This homemade vegan Swiss cheese gives you the rich and slightly tangy flavor of the Swiss cheese that you loved, but with no dairy, gluten, or nuts! You can easily whip up a batch in about 10 minutes, let it cool and you will be slicing up beautiful vegan Swiss in just a few hours!
Why you will LOVE this vegan Swiss cheese recipe...
- It's easy to make!
- There are only a few simple ingredients!
- It's made with coconut milk for the fat content, so it's oil-free.
- Most people with nut allergies can still eat this coconut cheese!
- It's a beautiful addition to your next vegan cheese plate or on a vegan sandwich!
What you will need to make vegan swiss...
Equipment:
- Saucepan - to cook your cheese.
- Whisk - to stir the cheese sauce.
- Glass Container - or anything you want to use as a cheese mold. Your cheese will take the shape of anything that you use. I like the 2 cup size Snapware containers because the cheese fits perfectly and it has a lid with a good seal!
- Straws - chopsticks, lollipop sticks, or any stick-like objects that you have around your kitchen that will create a variety of hole sizes in your cheese.
Ingredients:
- Coconut Milk - this is the base of the cheese. It gives it a rich and creamy texture and allows you to make it with no additional oil. Use a 13.5 oz can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream.
- Water - I use warm water and pour it into the empty can of coconut milk to get all of the milk that has stuck inside the can.
- Agar Agar - This is a vegan gelatin that is derived from seaweed. This will set your cheese and make it firm. Make sure to use powdered agar agar and not flakes and measure carefully. (Slightly more or less agar agar will change the texture of your cheese). I find the best price for this on Amazon or at my local Asian Market. It's typically expensive at your local natural foods store.
- Tapioca - (optional) This will help your cheese melt and stretch if you want it to like in a vegan Swiss grilled cheese. (Omit for a firmer cheese).
- Nutritional Yeast - this will give it a cheesy flavor.
- Tahini - to give it more of a Swiss-style flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - for flavor and a little tang to your cheese.
- Lemon Juice - for a tart flavor.
- Salt - for flavor
- Onion Powder - (Optional) for more flavor.
How do I make vegan Swiss cheese?
- Choose a mold to pour your cheese into and spray it with a little spray oil and add any stick-like objects that you have to make different sized holes throughout your cheese.
- Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and add all of the ingredients while the milk is still cold.
- Stir with a whisk then turn the heat on to medium.
- Continue to stir frequently until it begins to boil.
- Turn the heat down to low and stir and allow to boil slowly for 6 full minutes.
- Pour the hot cheese sauce into the mold.
- Let it cool uncovered for about 15 minutes on the countertop.
- Place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours uncovered to allow it to set completely and it to dry out slightly.
- Pull out the sticks. (Give them a little twist to release them and then pull out straight).
- Slice and serve or cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tips for making perfect vegan Swiss cheese:
- Use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream for the base for the creamiest best-tasting cheese.
- Make sure to measure carefully.
- Make sure to use 2 full tablespoons and not to 2 teaspoons of agar agar or your cheese will not set.
- Allow it to boil slowly for a full 6 minutes. This will activate the agar agar and allow it to set correctly.
- Use a variety of different sized "sticks" to make the holes in your vegan Swiss. Use one or two big things like a handle to a wooden spoon to make bigger holes.
- Add tapioca starch if you want to melt it. Leave it our if you want to slice and eat it cold
Commonly asked questions when making vegan cheese...
Will this vegan cheese tastes exactly like real cheese?
No, there is no vegan cheese anywhere that tastes like real cheese. Big companies have spent millions of dollars trying to find a cheese alternative that tastes just like real cheese and they have yet to succeed. However, this cheese is delicious and it will satisfy your cheese craving. It saves you a ton of money by not having to buy expensive and hard to find vegan cheeses too!
What can I use instead of tapioca starch?
If you want your cheese to melt well and be stretchy when it does, you need to use tapioca starch. Nothing else works like it does to help it melt and stretch. You can use potato starch in its place and it will help it melt, but it will not be stretchy.
How do I get the cheese texture I want?
The agar agar is a gelatine-like powder derived from seaweed. This is what I use to make my cheese firm since it has no flavor and makes the cheese firm. If you want very firm cheese, you can use an additional tsp. of agar agar and do not use any tapioca or potato starch. (I know that you may think that adding more starch will make it firmer, but is actually does not)! The additional starch doesn't allow the agar agar to set as firm as without any starch. So, you will not be able to make a very firm cheese that also melts and stretches.
Will this vegan cheese taste like coconut?
Yes, it will have a slight coconut flavor, but surprisingly not overwhelming. Some people who don't like sweet coconut really enjoy this cheese made with coconut milk.
What can I use instead of coconut milk to make vegan cheese?
You can use 1 1/2 cups of plain soy milk and 1/2 cup of oil (refined coconut oil works well) in place of the coconut milk and water. This will give it the richness of the coconut oil.
Try some more of my homemade cheese recipes...
- Learn more about the basics of How to Make Vegan Cheese
- Vegan Smoked Gouda
- Vegan Cheese with Garlic and Herbs
- Vegan Mac & Cheese - the Complete Guide
- Vegan Cheddar Cheese
- Vegan Feta Cheese - Tofu Feta
- Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce - Cheddar Style
Want daily inspiration? Follow me on Instagram for vegan comfort food ideas and links to my recipes!
Vegan Swiss Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (full fat)
- 1/2 cup water (I use warm water and put it in the empty can of coconut milk to get all of the extra coconut milk stuck to the edges).
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp agar agar
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
For vegan Swiss that melts...
- 2 tbsp tbsp tapioca starch
Instructions
- Choose a mold to pour your cheese into. Spray it with a little spray oil and add any stick-like objects that you have to make different sized holes throughout your cheese.
- Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and add all of the ingredients while the milk is still cold. (Include tapioca starch if you want to melt it. Leave it out if you want to slice and eat it cold).
- Stir with a whisk then turn the heat on to medium.
- Continue to stir frequently until it begins to boil.
- Turn the heat down to low. Stir and allow to boil slowly for 6 full minutes.
- Pour the hot cheese sauce into the mold.
- Let it cool uncovered for about 15 minutes on the countertop.
- Place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours uncovered to allow it to set completely and to dry out slightly.
- Pull out the sticks. (Give them a little twist to release them and then pull out straight).
- Slice and serve or cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream for the base for the creamiest best-tasting cheese.
- Measure carefully. Make sure to use 2 full tablespoons and not to 2 teaspoons of agar agar or your cheese will not set.
- Allow it to boil slowly for a full 6 minutes. This will activate the agar agar and allow it to set correctly.
- Use a variety of different sized "sticks" to make the holes in your vegan Swiss.
- Use one or two big objects, like a handle of a wooden spoon, to make larger holes.
Nutrition
This vegan Swiss cheese recipe is excellent! The recipe was easy to follow; loved the holes in the end result. It has a Swiss-ish taste and great mouthfeel. Very creamy and enjoyed by non-vegans as well as vegans! Thanks for another great mock cheese recipe.
I'm so happy that you liked the recipe, Tracy! 🙂
I made this recipe a few times and really liked it but wondered about the high fat content and if a lite coconut could be used. I use Wegman's organic 13.5 oz. cans either lite or full fat for $1.99 (cheap compared to the Coop). The other day I took the plunge and used lite coconut with the tapioca starch for meltability and spreadability and it worked!
You can use the light coconut milk if you want, it just won't be quite as rich and creamy. Glad that you liked the meltable version too.
Excellent! Melts great. Put it on vegan Rueben and it was a win win with everyone in the room, all ages & all diets.
Thank you! I'm so happy that you liked it, Nanette! 🙂
As a cheese-loving, non-vegan who's being forced to do a dairy-free challenge... This recipe is near perfection. So much better than the top-rated vegan cashew cheddar recipe I tried. This one is honest to goodness cheesy melty goodness. I'm about to see if you've got other recipes with this base...
Suggestions, though. I'd go lighter on the lemon (the other recipe I tried was freakishly lemony too, but this one less so), and add some fresh cracked black pepper and grated nutmeg. The nutmeg screams"swiss!" I'm glad I tasted and tweaked as I went, because this is incredible!
I'm glad that you enjoyed it Robyn! 🙂
I'm not vegan, but we eat AIP and so I make other dairy free cheeses. I made this one this morning and returned home from work and IT IS SO TASTY! Like you said, it's not just like Swiss, but it's similar and very different from the other cheeses I make. I plan to freeze some and hope that works as well. Have you tried freezing it? I can't wait to try some of your other cheese. THANK YOU!
You're welcome! I'm so happy that you liked it, Tonya! 🙂
Hi!
Do you think pureed cashews might substitute well for the coconut milk?
Thank you 😊
Debi
Yes, You can blend 1/2 cup of soaked and drained cashews with 1 3/4 cups water to replace the can of coconut milk and water. Enjoy! 🙂
This sounds great, but I need help deciding whether to use the tapioca starch or not. I would like to grate the cheese and mix it into biscuit batter. So it needs to be firm enough to grate. But I also want it to get a little melty when I bake the biscuits. What would you recommend?
I would do the version with tapioca starch in it so it melts in the biscuits. Also, you don't have to worry about making the holes in the cheese since you're going to shread it anyway. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi!
Does the coconut milk adds any strong flavor to the cheese? I really, really don't like it ^^'
By the way, I just discovered your blog and it seems amazing!
I'm trying the aquafaba ice-cream, I can't wait to taste it *-*
Have a nice day 🙂
If you really hate coconut, you may want to use a different milk. The high-fat coconut milk or coconut cream has less coconut taste if you want to try that. I'm so happy that you found my blog! 🙂
Looking forward to making this vegan Swiss. I could find agar agar locally. While like Foods rep. suggested using pectin instead. Do you think that will work? If so is it a one to one ratio? Thank you!
No, you can't use pectin instead. You need to use agar agar or kappa carrageenan, nothing else will give you the same effect. It's probably easiest to order agar agar from Amazon if you can't find it locally.
I am allergic to fish and I can’t have dairy but I am not vegan. Can I sub gelatin for the agar agar and if so, would it be a one to one replacement? Thanks!
Hi Jeanette, I have heard that you can sub gelatin 1:1, but since I am vegan, I have never tried it personally. Please let me know how it comes out if you do it. 🙂
Is there something else I can switch the agar agar powder for? It doesn't seem to be easily available where I live
You can replace the agar agar powder with 1/3 cup of chickpea flour. The texture is not quite the same, but it's still very good! Enjoy! 🙂
If I left out the agar and used it as a sauce, would it be just as good? I'm thinking of using it as a sauce on a Portobello burger.
Yes, it will be great as a sauce if you don't have agar agar. (You can add about 1-2 tbsp tapioca starch, potato or even corn starch to thicken it if you want). Enjoy! 🙂
Is there any reason why i cant use the coconut milk in carton rather than the canned 13.5oz like u say.. ???
Coconut milk from the carton and canned coconut milk are very different in the amount of fat that they contain. You can use the type from the carton, but it will not be as rich and creamy or have the mouthfeel of cheese.
I am not vegan but have to eliminate dairy from my diet. I have been looking for cheese alternatives and haven't been too impressed by any of the products I find in stores. I haven't seen swiss anywhere. I need swiss for a recipe I hope to make today but spent yesterday trying to find agar agar locally. If I use regular gelatin, would it be a 1:1 substitution?
I have been told that it works, but since I'm vegan, I have never tried it myself. Please let me know how it works if you use it. Thanks! 🙂
Hi! I’m excited to have found these vegan cheese recipes! We are dairy free and the vegan cheeses have extra additives in them I’m not crazy about. Quick question: is there a substitute for the tahini by chance? Thanks!
Thanks Melissa! I hope that you enjoy these cheese recipes! The tahini in this Swiss recipe gives it a little tang similar to Swiss. Miso also gives it a similar flavor, but be sure to only use about 1 tsp of miso instead of the tablespoon of tahini since miso has a stronger flavor than tahini. (You can also leave it out and it will still taste great). Enjoy! 🙂
Melissa, I never buy tahini (expensive). Instead, I lightly roast sesame seeds then grind to a pasty powder. You can take it down to a "butter" (like tahini), but in most recipes, it's the flavor not the consistency that's needed.
Check at a Middle eastern grocery store. I get huge bottles of tahini there for cheap : )
Thanks Kat, but it's still so much easier to just stock sesame seeds and pour some into the spice grinder whenever I need tahini. Always fresh. And this way, organic is in my price range. And less packaging to dispose of.
How much does this make? It would be nice to have an idea so I know what size mold/container to use. Thanks.
It makes about 2 cups of cheese. I use a 2 cup Snapware container for my molds and it works perfectly.
Thanks. Did you mean to replace the Agar with Tapioca starch to make it meltable? I used both in mine and it doesn't seem to want to melt. Even after putting a slice of swiss on a vegan burger and putting it in the toaster oven for several minutes at 400 degrees, it showed no signs of melting.
You don't replace the agar, you should add both. It has to be warmer than traditional cheese to melt. If I used it for a grilled cheese or something I heat it slowly on low, so the center of the cheese has time to heat through. It will also melt easily if you put it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.
Hi,
What are you using for "sticks"? I am not sure how to put them in the container of cheese? Do you put them in after you pour the cheese into the container or while you are pouring. They look cool and make it look like swiss cheese but do I need to purchase special "sticks"?
I just used straws, chopsticks, and round handles of wooden spoons. If you use different sizes it looks better. Just rest them in the empty container before you pour the cheese in and it will set around them.
I use and reuse wooden dowel sticks for holes from an Agway hardware store that my son cut up.
Great idea! 🙂
That's what I was thinking, to use...ready at all times for cheese making. Did you do anything else to "prep" them first?
Ok, so I see they changed the formula on my favorite coconut milk ( Golden Star coconut milk) so I was wondering what is the next best choice.
Thanks,
Dave
I am sure glad to have found this website and all the vegan recipes. I was buying the Daiya Swiss slices along with other flavors, but the Swiss was a favorite. Then the store I shop at quit carrying the Swiss but kept the Cheddar or whatever the yellow one was. I said to my wife, "I am just going to have to start making my own cheese"! She laughed. But now she is just as excited as me. I see you have loads of cheese making recipes an seeing i am originally from Wisconsin, I am a cheese head. But I have been a 100% committed vegan for 3 years and a few months.
Thanks,
Dave
I'm so happy that you found it too! You can do a lot of fun cheese variations with my base recipe. I'm still coming up with new flavors. Let me know what you like! Congrats on the 3 years vegan! That's hard when it so much of your culture! 🙂
I just made this last night! It's delicious and so much fun to make the little holes! I'm going to make it again on Easter for go with my cheese plate.
I’m making this one tonight. Wish me luck!!
Hope it came out well for you! 🙂
I've been dairy-free for so, so long, but only started experimenting with agar a couple of years ago. It's such an interesting ingredient. It's nice that you pair it with coconut milk and tahini. I think the fat really helps to balance it out.
OMG so fun! I love this. I have everything I need to make this 🙂 Def giving a try soon