16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients of vegan cheese? ›

Vegan cheese is usually made from soy, nuts, vegetable oils, and various other natural ingredients like peas or arrowroot. Vegan cheese is seen as a healthier alternative to cheese by some, and may reduce your risk of heart disease due to its lower content of fat.

Components of typical imitation cheese include water, vegetable fat, rennet casein, emulsifying salt, sodium chloride, and a preservative (O'Riordan, Duggan, O'Sullivan, & Noronha, 2011). Starch can be used for full or partial replacement of rennet casein.

Soft cheeses: Soft vegan cheeses like cream cheese or ricotta should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for 3-5 days. The storage method for homemade vegan cheese may vary depending on the specific recipe and ingredients used.

Violife Epic Mature Cheddar Flavour Vegan Cheese

With a whopping 10 out of 10, the Violife Epic Mature Cheddar Flavour is one of the best rated vegan cheeses when melting is considered. If you're looking for a stronger tasting cheddar to melt, this is for you.

Vegans can eat cheese that is comprised of plant-based ingredients like soybeans, peas, cashews, coconut, or almonds. The most common types of vegan cheeses are cheddar, gouda, parmesan, mozzarella, and cream cheese that can be found in non-dairy forms.

Following a crackdown by Maharashtra's Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), fast food giant McDonald's has assured customers that it only uses "genuine, high-quality cheese" in its products.

Many cheeses are made with animal rennet, which comes from the fourth lining of the stomach of ruminant animals, usually a young calf. Here, find out why cheese is not always a vegetarian-friendly choice and how you can find cheese not made with animal products.

Some of the more processed types of vegan cheese contain large amounts of refined oils, preservatives, color additives and sodium while being mostly void of substantial nutritional value. In general, foods like this should be consumed minimally, if at all.

Nuts were a game-changer for vegan cheese because they provide a lot of fat: 100 grams of cashews have 44 grams of fat, versus 6.4 grams of fat in the same amount of soybeans. This allows for richer flavor and texture that gets closer to imitating animal milk dairy.

Can you freeze homemade vegan cheese? ›

Fear not, you can save them for later by putting the vegan cheeses in to your freezer. We have had fantastic results with freezing most of the vegan cheeses we have tried over the years and never had one come out bad after freezing. They're texture has remained the same after defrosting and none have been ruined.

Daiya. This pioneer brand of cheese-style slices are a popular choice for those seeking a dairy-free, melt-worthy cheese alternative. Daiya's slices have a rich and tangy cheddar flavor, these slices are perfect for melting over burgers, upgrading vegan nachos, or adding a cheesy kick to your favorite recipes.

The production of vegan cheese can be costlier than that of traditional dairy cheese due to the higher price of plant-based ingredients and the additional processing steps involved.

Is vegan cheese inflammatory? The vegan cheeses produced on a large scale that we are most likely to find in grocery stores are processed foods. As is the case with all processed foods, they can cause some inflammation in some consumers.

Starch and oil may give vegan cheeses their texture, but they are of little nutritional value. For instance, when we eat starch, it is broken down in our gut into sugar. Over time, too much starch could potentially lead to weight gain or diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Is vegan cheese healthy? In terms of health, vegan cheese is generally considered better for you than dairy cheese as it's lower in saturated fat and often has added vitamin B12, which contributes to a healthy nervous system.

Field Roast Chao Creamery Slices: I love the original creamy vegan cheese slices from Field Roast/Chao Creamery. They're made from coconut and fermented tofu, which makes them tasty enough to snack on raw (they don't have any artificial or off putting taste).

Vegan cheeses can be made from a variety of nuts, most commonly cashews, almonds, and macadamias. These plant-based sources contain healthy fats but no cholesterol, rennet, or any other gross ingredients found in cheese made from cow's milk.