Vegan Mozzarella

Vegan mozzarella cheese which melts, browns and stretches like the real thing! Revolutionise your vegan pizza game in minutes!

Too GOUDA to be true??

The words “vegan mozzarella” are pretty charged in the plant-based scene. Why? Because vegan mozzarella tends to be the most hit and miss element of vegan dining – but more often than not it’s a miss.

Shop bought stuff has that chemically flavour which lingers and has a tendency to stick to your front teeth and the room of your mouth.

Home-made varieties aren’t much better: usually MEGA salty, not melty and DEFINITELY not stretchy. But here’s where that nightmare ends!

Why’s it so good?!

Trust me – this vegan mozzarella is going to blow your mind. I’ve tried a LOT of vegan mozzarella recipes and made about 55 variations of this recipe and the texture is never quite right. Here’s five reasons why my vegan mozzarella is better:

1. It’s ACTUALLY stretchy! Once melted, this stuff pulls apart just like the real deal!
2. It DOESN’T stick to your teeth. Such a smooth customer!
3. It tastes delicious. No weird chemically vibe and not too much salt – it’s just right!
4. It literally takes MINUTES to make! No waiting for it to set for seventy hours – just bung it straight on a pizza and you’re good to go!
5. It keeps in the fridge AND is freezer friendly! 

Surely this is witchcraft?!

No witchcraft involved, and don’t call me Shirley! The solution to the best ever vegan mozzarella came to me recently almost by accident.

As you may have noticed, I use psyllium husk in baking all the time as an egg replacer. It acts as a binding agent and holds things together really well.

I was recently developing a brownie recipe and while mixing together the psyllium husk and the melted vegan butter I noticed how stringy everything got!

I’m no scientist but it seemed like the high fat content and the binding action of the psyllium made a rather mozzarella like texture!   

What’s the process?

This really is a surprisingly easy recipe to follow! Before no time you’ll have one of the best vegan mozzarella recipes NAILED! Trust me, you’re going to ACTUALLY enjoy making this (but not as much as you’ll enjoy EATING it).

Step 1

For your first step you’re going to need to soak some cashews in boiling water. This vegan cheese is cashew based but we’re only using 35g. Before you go doubling this recipe, I’d suggest you make one batch first, because you end up with a LOT of cheese from just 35g cashews.

You also need to combine your psyllium husks with some water and leave it to thicken at this stage.

Step 2

Ok, step two! You’re going to combine everything together in a high speed blender. When I say high-speed, I mean high-speed. Not some 30 year old portable fan with plastic blades.

I’m talking about a Ninja or a Nutribullet or a Magimix! I’m not endorsed by these guys, they are simply the best out there for making sure you end up with a super smooth vegan mozzarella. 

Step 3

Step 3 is where the magic happens – we’re going to add our blended mix to a saucepan and cook it. Whisking constantly! You’ll see it thicken before your very eyeballs! Keep cooking until it’s super stringy and stretchy. You now have your vegan mozzarella!

I advise that you let your cooked vegan mozzarella cool for 10 minutes before using it in pasta or on a pizza. It’s easier to work with this way. But otherwise, let your imagination go wild! Use it in anything. 

Any ingredients notes?

In my baking recipes I’d say that you can replace the psyllium husk with flax seeds, but not here! I’ve tried and the texture is gloopy instead of stretchy and stringy. You can buy psyllium husk powder from most health-food stores or online.

Also, make sure you use DEODERISED COCONUT OIL! The flavour of regular coconut oil is way too strong and blocks out the cheesiness. You can find odourless flavourless coconut oil on Amazon or at most health food shops.

If you’d like to store the cheese, pour straight from the pan into a Tupperware box, allow to cool fully on the counter before sealing and storing in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze the cheese for a long time and defrost when needed!

I’ve also added an ingredient variation for making a smoky Gouda style cheese which works amazing grilled on top of vegan burgers!

Make it and let me know how you get on in the comments below.

Now you’ve made it…

Here are some recipes to use your NEW FAVE vegan mozzarella in!

• Smoky Mozzarella Sticks
• Cheesy Pasta Bake
• Roasted Pepper Skillet Pizza

Super Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella

This super cheesy vegan mozzarella is going to blow your mind.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: vegan cheese, vegan mozzarella balls

Servings: 500 g

Author: Richard Makin

Equipment

• High Speed Blender

Ingredients

• 1.5 tsp psyllium husk powder + 6 tsp water
• 35 g raw unsalted cashews soaked in boiling water for 1 hour
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tbsp agar powder
• 2.5 tbsp tapioca starch
• 2 tsp flaky sea salt
• 80 ml deodorised or odourlescoconut oil (melted
• 375 ml water

(for smoked gouda variation add)

• 3 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp extra salt

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the psyllium husk powder and the water. Set aside to thicken.
• Soak your cashews in boiling water for at least an hour. When soaked, drain and discard the water and transfer the cashews to the cup of a high speed blender along with all the remaining ingredients including the thickened psyllium husk.
• Blend on highest speed for at least a minute – make sure the cashews are completely smooth – no chunks or sandy grains.
• Transfer to a small saucepan and place over a medium low heat, whisking constantly. The liquid will start to thicken quite quickly. Keep going until the liquid is very thick and stringy and resembles fondue or melted stringy cheese – if you don't use a whisk your cheese may go quite lumpy – SO USE A WHISK! Remove from the heat.
• If using immediately, allow to cool for around 10 minutes before spooning onto toast or pizza or a pasta bake (however you’d use mozzarella). The cheese baked beautifully and melts wonderfully. Place under the grill or broiler for a few minutes and you’ll notice it browns really, really well.

Tried this recipe?Mention @schoolnightvegan or tag #schoolnightvegan!