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Vegan Cheese

Last Updated: Published: By: 766 Comments

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

Photo of a bowl of vegan cheese

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!

Contents show

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!

Photo of some ingredients needed to make this recipe

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.
Step-by-step photos of how to make vegan cheese

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.

Close-up photo of a bowl of vegan cheese

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Square photo of a bowl of vegan cheese

Vegan Cheese

  • Author: Iosune
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 25 mins
  • Total: 30 mins
  • 6
  • Appetizer
  • American
  • Vegan
★★★★★ 4.8 from 176 reviews

Servings 6

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

Ingredients

  • 2 cups potatoes (360 g), peeled and diced, any type will do, but Yukon gold works best
  • 1 cup carrots (135 g), peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup water (125 ml)
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (35 g)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (70 g)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

Instructions

  1. Boil or steam the potatoes and carrots for about 20 minutes or until soft.
  2. Drain them and add them to a blender. 
  3. Add all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
  4. 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!
  5. 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 Size: 1/6 of the recipe
  • Calories: 168
  • Sugar: 1.5 g
  • Sodium: 404 mg
  • Fat: 13.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 9.1 g
  • Fiber: 2.5 g
  • Protein: 4.7 g

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.

Hi, I'm Iosune!

Hey, I’m Iosune! I am a recipe developer, writer, and author of Simple Vegan Meals and Simple Vegan Smoothies CookBooks.

Find me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

read more

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Lydia says

    I’ve been making this cheese for several years now but wanted to see what version you had. Its amazing recommend to all and for others whom never tried it Your recipe is A good start and healthy and ethical And cruelty free. Leaving cows to love nor to steal there calfs milk to make cheese. Thank you I’ll be checking out other recipes you have for Vegans.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  2. kozy says

    Wow, this is really impressive! Only added a 1/4tsp of both smoked paprika and tumeric for depth of flavour and colour enhancement, but wow, this was incredible over macaroni with some steamed kale mixed in 5 STARS!

    Reply

  4. Michelle says

    This is my go-to sauce for mac & cheese and nachos now! I make a big batch at least once a week. My only addition is some miso paste for some added flavour. I’ve even added garlic cloves when I cook the potatoes and carrots and blend them up. I leave out the garlic powder when I do that. Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Kathy says

    That is good stuff!! I had to go on a vegetarian diet because of my health issues. I have not been a vegetarian ever(I am 70) and finding it really hard to find substitutes that are satisfying . Well this is close enough to cheese as I have tried so far. I stirred it in with cooked cauliflower and it was delicious. The best part was no oil added apart from the oil in the cashews. So easy to make too and all good things for your health in it.

    I finally found a Nutritional Yeast I like and it has no salt in it which is another restriction issue for my health and it leaves no weird tastes in the after bite.

    Thank you !!! Delicious creamy and it stays creamy and doesn’t clump up or get solid..LOVE THAT!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  7. Ak says

    I made the vegan cheese today but, i didn’t follow the exact recipe. I didn’t measure. It still came out good. I made nachos and i didn’t feel guilty!

    Reply

    • Roz says

      Jeff, yes, the nutritional yeast adds a buttery cheesy flavor. It’s good on lots of things, like fresh-made popcorn, veggies, etc. Plus, it has 8grams protein per serving (3 Tbs) and various minerals. I even sprinkle some on my 12-yr-old dog’s food.

      Reply

  9. Sabine says

    I made this recipe today. I did not have any potatoes, so I used soy milk and tapioca starch. I also added raw garlic, in addition to garlic powder. I added more oil than this recipe used, and it came out perfect. Just like canned cheese sauce.

    Thank you so much for sharing this.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. Louise says

    Would probably tweak it I think the taste was off I didn’t add enough carrots I believe but it made me wonder if I was eating cheese
    All in all would make it again

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  12. Tori says

    I have made this type of sauce so many times in the past!! Super easy & yummy. Here’s a few tips to make it even better! Make sure to NOT over cook your potatoes- cook until JUST tender.. This will make your sauce suuuuper gooey! & add some yellow mustard.. sounds weird but trust me! & for a bit more flavor, add a dash of liquid aminos. Enjoy!!

    ★★★★

    Reply

  13. Alekhya Nath says

    please can get a substitute for lemon as i am not supposed to have anything like lemon tamarind etc all the tangy and sour foods should be avoided for me so please could u help me

    Reply

  14. Shruti Agrawal says

    Hi, I have just tried this recipe without the yeast. My sauce has a weird after taste – maybe feels raw / little pungent. (I know its not spoilt, just wondering why it tastes like that). Anyone else face this problem?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  15. Angela says

    Excellent recipe! I have made some simple adjustments depending on my application of the sauce (ie. When I’m making it for baked potates, I use soft tofu instead of potatoes so up my protein intake and not double up on starch). I also adjust the seasoning depending of who I make it for (my husband loves garlic so I go a little heavier for him) but that’s the amazing thing about this recipe is it’s flexibility and it turns out fantastic everytime!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  20. Troginis says

    My go to sauce I even prefer this to regular cheese sauce most times very simple recipe usually always have ingredients on hand love it

    ★★★★★

    Reply

      • Roseanna Rios says

        When I first made this I made a giant batch. I think some of my measurements ended up being off but after tweaking it a bit I knew I’d finally achieved the intended result and it was amazing! I’d intended on freezing most of it but it was so yummy I ended up eating it all within a week. I was addicted! I’m not usually a potato eater and after scarfing down all of the cheese I noticed the potatoes left me feeling quite inflamed. I have numerous inflammatory conditions so I was wondering if you could recommend any soy-free substitutions. I was thinking of trying rutabagas. I noticed someone mentioned tapioca starch but I have no clue how much I’d need to use. Think you could help me out?

        ★★★★★

        Reply

  21. Brigitte Rosales says

    I’m so excited about this cheese recipe! I added a few slices of bottled jalapeno peppers and it is soooo good.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  22. Donna says

    If you are lactose intolerant you may not be able to use nutritional yeast because it contains lactic acid. 🥲😢

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      I think you are confusing lactic acid with lactose. People with lactose intolerance lack lactic acid (lactase) which is an enzyme that breaks down lactose (type of milk sugar). You can definitely consume nutritional yeast!

      Reply

    • Farida says

      Tons of vegan products contain lactic acid, including fermented foods. It isn’t exclusively an animal byproduct. Nevertheless, it is something that people can absolutely be allergic to even if that is much rarer than lactose intolerance. To other commenters, please never tell a stranger that something is safe for them to eat if they just told you otherwise!!!!!

      Reply

  24. Jaime says

    A lot of other vegan cheeses are somewhat grainy, but this was so creamy and smooth, just like real nacho cheese. We put it on tacos and it was SO GOOD!! I made it exactly to recipe and the whole family ate it up.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  25. Amelia says

    I love this recipe! I’ve toyed with it over the years and it’s one of my favorites. So simple cheap and satisfying. When I have it on hand I add white miso to it making it extra tasty 😄

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  26. Megan says

    I’ve made this twice already! My husband and I are astounded this tasted so much like cheese dip! He was upset when I thought he was finished with his cheese and I washed his bowl! Haha! I had to make it again the next week. Which isn’t a bad thing, it was super good! I used it for Mac n cheese first then as a dip. Only thing I would microwave in small increments of 10 seconds and stir each time. It started to cook and harden after 20 seconds without stirring. We loved this! This will be a staple in our household. I added you to Twitter, Instagram and subsided to your emails. I am looking into your general tsos next and will continue to cook all the recipes I would love to try.Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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