Oat Milk Cheese

Name: Oat Milk Cheese
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 190 min
Ingredients: 2 cups oat milk; 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 4 teaspoons agar agar ((powder not flakes)); 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 spray spay oil (to help the cheese slide out of the mold); 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

by Monica Davis on October 17, 2026 1 comment

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This rich and creamy oat milk cheese is firm, sliceable, and pairs perfectly with crackers or apple slices. If you are looking for a delicious vegan cheese without nuts or coconuts, this is the recipe that you have been looking for.

A top view of a cutting board filled with oat milk cheese, red grapes, and apple slices.

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Why make this recipe

I’ve been making vegan cheeses for years, and my coconut milk cheese recipe is very popular; however, readers have asked how to make a rich, creamy cheese without nuts or coconut.

I have tested many versions of the recipe, but they never came out creamy enough until I made the cheese with Oatly Barista Edition oat milk. The thick, rich, creamy milk was key to producing the creaminess I wanted without adding extra oil, while keeping a neutral flavor.

Ingredients and substitutions

Oat Milk: I find Oatly’s Barista-style oat milk works best. If you don’t have that brand, look for oat milk that is creamy and has a high fat content for the creamiest cheese.
Agar Agar: This is a clear vegan gelatin derived from seaweed, and it’s absolutely essential for making the cheese firm. If you leave it out, you will have oat milk alfredo sauce, which is delicious but not sliceable. Use the powdered agar agar instead of the flakes if you can find it. It can be expensive, but it’s a great price on Amazon. You can also swap it for kappa carrageenan in equal parts.
Nutritional Yeast: A yellow powder with a cheesy flavor. This is a key ingredient for the cheesy flavor and cannot be omitted. You can read more about it in this article about nutritional yeast.
Lemon Juice: For the tang. You can also swap this for apple cider vinegar or yellow mustard.
Garlic Powder: For flavor. You can also swap this for onion powder or add half of each.
Salt: To give it flavor.
Tapioca Starch: If you want a cheese that melts and stretches, add tapioca starch. (Tapioca flour is the same thing.) This will make the cheese softer, so it melts more easily and becomes stretchy.

Helpful tools

Saucepan: To cook the cheese on the stovetop.
Whisk: For stirring your cheese sauce.
Glass or Metal Container: To use as the mold. You can use any heat-safe container, even just a plain bowl. I like to use Snapware containers because their lids seal tightly and keep my cheese fresh. (You can also use a silicone mold, but I think it gives your food a funny taste.)

How to make oat milk cheese

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

Step 1 – Prepare a cheese mold by lightly oiling a smooth glass container.

Step 2 – Pour all ingredients (oat milk, agar-agar, salt, garlic powder, and lemon juice) into a medium-sized saucepan. (Add tapioca starch at this time if you want cheese that will melt and stretch.)

Step 3 – Stir the ingredients, then turn the heat to medium and bring to a slow boil.

Oat milk cheese ingredients in a small pot before it has been cooked.

Oat milk cheese ingredients in a small pot after it has been cooked.

Step 4 – Cook your cheese sauce over low heat for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. (It needs to boil for 6 minutes to fully melt and activate the agar-agar.)

Step 5 – Pour the cheese into the chosen mold.

Step 6 – Cool for about 15 minutes on the countertop, then refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 more hours, until it cools and sets completely.

Pro Tips

Stir the cheese sauce very frequently. Don’t walk away while cooking.
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Measure the ingredients carefully! Slight changes in the amounts of liquid, agar-agar, or tapioca starch can significantly affect the texture of your cheese!
Simmer the cheddar cheese for 6 minutes to melt the agar-agar and allow it to bind completely with the ingredients.
Use tapioca starch if you are using this cheese in anything hot, like a grilled cheese, where you want it to melt.

How to make it meltable

This recipe makes a firm, slicable cheese, but if you want to use it on pizza, grilled cheese, quesadilla, or veggie burgers, add 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch to the cold ingredients and stir until fully dissolved. Tapioca makes the cheese softer, but you can still cut it into slices.

Storage

Refrigerate: Vegan cheese made from oat milk will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze: Leftover oat milk cheese freezes well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes about using agar-agar

If you can, use agar agar powder, not flakes, and measure carefully. Make sure to use 2 full tablespoons, not 2 teaspoons!
I use Telephone brand agar agar, since I can easily find it at my local Asian market. It comes in small packs, so it won’t go bad, and I know that it sets well every time. There are many other brands, and there seem to be different strengths of agar agar, especially in Europe.
If your cheese is too soft or Jell-O-like, your agar agar isn’t strong enough. Increase the agar agar next time you make it. If it is very soft, you can add a tiny bit of water and remelt it, then add more agar agar and boil it for an additional 6 minutes.