This vegan cheese tastes like real cheese. It’s also gluten-free, inexpensive and the ingredients are easy to get. It’s a healthy alternative to cheese.
I used to be addicted to cheese before I went vegan, so one of the first things I tried to veganized was cheese. This is my go-to vegan cheese sauce and when I tried it for the first time, I couldn’t believe it was not real cheese. It has the same taste and consistency!
We usually eat this vegan cheese with our baked tortilla chips, but if you want something lighter, you can eat it with some crudités.
The ingredients are really easy to get and so affordable. The recipe is also so easy to make, you just need to boil the veggies and blend all the ingredients. This vegan cheese is gluten and dairy-free, so you can enjoy this gorgeous recipe if you are a celiac or a lactose intolerant.
There are so many dishes you can make with this delicious plant-based recipe, like mac and cheese, pizza or whatever that calls for cheese. We are totally in love with it!
Before finding this awesome recipe, I tried a lot of non-dairy cheeses and although they were not bad, they had nothing to do with real cheese, so when I found this one, I could fulfill my dream of finding a healthy cheese alternative.
The original recipe is from Veggie on a Penny. We love their blog and will be eternally grateful for this delicious cheese. Seriously, you NEED to try it, you will find no difference with real cheese, I promise!
If you like this vegan cheese, check out these recipes: vegan tofu feta cheese, vegan parmesan cheese, fat-free vegan cheese sauce, vegan cream cheese and vegan tofu ricotta.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!
Vegan cheese
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Appetizers, Gluten Free
- Cuisine: Vegan
This vegan cheese tastes like real cheese. It’s also gluten-free, inexpensive and the ingredients are easy to get. It’s a healthy alternative to cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled potatoes (360 g)
- 1 cup peeled carrots (135 g)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (70 g)
- 1/2 cup water (125 ml)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Dash of cayenne powder (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the potatoes and the carrots and boil or steam them for 20 to 30 minutes or until soft.
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve with tortilla chips or use the vegan cheese to make mac and cheese, pizza or any other recipe that calls for cheese.
- Store the vegan cheese in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- To make an oil-free version of this recipe, add water instead of the oil. You can also add some tahini or any other healthy fat.
- If you can’t find nutritional yeast, use debittered brewer’s yeast, or even regular or gluten-free beer instead of the water.
- Recipe adapted from Veggie on a Penny.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 293.7 mg
- Fat: 12.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.8 g
- Fiber: 7.1 g
- Protein: 11.9 g
Wow this was so good! I have been vegan since I was 14 and I am now 20 and I haven’t had cheese in 6 years! I did change the recipe up a bit, Instead of adding oil and water I replaced it with 60 calorie unsweetened almond milk, It was so rich and creamy my mom didn’t believe that it was vegan! This is a game changer, thank you.
It’s really good
Try making it without the oil
Oil is 100% fat, and bad for our arteries.
★★★★★
Delicious! I didn’t have any chips to try it on so I am eating it on the potatoes leftover from the cheese sauce. 🙂 I substituted apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice and I cooked about 1/4 cup onion with the potatoes and carrots and used that instead of onion powder.
Hi Lisa! Sounds great 🙂
Wonderful, accepted by cheese lovers in the whole family, vegan or not!
★★★★★
Hi Sharon! So happy to hear that 🙂
I just made it and it was literally good<3 thanks for recipes! It's easy and flavorful!!
★★★★★
Hi Hong-eun! You’re so welcome 🙂
Love it!!!!
Hi Cecelia! Thanks a lot 🙂
Can you give an estimate as to the volume of cheese this recipe makes? 2 cups? I had it last night at a party and it was fantastic. The woman that made it shared your site.
★★★★★
Hi Michelle! I’m so sorry but I don’t know, maybe 3 to 4 cups…
This is delicious! I could not give up queso – until now! I like that it has no nuts and I can make it from what my garden produces. So happy!
★★★★★
Hi Ruthanne! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it so much!
I had modified the recipe to suit our taste. We thought about two tbsp of unsweetened almond milk added creamy texture to it and had to add a tsp more of salt. We had to use beer because we could not find the nutritional yeast in our area. We also added about a tbsp of jalapeno juice and about 2 tbsp of chopped pickled jalapeno to give it some spice. All in all it was an ok substitute for nacho cheese but feel there are better premade non dairy cheeses on the market. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
★★★
Hi Shawn! This recipe works so good if you follow the recipe to the T 🙂 Have a nice day!
Wow! I just made this exactly according to the recipe, and I’m now eating it straight out of the blender like a soup! I’m a veggo looking to go all the way vegan, and giving up cheese has been my last hangup. Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe! (And for your other cheese recipes that I’m looking forward to trying, too.) And thanks to all the commenters for your great suggestions. I’m excited to play with this and see what happens!
★★★★★
Hi Ashley! You’re so welcome 🙂 I’m so glad you liked it so much!
I LOVE this! My little one liked it too. I used avocado oil instead of olive oil.
My nutritional yeast flakes wound up being powder, so 1/2 cup may have been a bit too much. It gave it a slightly nutty yeast flavor.
How should I adjust nutritional yeast amount from flakes to powder?
Thank you!
Hi Divina! Thanks a lot 🙂 I’ve never made this recipe using powder, but I think you should add less next time. Have a nice day!
It was delicious. I was wondering though which type of potatoes you used? Are used russet and I have a feeling another type would have baited even yummier.
★★★★★
Hi Shar! I’ve used several types of potatoes and all of them have worked for me. I live in Spain, so the types I can find here are different from the US. I usually use Agria potatoes, by the way 🙂
Made this for my wife who can’t have milk products. I had some myself and it’s not bad, butvto say it tastes like cheese it a big stretch
Hi Jim! It really tastes like cheese. My non-vegans friends and relatives think the same. Have you used the same ingredients? Have a nice day!
Hi! I’ve made a potato based “cheese” sauce before, but the somewhat grainy texture is the one thing i really don’t like. I used a high speed blender, so i know that’s not the issue, since i do the vegan-mozzarela with cashews and it comes out super creamy every time… Could you advise on what type of potato you use? Reading these comments i am going to give this one more try. And since i haven’t tried YOUR recipe, it would be the fair thing to do 🙂 thank you for any advice you might have and i wish everyone reading this a beautiful day!!!
Hi Stela! I’ve used several types of potatoes and all of them have worked for me. I live in Spain, so the types I can find here are different from the US, but as you can read in the comments, our readers (which are mostly Americans) have made this recipe successfully. I usually use Agria potatoes, by the way 🙂
Tried the dip today and it was great!
★★★★★
Hi there! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂