Vegan Cheddar Cheese

An incredibly simple and delicious plant-based and oil-free cheddar-style cheese that shreds and melts well – great on tacos, omelets, and casseroles!

I’ve posted before that cheese is the one thing my husband didn’t want to give up when we transitioned to a plant-based diet three years ago. At first, he didn’t eat any vegan cheese because 1) eating plant-based was an experiment to see if his blood pressure and cholesterol would come down so he purposely only ate whole foods; and 2) vegan cheese couldn’t possible be a suitable substitute for real cheese… right?

There are many vegan cheeses available today. And the majority of them taste good. Melting doesn’t always work out, but they work well enough to enjoy our favorite foods that traditionally use cheese. My only problem with these vegan substitutes is most of the ones we have tried contain quite a bit of oil and salt, some actually contain whey (dairy), and most are expensive. Typically, a bag of vegan shreds costs me five to six dollars, depending on the brand and store; but I’ve paid as much as ten dollars for Miyoko’s cheese. And the way my husband eats cheese, that little bag doesn’t last very long.

You may have noticed that vegan cheese is very different from traditional dairy cheese. The biggest disparities I have found (besides taste) are the texture and meltability – it doesn’t typically melt very well on its own. I’ve found that microwaving sometimes helps, but that isn’t always a very good option. One way that vegan cheese improves its texture and meltability is with an oil like refined coconut or palm oils since they are both solid at cooler temperatures.

I know vegan cheese will look differently and melt differently. And my husband doesn’t seem to mind at all. Fake cheese is close enough to the real deal that he completely accepts and enjoys the substitution. I’m okay with the copycat as long as it mimics the real deal enough and the recipe relies on it as a primary ingredient to replicate the traditional dish. As an example, grilled cheese sandwich or my Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich.

But I also want a healthier oil-free shreddable and meltable cheese option. One that I can enjoy without the added oil and hefty price tag. After tinkering a bit, I successfully created a firm Vegan Mozzarella cheese that shreds well, melts well enough, tastes good, and is easy to make. It doesn’t contain a bunch of oil and salt either.

I was looking for a soft but shreddable cheese.  Something that melts and doesn’t look plastic-like on my food. This Vegan Cheddar Cheese is a healthier shreddable and meltable cheese that is super easy to make and doesn’t cost much at all. I used elements from Vegan Mozzarella and Mighty Cheese Sauce recipes to create a plant-based cheddar style cheese that can be used in tacos, enchiladas, breakfast casseroles, cheesy potatoes, omelets, and macaroni and cheese.

Much like both recipes, this Vegan Cheddar Cheese uses cashews and starchy potatoes to provide much-needed depth and substantiality. I also throw in some carrots to give it that quintessential orange color that cheddar cheese has. Plants to the rescue!!

To keep things simple, I boil the cashews, potatoes, and carrots in a pot at the same time – simple is best. The starch from the potatoes, along with a little tapioca starch, helps provide this mozzarella with structure and stretchiness. Everything is blended nice and smooth in a high-speed blender with a little Kappa Carrageenan, which rapidly solidifies the cheese sauce into its sturdy and shreddable form.

Wait. Kappa Carra what? Carrageenan is an algae with similar thickening and stabilizing properties to agar agar and is derived from red seaweed. Kappa carrageenan is the best type of carrageenan for cooking – it’s a natural hydrocolloid and can be used as a suspending and emulsifying stablizer, thickener, binder and gelling agent. And it makes a better quality melting cheese when compared to agar. I purchase mine on Amazon. A little goes a long way so this container lasts a really long time.

And voila! Like magic, I have a nice plant-based cheddar cheese. See?

This Vegan Cheddar Cheese shreds nicely; though I do recommend shredding it directly on top of whatever you are making since it cooking it starts to stick a little to the cutting board as it warms to room temperature. It’s a versatile shredded cheese that is perfect with omelets, tacos, enchiladas, macaroni and cheese, cheesy potatoes, vegetables, in casseroles, and more.

I hope you enjoy this Vegan Cheddar Cheese as much as I do.  

I’m just starting out and would love to see your results. Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!   

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Ingredients

• ½ cup raw cashews
• ½ cup potatoes, diced
• ¼ cup carrots, diced
• 1 ½ cups plant milk
• ¼ cup tapioca starch*
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp white miso paste
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika**
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp kappa carrageenan*** (optional)
• 1 tsp salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Boil the cashews, potatoes, and carrots in a saucepan until carrots and potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well.

1. Put the cooked potatoes, carrots, and cashews back in the saucepan.  Pour in the milk and bring to a low boil.  Remove from heat.

1. Place all of the ingredients (including the hot milk, potatoes, carrots, and cashews) into a high-speed blender and blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes, until very smooth.

1. Immediately pour into a glass or plastic bowl, mold, or container; and allow to cool completely. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
2. Once the cheddar is firm, you can slice or shred and use in any recipe that calls for it, though the flavor improves with time and is best the next day.
3. Store in a covered container or wrapped in a paper towel in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.  

Notes

* I use expandex tapioca starch.

** For a smoky flavor, use smoked paprika. 

*** Kappa Carrageenan is necessary for shred-able and sliceable cheese.  If you omit it, the mozzarella cheese will remain in a soft sauce state.  It’s still delicious but will need to be spooned or poured onto your pizza or lasagna.  You may also substitute with 3 Tbsp agar agar, if desired, but it may result in a softer less melty cheese.