Vegan White Stilton with Cranberries and Pecans

I make a lot of vegan cheese. It’s easier than most people think, fairly quick, and really affordable to make your own.

All you need are some basic ingredients that you can find at your local super market, plus some agar agar powder. Agar is a vegan gelatin make from seaweed and what is used to solidify the cheese. You can find agar on amazon, or your local Asian food store. It is also pretty inexpensive for the amount of cheese you will get from one bag!

Although vegan cheese options have come a long way over the years in super markets, I can still only find flavors like cheddar, mozzarella, and a few varieties of cheese slices.

If you are like me and miss more artisan style cheeses, you best bet is to start making your own! Like this vegan cranberry and pecan stilton!! I used to impatiently wait for Trader Joe’s to put out their seasonal stilton’s. Traditional Stilton is a milder cheese and a little crumbly. It often is made with different fruits. I can think of no better fruit to toss into a cheese around the holidays than cranberries!!!

I love cranberries!! Cranberry sauce, cranberry desserts, I even love snacking on fresh raw cranberries!! I impatiently wait each year for fresh cranberries to come into season and to be available at my local super markets!

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But for this cheese, you don’t need fresh cranberries unless you are wanting to make your own cranberry sauce, which who can blame you. I make it every single year!! But you can 100% use cranberry sauce from a jar or can for this recipe and don’t have to wait for the holiday season to make it! It is delicious year round!

Listen, don’t let a new or unfamiliar ingredient intimate you! This cheese is so quick and easy to make and pretty fool proof! You will be so amazed at how easy it was to make and how delicious home made vegan cheese is! And if you are on the fence about making a fruity cheese, don’t be. It is soooooo good!! Hooray for Stilton and thanks Trader Joe’s for your never ending inspiration!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of full fat coconut milk or cream

• 2 tablespoons agar agar powder

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons miso paste

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1 teaspoons of salt

• 3 tablespoons sauerkraut (cabbage only, no juice)

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/4 melted cup refined coconut oil

• 3 heaping tablespoons of whole cranberry sauce, homemade or store-bought

• 1/4-1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the milk, agar, and cranberry sauce .

2. Pulse a few times to mix it all up.

3. Now add the milk and agar to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin pudding.

4. Add the milk mixture to the ingredients in the food processor, and mix for about a minute. The mixture will quickly begin to thicken as agar begins to solidify at room temperature.

5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the cranberry sauce into the cheese mixture, so it’s kind of a marble swirl.

6. Sprinkle a tablespoons or so of nuts in the bottoms of 2-3 ramekins or small bowls. Transfer the cheese mixture to the ramekins or small bowls. You should be able to fill 2 or 3 small bowls.

7. Place bowls uncovered in the fridge for a few hours, or until the cheese has fully hardened and is a sliceable consistency.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan White Stilton with Peaches

Apricot Jam

Sun Dried Tomato and Garlic Cheese Ball

vegan flank steak

Sliceable Vegan Beer Cheddar

I love vegan cheese. All kinds of vegan cheese.

I also love beer. All kinds of beer.

In the summer months when I am too hot and lazy to cook, I could live off of vegan cheese and crackers, and maybe some raw veggies and fruit for good measure. Ya know, just so I don’t feel guilty and all that.

In the past I have made a beer cheese dip, and a beer cheese and potato soup so that I could combine my two of my favorite things. But its far too hot right now in Florida for soup.

So that got me thinking, why not just make a sliceable vegan beer cheese so I could eat it as a summer meal or snack, with a nice cold beer. Like, seriously, what took me so long for this one.

So I did just that. I made an easy quick set, agar cheddar, with cashews and my favorite light lager, Yuengling Flight. And don’t judge my love of light beer, at 95 calories, I’ll take it. It’s crisp and delicious, AND it’s still swimsuit season, so gotta watch it. I eat a TON so can’t be drinking all my calories.

This vegan beer cheese is good on cracker, nachos, in beer cheese soup if its not summer and as hot as the surface of the sun where you live, it would make a tasty quesadilla, grilled cheese, and would probably be good on pizza, too.

Agar firms up starting at room temp and will firm up more once cold. It also melts back down once it gets warm as does coconut oil, and that’s why we use it. I am often asked if another oil will work in these cheese recipes, and they will not. You need an oil that solidifies once cold to help the cheese set up nice an firm. Agar on its own has a more gelatinous texture. So it needs a little help from its coconutty friends. If you use filtered or refined coconut oil, there will be NO coconut flavor. So make sure you do that.

Also if you can not eat cashews or want to save a few bucks, sunflower seeds will work in this recipe as well. Same measurements, same instructions!

So if you love cheese and beer, then just go ahead and make yourself a batch of this magic! And just go ahead and drink the leftover beer while you wait for the cheese to set up. No judgments here!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons dry cashews (or sunflower seeds)

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup lager beer

• 3/4 cups unsweetened plant milk

• 2 tablespoons agar powder

• 1/4 cup triple filtered coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons sauerkraut

INSRUCTIONS:

1. In a food processor add the cashews and pulse until broken down. Next add the nutritional yeast, salt, garlic, paprika, sauerkraut, oil, and turmeric. Blend until the ingredients are combined. DO NOT OVER PULSE. You don’t want to end up with cashew butter.

2. In a medium sized sauce pan, combine beer, milk, agar, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. You want the mixture to thicken to a thin pudding like consistency. Because of the beer, the mixture is going to pretty foamy and bubbly. Thats ok. As long as it simmers for about 5 minutes it will be fine. Just keep stirring with rubber spatula.

3. Add the liquid mixture to the nut mixture in the food processor and blend. Mix for a few minutes until all of the ingredients are well incorporated, and smooth.

4. Pour the cheese mixture into 2 - 3 ramekins or small bowls, and let cool uncovered in the refrigerator for serval hours to firm up.

5. Store in an air tight container for up to one week in the refrigerator.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Pimento Cheddar with Coconut Milk

Vegan Beer Cheese Potato Soup

Sliceable Smoky Garlic Cashew Cheese

Easy Vegan Cream Cheese

Give me all the vegan cream cheese!

I love bagels, I love cheese cake, I love cream cheese danish, I love cream cheese frosting.

I can not imagine a world where I can not eat cream cheese!

This being said, vegan cream cheese can be expensive. I have a few brands I love, but I do not love the price!

I have made several variations of vegan cream cheese over the years and have never been too impressed. I mean, plenty of the recipes I tried might have tasted fine, but if they were cashew heavy, I wasn't saving a whole lot of money making my own. If they were tofu based, they tasted too much like tofu to me.

So fast forward to now, and me trying to fall asleep, but being distracted by planning out my next morning’s breakfast. Yes, this is something I do most nights…go to sleep thinking about what I will eat when I wake up. It’s a problem….Anyways, I was thinking about a carrot lox ( carrot lox is sooo easy by the way, follow the link to our simple but delicious recipe) bagel and vegan cream cheese, except it’s Passover at this moment and I can’t have a bagel. So I settled on a carrot lox matzah BUT it is also currently a pandemic, and I have not found vegan cream cheese at a store in weeks. The odds were stacked against me here.

BUT, I had a thought! I could wake up and try a NEW vegan cream cheese recipe idea. I could take the parts I like about different brands and different recipes of cream cheese I have liked, and try to make a perfect homemade cream cheese that won’t cost me an arm and a leg!!!

I decided to MIX cashews and tofu. I could get the cheesy, creamy element from the nuts but use way less, and I could get the texture that I like the tofu without it being all tofu. Surely it would work!!

And it did! This cream cheese is better than any other I have tried to make, in my opinion. I used like a quarter of the nuts I used to use when making just a cashew based cream cheese, and the nuts mixed with the tofu cut the raw tofu flavor, while yielding a perfect texture!

If you allergic to nuts you can sub out the cashews with sunflower seeds! This works well in just about any cashew cheese recipe!

I also add sauerkraut because y’all, I add it to almost all of my vegan cheese. It is a really easy and healthy way to give your vegan cheeses a fermented, tangy kick. Trust me with this. Once you try it, you will ALWAYS add sauerkraut to all of your vegan cheeses. Soft cheese, hard cheese, cheese sauces. Just start looking at sauerkraut as a vegan staple. Even if you would never eat it on its own, its a vegan cheese secret weapon.

So if you have been looking for an easy and delicious vegan cream cheese recipe, I think I have all you need right here!! I do hope you love it as much as I do.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 block super firm tofu, 16oz (the the kind that is vacuum sealed in little water)

• 1/2 cup cashews or sunflower seeds if you have an allergy

• 2 tablespoons sauerkraut, not the juice

• 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup refined/filtered coconut oil, melted

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Begin by adding the cashews to a microwave safe container. Cover the nuts in water and microwave on high for 3 minutes. If you do not have a microwave you will need to soak the cashews in water for at least a few hours. Drain the liquid from the microwaved/soaked cashews.

2. You will need a high speed blender, or a food processor for this recipe. Add all of the ingredients to the blender or processor. Blend on high, using your blender’s plunger to move the ingredients around, or use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides serval times during the process to make sure everything is getting nice and blended up. Depending on the machine you are using, the amount of time you need to blend will vary. The goal is a nice creamy and smooth consistency. I use a vitamix and it takes several minutes. I use the plunger pieces to keep pushing the ingredients down into the blender and moving them around. I also pause the blending several times and scrape down the sides.

3. Taste the mixture. If you want it to have more tang you can add another teaspoon or so of vinegar.

4. Store the cream cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze this cream cheese.

5. You can mix in diced green onions or chives, diced berries, cinnamon and a few pinches or sugar, anything you like!

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Easy Vegan Homemade Bagels

Vegan Triple Coconut Cheesecake

Vegan Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Nut Free Vegan Queso with Rotel

Making cheese dip with velveeta cheese and a can of Rotel is common place where I come from. Like every “taco” night include that queso. Every pot luck had it simmering away in a crock pot.

It is easy, and back in the day I thought it was delicious.

This vegan queso isn’ that…but it does have a can of Rotel in it, and it is delicious!

Rotel, diced tomatoes and chilies

If you are not familiar with Rotel, its basically just canned tomatoes and chilies. It comes in a variety of spicy heat levels, from mild to habaneros. So you can choose which level of spice you like!

I keep a few cans of rotel in my pantry mostly out of habit, but also because it is delicious and easily adds that spicy zip to queso, chili, enchiladas, and more! You could use a can of diced tomatoes and a small can of diced chilis if that is all you can find! It would work as well.

I make a lot of varieties of vegan queso, cashew being my base staple, and even already have a white “cheese” sunflower queso recipe on the site, but I wanted to make something more cheddar like, with some kick and some bite.

So I pulled out a can of Rotel and decide to use some sunflower seeds to make this vegan queso more affordable, allergy friendly, and super easy!

As much as I adore my original cashew queso recipe , I think this is a new family favorite. I like that it is a little spicier than my other quesos, but just as creamy, cheesy gooey, and delicious! Even my husband who normally isn’t a fan of spicy stuff, loved this queso….so if it’s Dave tested and approved, then trust me (errr him,) its good!!!

So give this vegan sunflower seed queso a try! I think you will be happy you did!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, plus water for soaking

• 1 can of Rotel

• 1 Rotel cans worth of water (just fill the can after you dump out the tomatoes)

• 2 tablespoon tapioca starch

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 2 tablespoons sauerkraut, no liquid (you can sub wit 2 teaspoons miso paste as well)

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons smoke paprika

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place sunflower seeds in a microwave safe container and cover with water. Microwave for 3 minutes. You can also soak the seeds in hot water for a few hours if you do not own a microwave.

2. Drain the water from the seeds. Add the seeds and remaining ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor .

3. Blend until completely smooth and liquefied, with no bits of seeds still visible.

4. Transfer the mixture to a medium sized pot and heat over med /low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens to a queso consistency. Remove from heat once it has reached desired consistency. It will continue to thicken as it heats. if you get it too thick you can add a bit more water to thin it back out.

5. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can reheat this queso a microwave, or on the stove top. Once again, if it seems too thick when you reheat, you can add a splash of water or plant milk to thin it back out.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Easy Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

Vegan Smoky Sunflower Cheddar

Vegan Cashew Queso

Vegan Smoky Sunflower Cheddar

Hard vegan cheeses are easier than most people think. Agar is vegan gelatin that you can easily find online or in your local asian food market that helps the cheese to solidify. You can find it in powdered or flake form.

Because so many people have allergies to tree nuts and coconut, I wanted to include a seed cheese option. You can easily swap out sunflower seeds in most nut cheese recipes with great success! You can just exchange equal amount of seed for nuts and follow the recipe as written!

I love this recipe because you can slice and even shred this cheese. If you are not a fan of smokey cheeses, just eliminate the liquid smoke and you will still be left with a tasty cheddar, perfect for sandwiches, cheese plates, tacos, and more.

Also this recipe uses triple filtered coconut oil. I buy mine at Trader Joe's. Triple filtered coconut oil does not have a coconut flavor like regular coconut oil, so if you choose to use regular, you may find the cheese will have a hint of coconut flavor to it. It may also be labeled as refined coconut oil. They are the same thing!

So if you are allergic to nuts, or have not been a fan of coconut milk cheese, I hope you will enjoy this option!

This cheese is also perfect for sending in school lunch boxes to avoid any allergy issues with you kids friends! I always worry about our kid’s friends with nut allergies when they visit our house, and am so glad I have an option to serve them and still keep it vegan!

Sunflower seeds are also relatively inexpensive! This cheese will cost you easily less than half of what you would pay for vegan cheese in the store. I use small snack size bowls to mold this cheese and can yield three wheels of cheese for around $4-5! If that is not a reason to start making your own cheese, I don’t know what is!!

So let me know what you think of this inexpensive, allergy friendly vegan cheese! I hope you love it and it becomes a staple in your house like it has ours!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cups raw sunflower seeds

• 1 and 1/2 cups plant milk (we used almond milk)

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/4 cup sauerkraut without the liquid

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

• 2 tablespoons agar powder

• 1/4 cup refined or filtered coconut oil

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Soak sunflower seeds in hot water for a few hours, or cover in water in microwave safe container and microwave on high for 3 minutes

2. Drain seeds and them add along with coconut oil, sauerkraut, nutritional yeast, starch, and seasoning to a food processor or blender. Blend for about a minute .

3. Add the milk and agar powder to a medium sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, whisking continuously unit the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Once thickened allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes, but keep whisking.

4. Add the milk and agar mixture to the food processor or blender and mix on high for several minute, unit the mixture becomes creamy smooth.

5. Transfer the mixture to several small bowls or cheese molds. Place in the refrigerator uncovered for serval hours to allow the cheese to firm up.

6. Store firm cheese in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Sliceable Smoky Garlic Cashew Cheese

Smoky Coconut Milk Chile Cheddar Cheese

Easy Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

Vegan Pimento Cheddar Cheese with Coconut Milk

I love experimenting with different vegan cheese flavors and bases. I really love using coconut milk because it’s easy and affordable.

I am often asked if these cheeses have a strong coconut flavor and the answer is, not really. I always used refined coconut oil which has little to no coconut flavor at all, and all of the spices and other ingredients in the cheese mask the flavor of the milk very well.

I love to make homemade pimento cheese and often do! I have always just made a vegan cheddar using coconut milk to make it, or in a pinch have bought some vegan cheddar shreds. BUT, how much more delicious is my pimento cheese spread now going to be when I use this vegan pimento cheddar to make the spread!! Double pimento and double delicious.

We added jarred red peppers to our recipe and can be used interchangeably with pimentos if you do not have any on hand. I normally have one or the other and just use what I have.

This is a quick set cheese and is so simple to make, there is no reason to keep overpaying for store bought vegan cheese! You can have delicious vegan cheese, start to finish in about 2 hours, and for a quarter of the grocery store price!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons agar powder

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1/4 cup diced red jarred red peppers or pimentos

• 1/4 cup refined coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If using a jarred red pepper, remove a piece from the jar and pat it with a paper towel to remove some of the liquid. Next coarsely chop the pepper. If using pimentos, line a bowl with paper towels and put the 1/4 cup pimentos in the bowl to try and draw out some of their liquid.

2. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the milk, and agar and peppers/ pimentos.

3. Pulse a few times to mix it all up.

4. Add the milk, and agar to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens to the constancy of a thin pudding. This only takes a few minutes.

5. Add the milk mixture to the ingredients in the food processor, and mix for about a minute.

6. Drop the peppers/ pimentos int the mix and process for a minute until they are all chopped up and incorporated. The mixture will quickly begin to thicken as agar begins to solidify at room temperature.

7. Transfer to the mixture to several small bowls or cheese molds. I can fill three small bowls with this recipe.

8. Allow the cheese to harden in the refrigerator uncovered for a few hours.

9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week or so.

10. This cheese will shred and make a pretty tasty pimento cheese spread!

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Sliceable Smoky Garlic Cashew Cheese

Vegan Pimento Cheese

Coconut Milk Colby Jack Cheese

Vegan White Stilton with Peaches

I make a lot of vegan cheese. It’s easier than most people think, fairly quick, and really affordable to make your own.

All you need are some basic ingredients that you can find at your local super market, plus some agar agar powder. Agar is a vegan gelatin make from seaweed and what is used to solidify the cheese. You can find agar on amazon, or your local Asian food store. It is also pretty inexpensive for the amount of cheese you will get from one bag!

Although vegan cheese options have come a long way over the years in super markets, I can still only find flavors like cheddar, mozzarella, and a few varieties of cheese slices.

If you are like me and miss more artisan style cheeses, you best bet is to start making your own! Like this vegan peach stilton!! I used to impatiently wait for Trader Joe’s to put out their seasonal stilton’s, peach being my most favorite. Traditional Stilton is a milder cheese and a little crumbly. It often is made with different fruits. I personally love the subtle sweetness of the peaches mixed with the tanginess of the cheese. Its perfect for snacking with crackers or adding to a salad.

Recently my friends Brad and Mike ( you will be learning more about them very soon as we have a super fun project in the works for the site) gave us a a jar or homemade spiced peaches. I think there was some kind of booze in the jar along with some delicious fall spices. I was told not to open them for several more weeks, so they found their way to the back of my pantry and were forgotten about. So when I finally found them again recently, I knew exactly what I was going to make with them!!

You can use any canned or jarred peaches you can find. You just need two halves. They are normally canned that way. You could also substitute the peaches with pears very easily if you are not a fan of peaches.

Listen, don’t let a new or unfamiliar ingredient intimate you! This cheese is so quick and easy to make and pretty fool proof! You will be so amazed at how easy it was to make and how delicious home made vegan cheese is! And if you are on the fence about making a fruity cheese, don’t be. It is soooooo good!! Hooray for Stilton and thanks Trader Joe’s for your never ending inspiration!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of full fat coconut milk or cream

• 2 tablespoons agar agar powder

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons miso paste

• 1 teaspoons of salt

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1/4 cup sauerkraut (no juice, just cabbage)

• 1/4 melted cup refined coconut oil

• 2 halves of jarred or canned peaches ( we used homemade canned spiced peaches)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the milk, agar, and peaches.

2. Pulse a few times to mix it all up.

3. Now add the milk and agar to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin pudding.

4. Add the milk mixture to the ingredients in the food processor, and mix for about a minute. The mixture will quickly begin to thicken as agar begins to solidify at room temperature.

5. Use a paper towel to pat off as much liquid from the peaches as you can. Finely dice the peaches and fold them into the cheese mixture with a rubber spatula. Don’t blend them! It will mince them up too much.

6. Transfer to the mixture to a few ramekins or small bowls. You should be able to fill 2 or 3 small bowls.

7. Place bowls uncovered in the fridge for a few hours, or until the cheese has fully hardened and is a sliceable consistency.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Sliceable Smoky Garlic Cashew Cheese

Vegan Herb Almond Goat Cheese

Coconut Milk Colby Jack Cheese

Baked Vegan Brie in Puff Pastry with Cranberries and Almonds

Brie baked in bread, or Brie En Croute, is one of my favorite ways to eat vegan brie! I mean seriously, it’s cheese baked inside of flakey puff pastry.

Carbs and cheese are my love languages, so this recipe speaks to me on all the levels. The vegan brie is cashew based and comes together rather quickly. It does however take some time to firm up in the fridge, so I suggest making the brie a day or two in advance if you are planning on making and serving this dish.

I used raspberry jam in this recipe but you can use whatever jam you like or even cranberry sauce.

This dish is beautiful and so tasty. This brie gets rather creamy and gooey once baked inside or the pastry and is delicious served with fruit or crackers. I like to just eat it with a fork, but maybe that would be frowned upon if serving at a party. Bwahahhaha, I’ll try to keep my manners in check.

I think this recipe would be beautiful and impressive for any holiday party or any gathering, or you can just make it for yourself, fork in hand and zero judgment!

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INGREDIENTS:

VEGAN BRIE:

• 1 cup unsalted, unroasted cashews (plus water for soaking)

• 1 cup water

• 1/3 cup refined coconut oil

• 1/3 cup sauerkraut, without the juice

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 2 teaspoons agar powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• cheese cloth

BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY:

• 1 puff pasty, Pepperidge Farm brand is vegan

• 1 six inch round of vegan brie

• 3 tablespoons raspberry jam

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/4-1/3 cup sliced almonds

• 2 tablespoons plant milk mixed with 1 tablespoon maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. For the Brie: Place cashews in a microwave safe container and cover in water. Microwave for 3 minutes. You can also cover in hot water, and let them soak for a few hours if you do not have a microwave.

2. Drain cashews, and add them along with remaining ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until COMPLETELY smooth. If you are using a food processor, add the nuts first and try to break them down a bit before adding everything else.

3. Transfer mixture to a medium size sauce pan, over medium heat, and stir continuously until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly. This will only take a few minutes.

4. Line a 6 inch cake pan, or similarly sized shallow bowl, with a piece of cheese cloth that is large enough that it hangs a good bit over the sides of the bowl. Pour the mixture into the bowl and cover with the excess cheese cloth that is hanging over the sides. Place in the refrigerate for at least 4 - 5 hours to allow cheese to firm up.

5. Once the Brie is done, thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

7. Roll puff pastry out into a 12 inch x 12 inch square on a floured surface.

8. Smear the jam in the middle of the puff pastry square and place the wheel of brie on top of the jam.

9. Place the dried cranberries and almonds piled up on top of the brie.

10. Carefully take each corner of the puff pastry dough and fold it over the top of the brie. Just one corner at a time until the cheese is covered. Brush the top with the milk/maple mixture. This will help the puff pastry to brown. You could also just give it a light spray with some cooking oil.

11. Place the brie on a baking sheet and into the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and flakey.

12. Allow the the brie to cool some before cutting into it . Serve with crackers and or fruit.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Vegan Herb Almond Goat Cheese

Vegan Brie with Cranberries and Candied Pecans

Smoky Coconut Milk Chile Cheddar Cheese

Sun-dried Tomato and Garlic Cheese with Coconut Milk

If you have yet to dive into vegan cheese making, let me urge you to start right now! Seriously! It is not hard at all, errrr maybe I should say difficult because these agar cheeses are actually hard or firm enough to slice, or shred!! They also only take like 10 minutes to mix up and only a few hours to firm up in the fridge!

We use agar agar powder to solidify these cheeses. Agar agar is just a vegan gelatin made from a type of seaweed. Noting too weird, and it can be easily found online on Amazon or even in you local Asian food market. Don’t let an ingredient you may not be familiar with scare you off! Just get some, and keep some on hand. I promise once you make your first batch of vegan cheese, it wont be your last!

I love experimenting with different vegan cheese flavors and bases. I really love using coconut milk because it’s easy and affordable. Unlike nut cheeses were you have to soak nuts and own a pretty powerful blender or food processor to break them down, with coconut milk cheeses you simply have to open the can! And of course a can of coconut milk is way cheaper than cashews! Not to mention these cheeses are more allergy friendly.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a cashew based vegan cheese and have plenty of those recipes on the site as well, but most of the time I opt for for a coconut base because of how easy and affordable they are!

This cheese recipe will yield about 3 “wheels” of cheese depending on the size mold you use. So you can’t beat the price compared to store bought cheeses. You will often pay over $5 for a vegan store-bought cheese, where here you may spend $5 and end up with 3Xs what you would get for the same price at the store!

Making you own cheese at home also means you can make any flavor you can dream up. We have dozens upon dozens on the site if you are stumped for ideas. But really, there are soooo many options!

I am often asked if these cheeses have a strong coconut flavor and the answer is, not really. I always used refined coconut oil which has little to no coconut flavor at all, and all of the spices and other ingredients in the cheese mask the flavor of the milk very well.

I love this particular cheese because sun-dried tomatoes and garlic together are a favorite of mine. This vegan cheese will slice, shred, and even melt, making it perfect for serving with cracker, on sandwiches, salads, or just snacking! This is a quick set cheese and is so simple to make, there is no reason to keep overpaying for store bought vegan cheese! You can have delicious vegan cheese, start to finish in about 2 hours, and for a quarter of the grocery store price!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of full fat coconut milk or cream

• 2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons miso paste

• 1 teaspoons of salt

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/4 melted cup refined coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons agar powder

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the milk, and agar.

2. Pulse a few times to mix it all up.

3. Now add the milk, and agar to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens to the constancy of a thin pudding.

4. Add the milk mixture to the ingredients in the food processor, and mix for about a minute. The mixture will quickly begin to thicken as agar begins to solidify at room temperature.

5. Transfer to the mixture to a few ramekins or small bowls. You should be able to fill 2 or 3 small bowls.

6. Allow the cheese to harden in the refrigerator uncovered for about several hours.

7. Once the cheese is set, store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Coconut Milk Dill Havarti

Easy Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

Coconut Milk Colby Jack

easy vegan coconut milk cheese with sun-dried tomatoes and garlic using agar agar

Smoky Coconut Milk Chile Cheddar Cheese

I love experimenting with different vegan cheese flavors and bases. I really love using coconut milk because it’s easy and affordable.

I am often asked if these cheeses have a strong coconut flavor and the answer is, not really. I always used refined coconut oil which has little to no coconut flavor at all, and all of the spices and other ingredients in the cheese mask the flavor of the milk very well.

I love this particular chile cheddar for its deep smokey, peppery flavor without a lot of heat. You could always bump up the heat in this cheese by adding a few slashes of your favorite hot sauce. My kids and husband are not big fans of eye watering, nose running pepper heat, so this cheese has all the flavor without any of the pain.

We added reconstituted dried chiles and a can of small green chiles for the perfect smokey and tangy combo. This vegan cheese will slice, shred, and even remelt, making it perfect for quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, sandwiches, or just snacking!

This is a quick set cheese and is so simple to make, there is no reason to keep overpaying for store bought vegan cheese! You can have delicious vegan cheese, start to finish in about 2 hours, and for a quarter of the grocery store price!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons agar powder

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 small can green chiles (4 oz can)

• 2 dried chili peppers

• 1/4 cup refined coconut oil

• optional: a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place dried chiles in a medium sized bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the peppers to cover and place a plate on top of the bowl. Let the peppers soak for about 20 minutes

2. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the milk, and agar and peppers.

3. Pulse a few times to mix it all up.

4. After the peppers are done soaking and have softened, remove from the water. Cut the pepper open and remove the stem and the seeds. I just run a paper towel down the inside of the peppers to wipe out the seeds.

5. Drop the whole peppers into the food processor. Open the green chiles and dump them onto several folded up paper towels or a clean kitchen towel just to absorb some of the liquid. Add them to the food processor as well. Pulse until the peppers are broken down.

6. Now add the milk, and agar to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens to the constancy of a thin pudding. This only takes a few minutes.

7. Add the milk mixture to the ingredients in the food processor, and mix for about a minute. The mixture will quickly begin to thicken as agar begins to solidify at room temperature.

8. Transfer to the mixture to several small bowls or cheese molds. I can fill three small bowls with this recipe.

9. Allow the cheese to harden in the refrigerator uncovered for a few hours.

10. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week or so.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Coconut Milk Colby Jack Cheese

Coconut Milk Pepper Jack

Smokey Cashew Cheddar

smokey coconut milk chile cheddar vegan cheese

Easy Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

One of the most basic and useful recipes I have, is this one. Seriously, it is vegan recipe that first gave me hope that I could do this! I could give up cheese, and survive to tell about it!

This easy vegan all purpose cheese sauce is something I almost always have on hand. It is a very convincing, ooey, gooey, white cheese. It keep well in the fridge and comes together in just minutes!

The base is cashews which work really well for substituting dairy. They break down super well and are extra creamy making them a popular ingredient in vegan cheeses.

If you are allergic to nuts, you can easily sub them out with sunflower or pumpkin seeds!! It works just fine!

You can use this vegan cheese sauce for pizza, pastas, grilled cheese, seriously so many different things.

The longer you cook it, the thicker and stretchier making it work really well as a quick vegan mozzarella. I actually perfect this cheese sauce on pizza and I make a LOT of vegan cheeses, including shredded mozzarella and soft mozzarella. This sauce is just so quick and so delicious I see no need to make things harder than they need to be!

The spice profile is pretty basic and can be changed up depending on what you are using it for.

Also check out our cashew queso recipe. It has a nice spicy kick and works well for quesadillas, and enchiladas, and tacos.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup cashews

• 2 cups water, plus water for soaking nuts

• 4 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1/4 cup Sauerkraut, no juice

• 3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast (I tend to lean towards being more heavy handed with the nutritional yeast. Adjust to your taste)

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place cashews in a microwave safe container and cover in water. Microwave for 3 minutes. Drain water and rinse. If you do not have a microwave, you can boil them in a pot of water for 5 minutes or you can soak them for a few hours in hot water.

2. Add drained cashews, 2 cups clean water, and remaining ingredients to a high speed blender and process until the mixture is totally and completely smooth. This may take a minute or two of blending.

3. Transfer mixture to a medium sized pot over medium heat. Heat the mixture for a few minutes, stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Once desired consistency, remove from heat. If it gets too thick, you can add a little more water to thin it back out.

4. Depending on what I am using the sauce for, depends on how thick I will allow it to get. If using it for pizza, then I will let it get pretty thick so I can dollop it on top of the pizza. If using it in a lasagna or in enchiladas, I will keep it at a thick pudding constancy so it’s easier to spread. You can use it as an alfredo sauce, just keep it on the thinner side. Feel free to add any extra spices depending on what you are using it for!

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You can use this sauce for:

pizza, lasagna, enchiladas, as an alfredo sauce, stuffed shells, calzones, quesadillas, mac and cheese, cheese spread for sandwiches, grilled cheese, just to name a few

If you like this recipe, try these:

Cashew Queso

“Meaty” Cheddar Queso

Spicy Vegan Queso, Nut Free

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My favorite vegan cookbook is “Veganize It!” by Robin Robertson. I adapted and made some changes to her recipe for cashew pizza “cheese” to create this basic all purpose cheese sauce. If you are in the market for some great vegan cook books, be sure to check her’s out. Find a copy of Vegaize It at amazon or a local bookstore. I can not praise this woman enough.

Easy all purpose cashew based vegan cheese sauce. Perfect for vegan pizza, pasta, or sandwiches!

Vegan Herb Almond Goat Cheese

Before we cut animal products, goat cheese was my go to. When I set out to create a vegan “goat” cheese I wanted it a little crumbly, yet still creamy, and I wanted it to have that goat cheese briny, tart, zip.

I have also been wanting to make an herbed cheese for a while, and a goat style cheese seemed like the perfect candidate!

If you have never used Herbs de Provence, you can normally find it in the spice section of your local market. I use it often in cooking and it is absolutely delicious in this cheese! If you can’t find it at your market, and don’t feel like mixing up your own, then you can use any combo of any herbs you like, or skip the herbs all together! It will still be delicious.

The sauerkraut in the recipe is important to give the cheese that briny tang, so don’t skip it! This vegan goat cheese also bakes up nicely, so get creative and think beyond cheese and crackers!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup blanched almonds

• 1 cup almond milk

• 2 tablespoon agar powder

• 1/3 cup sauerkraut, no juice

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 1/4 cup nutrional yeast

• 1/4 cup refined coconut oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence, this is a mix of marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lavender

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Soak almonds in hot water for several hours, or cover in water in a microwave safe container, and microwave for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse.

2. Add almonds, and all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the almond milk and agar to a food processor or high speed blender. Blend for a minute to mix everything up and break down the almonds.

3. Add the almond milk and agar to a medium sized sauce pan. Heat over medium heat on the stove top, whisking continuously until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.

4. Add the milk and agar mixture to the food processor along with the other ingredients, and blend for several minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

5. Transfer the cheese to a couple small bowls or large ramekins.

6. Store uncovered in the fridge for several hours to allow cheese to set. Once the cheese has set, store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

Yields 2-3 cheese rounds, depending on the size of bowls you use

If you like this recipe, then you may also like these:

Vegan Coconut Kimcheese

Coconut Mik Colby Jack

Smokey Cashew Cheddar

Vegan Beer Cheese Sauce

Whats better than vegan cheddar cheese sauces you might ask? Vegan BEER cheese sauce, y’all !! I honestly don’t know why I used water all of these years? All of those years that I now can not get back. But that just means I have a lot of lost time to make up for, and I am gonna start dipping, pouring, slathering this magic vegan beer cheese on everything! Who’s with me on this one?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews

• 1 can of beer

• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2- 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 4 tablespoon tapioca or corn starch

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cover cashews in hot water and soak for several hours, or cover in water in a microwave safe container and microwave for 3 minutes Drain the cashews and rinse.

2. Add the cashews and remaining ingredients to high speed blender or food processor, and blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth.

3. Transfer the cheese sauce to a medium sized sauce pan. Heat on the stove top over medium heat, stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Once the mixture has began thickening, remove from heat. If you get the sauce too thick, you can add some water (or more beer) and thin it back out. Even if it looks lumpy and weird, just add the water and whisk well.

4. You can garnish with more paprika. Serve with fresh bread , vegan soft pretzels, or cut up veggies.

5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. Reheat on the stove top or microwave.

Vegan Coconut Kimcheese (Kimchi Cheese)

I can eat an entire jar of kimchi by myself in a week, and often do.

I can also eat my weight in vegan cheese if given the chance. So for me, mixing the two was a no brainer, and so I introduce to you KIMCHEESE!

I often add sauerkraut to my vegan cheese recipes to give them that cheesy zip, and kimchi works just as well!

This cheese is tangy, spicy, quick and easy, but most importantly it is DELICIOUS! Even my husband who swears he does not like kimchi, inhaled this one!

Vegan cheese making is really so easy, especially quick set agar cheeses like this one. The mix up in minutes and are set in a few hours.

There is not a replacement for the coconut oil in this cheese, however. It is a key ingredient in helping solidify this kimchee vegan cheese. Agar is a vegan gelatin and on its own, the texture is not firm enough for my liking. The coconut milk solidifies once cold and helps get a nice firm texture, and aids in the remelting of the cheese once cooked.

This vegan cheese will shred, slice and melt, so It will work beautifully for snacking, salads, or even the best grilled cheese you may ever eat! If you can not find agar powder locally, check our pantry staples for a link to order on amazon prime!

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Ingredients:

• 1 can of full fat coconut milk or cream

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons miso paste

• 1 teaspoons of salt

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1/4 cup triple refined coconut oil, melted

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon agar powder

• 3 tablespoons arrow root or tapioca starch

• 3/4 cups vegan kimchi

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Instructions:

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the milk, agar, and kimchi.

2. Pulse until everything is all mixed up.

3. Next, add the milk and agar powder to a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, until mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin pudding.

4. Add the milk mixture to the ingredients in the food processor and mix for about a minute. The mixture will quickly begin to thicken as the agar begins to solidify at room temperature. Once everything is well mixed, add the kimchi and just pulse a few times to get it all chopped up, and mixed in.

5. Transfer to the mixture to a few ramekins or small bowls. You should be able to fill 2 or 3 small bowls.

6. Allow the cheese to harden in the refrigerator uncovered for several hours.

7. Once the cheese is set, store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

Vegan Sun-dried Tomato and Garlic Cheese ball

It’s probably pretty obvious by now that I am a big fan of vegan cheese balls!

I love them because they come together really quickly, and are always a crowd pleaser, no matter the crowd!

Not only are the perfect for parties and gatherings, but we often keep them in the fridge for snacking and bagel spreads!

I am also a big fan of sun-dried tomato and basil, so this combo makes for a really delicious, fresh, and flavorful cheese ball!

The cheese ball mixes up quickly and only needs a few hours to set before it is ready to eat! You an also freeze these cheese ball for later! Just thaw and you are ready to go!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup soaked cashews (unsalted, unroasted) soaked in hot water several hours then drained.

• 1/2 cup refined coconut oil

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

• 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 1/2 small onion

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon fresh basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut the onion into quarters, and pulse a few times in your high speed blender, or food processor.

2. Now, add all of the ingredients, minus the sun-dried tomatoes,to a food processor or high speed blender. Process until completely smooth. You will likely have to scrape the sides down a few times to get all the cashew bits blended.

3. Add sun dried tomatoes and pulse just a few times until they are minced up.

4. Line 2 small bowls, or ramekins, with a pieces of plastic wrap. You want a piece big enough that it will hang a good bit over the sides.

5. Lay some fresh basil leaves in the bottom of the bowl for garnish if you like.

6. Divide the cheese mixture between the bowls. Take the pieces of plastic wrap that are hanging over the sides, pulling them up, twisting them together at the top.

7. Put the cheese balls in the fridge for 3-4 hours to firm up before serving. Store leftover in fridge for up to 5 days.

Serve with crackers, veggies, or on a bagel

Vegan Brie with Cranberries and Candied Pecans

Of all the cheeses I missed when we went vegan, brie was at the top of the list. Especially baked brie. This recipe is actually really simple and straightforward. It does not require sitting out for 48 hours like some other vegan brie recipes I’ve seen. It works perfectly for baking and makes a beautiful dish for entertaining. The sauerkraut in the recipe tends to throw people, but it helps give this brie that cheesy tang, so don’t skip that ingredient. If you don’t care for cranberries, you could always top it with any fruit compote or jam you like. No matter what you top this vegan brie with, it is creamy, dreamy, vegan cheese heaven.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted, unroasted cashews (plus water for soaking)

• 1 cup water

• 1/3 cup refined coconut oil

• 1/3 cup sauerkraut, without the juice

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 2 teaspoons agar powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• cheese cloth

Cranberries:

• 1 cup fresh cranberries

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup water

Candied Pecans:

• 1 cup peans

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• pinch of salt

• salt

Instructions:

1. For the Brie: Place cashews in a microwave safe container and cover in water. Microwave for 3 minutes. You can also cover in hot water, and let them soak for a few hours if you do not have a microwave.

2. Drain cashews, and add them along with remaining ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until COMPLETELY smooth. If you are using a food processor, add the nuts first and try to break them down a bit before adding everything else.

3. Transfer mixture to a medium size sauce pan, over medium heat, and stir continuously until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly. This will only take a few minutes.

4. Line a 6 inch cake pan, or similarly sized shallow bowl, with a piece of cheese cloth that is large enough that it hangs a good bit over the sides of the bowl. Pour the mixture into the bowl and cover with the excess cheese cloth that is hanging over the sides. Place in the refrigerate for at least 4 - 5 hours to allow cheese to firm up.

5. For the Cranberries: Add cranberries, water, and sugar to a medium sized pot. Heat on medium heat, until the cranberries begin to burst. Lower the temp to low heat, and begin mashing the berries with the back of a wooden spoon, or a handheld potato masher. Let the mixture simmer, stirring regularly for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Set aside and let cool.

6. For the candied pecans: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans, brown sugar, and maple syrup to the pan. Continuously move the nuts around the pan for about 5 minutes to allow all of the sugars to melt and caramelize. If you don’t keep the nuts moving, they will quickly burn. Pour finished nuts on a parchment lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with a little salt. Allow pecans to cool and harden.

7. Brie baking instructions: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Carefully unwrap cheese from the cheese cloth. Place the brie in a pan or baking dish that you wish to serve it in. It will be too soft to transfer once it is baked. Top the brie with the cranberries sauce and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Once the brie is out of the oven, garnish the top with candied pecans and some fresh rosemary. Serve with fresh bread, crackers, cut up veggies, or sliced fruit.

Coconut Milk Colby Jack

I make a lot of vegan cheese. Its cheaper than buying it in the store and so easy once you know the basics.

This particular recipe is really a combo of a basic white vegan cheese swirled with a vegan cheddar.

Coconut milk makes a great and inexpensive base for this vegan cheese. It is also less of an allergen risk if you are sending a sandwich to school with your kids, or you are serving cheese at a party and are unsure of allergies.

Agar is the ingredient that solidifies the cheese. It is a vegan plant derived gelatin that can be found at asian markets or online at places like amazon.

This cheese is also pretty hard to mess up, so if you haven’t tried making your own non dairy, vegan cheese, go ahead and give it a try. My guess is once you do, there will be no turning back.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of full fat coconut milk or cream

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons miso paste

• 1 teaspoons of salt

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/4 melted cup triple refined coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons agar powder

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon smoke paprika

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the milk, agar, turmeric, and smoked paprika..

2. Pulse a few times to mix it all up.

3. Now add the milk and agar to a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens to the constancy of a thin pudding. This just takes a few minutes.

4. Add the milk mixture to the ingredients in the food processor, and mix for about a minute. The mixture will quickly begin to thicken as agar begins to solidify at room temperature.

5. Remove half of the mixture from the food processor and put it in a bowl, set aside. Add the turmeric and smoked paprika to the remaining cheese mixture still in the food processor and blend until it is well combined. You will need to work quickly as the cheese will begin to solidify at room temperature.

6. Begin adding the 2 cheese mixtures to a few ramekins or small bowls in layers, by spooning a few scoops of each color of cheese in at time. You can also use a skewer or tooth pick to swirl the two cheeses a bit in the bowl. Just be carful not to over mix them as it will muddle the colors. Again remember that you have to work fairly quickly as the cheese will begin to set. So don’t fuss over this technique too much. It will still be pretty when you slice it. You should be able to fill 2 or 3 small bowls. Once the bowls are full, give them a little tap on the counter top to help fill in air bubbles between the layers.

7. Allow the cheese to harden in the refrigerator uncovered for several hours.

8. Once the cheese is set, store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

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Sliceable Smoky Garlic Cashew Cheese

Quick dairy free cheeses are easier to make than most people think. This smokey garlic cheese firms up in just a few hours and can be sliced, or grated. This cheese is super creamy and a great replacement for dairy for vegans, or those allergic to dairy.

Agar powder is a plant based gelatin and the ingredient used to make this cheese solid. It can easily be found online, or in your local asian market or order online at retailers like Amazon.

We also use coconut milk in this cheese to help firm it up. Be sure to always use refined or filtered coconut oil in this recipe. It does not have any flavor like regular coconut oil so won’t leave the cheese tasting like coconut.

I am often asked if the oil can be omitted, or replaced. In this recipe I am afraid not. It is part of what gives the cheese its firm sliceable texture once cooled. If you are oil free, there are oil free vegan cheese recipes out there. They are however going to include different ingredients to help solidify them. I personally do not have issue with consuming a small amount of coconut oil in my cheeses as I do not prescribe to an oil free diet. It is only 1/4 cup to make 2 to 3 wheels of cheese. Divide that over the number of slices you will get and it is really not that much oil. But if you are oil free, somewhere out in the land of the internet, there is a recipe for you. So go forth, google, and find a recipe that is just right for you. What a wonderful time to be alive, am I right!

So if you have never ventured into vegan or plant based cheese making, go ahead, you will be surprised how simple and delicious homemade cheeses can be! You will also be happy at all the money you save making your own. You really have nothing to lose here!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked in hot water for a few hours and drained.

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

• 1 and 2/3 cups almond or coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons of agar powder

• 1/4 cup triple filtered coconut oil

• 1/4 cup sauerkraut, without the juice ( this surprising ingredient helps give the cheese that tangy bite that most cheeses have)

• 3 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

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NSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a food processor, add all ingredients except milk, and agar. Blend a few minutes until the mixture becomes smooth.

2. In a medium sized sauce pan, combine milk, and agar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes. You want the mixture to thicken to a thin pudding like consistency.

3. Pour the milk and agar mixture into the food processor with the other ingredients.

4. Mix for a few minutes until all of the ingredients are well incorporated, and smooth.

5. Pour the cheese mixture into 2 - 3 ramekins or small bowls. Let cool, uncovered in the refrigerator for serval hours to firm up.

6. Store in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Coconut Milk Pepper Jack

Making vegan cheese is easier than most people think.

Especially cheeses using canned coconut milk and agar powder. Agar is a vegan gelatin that begins to set up a room temperature, so this cheese is super quick, and easy.

You can typically find agar powder at asian markets, or online. The addition of the chili peppers gives this cheese nice kick of flavor and spice, making it a nice alternative to traditional pepper jack.

So if you have never tried making your own vegan cheese, give it a go!! You will probably be surprised how easy and delicious it is!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of full fat coconut milk or cream

• 2 tablespoon of lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons miso paste

• 1 teaspoons of salt

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/4 melted cup triple refined coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons agar powder

• 3 tablespoons arrow root or tapioca starch

• 1 4oz can of green chilis

• optional: 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or a splash of hot sauce for more heat

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the milk, agar, and chili peppers.

2. Pulse a few times to mix everything up.

3. Line a small bowl with a few paper towels, pour chilis into the bowl. The paper towels will absorb some of the liquid from the peppers. Set aside.

4. Now add the milk and agar powder to a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, until mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin pudding.

5. Add the milk mixture to the ingredients in the food processor and mix for about a minute. The mixture will quickly begin to thicken as the agar begins to solidify at room temperature. Once everything is well mixed, add the chilis and just pulse a few times.

6. Transfer to the mixture to a few ramekins or small bowls. You should be able to fill 2 or 3 small bowls.

7. Allow the cheese to harden in the refrigerator uncovered for several hours.

8. Once the cheese is set, store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

Smoky Lox Vegan Cheese Ball

My all time favorite breakfast is a carrot loxbagel, with onions and capers.

So it only seemed natural to take all of those elements and turn them into an absolutely perfect cheese ball.

This cheese ball comes together quickly if you have a high speed blender or food processor. Its cashew based and super creamy and very convincing!

We added some Trader Joes Everything But the Bagel seasoning to give this cheese ball an extra loxy bagel kick. I have noticed lots of brands making this seasoning brand now, so you should not have any trouble finding it!

Serve this cheese ball with crackers, or veggies at a party, or smear it on a bagel for breakfast.

Either way, just try not to eat the whole thing at once.

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews soaked over night, or microwaved 3 minutes, then drained

• 1/2 cup refined coconut oil

• 1/2 cup chopped carrot lox

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 1/2 small onion

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

• optional 2 teaspoons dulse flakes (seaweed flakes)

• Extra strips of lox, or everything bagel seasoning for garnishing the tops of the cheese balls.

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Instructions:

1. Cut the onion into quarters, and pulse a few times in your high speed blender, or food processor.

2. Now, add all of the ingredients, minus the lox and capers, to a food processor or high speed blender. Process until completely smooth. You will likely have to scrape the sides down a few times to get all the cashew bits blended.

3. Add capers and pulse just a few times. Next, fold in the lox using a spoon. You don’t want to blend the lox.

4. Line 2 small bowls, or ramekins, with a pieces of plastic wrap. You want a piece big enough that it will hang a good bit over the sides.

5. If using lox to garnish, lay 4 or 5 strips across the bottom of the plastic wrapped bowls. If use everything bagel seasoning, sprinkle about a tablespoon into the bottom of the bowl.

6. Divide the cheese mixture between the bowls. Take the pieces of plastic wrap that are hanging over the sides, pulling them up, twisting them together at the top.

7. Put the cheese balls in the fridge for 3-4 hours to firm up before serving. Store leftover in fridge for up to 5 days.

Serve with cracker or veggies, or on a bagel