This Vegan Cheddar Cheese Spread is creamy, perfectly melty, and full of cheesy flavor. It's ready in 25 minutes and made with simple ingredients like cashews, carrots, and nutritional yeast. It blends up smooth and turns glossy and stretchy on the stove, making it great for grilled cheese, pasta, or sandwiches.
To give it that classic cheddar color, I use a little turmeric along with carrots, which naturally add that orange tone. Nutritional yeast brings the cheesy flavor, garlic and onion powder make it taste more like real cheddar, and a splash of lemon juice adds that slight tang. Once blended and cooked with tapioca starch, it turns smooth, glossy, and nice and melty.
My favorite way to use it is for a vegan grilled cheese (recipe coming soon!). It's also great stirred into hot pasta for a quick mac and cheese, spooned over baked potatoes, or served as a dip with tortilla chips, pretzels, or veggies. Basically, anywhere you'd normally use melted cheddar, this works.
Want more vegan cheesy goodness? Try my Vegan Cheese for a creamy, melty option that's great for pasta and nachos, Vegan Cashew Cheese for a rich and tangy spread, and Vegan Mac and Cheese for a cozy comfort food classic. All dairy-free and easy to make.
Vegan Cheddar Cheese Spread Ingredients
- Raw cashews: Use raw, unsalted. If using salted, reduce the salt. You can swap for blanched almonds or sunflower seeds, but the flavor will change. Soak them if you don't have a high-speed blender.
- Carrots: Add natural sweetness and that cheddar-like color. You can use cooked butternut squash instead.
- Water: Helps blend everything smooth. Swap for my Vegetable Broth or any unsweetened plant milk for more flavor.
- Nutritional yeast: Gives the cheesy flavor. Brewer's yeast works as a backup, but it won't taste exactly the same.
- Tapioca starch: Makes it stretchy and melty. Cornstarch thickens, but won't give you that cheese pull.
- Lemon juice: Adds tang. You can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
- Salt: Adjust to taste.
- Garlic powder and onion powder: Add savory flavor. Powders work best for a smooth texture.
- Turmeric: Optional. Just for color.
- Smoked paprika: Optional but recommended. Adds a light smoky flavor that makes it taste richer.
Find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Vegan Cheddar Cheese Spread
- Add the cashews and chopped carrots to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until both are soft. Drain well.
- Transfer the cooked cashews and carrots to a high-speed blender. Add the water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and smoked paprika.
- Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed so everything blends evenly.
- Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 3-5 minutes, or until thick, glossy, and stretchy. Remove from the heat and use right away, or let it cool slightly to thicken more.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken as it cools.
- Freezer: You can freeze it in a sealed container for up to 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The texture may change slightly, but it still works great once warmed up.
- To reheat: Warm it in a saucepan over low to medium heat, stirring often. Add a splash of water or plant milk to loosen it up if needed. You can also microwave it in short intervals, stirring in between, until smooth and creamy again.
Tips for Success
- Use tapioca starch for that classic melty, stretchy texture. Other starches won't give you the same result.
- Stir constantly once it's on the heat. It thickens very quickly and can clump if you stop whisking.
- Don't adjust the liquid or tapioca measurements. The ratio is key for getting the right consistency.
- As soon as it turns thick and glossy, remove it from the heat. Overcooking can make it too dense.
- If it thickens too much after cooling, just reheat it gently with a splash of water or plant milk and stir until smooth again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tapioca starch is what gives this cheese its stretchy, melty texture. Other starches like cornstarch or arrowroot will thicken it, but they won't create that elastic, cheese-like pull. For best results, stick with tapioca.
Sometimes the sauce just needs a little more time on the heat. Tapioca starch activates as it cooks, so keep whisking over medium heat until it thickens and becomes glossy. If the ratios were changed, that can also affect the final texture.
If it's too thick, it may have cooked a little too long or cooled down completely. Just reheat it gently with a splash of water or plant milk and stir until smooth.
If it's too runny, it likely didn't cook long enough. Keep it on the heat a bit longer, whisking constantly, until it thickens.
If you're using a high-speed blender, you can skip soaking. If not, soaking the cashews in hot water for 20-30 minutes helps them blend smoother and gives you a creamier texture.
That's completely normal. Tapioca starch continues to set as it cools, which makes the cheese firmer. Just reheat it gently and add a splash of liquid if needed to bring it back to a smooth, melty consistency.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
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Vegan Cheddar Cheese Spread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, optional, for color
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional but recommended
Instructions
- Add the raw cashews and chopped carrots to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until both are soft. Drain well.
- Transfer the cooked cashews and carrots to a high-speed blender. Add the water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and smoked paprika. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides if needed.
- Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 3-5 minutes, or until it thickens and becomes glossy and stretchy.
- Remove from the heat once smooth and spreadable. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Use immediately while warm, or let it cool slightly to thicken even more.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It will thicken as it chills, which is completely normal.
- To freeze, let it cool completely, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
- To reheat, warm it gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Add a splash of water or unsweetened plant milk to bring back the creamy, smooth texture.
About Iosune
Hi, I’m Iosune! I’m a food lover, home cook, recipe creator, and co-founder of Simple Vegan Blog, which I started in 2014 to show how easy and delicious vegan cooking can be.