Vegan Cheese

This vegan cheese tastes like the real thing. It's a delicious and healthy alternative to cheese made with 9 ingredients in 30 minutes.

This wonderful vegan cheese will turn your world upside down! Hands down one of my top recipes! So creamy, cheesy, gooey, and its flavor will have you thinking that you're eating real cheese.

This non-dairy cheese is made with 9 ingredients and 30 minutes and is perfect for lactose intolerants. It is also gluten-free and extremely easy to make. You'll be awed by its wonderful texture!

What is vegan cheese?

It is a dairy-free version of regular cheese. It is 100% plant-based and cholesterol-free, and I love making it at home to customize it with my favorite spices!

Ingredient notes

• Potatoes: I've made this vegan cheese recipe using different types of potatoes and it always works, but Yukon gold potatoes work best. 
• Water: it can be made with cold, hot, or room temperature water. You could even add the water you used to boil or steam the veggies. I prefer to use clean water at room temperature, though. You could also use vegetable stock instead.
• Nutritional yeast: it gives this recipe the cheesy flavor, so it’s an important ingredient. If you can’t find it, you could use brewer’s yeast or even beer instead of water. However, nutritional yeast is the best choice.
• Extra virgin olive oil: extra virgin olive oil is my favorite choice, but you could actually use any kind of vegetable oil.

Dietary variations

• Make it oil-free: use water or vegetable stock instead of oil.

Pro tips

• Not all brands of nutritional or brewer's yeast weigh the same, so I prefer to use a measuring cup. If you don't have one, add 8 tablespoons or 35 grams, and then add more if needed.
• If you like your cheese spicy, just add a dash of cayenne powder as well. You can also customize it with pepper, paprika, or your favorite herbs.

How to make vegan cheese

• Boil or steam the potatoes and carrots for about 20 minutes or until they're soft.
• Drain them and add them to a powerful blender. 
• Add all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Serve your vegan cheese immediately.

How to store

• Fridge: keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
• Freezer: keep it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Reheat: it can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a little water, vegetable stock, or unsweetened plant milk if needed, such as soy milk or almond milk.

What is vegan cheese made of?

There are a lot of different vegan cheese recipes. They can be made with nuts like cashews, nutritional yeast, tofu, soy protein, tapioca starch, and even agar-agar, but this version contains potatoes, carrots, and some spices.

Serving suggestions

This dairy-free cheese is as creamy as the classic cheese sauce, so you can have it as an appetizer or snack and dip some tortilla chips, crudités, pita bread, or crackers in it.

Another option would be to spread it over a slice of vegan bread or use it to make a vegan grilled cheese sandwich, a pizza, or simply serve it with all your pasta recipes.

Looking for more vegan cheese recipes?

• Vegan Parmesan Cheese
• Vegan Cream Cheese
• Cashew Cheese
• Vegan Ricotta
• Vegan Mozzarella

Did you make this vegan cheese recipe?

Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!

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Vegan Cheese

This vegan cheese tastes like the real thing. It's a delicious and healthy alternative to cheese made with 9 ingredients in 30 minutes.

4.83 from 224 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Iosune

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Ingredients 

½x1x2x

US Customary - Metric

• ▢ 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced, any type will do, but Yukon gold works best
• ▢ 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ ½ cup nutritional yeast
• ▢ ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder

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Instructions

• Boil or steam the potatoes and carrots for about 20 minutes or until soft.
• Drain them and add them to a blender. 
• Add all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Serve your vegan cheese immediately with tortilla chips, crudités, pita bread, or spread over a slice of vegan bread. You could also use it to make a vegan grilled cheese sandwich!
• Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. I usually transfer the frozen container to the fridge the night before, that way it defrosts by itself. I reheat it in a saucepan and add some water, vegetable stock, or unsweetened plant milk if needed. It can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.

Notes

• I've made this vegan cheese recipe using different types of potatoes and it always works, so please feel free to use any kind you have on hand.
• It can be made with cold, hot, or room temperature water. You could even add the water you used to boil the veggies. I prefer to use clean water at room temperature, though.
• Extra virgin olive oil is my favorite choice, but any oil will do.
• If you can't find nutritional yeast in your area, use debittered brewer's yeast instead (the same amount) or you could also use beer instead of water. You may need to add a little less, though.
• Not all brands of nutritional or brewer's yeast weigh the same, so I prefer to use a measuring cup. If you don't have one, add 8 tablespoons or 35 grams and add more if needed.
• If you want your cheese spicy, just add a dash of cayenne powder.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.1g | Protein: 4.7g | Fat: 13.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Sodium: 404mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 1.5g

Update Notes: This post was originally published in September of 2019, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in May of 2022.