This vegan mozzarella recipe will soon be your favorite vegan cheese! This cheese is made from coconut milk and is free of gluten, soy, and nuts, so everyone can enjoy it.
It may seem like a lot of work to make your own cheese, but I promise that it’s easy and well worth it!
What do I need to make this vegan mozzarella recipe?
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. (You can also use coconut cream).
- Water to give it the right moisture content.
- Salt and nutritional yeast give it the cheesy flavor.
- 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 uses 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).
- Tapioca flour to give the cheese a little stretch when it melts.
Put all together, and it makes the perfect vegan cheese.
You can make this vegan mozzarella recipe in 2 ways. You can make it firm and sliceable; perfect for serving on crackers or simply snacking. You can also make a softer mozzarella that will melt when heated to use on pizza or melted in a grilled cheese sandwich. See the recipe for both variations.
How do you make vegan mozzarella?
- Simply pour all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir with a whisk.
- Heat it to a slow boil and continue to simmer it for 6 minutes until the agar agar is completely melted and smooth.
- Pour the cheese into an oiled glass container.
- Then, let it sit uncovered for about 15 minutes until it cools slightly, then put the cheese into the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours.
Notes:
- It will set up firm and be able to be sliced or shredded.
- If you are making the melting style vegan cheese, it will set up softer than the variety with less tapioca starch.
Like smokey cheese?
Check out my recipe for vegan smoked gouda!
Can’t get enough garlic and herbs?
Check out my vegan cheese with garlic and herbs!
Looking for a classic vegan provolone recipe?
Learn how to make vegan cheese – provolone style.
Did you make this cheese? Leave a comment and a rating so we can hear how it went.
A delicious vegan mozzarella recipe that melts made with coconut milk
- 1 can coconut milk full fat
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp agar agar powder
- 1 tsp tapioca flour
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder minced
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 for up to a week.
- To make this cheese able to melt and better for use on pizza or grilled cheese, add 2 additional tablespoons of tapioca starch.
- For best results when melting, let the cheese heat up to room temperature before cooking.
- This cheese melts beautifully in the microwave too!
- For a firmer cheese, leave out the tapioca starch from the recipe.
I love this recipe and I am super excited to give it try… But I was wo de ring can I make it with another non dairy milk like soy?
You can, but it won’t be as rich and creamy. When I make it with soy milk, I usually use about 1 3/4 cup soy milk and about 1/3 cup of oil so it has a similar fat content to real cheese.
I am not vegan and not even vegetarian at this point, but have been more and more interested in going vegan for several reasons, and my significant other would be on board with me for the same reasons, so I feel that we are already off to a good start! For now, I am eating out of my freezer (trying to finish up whatever meat/dairy/eggs products I have, because I don’t like wasting food either, especially that I had already spent my money on it) while trying out vegan recipes to see if I can make the vegan lifestyle work for me. I love to cook and experiment, but love my flavors too and I feel that I will be looking to replace the traditional meat and egg flavors so now is the time to try while I still have the meat, dairy and eggs on hand. In addition, I understand that going vegan would require keeping several products on hand (vital wheat gluten, tofu, yeast flakes, agar agar, chickpea flour and so on), but I am not looking to keep 50 different things in my pantry, knowing that I would use half of them maybe twice a year. This is to say that I am looking for fairly simple recipes, and this mozzarella recipe definitely fits into the simpler category as compared to other recipes I found out there. I have to say that I had already made the smoked Gouda (without any tapioca) and it is weirdly but wonderfully addictive, lol. I will be making it again for sure!
I scrolled through the mozzarella recipe and all the comments but didn’t see this one question answered: so the version without tapioca can be grated/shredded, but how well do the grated particles melt (say, on pizza), if at all?
Alternatively, can the version with tapioca still be grated, or is it too soft to grate and it would need to be finely sliced to resemble the shreds? Please advise.
Thank you so much for your incredible website and all the resources you provide. I really appreciate all the work you put into this website (and I know a thing or 2 about SEO, so I know it’s really a lot of work!) and for taking the time to perfect your recipes so that we, the readers (and the lurkers like me, haha) can enjoy them immediately. Thank you!
Hi Beata. I’m so excited that you are trying out some of my cheese recipes! Tapioca starch in vegan cheeses is a tricky thing. I have tested and retested the cheeses with varying amounts of tapioca starch and this is what I have learned. The more you use the easier it is to get the cheese to melt and stretch and the softer it is. The less you use, the more firm the cheese will be and the hotter you will need to get the cheese to melt. I have found that 2 tbsp plus an additional 1 tsp of tapioca starch is the optimal amount to use if you want it firm enough to shred, yet easily able to melt in a grilled cheese or quesadilla. If you use that amount you will be able to shred it once it has cooled completely. (You can also toss it in the freezer for about 1/2 hour or so and let it firm up even more before shredding it. Note: you must also use 2 full tbsp of agar agar powder to make it set. Variations in the agar agar will also change the cheese texture a lot. Hope that helps! Enjoy! 🙂
Hi there,
Apologies, perhaps I have done something wrong?
However. I followed the recipe instructions correctly and had all the correct ingredients, yet I get an overwhelming coconut flavour, almost like I’m eating pure coconut oil?
Please help?
Most people can’t taste the coconut or say that it’s really mild. I have noticed some brands have a stronger taste than others. Maybe try a different brand. Also, the types with a higher fat content have less coconut flavor. You can even use coconut cream instead of coconut milk. Hope that helps. 🙂
How long can I keep this cheese in room temperature?
I would say about 6-8 hours as you would real cheese.
Hi, this recipe looks great and I cannot wait to try it! Can this be made without agar agar? Thank you in advance!
Also, will other oils such as olive oil work in place of the refined coconut oil?
You can use any neutral flavored oil that you like.
I just made this receipe for my vegan wfpb husband, and I’m thrilled! So many of the other recipes I found included oil in the ingredient list, which he avoids. I loved how easy and fast it was to make. And, the flavor is incredible! I was worried it would taste like coconut but it doesn’t. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
You are very welcome Christa! I’m so happy that you both liked it! It’s amazing how rich and creamy it is with no refined oil! 🙂
Hi Jamari, If you don’t add agar agar, you get a delicious cheesy sauce (check out my alfredo sauce recipe), but if you want a harder cheese that you can slice, you need to add agar agar. 🙂
Does this work on pizza?
I buy vegan mozzarella and have had it on my list to make but haven’t yet. With only minimal ingredients I think I need to take the plunge and try it!
Have you tried arrowroot powder/starch in place of the tapioca starch? People say they are interchangeable in some other recipes, but I realize for something like this, substitutions will not always work.
Mel, arrowroot doesn’t have the same stretch as the tapioca starch. I haven’t found anything that gives it a comparable texture. How you enjoy it. 🙂
Hi.
Just dropped by to say thanks a lot for this receipy.
We live in Philippine and do not have any access to real dairy products because it’s too expensive and the fakes in the store are horrid.
Amazingly all these ingredients for the vegan version can be natively found here.
I have a small question about the yeast tho, can i use normal baking yeast, will the dry one work?
Hi David, you’re very welcome for the recipe. The nutritional yeast is a specific thing that is not the same as baking yeast. It is a dry yellow flaky substance that has a cheesy flavor. I highly recommend that you try to source official nutritional yeast, it’s wonderful stuff to have if you’re vegan. If you can’t find it, just leave it out. Baking yeast does not taste anything like it. I hope that you are able to make this! 🙂
Hi! I’m so excited to have found your recipe! I just made it and am waiting for it to cool. Question… Is some evaporation normal? I lost a lot of liquid as I waiting for it to boil. How long should it be from the time you pour in the ingredients until it begins to boil? I think I just have to adjust my temperature a little higher than ‘medium’, but I’m curious to know what’s normal for you. Thanks!
Hi Emily, it is normal to lose some of the liquid while you are cooking it. (That is part of the reason I add additional water to the coconut milk. It really depends on your stove (electric vs gas) and even the thickness of your pan. You won’t have much evaporation until it starts to boil anyway. Hope that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hello,
Have you ever tried to make this with lite coconut milk? I would love to try it, but I only use the lite version because of the fat content in the regular.
Thank you!
Yes, it will work well. It’s just not as rich and creamy as full fat coconut milk. Enjoy! 🙂
Hello,
I made this recipe and added the extra 2 Tbsp of tapioca flour (+ 1 tsp) to increase meltability. The cheese is not melting. I mixed all the ingredients together, brought them to a boil then simmered for a total of 6 minutes. It is unmeltable. Any thoughts on what I may have done wrong? Delicious flavor though!
Thank you!
It sounds like you made it correctly. How are you melting it? Are you making a toasted cheese or is it on pizza or something? If it is going from very cold in the fridge to on a sandwich, it may not be reaching a high enough temperature. Make sure to cook it slowly so the middle has time to heat up. You can also pop it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds then grill it. If you are making pizza or something make sure to set your oven to broil for the last minute or two so the cheese gets hot enough on the top.
Love this recipe! I’ve added chilli flakes and chilli sauce to make a spicy mozzarella! Perfect for a grilled cheese, just toss a couple avocado slices in there and you’ve got yourself a nice easy lunch. Thank you for the recipe, this saves my bank account from the high price of other vegan cheeses.
You are very welcome! I’m so happy that you liked it! Chili flakes sound like a yummy way to spice it up! 🙂
How many mL is a can of coconut milk? Here in Australia we have cans in both 400mL & 270mL. Thanks
Hi Lara, sorry that it wasn’t more clear. You need to use 400 ml of coconut milk. (In the US I’ve only seen it in 400 ml cans). Hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Is the whole can of coconut milk to be used…solid and liquid?
Yes, use the whole can both the solid and liquid. Hope that you enjoy it!
Is there any chance gelatin would work if not vegan?? I just need a dairy free option that’s not gross 😊
I do not use gelatin myself, but I have heard from one reader that it didn’t work well. If you try it, let me know because I get that question a lot. I have read that agar agar and gelatin will swap 1:1.
Hey – so, I want to be sure to understand – is tapioca flour different from tapioca starch?? If I want melty cheese, do I need to use both? Or is it the same thing? I’m a little confused, but I’m excited to try this recipe for a vegan lasagna!
Hi Bethany, tapioca flour and tapioca starch are the same thing. They are used interchangeably. Sometimes I see packages that say tapioca starch and other times it’s labeled tapioca flour, but it’s the same. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
dear Monica, thank you for this recipe. I have only corn or potato starch with me, would any of those work ? Thank you 🙂
Hi Anne – sorry, but the only thing that give the cheese the stretch is tapioca starch. I have tried other things and they don’t work. You can simply leave the tapioca starch out and it’s a delicious tasting firm cheese for slicing, but it won’t melt and stretch like it will with tapioca. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Hello Monica, thanks a lot for your quick response ! I have found some tapioca starch so I’ll enjoy this “cheese” tomorrow, thanks, take care.
Hello! I was wondering if you can freeze this to keep longer
Thank you!
Hi Haley, yes, you can freeze it. Enjoy! 🙂
First time making this and honestly I LOVE it!! So genius! I can’t wait to brag about making my own vegan cheese 😅 this is so worth your time and effort (which barely takes any) thank you so much for the recipe!
You’re welcome Camille! I’m so happy that you like it! The mozzarella and smoked Gouda are my favorite varieties for sure! I have to stop myself from eating the whole block ever time I make it! 🙂
Can I substitute agar powder with guar gum? If so in what proportion?
Hi Vidhi, I do not think that guar gum will work, although I have never tried it. Agar powder or flakes is really the only thing that will give you the right cheese texture.
Your description mentions lemon juice but the recipe doesn’t list it. How much lemon juice should go in?
Sorry, in that section, I was talking about vegan cheese in general. I don’t put it in the mozzarella to give it a more mild flavor. I updated the post to make that more clear. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
If we add the extra 2 tablespoons of starch will it still be firm enough to cut/slice? If we don’t add the extra starch will it still melt?
Hi Abi, Yes, the melty mozzarella with the added tapioca starch will still be firm enough to slice. It will be softer than the other version without the starch. If you leave out the starch it will be a firmer cheese that is great for slicing and putting on cracker of just snacking. It will melt if it gets hot enough(It will have a hotter melting point), but not melt as easy as the version with the tapioca starch. It will also not stretch when melted. I hope that helps! Enjoy!:)
This cheese is delicious! My kids and husband will even eat it! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy that you all liked it! 🙂