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.
Mel says
August 14, 2019 at 10:13 pmHave 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.
Monica says
August 16, 2019 at 9:14 amMel, 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. 🙂
David says
July 19, 2019 at 11:19 amHi.
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?
Monica says
July 20, 2019 at 2:34 pmHi 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! 🙂
Emily says
May 26, 2019 at 6:48 pmHi! 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!
Monica says
May 27, 2019 at 6:17 pmHi 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! 🙂
AML says
May 20, 2019 at 11:51 amHello,
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!
Monica says
May 20, 2019 at 5:08 pmYes, it will work well. It’s just not as rich and creamy as full fat coconut milk. Enjoy! 🙂
Sara-Lynne says
May 8, 2019 at 7:15 pmHello,
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!
Monica says
May 9, 2019 at 10:15 amIt 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.
Matt says
March 30, 2019 at 7:06 pmLove 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.
Monica says
March 31, 2019 at 12:35 pmYou are very welcome! I’m so happy that you liked it! Chili flakes sound like a yummy way to spice it up! 🙂
Lara says
January 28, 2019 at 7:14 pmHow many mL is a can of coconut milk? Here in Australia we have cans in both 400mL & 270mL. Thanks
Monica says
January 29, 2019 at 11:06 amHi 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! 🙂
Loretta says
December 27, 2018 at 9:58 amIs the whole can of coconut milk to be used…solid and liquid?
Monica says
December 27, 2018 at 10:32 amYes, use the whole can both the solid and liquid. Hope that you enjoy it!
Hayley says
November 30, 2018 at 12:21 pmIs there any chance gelatin would work if not vegan?? I just need a dairy free option that’s not gross 😊
Monica says
November 30, 2018 at 5:00 pmI 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.
Bethany says
November 30, 2018 at 8:27 amHey – 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!
Monica says
November 30, 2018 at 9:04 amHi 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! 🙂
Anne Sophie says
November 26, 2018 at 12:16 pmdear Monica, thank you for this recipe. I have only corn or potato starch with me, would any of those work ? Thank you 🙂
Monica says
November 26, 2018 at 1:51 pmHi 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! 🙂
Anne Sophie says
November 26, 2018 at 3:49 pmHello Monica, thanks a lot for your quick response ! I have found some tapioca starch so I’ll enjoy this “cheese” tomorrow, thanks, take care.
Haley says
November 4, 2018 at 7:00 pmHello! I was wondering if you can freeze this to keep longer
Thank you!
Monica says
November 5, 2018 at 10:37 amHi Haley, yes, you can freeze it. Enjoy! 🙂
Camille says
October 30, 2018 at 5:02 amFirst 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!
Monica says
October 30, 2018 at 9:04 amYou’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! 🙂
Vidhi says
October 1, 2018 at 11:32 amCan I substitute agar powder with guar gum? If so in what proportion?
Monica says
October 1, 2018 at 2:41 pmHi 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.
CWL says
August 31, 2018 at 3:39 amYour description mentions lemon juice but the recipe doesn’t list it. How much lemon juice should go in?
Monica says
September 1, 2018 at 9:12 amSorry, 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! 🙂
Abi says
June 16, 2018 at 10:44 amIf 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?
[email protected] says
June 17, 2018 at 10:59 amHi 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!:)
Jenn says
June 6, 2018 at 9:35 amThis cheese is delicious! My kids and husband will even eat it! Thanks for the recipe!
[email protected] says
June 6, 2018 at 9:50 amI’m so happy that you all liked it! 🙂