Tofu Cheese

Vegan cheese made from silken tofu and plant-based milk blended and heated to set into a creamy, firm, and slicable cheese.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine cheese, gluten free, soy free, vegan

Keyword silken tofu cheese, tofu cheese, vegan cheese made of tofu

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 13

Servings

Calories 98kcal

1 (10.8 oz) box silken tofu
3/4 cup plain soy milk or other plant-based milk
1/4 cup refined coconut oil or any other neutral-flavored oil
2 tablespoons agar agar powder (or 6 tablespoons of flakes if you can't find powdered agar agar)
2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Spray your chosen cheese mold with a little spray oil and set aside.
Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until everything is smooth and incorporated. You may have to stop and scrape the edges a few times.
Pour the tofu cheese mixture into a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium-low. Once it starts to bubble, stir constantly for 6 minutes to activate the agar agar and allow it to set properly. (This will be thick and sticky.)
Pour the cooked cheese sauce into your oiled dish, and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes, then put a lid on it and allow it to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.
Invert the cold cheese onto a cutting board and slice and serve with crackers or bread.

Use agar agar powder, not flakes, if you can, and measure carefully. Make sure to use 2 full tablespoons, not 2 teaspoons!
I use the Telephone brand agar agar since I can easily find it at my local Asian market. It comes in small packs so it won’t go bad, and I know that it sets well every time. There are many other brands, and there seem to be different strengths of agar agar, especially in Europe.
If your cheese is too soft or jello-like, your agar agar is not strong enough. Increase the agar agar next time you make it. If it is very soft, you can add a tiny bit of water and remelt it, and add more agar agar and boil it for an additional 6 minutes.
If your agar agar is not working, swap it out in equal parts for Kapa carrageenan.

Tips

The cheese sauce in this tofu cheese is thicker than in my other coconut-based cheese recipes. Because of this, you will need to stir the sauce constantly with a rubber spatula so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

To make a creamy tofu cheese sauce, leave out the agar agar and simply heat the sauce and pour it over pasta or veggies like broccoli. To make a stretchy tofu cheese sauce, swap the agar agar for 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch and simmer until thick and bubbly.