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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Extras

    Homemade Vegan Cheddar Cheese

    Last Updated December 18, 2022. Published August 2, 2015 By Charla 22 Comments

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    cheese board

    Learn how to make your very own vegan cheese that's firm from scratch. My rendition is more on the solid side, tastes and even grates just like the real thing. Add a few slices to your favourite crackers or grate it instead.

    vegan nut cheese

    cheese board with grapes and crackers

    This vegan nut cheese is so foolproof and every vegan and dairy free persons dream come true, completely homemade with a small amount of ingredients.

    Overhead shot of the cheese board

    For those of you who are vegan, dairy free or simply lactose intolerant the one thing you will miss is cheese.

    Even if you don't miss it immediately at some point it will dawn on you.

    You may start by research online or browsing your local supermarket for some cheese replacement, anything that taste like cheese.

    A few years ago I challenged myself to make some "dairy free cheese" you know something that could yield similar results and after some....well actually, scratch that! Months of trial and error I finally made some cheese.

    I've since updated the recipe offering step by step pictures, more in depth instructions and adjusted the ingredients which results in something more foolproof.

    Keep in mind that vegan cheese will never be able to fully replicate conventional cheese simply because it needs additional ingredients to make it look/behave like cheese.

    Therefore I'm going to use the term "cheese" very loosely because it's not 100% the same but close enough to the real thing thanks to the cheesy flavour  which derives from the nutritional yeast (dried deactivated yeast)  and I will explain why as you read on.

    Ingredients you will need

    ingredients to make homemade vegan cheddar cheese

    What this cheese can and can't do

    Before you get carried away with making the recipe, let's etablish a few things;

    • This cheese won't replace cheese as you know it, it is NOT a direct replica. More like it will give you that cheese familarity and help to satisfy your cravings.
    • It grates and slices but DOESN'T MELT - yup! sorry about that!
    • It's soft and more delicate then conventional cheese, handle with care. It does have a slight gelatinous feel to it thanks to the use of the agar agar (will explain further on) but aside from that, it's good to go!

    What is agar agar?

    Agar agar is the vegan's answer to gelatine, made from dried seaweed, it comes in the form of powder or flakes.

    The great thing about agar agar is it's versatility, you can use it to mould jelly, custard, as a thickener in soup, just about any recipe that requires emulsifying.

    Ways to use this vegan cheese

    • On crackers
    • Add to your favourite vegan burger
    • Cheese board
    • Chop/slice some up and add to your salad

    The steps

    steps 1-4 boiling the ingredients to make the cheese

    • Spray or lightly grease a cheese mould and set aside.
    • Combine the water and the almond milk in a medium sized saucepan and bring to the boil
    • Once boiled, add the rest of the ingredients and proceed to stir
    • Reduce the heat to medium/low and continue to stir for 5 minutes until everything is combine and slightly thickened.
    • Pour the liquid into a mould and allow to completely cool (this can take 1-2 hours) uncovered.
    • During the given time the cheese will begin to set.
    • Once cool, wrap the top with foil/saran/cling film and transfer to the refrigerator and leave to completely set (this will take a few hours but I like to leave it overnight)

     Can you freeze this cheese?

    Yes, for longevity, keep your cheese in the freezer (in an airtight container) and store for up to 3 months.

    Do you need to use agar agar? is there another vegan alternative?

    Yes, you do need some type of gelatin (agar agar is sea weed based) for the cheese to become firm. As far as an alternative, I don't know of any as xanthan gum won't work either.

    What can you use instead of the lemon juice?

    Apple cider vinegar or lime works just fine.

    Can you use an alternative to almond milk?

    As the recipe has been adapted in liquid form I can only recommend using another plant based milk i.e cashew, coconut or dairy free yoghurt will work too

    Notes and tips

    • Don't skip any of these ingredients as this is what makes the recipe work.
    • DON'T use agar agar FLAKES, it isn't as strong as the powder and is likely NOT to set your cheese.
    • If you don't have a cheese mould use a small clear pyrex dish or ramekin roughly 5 inches x 2 inches (12 cm x 5 cm)
    • If you are using a pyrex you may need to run the knife around the perimeter to ease the cheese out.
    • The texture of your cheese may have a slightly jello type of feel to it, this is normal, remember this is alternative cheese.
    • Your cheese will be softer then conventional cheese but firm enough to pick it up and use against a box grater.
    • PLEASE PLEASE keep in mind this cheese DOESN'T NOT MELT. Make sure you are aware of this as I do not want to mislead you. It's up to you to read the recipe post and notes/tips first and then decide if this recipe is for you!
    • To extend the life of the cheese, store in the freezer for up to 3 months
    • Keep the cheese chilled at all times and use within 5 days.
    • Allow to thaw out (doesn't make very long) and use accordingly.

    a block of cheese sliced

     Other recipes with vegan cheese

    • Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
    • Dairy Free Brazilian Cheese Bread
    • Vegan Pasta Bake
    • Vegan Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
    • Rasta Pasta
    • Trinidad Macaroni Pie
    • Vegan Pasta Bake

    **Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    cheese board with cut up cheese

    Homemade Vegan Cheddar Cheese

    Learn to make your very own vegan cheddar cheese that's firm and slicable from scratch
    4 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Extras
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 113kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups almond milk
    • ½ cup of water
    • 3 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoon of agar agar powder (or carrageenan kappa)
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon himalyan pink salt
    • a dash of turmeric optional

    Instructions

    • Spray or lightly grease a cheese mould and set aside
    • Combine the water and the almond milk in a medium sized saucepan and bring to the boil
    • Once boiled, add the rest of the ingredients and proceed to stir
    • Reduce the heat to medium/low and continue to stir for 5 minutes until everything is combine and slightly thickened
    • Pour the liquid into a mould and allow to completely cool (this can take 1-2 hours) uncovered
    • During the given time the cheese will begin to set.
    • Once cool, wrap the top with foil/saran/cling film and transfer to the refrigerator and leave to completely set (this will take a few hours but I like to leave it overnight)

    Notes

    • Don't skip any of these ingredients as this is what makes the recipe work.
    • DON'T use agar agar FLAKES, it isn't as strong as the powder and is likely NOT to set your cheese.
    • If you don't have a cheese mould use a small clear pyrex dish or ramekin roughly 5 inches x 2 inches (12 cm x 5 cm)
    • If you are using a pyrex you may need to run the knife around the perimeter to ease the cheese out.
    • The texture of your cheese may have a slightly jello type of feel to it, this is normal, remember this is alternative cheese.
    • Your cheese will be softer then conventional cheese but firm enough to pick it up and use against a box grater.
    • PLEASE PLEASE keep in mind this cheese DOESN'T NOT MELT. Make sure you are aware of this as I do not want to mislead you. It's up to you to read the recipe post and notes/tips first and then decide if this recipe is for you!
    • To extend the life of the cheese, store in the freezer for up to 3 months
    • Keep the cheese chilled at all times and use within 5 days.
    • Allow to thaw out (doesn't make very long) and use accordingly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Irina

      August 13, 2020 at 1:05 am

      5 stars
      What a great guide to cheese making! I would never think that I could make it one day. It is happening now...

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 13, 2020 at 6:57 am

        Yay! That's what I like to hear Irina

        Reply
    2. Emily

      August 13, 2020 at 12:41 am

      5 stars
      Sometimes I prefer plant based cheese to classic cheese and your vegan nut cheese recipe is an example of that! Such amazing flavor and texture!

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 13, 2020 at 6:58 am

        Thanks Emily!

        Reply
    3. Adrianne

      August 13, 2020 at 12:29 am

      5 stars
      Wow, I love how committed you are to making vegan cheese and the steps listed are awesome!! Even if it doesn't melt I can see why it is hugely popular! This is a clear great recipe, thanks!

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 13, 2020 at 6:58 am

        Aww thank you so much Adrianne. I try my best!

        Reply
    4. Amy

      August 12, 2020 at 10:36 pm

      5 stars
      Wow what a great idea! I need to try this 🙂

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 13, 2020 at 6:58 am

        Thank you Amy!

        Reply
    5. Angela

      August 12, 2020 at 8:19 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good! I am not a fan of store-bought vegan cheese, but this was so much better than those. Will definitely make again!

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 12, 2020 at 8:37 pm

        Thank you Angela

        Reply
    6. bethany79

      September 29, 2017 at 8:51 pm

      can I use cashews?

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 29, 2017 at 11:01 pm

        Yes, Bethany. You can use cashew nuts instead.

        Reply
    7. Jolie

      August 10, 2015 at 5:30 am

      I also bought some nutritional yeast just yesterday at the health food shop, so it's like the universe is just telling me to make this cheese... hahah!

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 10, 2015 at 7:31 am

        I hope you like it. As I said in the post it doesn't have a long shelf life so to speak (3 days max) so you might want to half the ingredients unless you intend to use the entire cheese block right away.

        Reply
        • Grace

          December 17, 2015 at 4:13 pm

          Can this cheese be frozen and grated later? My 3 year old has multiple food allergies and will be the only one eating this so I don't want it to go to waste. Thanks!

          Reply
          • Charla

            December 18, 2015 at 11:25 am

            Hi Grace, yes the cheese is freezer friendly. I either half the ingredients to make a very small batch to use or freeze and thaw out if I'm not using it straight away. Let me know if you have any more questions as I am happy to assist you.

            Reply
    8. Jolie

      August 10, 2015 at 5:29 am

      This is amazing! I saw your recipe for the loaded sweet potato skins with vegan cheese and my first thought was that I'd have to use regular cheese because all those vegan ones are super expensive where I live. So I was extremely excited when I saw the link to this homemade vegan cheese recipe!

      I've never thought of using agar agar for anything other than jelly before, so I can't get over how inventive and creative you are Charlene! Will definitely be trying this one.

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 10, 2015 at 7:33 am

        You should know me by now Jolie, I always manage to find a way to make alternatives. Speaking of which I'm working on a hybrid gluten free flour mix so I can create some flour based recipes.

        Reply
    9. Gemma

      August 06, 2015 at 5:40 am

      4 stars
      This is very interesting. I love almond milk. Interesting addition of garlic powder. I did not know that Agar Agar was a type of gelatin. Very interesting combination.

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 06, 2015 at 7:46 am

        Nor did I Gem, it's a great vegan alternative, so bonus there.

        Reply

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