This vegan cheese with garlic and herbs is perfect for slicing and eating on crackers. Made with rich and creamy coconut milk, it's dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, everyone can enjoy this delicious cheese.
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🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
With just a few ingredients, you can make the most delicious vegan cheese you have ever had!
- Coconut Milk – a 13.5 oz can of coconut milk or coconut cream works best. You can also use any other type of plant-based milk or cashew cream, but coconut milk will give you the richest and creamiest texture. See below for alternative methods.
- Water – to add the correct amount of moisture.
- Agar Agar Powder – to make the cheese firm. This is a vegan gelatine that comes in the form of a powder. I get mine for a good price at my local Asian market or they also sell it at many natural foods stores. (If you can not find the powder, you can use agar agar flakes, but you will need to triple the amount of flakes and use 6 tbsp in total). You can also use Kapa carrageenan instead of agar agar powder.
- Nutritional Yeast – for a cheesy flavor.
- Salt – for flavor
- Herbs - I usually use 2 tsp of dried Herbs de Provence, but you can use any dried herb mix that you would like or 2 tbsp of fresh finely chopped herbs.
- Garlic or Garlic Powder – for flavor. I use 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, but you can also add 1/2 tsp of garlic powder instead.
- Lemon Juice – for flavor and acidity. You can also use apple cider vinegar instead.
- Tapioca Starch – aka tapioca flour – to make the cheese able to melt and stretch. (Only use for the meltable variation). I have tested and retested the amount of tapioca starch needed. Anything less than the recommended amount will need high heat to melt, anything more than the recommended amount will be too soft to grate or slice. *You can’t use any other starch to get the same stretchy effect as tapioca starch. Only tapioca starch will let your cheese melt and stretch similarly to real cheese.
🌟 Agar agar
- Use agar agar powder not flakes if you can and measure carefully. Make sure to use 2 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. I can't vouch for other brands.
- If your cheese is too soft or jello-like, your agar agar is not strong enough. (Some people from different areas in Europe have reported that the cheese does not set hard enough. This is due to the different strengths of agar agar sold in different places. Double the agar agar next time you make it).
🥄 Instructions
You will also need to decide if you want a firm sliceable cheese or a softer cheese that will melt and stretch when heated. (You can’t have both, you must choose one or the other).
- The firm version – is best for slicing for eating plain or on crackers.
- The meltable version – is best for cheese that you can melt on pizza, use in grilled cheese sandwiches, or quesadillas. The only difference between the two versions is the addition of tapioca starch and the reduction of agar agar to allow it to melt and stretch better.
🔪 Sliceable instructions
- Simply put all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir with a whisk.
- Heat to a slow boil stirring constantly for 6 minutes. This allows the agar-agar to melt completely and set properly. (It may seem ready after 3-4 minutes but keep it at a low boil for 6 minutes to make sure that it's completely smooth).
- Then pour into any shape container that you wish. (One batch makes almost 2 cups of cheese).
- Allow to cool for about 15 minutes uncovered on the countertop, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let it set.
🥣 Meltable instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan except only add 1/4 cup of water instead of 1/2 cup and only add 4 tsp of agar agar instead of 2 tbsp.
- Heat the cheese sauce over medium heat until it begins to boil.
- Turn down the heat until it is just barely bubbling and allow to boil for 5 minutes while stirring frequently.
- Add 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp of tapioca starch (7 tsp) to 1/4 cup of cold water and stir until it dissolves.
- Add the starch and water mixture to the boiling cheese sauce while stirring it in with a whisk and then cook for an additional 1 minute. (Your cheese will become very thick and stretchy).
- Pour into a glass container and allow to cool uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before shredding.
*This will make the cheese softer so it melts and stretches when heated, but it is not as good for slicing since it is not as firm when cold.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Make sure to measure the ingredients carefully! Slight changes in the amount of liquid, the agar agar, or the tapioca starch can change the texture of your cheese a lot!
- For a cheesier flavor, add an additional tbsp of nutritional yeast and/or 1 tsp of miso paste to your cheese sauce.
- Store the cheese in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
- If you want to grate the meltable version, pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes after it has set to make it firmer and easier to grate.
- I like to use these Snapware containers because they are made of glass and won't affect the flavor and they have a lid with a good airtight lid to keep the cheese fresh longer.
🥥 Does this taste like coconut?
If you flavor the cheese with garlic and herbs, there is almost no taste of coconut. My son who hates the flavor of coconut still loves this cheese when I make it with garlic and herbs.
🥛 Alternatives to coconut milk
- Cashews – you can use1/3 cup cashew soaked and drained then blended with 1 3/4 cup water to replace the coconut milk and water in this recipe.
- Any Plant-Based Milk – you can also use 1 3/4 cup of any plant milk plus 1/3 cup of any neutral-flavored oil to replace the coconut milk and water in this recipe.
🍞 Pair with gluten-free crackers
This cheese recipe is naturally gluten-free. However, if you want gluten-free crackers that taste good, those are harder to find. I started using quinoa to make my own crackers. You won’t believe how easy and simple it is to do. You can check out my gluten-free cracker recipe that will amaze you here!
🧀 More vegan cheeses
- Vegan Smoked Gouda
- Healthy Veggie Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Pepper Jack
- Melty Vegan Mozzarella
- Vegan Cheddar
- Vegan Cream Cheese
All of these vegan cheeses make a great addition to any vegan cheese board or vegan Charcuterie board!
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
A basic recipe for making vegan cheese with garlic and herbs made with coconut milk. Free of gluten, soy, and nuts.
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk full fat
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp agar agar powder or 6 tbsp flakes
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp herbs de Provence or other dried herbs of choice
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 spray oil on the glass container
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Prepare cheese molds by spraying a glass bowl or container with spray oil or rub any neutral-flavored oil on the molds to prevent sticking. (Recipe will make about 2 cups of cheese).
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Pour the can of coconut milk into a saucepan.
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Put 1/2 cup of hot water into the empty coconut milk can to melt all the remaining coconut milk and add the water to the pan.
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Add all remaining ingredients to the saucepan and stir with a whisk.
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Turn heat on to medium and stir frequently until it boils.
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Turn down the heat until the cheese sauce is just barely boiling and stir constantly for 6 minutes until it is very smooth.
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Immediately pour into the prepared cheese molds.
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Let it cool with the lid off for about 15 minutes at room temperature, cover, and then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firmly set.
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Once the cheese is cooled completely cover and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.
How to make meltable vegan cheese:
- Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan except only add 1/4 cup of water instead of 1/2 cup and only add 4 tsp of agar agar instead of 2 tbsp.
- Heat the cheese sauce over medium heat until it begins to boil.
- Turn down the heat until it is just barely bubbling and allow to boil for 5 minutes while stirring frequently.
- Add 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp of tapioca starch (7 tsp) to 1/4 cup of cold water and stir until it dissolves.
- Add the starch and water mixture to the boiling cheese sauce while stirring it in with a whisk and then cook for an additional 1 minute. (Your cheese will become very thick and stretchy).
- Pour into a glass container and allow to cool uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before shredding.
A message about Agar- Agar:
- Use agar agar powder not flakes if you can and measure carefully. Make sure to use 2 tablespoons not teaspoons!
- If your cheese is too soft or jello-like, your agar agar is not strong enough. (Some people from different areas in Europe have reported that the cheese does not set hard enough. This is due to the different strengths of agar agar sold in different places. Double the agar agar next time you make it).
*This recipe was originally published on May 4, 2018. It was updated on May 16, 2020, to include new images and more detailed recipe instructions.
