This vegan cheese with garlic and herbs is perfect for slicing and eating on crackers. Dairy free, gluten free and nut free, everyone can enjoy this creamy and delicious cheese.
What do I need to make vegan cheese?
With just a few ingredients, you can make the most delicious vegan cheese you have ever had!
• Full fat coconut milk gives this dairy-free cheese a rich creamy texture.
• Salt and nutritional yeast give it the cheesy flavor.
• A small squeeze of lemon juice adds a little cheesy bite.
• Agar-agar is a white powder made from seaweed, and it acts like a vegan gelatin making the cheese firm. (It comes in flakes or powder, but use the powder. It is less expensive, you need less of it, and it blends easier and smoother. You can find great prices on it at most Asian markets or you can buy it on Amazon as well).
• Finally, a little tapioca flour gives the cheese a little stretch when it melts. Put all together, and it makes the perfect vegan cheese.
How do I make vegan cheese?
- 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 is completely smooth).
- Then pour into any shape container that you wish. (One batch makes almost 2 cups of cheese). 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.
How do I flavor the cheese with garlic and herbs?
Two to three cloves of minced garlic and 2 tsp. of dry or fresh herbs of choice flavors the cheese nicely and make the perfect blend of flavors.
Does this coconut cheese 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.
How can I make this cheese melt well?
If you want to use this cheese to make a grilled cheese sandwich or a quesadilla, simply add 2 additional tbsp tapioca flour (this will equal a total of 2 tbsp+1 tsp) to the cheese mixture before cooking. This will make the cheese softer so it melts and stretches when heated.
Do you want gluten free cheese and crackers?
This cheese recipe is naturally gluten-free. However, if you want gluten-free crackers that taste good, that’s 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 these my gluten-free cracker recipe that will amaze you here!
What are some other ways to flavor vegan cheese to make new varieties?
My family’s favorite varieties of vegan cheeses are this garlic herb as well as smoked gouda, provolone, and mozzarella.
Like smokey cheese?
Check out my recipe for vegan smoked gouda!
Follow me on Instagram for daily vegan inspiration and clickable links to all my recipes!
A basic recipe for making vegan cheese with garlic and herbs made with coconut milk. Free of gluten, soy, and nuts.
- 1 can coconut milk full fat
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp agar agar powder
- 1 tsp tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch)
- 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
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).
Pour the can of coconut milk into a saucepan.
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.
Add all remaining ingredients to the saucepan and stir with a whisk.
Turn heat on to medium and stir frequently until it boils.
Turn down the heat until the cheese sauce is just barely boiling and stir constantly for 6 minutes until it is very smooth.
Immediately pour into the prepared cheese molds.
Let it cool with the lid off for about 15 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firmly set.
Once the cheese is cooled completely cover and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.
- To make this cheese meltable and better for use on pizza or grilled cheese, add 2 additional tablespoons of tapioca starch.
- For a firmer cheese, leave out the tapioca starch from the recipe.
I followed the recipe and mine also came out rubbery. I’ve had store bought vegan cheese that was also a bit rubbery but almost instantly breaks down and gets creamy when you chew it. I like the flavor and actually think the flavor could be stronger. It also melts nicely.. and fast! I’m going to try again with less Agar powder and more Tapioca powder. I think even different brands of the same ingredient can behave differently so some experimentation is usually going to be part of the process, even with a recipe.Thanks for the starting point. Def cuts down on a lot of guessing work that would have gone into getting to this point.
The texture of agar agar can be too rubbery for some people. Definitely play around with the ratio to achieve a texture that you like better. You can add more nutritional yeast for a cheesier flavor.
I made mine without tapioca starch and white it tasted amazing hot, it became too gelatinous when it’s set, as some of the previous comments said.
I might have added too much agar agar? I followed the recipe and it doesn’t look “crumbly” like the photo.
Wonder what I did wrong…
If the cheese is a jello like texture then you didn’t use enough agar agar. Make sure you use 2 tablespoons of agar agar, not teaspoons. Also make sure to use powder not flakes. The only other thing that would make it come out that way is using too much tapioca starch. Hope that helps. You could try leaving the tapioca starch out completely if you want. That will make it a very firm cheese. 🙂
Made this last night and it turned out really well! I had wanted to switch to less dairy after being vegetarian lacto for few years now..
tbh have never tasted vegan cheese before but it is all too expensive .. nobody at home is a fan of coconut milk though so I will be the only one eating haha
today steamed some cheese between 2 slices of brown bread and some of it actually melted 🙂 it also tastes great with crackers! Will try with pasta next, it must be really yummy!
I put more salt and nutritional yeast to cover the taste of the coconut milk .. I had used Premium canned Ayam brand coconut milk, it had a thicker taste of coconut. Will try with a milder milk next round 🙂 thanks a lot for this recipe!’
I’m so happy that you liked it! I’ve noticed that some brands do have more of a coconut flavor. I’ve noticed that the ones with higher fat content seem to have less of a coconut flavor. Enjoy! 🙂
Is it possible for me to use reduced fat coconut milk? Will it taste the same?
You can use the low fat, but it does change the taste a little and it’s less creamy. 🙂
Love the flavor of this cheese. I left out the tapioca starch for a firmer cheese but the texture is rubbery. Does the starch charge the texture?
The tapioca makes the cheese a little softer. The rubbery texture is from the agar agar. You can try adjusting the amount of agar that you use. Adding less will create a softer more jello-like cheese, and more will make it firmer, but it always has a bit of a rubbery texture.
I don’t know what happened, mine turned out horribly. It was like jello rather than creamy 😭
I wonder if you used 2 tsp of agar agar instead of 2 TBSP? The agar agar is a type of gelatine though, so it does have a similar texture as jello, but should be much firmer. If you don’t think you used enough agar agar, you could try remelting it, adding, more and recooking it. Hope that helps. 🙂
I’m so glad I finally tried out one of your cheese recipes! this is so delicious and simple to make!
I look forward to trying out the other cheese recipes too. Thank you!
I’m so happy that you tried it too! Let me know what you think of the other ones too. 🙂
Hello I was wondering if you could add rejuvelac to the recipe?
Yes, you can use it instead of the water. I haven’t used it in a long time. I just keep it simple, but let me know what you think! 🙂
I’m so excited! I’ve never tried making cheese, much less vegan cheese. I have got to try this. It looks like the perfect thing to pair with crackers.
Thank you for this recipe. I just made my first ever vegan cheese and it’s really yummy,. But my cheese is very soft. I can’t cut it into slices. It’s spreadable. It looks like I used to much liquid. With all the ingredients mine did not look like in picture 2 even not after over 10 min cooking time. I had to add about 24 g of agar agar and two tbsp more of topic flour. Can you tell me which weight the coconut can has? Maybe mine is bigger here in Europe then this one you have in USA?
I use 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk to make this cheese. If you want a firmer cheese, leave out the tapioca flour. The tapioca makes it stretchy and better for melting, but it will not firm up as much. I like to leave it out completely for cheese that I will just slice for crackers. I only use the tapioca starch for cheese that I will melt on pizza or quesadillas. (Did you use agar agar flakes or powder? That may be another issue since the powder is more concentrated than the flakes. If you are using flakes, you will need more).
In regards to the Nutrition Facts, how much is a serving?
A serving size is 1/8 of the total amount, so about 1/4 cup since it makes about 2 cups total. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Hi.
Here in Brazil i can’t find canned coconut milk, but there is a concentrated bottled strongly flavoured coconut milk, carton and powder coconut milk (and there’s always the option to make it homemade). Which one would be best for the recipe?
I would think the homemade version would be your best option. You will need to blend it very well and make creamy milk. Let me know how it works for you. 🙂
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe! Do you think this would work with regular coconut milk and not canned? I try to avoid using canned food.
It will work, but the type of coconut milk you buy in a carton to drink has much less fat, so it won’t be as rich and creamy. Hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Thank you so muvh for this recipe! I just got my first batch into the fridge and am looking forward to a grilled cheese with it tomorrow…I added the 2 tbsp extra tapioca starch to make it stretchy. I’m hopeful this recipe will work out just in time for some dishes I want to make Christmas Eve.
So happy to hear that you made it! I hope that you enjoy the cheese as much as we do! 🙂
I tried all of your cheeses …they are all great. This one is SO good on crackers. Thanks for posting!
Thanks Sarah! I’m so happy that you like them as much as we do!
I just made this cheese and I must say it is the best vegan cheese that I have tried! So rich and creamy and the herbs flavor it perfectly!
What is the size of the coconut milk can you use? Thank you.
Hi Jen, Use a 13.5 oz can of coconut milk. Enjoy! 🙂
Can I use gelatin instead of agar and coconut flour instead of tapioca?
Since gelatin is not vegan, I have never used it. I think that it would work, but I don’t know if the ratio would be the same. There is no substitute for tapioca flour, nothing else will give the cheese the same stretch. You can just leave it out and have a firm cheese that’s great for slicing and eating cold, but if you want it to melt and stretch, you have to use tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch). Hope it works for you!
Actually, potato starch will substitute tapioca (really can’t tapioca here), and carageenan powder can sub the agar. Kappa carageenan is better in my opinion than agar as it doesn’t require the sustained heat to activate it, it is also less rubbery.
Thanks for the info Dean. Potato starch will work okay if you can’t do tapioca, but it just doesn’t stretch the same as tapioca. I’m excited to do some recipe testing with Kappa Carageenan, thanks for the suggestion. How much do you use? Is it a 1:1 swap for agar agar?
My favorite vegan cheese recipe so far! All though I used coconut cream instead of milk cause that’s what I had, the texture was perfect but it did taste a little bit like coconut so I’ll use the coconut milk next time and try again, I added minced jalepeno and garlic and herbs, super cool it melted on my hot vegan sausage sandwhich like real cheese! Seemed kind of like mozzarella to me. Gonna try to make a smoky version tomorrow and a chive now that I see that suggestion above that sounds good. 👌
Hi Mandy, So happy that you liked it! I love the smoked Gouda style. It’s fun to throw in different herbs and spices and get different flavors! Enjoy! 🙂
Hi can I use soy milk instead of coconut milk?
Hi Ellie, Yes you can just use 1 1/4 cup of plant milk and ½ cup oil instead of the coconut milk and water. This works well, but it’s not as rich and creamy as the coconut cheese. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
How do you think coconut cream would work? I’m still trying to find a homemade vegan cheese without a weird consistency and hope this will be it! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Allison, Yes, coconut cream will work! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Just wondering when using the coconut milk if you discard the water in the can or mix it with the solid in the can. This looks delicious! I can hardly wait to try it. Your homemade crackers also look amazing. Thanks.
Hi Margy, You need to use everything in the can. When coconut milk sits on the shelf, it separates out, but you need it all. Hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Will xanthan gum work instead of or subbing in for some of agar ? Had an idea to add brewers yeast towards end to minimize nutrient boil-off , any thoughts on that ?
Hi Carl, xanthan gum will not work the same as agar. The agar is like a gelatin that makes it firm up. You can add less for a softer cheese. I don’t know much about brewers yeast, so I can’t answer that question. You could add the agar to the 1/2 cup of water and boil that for 6 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients and just cook those for just a minute to minimize the time you are cooking the majority of the ingredients. Hope that helps! 🙂
Very much so. Boil thickening agent separate, po$$ibly use le$$. Will probably apply concept to some other recipes, so, thank you.
This recipe looks like the answer to my prayers with non dairy cheese in the supermarket being a ridiculous price, that tastes disgusting with crackers! Love the idea that you can also melt it. Mmmm…….miss melts toasty cheese sandwiches! Just wondering how long it would keep in the fridge? Do you reckon I could grate it and freeze it? Very many thanks Nikki ?
Hi Nikki, It keeps well in the fridge for about 5 days. My family eats it all every time I make it, so I have never frozen it, but I’m think that it would be fine to freeze it. Enjoy! 🙂
Would love to make this recipe but I have an allergy to garlic ( as well as to dairy, eggs, and a few more) so this sounds good for someone with allergies. Can I leave out the garlic or sub with shallots which I often do in recipes calling for garlic? I hoping it would not alter the taste.
Hi Catherine. You can definitely leave out the garlic. You can use what every you would like to flavor the cheese instead. Shallots, green onions, or chives would also give it a nice flavor. Just make sure to chop them up very fine. Hope you enjoy it!