Vegan Pizza Cheese
If you want the best vegan pizza cheese, this is the recipe that you have been looking for. This homemade vegan cheese topping is gooey, melty, and stretchy, plus you can make it at home in minutes for a fraction of the cost of store-bought vegan cheese.
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Why make this recipe
This is the best vegan cheese recipe for pizza! It goes on the pizza as a thick stretchy sauce, so it stays melty and delicious.
Vegan cheese typically needs to be heated to a higher temperature than dairy cheese to melt, therefore it’s hard to get it to melt evenly on pizza or on top of casseroles. This pizza cheese recipe is a melty sauce that you pour on top of your pizza, so it’s already melty, once baked, it turns into perfect pizza cheese.
My family loves this plant-based pizza cheese on top of lasagna, potato casserole, goulash, and baked ziti too!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Oat Milk – or any other plain variety of plant-based milk like almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk. I think that oat milk gives this pizza cheese the best flavor.
- Canola Oil – or any other neutral flavored oil.
- Nutritional Yeast – for a cheesy flavor. This is essential for giving the cheese an umami flavor, nothing else flavors it the same.
- Tapioca Starch – to give the cheese meltiness and stretch. This is essential in the recipe if you want cheese that stretches.
- Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce.
- Salt – for flavor
- Lemon Juice – for flavor.
- Garlic Powder – for flavor.
What you need for vegan pizza
Vegan Pizza Dough – you can use your favorite pizza dough recipe or the premade dough that comes in the grocery store’s refrigerated section. Here is a guide to vegan pizza dough.
Pizza Sauce – most jarred or canned pizza sauce is vegan.
Toppings – you can use any veggies or vegan topping that you want. Some of my favorites are tomatoes, peppers, olives, mushrooms, TVP sausage crumbles, tofu sausage, or vegan pepperoni.
Helpful tools
- Small Sauce Pan – for heating the pizza cheese sauce.
- A Wisk – for stirring the cheese to get out any lumps.
How to make vegan pizza cheese
Step 1 – Measure out all the ingredients and pour them into a small saucepan.
Step 2 – Stir well with a whisk while the ingredients are still cold.
Step 3 – Turn on the heat to medium and stir it frequently until it boils.
Step 4 – Turn down the heat to low and allow it to boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
Step 5 – Pour directly over a prepared pizza or as the top layer for zucchini lasagna, stuffed shells, vegan goulash, or cheesy potato casserole.
How to make vegan pizza with cheese sauce
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Step 2 – Roll out your pizza dough onto a floured surface. (Or you can toss it if you want to get fancy, but I find that using a rolling pin is easiest.)
Step 3 – Transfer your dough to a pizza pan or a baking sheet. (You do not need to oil the pan if you are using a non-stick. Rolling the dough with extra flour also helps your dough to not stick to the pan.)
Step 4 – Top your pizza with a layer of sauce.
Step 5 – Spoon the pizza cheese sauce evenly over the top of the pizza then top with veggies or vegan toppings of your choice.
Step 6 – Bake at 425° F for about 15 minutes until the top is bubbly and the crust is golden.
Step 7 – Allow cooling for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Pro Tips
- Be sure to allow the cornstarch and potato starch to dissolve completely before turning on the heat.
- Stir frequently while the pizza cheese is heating for a smooth consistent texture.
How to store vegan pizza cheese
Refrigerate: This pizza cheese will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: You can store leftover pizza or casseroles with the vegan cheese sauce in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Add a tablespoon or two of water to leftover pizza cheese and reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop until stretchy.
More vegan cheese recipes
Vegan pizza cheese recipe
Vegan Pizza Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup plain flavored oat milk
- ¼ cup canola oil, or other neutral-flavored oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
How to make vegan pizza cheese
- Measure out all the ingredients and pour them into a small saucepan.
- Stir well with a whisk while the ingredients are still cold.
- Turn on the heat to medium and stir it frequently until it boils.
- Turn down the heat to low and allow it to boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Pour directly over a prepared pizza or as the top layer for lasagna, stuffed shells, or any other cheesy casserole.
How to make vegan pizza with cheese sauce
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Roll out your pizza dough onto a floured surface. (Or you can toss it if you want to get fancy, but I find that using a rolling pin is easiest.)
- Transfer your dough to a pizza pan or a baking sheet. (You do not need to oil the pan if you are using a non-stick. Rolling the dough with extra flour also helps your dough to not stick to the pan.)
- Top your pizza with a layer of sauce.
- Spoon the pizza cheese sauce evenly over the top of the pizza then top with veggies or vegan toppings of your choice.
- Bake at 425° F for about 15 minutes until the top is bubbly and the crust is golden.
- Allow cooling for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Be sure to allow the cornstarch and potato starch to dissolve completely before turning on the heat.
- Stir frequently while the pizza cheese is heating for a smooth consistent texture.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
This worked well on my polenta pizza with homemade vegan sausage crumbles. Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
By the way, I replaced the oil with 1/4 cup oat milk and it turned out great as a sauce and turned into a nice glaze in the broiler.
I really thought this was going to work out exactly as described. The recipe was working fantastic until it came time to cook it in the oven. The cheese did not brown at all like in the picture, even with the pizza under the brolier. Family consenus was, likely good for pasta and nachos.
Can I make this with coconut milk?
Yes, you can use a can of coconut milk instead of the oat milk and oil since the coconut milk already has a high fat content. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for this recipe! can you please tell if we can make the cheese sauce by using regular milk instead of oat milk? (camel milk to be precise). my daughter is allergic to cow’s milk and oat milk isn’t easily available. Thanks!
I have never tested it this way, but I think that it should work just fine.
Mine turned out too thick to pour over my pizza, however I managed it well. I’m not sure why you are using two different types of starch (2 -T Tapioca starch and 1 -T Cornstarch). I did use Arrowroot, so maybe that is why. Next time, I will add less Arrowroot. The flavor and the way it cooked was great!
The tapioca gives it a stretchy texture and the cornstarch simply thickens it to the right consistency. I’m glad that you liked the taste of the cheese though. 🙂
Thank you for the clarification between the tapioca and cornstarch. I’ll be sure to pick some up next time I make this. I added hot water and used the leftovers on top of some stuffed shells today. It was delicious. I can’t imagine how great it will be when I make it correctly : )
I tried and all of my Family loved it! Very delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome! So happy that you liked it!
I’ve made this twice both times with cashew milk I made in the vitamix, no straining. First time was good, second time I added extra nutritional yeast, little extra lemon juice and then a little extra salt on top of the pizza. Second time it was fabulous! I don’t think I will ever be buying cheese, at least not for pizza ever again! Great recipe!
This was a terrific recipe for browning, melting cheese! Thank you Monica for all your hard
work. It was a 10! The method is so easy and the flavor is very good! I used soy milk and avocado oil to make my cheese with all other ingredients as listed on the recipe. I look forward to making pizza with this cheese.
I’m so happy that you liked it! It works as a great cheese topping on so many things! 🙂
Hi! I want to try this recipe for a pizza I’m making today : ) I accidentally made your provolone cheese one and then I saw one more geared towards pizza😅 I just had one question- after making the cheese on the stove should it be completely cooked before adding it to the pizza going in the oven or is it ok to put it directly on right after making it? Thanks so much!
You can pour it directly on top of the pizza from the stovetop after making it. Enjoy! 🙂
I can’t tell you how happy I am to find this recipe! I had such a hard time giving up cheese but I can’t tell the difference. Excellent!
I’m so happy that you like it! 🙂
Can you substitute the corn and potato starch for something more keto friendly. Even though I can eat cheese on Keto it generally does not agree with me. But I love it soooo much😅
I’m not sure what would be considered keto and still give it the correct texture. You can use more tapioca starch instead if that fits your needs.
I ended up useing the cheese for lasagna and it is the best thank you for the lovely recipe
You’re welcome, Allicia! Thanks so much! 🙂
Should I double the recipe for two servings of noodles?
(I know I know, pizza cheese, but maybe I’ll bake the noodles, if I can wait longer to eat. )
LOL – No, I think it will work as a cheese sauce for 2 servings of noodles without needing to double it. Enjoy!
This is a a great recipe! Could you create a nut free nacho cheese sauce with the Oat Milk? There are not a lot of recipes for cheese that use it. Thanks
Could you make this cheese sauce without the oil? Thank you
Yes, You can replace the oil with extra oat milk, it’s just not as rich. Enjoy! 🙂