Vegan smoked Gouda made with coconut milk may be the all time best dairy free cheese! It has a rich creamy texture with a subtle smoky flavor.
This is a cheese that you just have to try to believe how good it really is.
What is vegan cheese made from?
There are many different methods to making vegan cheeses, but I have found the richest and creamiest vegan cheese is made from a can of full fat coconut milk. You could use other plant-based milks instead or even cashew cream, but I find that the coconut milk gives it the rich creamy texture that I crave in cheese.
You will also need salt and nutritional yeast to give it the cheesy flavor, liquid smoke for that smokey goodness, and some agar-agar makes the cheese firm.
What is agar agar?
Agar agar is a white powder made from seaweed. It’s essentially a vegan gelatin. (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 than the flakes). You can find great prices on it at most Asian markets or you can buy it on Amazon as well.
How do you make the vegan smoked Gouda?
To make this smoked Gouda, you will need to cook the cheese in a pan on the stove top.
- Simply pour all the ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a slow boil while stirring constantly for 6 minutes allowing the agar agar to melt completely and get very smooth.
- Pour the cheese into an oiled glass container and 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.
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.
Vegan smoked gouda cheese made with coconut milk. Free of gluten, dairy, soy, and nuts!
- 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 (aka tapioca starch)
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp liquid smoke hickory flavored
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 sauce pan.
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 sauce pan and stir with a whisk.
Turn heat on to medium and stir frequently until it boils.
Turn down 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 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 firmer cheese, leave out the tapioca starch from the recipe.
- For a smoker cheese, add an additional tbsp of liquid smoke.
- Delicious on pizza or grilled cheese especially with caramelized onions!
Make this vegan smoked gouda into a smoked gouda grilled cheese! Delicious with caramelized onions too!
Pin the vegan smoked gouda recipe for later:
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Not sure if I missed it in the comments but I’m wondering if this freezes well?
Yes, it freezes well, but we usually eat it all the same day I make it so I’ve only done it once or twice. 🙂
Monica, I just finished making your smoked gouda for the first time and it is so rich and delicious! I completely forgot it was made with full-fat coconut milk because like you said, you can’t taste it at all! I didn’t realize I was so short on liquid smoke, so when I went to measure it, I had exactly one tablespoon left. I didn’t want to wait another day, so I used a tablespoon of Bakon powdered hickory smoked seasoning. I was concerned about adding the powder, thinking it would clump up, so I poured the whole recipe into my Bullet and ran it just to mix everything up then poured it in the pan to cook. It turned out beautifully. I had a little leftover after pouring it into my mold and poured it into a little cup. I just checked on it and it firmed up really well! I am really pleased with this recipe and I’m happy I found a good vegan cheese with no nuts. I’m not allergic to nuts, but it’s good to have variety. Thanks so much! I’ve gone through your website, but I haven’t found your cheddar cheese recipe. is it in the making? I love cheddar!
Thanks so much Wanda! I’m glad that you like it! I am still perfecting my cheddar recipe. Thanks for the reminder to get it on the blog. It will be coming soon. Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks! Can’t wait for that cheddar!
Just made this this morning, licked the spoon and saucepan and now really not sure how I’m going to be able to wait until it’s set! Already delicious!
So happy that you like the flavor Amanda! I frequently take a slice of the end where it cools faster because I just can’t wait! 🙂
Looks amazing! Do you think I can substitute the liquid smoke for smoked paprika?
Do you think this would work ok with smoked paprika instead of liquid smoke? I know it’s not quite the same but I don’t use liquid smoke. Thanks ?
Yes, you can add whatever herbs or spices that you would like. I’m sure smoked paprika is delicious, yet I haven’t tried it myself yet. It will have a different flavor than the liquid smoke, and it’s more powerful than liquid smoke, so you will not need as much. I would add 1/2 tsp to start and then add more to taste until you get the desired amount. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
OMG ….Best vegan cheese….EVER!
Thank you for your posts!
Made this yesterday. So good! I only had mesquite flavored liquid smoke, but it still tastes amazing. Yummy as a grilled cheese (will have to add the carmalized onions next time) and with spicy mustard on crackers. Thanks for the recipe! Since becoming vegan, smoked Gouda is the one cheese I miss the most! And I usually have all these ingredients at home. Only had to purchase the agar agar powder!
I’m so happy that you liked it! It is my favorite vegan cheese for sure! Caramelized onions are amazing with this cheese. We make caramelized onion pizza or just top crackers with this cheese and the onions! So glad that you gave this recipe a try! 🙂
Bonjour de la province du Québec au Canada,
Merci beaucoup pour ces délicieuses recettes qui ne ressemblent pas à la tradition culinaire…
De plu je suis reconnaissante pour toutes les heures passées à inventer pour nous offrir le meilleur
de ton inspiration !!! J’ai hâte à la la prochaine découverte gastronomique avec une autre recette exceptionnelle!!!
Thank you Denise.
OMG! This was amazing! I made the kind for just slicing. I had to stop myself from eating the whole block of cheese myself! My new favorite vegan cheese!
I’m so happy to hear this Amy! It’s my favorite vegan cheese too! Give me this with some crackers and wine and I’m happy! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! It was really fantastic. I used 2 teaspoons of smoke instead of 2 tablespoons, 2T nooch, and 2T tapioca starch. I also added a fourth teaspoon ground mustard. The taste was spot-on, but it didn’t melt well. Not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Kate. I’m glad that you liked the flavor! I’m not sure why it didn’t melt for you. Make sure to use 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of tapioca starch. That is what makes it stretchy and helps it melt easier. Also, make sure that the cheese is warm enough to melt. When using it in a grilled cheese or quesadilla, make sure to heat it slowly so the middle gets warm enough to melt or stick it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to get the temperature up. It has to reach a high enough temperature to melt. (slightly higher than cows cheese). I hope that helps!
Thanks for your recommendations! Do you think it works better if you shred it? I cut mine into thin slabs, but now I’m thinking it would have been better to shred it.
The cheese has to heat all the way through, so shredding it will definitely help it to melt faster. 🙂
Is it possible to substitute the coconut milk with an avocado and some nut milk instead?
I have never done that before, but it’s a good idea! I think that it would work. I would puree the avocado with the plant milk first before adding it to the pan. Just make sure the total volume of the avocado/milk mixture equals 17.5 ounces. (That would be 2 cups + 1 1/2 tbsp.) (That is the volume of the liquid in the recipe). Let me know how it turns out!
OMG! Just made this – The BEST vegan cheese that I have ever had!!! Thanks you so much for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you made it and love it too!