Prepare a cheese mold by spraying a smooth glass container with a little oil.
Pour all of the ingredientsexcept for the water and miso into a medium-sized saucepan.
Stir the ingredients and turn on the heat to medium.
Cook your cheese sauce until it has slowly boiled for 6 minutes while stirring frequently. (It needs to boil for 6 minutes to fully melt and activate the agar agar).
Mix the miso and water until the miso is dissolved completely. Pour mixture into the cheese sauce.
Stir the cheese sauce until the miso is incorporated.
Pour the cheese into the chosen mold.
Cool for about 15 minutes on the countertop and then cover and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 more hours until it cools and sets completely.
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Notes
Once the cheese sauce begins to boil, turn the heat down so that it is bubbling, but not so hot that it will burn.
Be sure to stir the cheese sauce very frequently so it doesn't' burn.
Simmer the cheddar cheese for 6 minutes to melt the agar agar and allow it to bind completely with the ingredients.
Adding the miso at the end avoids killing the beneficial probiotic in the miso.
Leave out the tapioca starch if you want a firm sliced cheese for crackers or for eating cold.
How to make meltable vegan cheddar:
Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan except only add 1/4 cup of water instead of 1/2 cup and only add 4 tsp of agar agar instead of 2 tbsp.
Heat the cheese sauce over medium heat until it begins to boil.
Turn down the heat until it is just barely bubbling and allow to boil for 5 minutes while stirring frequently.
Add 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp of tapioca starch (7 tsp) to 1/4 cup of cold water and stir until it dissolves.
Mix the miso in with the starch and water until the miso is dissolved completely and pour it into the cheese sauce.
Add the starch, miso, and water mixture to the boiling cheese sauce while stirring it with a whisk and then cook for an additional 1 minute. (Your cheese will become very thick and stretchy).
Pour into a glass container and allow to cool uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before shredding.