Vegan Goat Cheese
This easy vegan goat cheese will amaze you! A rich and creamy, dairy-free, spreadable cheese with an authentic flavor that you can easily make at home in no time. It’s the perfect addition to your plant-based cheese board or holiday appetizers, plus even non-vegans love it!
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It’s been a long time since I’ve had real goat’s cheese, but my Omni friends have tested this recipe for me and love it and say that it tastes like the real thing!
Why you’ll love this recipe
This is one of the most popular recipes in my vegan cheese cookbook, so I wanted to share it to be sure everyone had the chance to try it for the holidays this year. It’s a must-have on any vegan cheese board! This vegan goat cheese recipe has a super creamy consistency and spreads perfectly on toasted bread or crackers just like the real thing.
Unlike nut cheese, this dairy-free goat’s cheese is made with tofu and a few simple ingredients and does not contain raw cashews, macadamia nuts, almond milk, cow’s milk, or any dairy products.
I just made this for a get together yesterday. It was delicious and even non-vegans liked it. Thanks for the suggestion to use white pepper, I think it added a lot to the taste!
—Margo
Ingredients and substitutions
- Tofu – You will want to use firm or extra firm tofu, not silken or high-protein tofu. Be sure to drain and press it well. You can use thick cashew cream instead of tofu if you need it to be soy-free.
- Refined Coconut Oil – You must use refined coconut oil so that it doesn’t have a coconut flavor. There is no substitution for this since it is a key ingredient for giving the cheese the right texture.
- Nutritional Yeast – for a cheesy flavor.
- Lemon Juice – for a little tangy flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – for acidity.
- Tahini – for flavor. There is just a little in the cheese, but it adds a mild earthy flavor similar to goat cheese.
- Salt – for flavor.
- Potato Starch – (mixed with a little water) to thicken the cheese. You can use cornstarch if you don’t have potato starch.
- White and Black Pepper – for the outside of the cheese. Cracked white pepper will give your cheese an amazingly authentic flavor! Don’t omit this! You can also roll your goat cheese in chopped fresh herbs or dried herbs like parsley or basil.
Helpful tools
- Immersion Blender – this is the best tool for blending the cheese super smooth and creamy, but you can use a regular high-speed blender as well. You will just need to stop and scrape the edges frequently.
- Saucepan – with a heavy bottom so that the cheese cooks evenly.
- Parchment Paper – for molding the cheese into a cylinder shape and wrapping it before you put it in the fridge. You can use plastic wrap instead if you don’t have parchment.
How to make vegan goat’s cheese
Step 1 – Add pressed tofu, melted coconut oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, tahini, and salt to a saucepan and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. (Use a blender if you don’t have an immersion blender.)
Step 2 – Dissolve the potato starch in the water, stir it well, and then add it to the tofu mixture and blend again until creamy.
Step 3 – Place the blended mixture into a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a rubber spatula for 5 minutes.
Step 4 – Once the mixture is heated through and thickened, allow it to cool for about 15 minutes, and then pour it onto a piece of parchment paper and form it into a cylinder shape.
Step 5 – Wrap it in parchment paper and set it in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set.
Step 6 – After at least 3 hours in the fridge, roll the cheese in cracked white and black peppercorns. You can also roll it in crushed pistachios, dried cranberries, or herbs of your choice.
Pro Tips
- Let the tofu warm up for about 15 minutes on the countertop before blending. This helps the coconut oil to not solidify as soon as you pour it onto the cold tofu.
- Use hot melted coconut oil so it doesn’t solidify when poured onto the tofu.
- Use fresh ground pepper if possible for the best flavor.
- Drizzle your vegan goat cheese with agave nectar or vegan honey instead of traditional honey or serve it with apricot jam.
- This is a great recipe to make a day or two ahead of time for a party. The flavors actually get better if it sits for a while.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan goat cheese is best served on crackers or crispy bread. If I have time I like to make my gluten-free quinoa crackers to serve with it. I always add it to my vegan charcuterie board along with vegan pepperoni, vegan salami, olives, and grapes for a pretty and diverse board. You can also add vegan bologna, vegan turkey slices, or vegan ham slices to your charcuterie board too!
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: This vegan goat cheese will keep well wrapped tightly in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the goat cheese, but it does change the texture slightly making it less creamy. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More vegan cheese recipes
I love making vegan cheeses! I have over 20 variations of vegan cheeses on my blog and a vegan cheesemaking cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Cheeses! Here is a list of some of my most popular homemade vegan cheeses.
Vegan goat cheese recipe
Vegan Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 7 oz firm tofu, (this is 1/2 a block of tofu)
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon tahini
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon potato starch, or corn starch
- 1 teaspoon white and black pepper
Instructions
- Add 1/2 a block pressed tofu, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp tahini, and 3/4 tsp salt to a saucepan and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. (Use a blender if you don't have an immersion blender.)
- Dissolve 1 1/2 tsp potato starch into 2 tbsp cold water, stir it well, and then add it to the tofu mixture and blend again until creamy.
- Place the blended mixture into a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a rubber spatula for 5 minutes.
- Once the mixture is heated through and thickened, allow it to cool for about 15 minutes and then pour it onto a piece of parchment paper and form it into a cylinder shape.
- Wrap it in parchment paper and set it in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set.
- After at least 3 hours in the fridge, roll the cheese in cracked white and black peppercorns. You can also roll it in crushed pistachios, dried cranberries, or herbs of your choice.
Notes
- Let the tofu warm up for about 15 minutes on the countertop before blending. This helps the coconut oil to not solidify as soon as you pour it onto the cold tofu.
- Use hot melted coconut oil so it doesn’t solidify when poured onto the tofu.
- Use fresh ground pepper if possible for the best flavor.
- Drizzle your vegan goat cheese with agave nectar or vegan honey instead of traditional honey.
- This is a great recipe to make a day or two ahead of time for a party. The flavors actually get better if it sits for a while.
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Hi, just wondering if you have a recipe for vegan camembert ?
It’s the one thing I crave at Christmas, we always had one in the oven Christmas eve night, and I dream of the hot drippy cheese every year since going vegan, please help 😞
I don’t have one for camembert, but I do have one for vegan Brie in my cookbook. It warms nicely and gets melty. 🙂
Oh I’ll definitely have a look at that, thank you. But I know you’ll come up with a camembert eventually, 😉 I have every faith in you. Love’n your recipes btw x
This sounds good. Can I ask, what brand of tofu do you use for this recipe? Because I’ve noticed different brands have slightly different textures.
I usually get my tofu from Trader Joe’s or Aldi. I find that the textures change even within the same brand, but it always seems to work anyway. Enjoy! 🙂
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Looks great and would like to make it 3 days before I need to serve it, thanks.
It will keep for about 5 days in the fridge as long as you keep it airtight. You will be fine to make it 3 days ahead. Enjoy! 🙂
Can be use any other plant milk instead of tofu? Thanks for the recipes
The tofu is the base of this cheese. You can’t swap it for plant milk, but you could use a very thick cashew cream instead. Emjoy!
Thanks I’m allergic to soy
I’ve been trying to find Vegan Cheese Recipes Without Lemon, Lime, etc. in them. Any suggestions.
You can simply leave it out of any of my cheeses, it is just for flavor. You could also use apple cider vinegar instead.
Thank you
Hi, thank you for the recipe! can I omit the potato starch or corn starch?
You can omit it, but it won’t be as firm. I use it to help hold it together and keep its shape. It will be more like a firm cream cheese texture without it. Enjoy!
Hey Monica, can Agar Agar be used in place of potato starch ? Your recipies look amazine and I’ve enjoyed making them!
Hi Nicole. I’m so happy that you like my recipes! You could use agar agar instead, but you won’t need nearly as much. About 1/4 of agar agar will firm it up. You will have to cook it for 5-6 minutes to make sure the agar is activated. Enjoy!
Thank you for the scaled amount on the Agar agar!
Sure, I hope that you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Monica, I made this yesterday and used it on pizza, very tasty! 🙂
I was wondering whether I could put it in a square container to set then cube and store in a jar with oil and herbs? Do you think this would work?
Thanks so much for the recipe.
I’m so happy that you like the recipe, Sue. I think that you could definitely cube it and store it with oil and herbs. Enjoy!
I just made this for a get together yesterday. It was delicious and even non-vegans liked it. Thanks for the suggestion to use white pepper, I think it added a lot to the taste!
I love the white pepper on it too, Margo. Glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you for the recipe of vegan goat cheese 🌍😊
You’re welcome, Enjoy! 🙂
IMonica
I’m new to this vegan eating plan and am really excited to make this amazing cheese. However, per my physician, no coconut oil for me. Olive or avocado is best though others without or with lower saturated fat are acceptable.
How can I alter your recipe to make it work with my medical needs?
A thousand Thank You’s for these wonderful recipes and, especially, for helping me with my conundrum!
The coconut oil is a key ingredient to make the cheese stay firm and hold together. You could omit the coconut oil and simply serve it in a dish as a spreadable cheese. Enjoy! 🙂
Many Thank You’s for your perfect answer, Monica, and for you taking the time to address my personal concern!
Now I’m even more excited to try your recipe!
Be Well!
*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) Nancy
(¸.•´ ♪♫ *¨*•.¸¸.. ♥ *¨*•.¸¸.. ♪♫
You’re welcome, Nancy! Enjoy!
Can I make it without adding oil? Will H2O work?
No, sorry the oil binds it together and helps it to hold its shape when it gets cold and makes it rich and creamy like real goat cheese. You can still make a good-tasting spreadable cheese if you just omit the oil that you put in a jar, but don’t add water.
Is this firm tofu that is packed in water or the kind that is vacuum sealed?
You want to use firm or extra firm water-packed tofu. Not the high protein tofu in the vacuum-sealed plastic. Enjoy!
How much cashew cream would I need instead of the tofu? I cannot have soy. Thanks.
You will need 3/4 cup of cashew cream as thick as you can make it and have it still be creamy. Enjoy!