get it just right for you! I decided to keep the flavor very similar to my EASY Stretchy Mozzarella since it’s so well loved.
The difference with this recipe is that the mozzarella is SHREDDABLE and SLICEABLE. Total game changer!
Why this cheese is amazing
- You can make it in a matter of minutes, and it’s ready to eat in an hour or two.
- It shreds perfectly for pizza or quesadillas, and melts super well!
- It can be sliced for sandwiches, used either cold or for grilled cheese.
- You can make mozzarella sticks! (recipe is coming soon)
- It only requires 9 ingredients.
- It’s gluten free, dairy free (of course) and there is a nut free option that works so well!
- Plus it will satisfy your cheesy cravings with it’s deliciousness!!!
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Ingredients for Shreddable Vegan Cheese
- Raw cashews OR silken tofu – This is the base of your cheese. I prefer to use cashews for a slightly richer cheese, but silken tofu actually works well! If you have a nut allergy, or you don’t have a high powered blender, use the tofu version.
- Tapioca starch – Also known as tapioca flour, this provides a wonderful stretchy texture.
- Kappa Carrageenan – This is the magical ingredient that makes the cheese solid, and allows it to melt, and then go back to solid. I ordered mine from Amazon. *There is some controversy around carrageenan, but I feel totally safe using it after doing a lot of research. Do what you feel is right, I do include an option for using agar agar instead.
- Nutritional yeast – For that cheesy flavor, however if you don’t care for it you can leave it out or use white mellow miso paste instead. It makes the cheese wonderfully flavored!
- Salt
- Refined coconut oil – Refined is the key word here! Don’t use unrefined or your cheese will taste like coconut. Oil free? You can leave it out, the cheese just won’t be quite as rich or melty.
- Lemon juice
- Apple cider vinegar, or just more lemon juice
- Boiling hot water – This is what activates the kappa carrageenan.
How to make it
- Soak the cashews, unless you are using tofu. Also get out a clean container to hold the cheese. I used a glass container that holds 3 cups.
- To a blender, add all the ingredients except the boiling water.
- Carefully add the boiling hot water to the blender and then IMMEDIATELY put on the lid and blend. Use a towel for extra protection. You need to move quickly because the cheese will start to set almost right away.
- Pour into the prepared container, right away. Don’t let the mixture sit in the blender for any time at all!
Place the container, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours until set and solid throughout.
Then it’s ready to slice or shred!
If you aren’t going to eat it right away, pop it out of the container, wrap in paper towels and place in a large ziplock bag or container. This will make it drier, which I think makes it better.
How long will it keep?
It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 1 week. It can also be frozen.
I made some simple pizzas on tortillas and OH MY GOODNESS they were amazing! This cheese melts better than any brand of vegan cheese I have bought at the store, and it tastes better, too.
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Want more Vegan Cheese recipes?
- EASY Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella
- Vegan Nacho Cheese
- 5 Ingredient Vegan Queso
- Vegan Cream Cheese
- Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce
Method adapted from Vegan Blueberry and recipe adapted from my Stretchy Mozzarella.
Shreddable Vegan Mozzarella
Vegan Mozzarella that can be shredded or sliced! It melts and stretches beautifully just like the real thing and only takes minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews OR 1/2 cup silken tofu
- 4 tablespoons tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kappa carrageenan*
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons refined coconut oil (make sure it's refined for no coconut flavor!)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or more lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups boiling hot water
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil (I use my electric kettle.) Pour the hot water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes, then drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Set aside.
- Get out a clean container that can hold about 3 cups. I prefer glass, but plastic will work. Have it ready before you start because you will need to move quickly once the cheese is blended.
- Heat up the 1 1/2 cups of water. It will need to be boiling when you add it to the blender. Again, I heat up water in my tea kettle, then measure 1 1/2 cups when I'm ready. You can also simply get it boiling in a small pan on the stovetop.
- To a high powered blender (if you use tofu instead you can use a regular blender), add the soaked and drained cashews, tapioca starch, kappa carrageenan, nutritional yeast, salt, coconut oil, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.
- CAREFULLY pour in the boiling hot water, and immediately put the lid on and blend. Use a towel for extra protection so the hot water does not burn you! Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down once if needed. It will only take a minute or so, and the mixture will start to harden fast so you need to work quickly.
- Immediately pour the cheese into your prepared container. It will start to harden super fast, so do not wait.
- Move the container to the refrigerator, uncovered and let chill for 1-2 hours, until solid throughout and cooled.
- After a few hours, pop it out of the container, and either slice/shred right away or wrap in paper towels, then place in a large ziplock bag or container. This will help it be drier, which I think makes it better.
- Use anywhere you would real mozzarella, such as on pizza, grilled cheese, cold sandwiches, pasta dishes, Mexican dishes, on top of soups or just for snacking.
Notes
- I have tested this with both cashews and tofu and I can hardly tell the difference! If you have a nut allergy, or you don't have a high powered blender, use the tofu. I still prefer the cashews for a slightly richer cheese, but the tofu version is really good too.
- Kappa Carrageenan is a natural substance from red seaweed that helps thicken/gels. I feel completely safe using it, but if you have concerns you can use agar agar powder instead or simply stick to my Easy Stretchy Mozzarella.
- To use agar agar instead: Place all the ingredients except for the agar agar and water to the blender and set aside. In a small pot, stir together 3 tablespoons (instead of 1 1/2) agar agar and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until it firms up and gels. Add this to the blender, blend, then transfer to the container and refrigerate. To use agar agar flakes, increase the amount to 9 tablespoons.
- If you don't like nutritional yeast, you can leave it out or sub a mellow white miso paste instead.
- Oil Free: You can leave out the coconut oil if needed. It won't be quite as melty or rich but it does work quite well.
- Storing: The cheese will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 1 week. If you can't eat it all in that time, you can freeze it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 437mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
Looks great! Can I use a different oil than coconut oil?
Hi Deb. The coconut oil helps the cheese to become firm, but I think another oil could likely work. I haven’t tested it to know for sure though, sorry! If you do use another oil, let me know how it turns out for you!
Been vegan a little over 3 months. Definitely a learning curve to the recipes – I’ve tried a lot from a lot of different sources. All that I have tried of Nora’s recipes have been top notch – both in instruction, flavor and texture. Don’t believe I’ll be trying any other sites till I work through her recipes first. They are THAT good! Thank you, Nora, for the time and effort that you put into making the world a more compassionate (and tasty) place.
Hi Laurie. Your wonderful feedback means so much to me! Welcome to my site! I hope you enjoy your journey through my recipes! Please reach out if you have any questions. Thank you for sharing your fabulous review and comments! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Does firmness of silken tofu matter?
Can get soft to extra firm
Hi Jennifer. Any firmness will work for this recipe. I usually use silken firm tofu. Hope this helps!
Hi Nora how do you avoid the blender exploding after you pour the hot boiling water into it as you turn it on?
My Vitamix has the ability to start at low speed, then gradually go to high which helps. But I always use a towel over the top to make sure nothing comes out and burns me.
Hi Nora, love the recipe, have made it twice before. This time I thought I would mix all the ingredients with a half cup of the water and then add the remaining 1 cup of HOT water. Well, it came out of the blender like ricotta and was not setting up. I put in in the microwave for 2 mins, gave it a stir until it was hot enough to bind together. I’m fessing up so that other’s don’t make the same mistake. HOT water is crucial to making this in the blender. If i don’t want the mess in the blender would you suggest blending and heating on the stove like your stretchy cheese? Sorry such along post. Happy New Year!!!!!!!!
This recipe is far superior to all other cheese recipes, I have been on a quest for a cheese analog that tastes great and melts and this is the One!
Thanks Nora, I find that your blog is the one I always use for great vegan recipes.
Hi Margaret. I really appreciate your kind words, and am thrilled you love my recipes! This means a lot to me! Thank you for taking your time to share your fantastic review and comments! I am so glad you love the cheese! I love it too! Happy cooking!
This is REALLY good! Best vegan cheese I’ve tried aside from this one cashew queso recipe. Question: has anyone tried blending everything aside from the carrageenan for a minute – and then adding it last after blended, and THEN pouring it?
Can mochi flour be substituted for tapioca flour and regular vinegar for apple cider vinegar?
I’m not sure about mochi flour as I’ve never used it. Tapioca flour is what makes it stretchy. Regular vinegar is probably fine though.
Hello can I use regular vinegar?
Yes, that’s fine.
Other recipes I see they cook the mixture after blending, this seems much easier going to give it a try
Hi Nora! I am sharing this recipe with everyone… it’s amazing! Any thoughts about making a cheddar version? I make a lot of nachos! Thank you so much for your talent and generosity!
This is by far the best vegan mozzarella I’ve ever had.! I’ve been making my own for years, and it never tasted like this. I made mine with tofu since I don’t eat nuts and it’s amazing! Skip the commercial mozz and make this… it’s better tasting and way cleaner!
Thanks so much for you great review and comments! I’m thrilled that you love the cheese!
Hello,
I am so happy to have found this recipe and I am very excited to try it. I went to the store to gather some ingredients and unfortunately where I leave I am unable to get the kappa carrageenan, agar agar powder or tapioca flour/starch. I was able to get arrowroot flour. Will the cheese still work out if I omit those three and substitute the recipe with arrowroot flour? What measurements of arrowroot flour would you recommend? I really appreciate you taking the time to share this recipe as well as reading my message. Have a blessed day.
Hi there! I’m sorry to say the cheese won’t turn out without those ingredients, arrowroot flour won’t work the same at all. The kappa carrageenan/agar agar is what makes the cheese firm and the tapioca makes it stretchy. It will just be a thick sauce without it.
It shreds beautifully and tastes amazing.Will not,however,melt lol. I used Agar
What were you trying to melt it on? I’ve found the oven needs to be quite hot for it to melt well, say on pizza. But I’ve used it for grilled cheese and it melts, just takes a bit longer than normal cheese.
On nacho chips in a 475 oven. The cheese just crisped up?? Tasted great, just a strange texture. Had it cubed in a salad and was just yummy. Too much agar maybe??
Hmmmm I’ll try a grilled cheese 🙂
How hot is quite hot? The melt looks good on the pizzas in the article but I can never get it to look like that….
425-450 degrees. I also find it doesn’t melt as well when there is a lot of other stuff, veggies, etc. on pizza. Or if you add a bunch of toppings, do sauce, then cheese, then the toppings. It melts better like that. Hope that helps!
Hello Nora, your recipe looks wonderful. I noticed you have another mozzarella recipe (very easy mozzarella cheese) and you say that it can be browned a little in tge oven by spraying some oil on it… can we do the same with this recipe? Thank you!
Yes, it works with this cheese as well, especially if you use the broiler option, just for a few minutes.
Love this! Very easy to make and flavor is awesome. Sometimes I through in some smoked paprika or herbs to mix it up. This is what I use for sandwiches, caprese salads, and pizza. Thank you for another great recipe, Nora!
Thanks Shelly! I am glad you love the cheese, and that you are finding so may fun ways to use it! I appreciate you taking your time to share your review!
Hi what oil can I sub for coconut oil please? Allergic. Thanks
You can leave it out if needed.
Will this cheese be solid enough to slice and use in something like a caprese salad?
Yes, it’s very firm.
Love it!
Hey, I want to try an adaption of your recipe ( using glutinous rice flour as an addition to the tapioca starch and different flavourings) and I wondered, whether I can use soy yogurt instead of silken tofu. Do you think it’s possible?
Greetings from Germany 🙂
It’s probably possible, but I’m not sure. Hope you enjoy it!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it a bunch of times over the past year or so. I usually double the recipe (but keep each batch separate and use two blender carafes so I can blend each batch quickly and smoothly). I like to double it because it is so good and I have a big family! Sometimes we’ll eat it cut into squares on crackers, but we often use it in dishes like lasagna, quesadillas, pizza, nachos, or other places where we want melty cheese. I like that it keeps at least a week in the fridge so my efforts aren’t gone in just a few days! Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Tami. I’m so glad you guys are enjoying the cheese recipe! Thank you for taking time to share your review!
Oh my gosh! This cheese is so good. I made it to shred on top of chilie for tonight’s dinner. So, so good! Thanks so much!
Thanks for using my recipe, Gayle, and for sharing your review! I’m glad you love the cheese!
Hi,
can we replace the kappa carrageenan with agar agar?
Love your recipes!
Patrick
Hi! Yes, there are instructions for this in the Notes section of the recipe card. Thanks!
This was amazing!!! This will be a staple in my household! Thank you!
Btw can you freeze this?
It can be frozen, yes. I’m so glad you love it, thank you!
Is there a nut/soy free option due to allergies?
I don’t know how to make this nut and soy free, but maybe sunflower seeds could work? Haven’t tested it though.
I tried 5 times. And have been very accurate with the instructions. It doesn’t get solid so i can shred it at all and it doesn’t melt really either. Very frustraiting.
What kind of kappa carrageenan do you have? What makes it get firm, which happens almost immediately after blending, is the kappa with the boiling hot water. A chemical reaction occurs, causing it to thicken. If this is not happening, either your water is not actually hot enough, or your kappa is not working properly and you need to try a different brand. Without being there it’s hard to know what else could be going on since you say you followed the recipe exactly. I’m sorry it’s been frustrating!