This stretchy vegan mozzarella cheese is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches and on top of pizza. Just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes are all you need to make this dairy free alternative!

Stretchy, gooey, savoury and delicious! If you've been searching for the perfect dairy-free alternative to traditional mozzarella cheese, look no further. I think this is the best dairy-free mozzarella I've tried.
This vegan mozzarella is made from simple ingredients and will elevate your pizza and lasagna with its creamy flavour and texture.
My favourite way to enjoy it is in a grilled cheese sandwich with some of my red cabbage sauerkraut on the side.
I love that unlike most vegan cheeses on the market, this mozzarella is essentially made from whole foods (cashews).
Add some tapioca starch for stretchiness and texture, nutritional yeast for flavour (optional) and lemon juice, and you've got one incredibly satisfying but still healthy treat to add to your pizza!

Why you'll love this
It's stretchy - Yup, this stretches like real mozzarella. Thanks to the tapioca starch you can get that satisfying stringiness and perfect texture. Makes a great vegan pizza cheese!
Tastes mild but creamy & savoury - It's the perfect amount of flavour to go in a grilled cheese sandwich or on pizza, not overpowering but savoury enough to be satisfying.
Made with whole foods - This cheese is cashew-based (see Variations below for nut-free option) and made with whole food ingredients, unlike vegan cheeses from grocery stores like Daiya, which rely on starches.
Oil free - This recipe relies on healthy fat in cashews, as well as tapioca starch for its texture, making it naturally oil free. No coconut oil or olive oil needed!

Recipes this dairy free mozzarella works great in
Lentil Lasagna (use it instead of my cheese sauce recipe)

What is tapioca starch?
Tapioca starch is a dried white starch extracted from the cassava root, a plant native to South America. Sometimes it is referred to as tapioca flour.
Naturally gluten free, it is almost pure carbohydrate and contains few nutrients.
Tapioca starch is used a lot in gluten free baking as well as in bubble tea (tapioca pearls).
It is also a natural thickener and gives sauces a stretchy consistency, which is why we're using it in this vegan mozzarella recipe!
Ingredients

Cashews - These are the base ingredient, and provide creaminess as well as some protein. (See my variation below for a nut-free version.)
Tapioca starch - What makes the cheese stretchy and gooey. Do not try using another type of starch, only tapioca! (Corn starch will not work.)
Nutritional yeast - Totally optional but provides a really nice cheesy flavor. You could also try using herbs, spices or onion/garlic powder if nutritional yeast isn't your thing.
Lemon juice - Adds a little acidity to the mozzarella which makes it taste more authentic I find! You could use apple cider vinegar as an alternative.
Salt - I use 1 teaspoon here, but feel free to use less if you prefer a mild cheese.

Variations
Nut free - Obviously, this homemade vegan mozzarella recipe relies on cashews, but if you're looking for a nut free version I suggest my tofu cheese recipe.
This is a very similar stretchy, gooey recipe, it just makes a slightly thicker cheese (it was created as cheese curds for vegan poutine).
Flavours - You can easily flavour this cheese with fresh or dried herbs and spices if desired. Either add them in before blending (though this might affect the colour!) or while cooking.
Basil is a favourite of mine and works really well on pizza. I just stir it into the cheese after cooking.
How to make vegan mozzarella
1) Optional step: If you don't have a high-powered blender, soak cashews in boiling/hot water first for up to an hour to soften them. (If you have a strong blender like a Vitamix you won't need to do this.)


2) Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high power for 30 seconds, or until completely smooth (your cheese will be liquid at this point).

3) Pour into a small saucepan and cook gently on medium heat - stirring constantly - for 3-5 minutes.


The cheese will begin to form odd clumps - keep stirring! Eventually the clumps will transform into stretchy, gooey mozzarella-like cheese with a smooth consistency.

4) Remove from the heat and ideally use immediately. Dollop the cheese on pizza in balls - patting them down slightly - or spread on a grilled cheese sandwich.
See how to make this delicious dairy-free mozzarella.
Expert tips
Browning. To make this cashew mozzarella brown in the oven, once you've added it to your pizza, lasagna etc., just brush or spray it with a little oil. I recommend using a spray as you'll get more even coverage.

How to store
Store this mozzarella in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
It's best used fresh and will thicken up when cool, but it can be reheated to achieve the same stretchy texture. If it looks too thick, just add a little water while reheating until you get the texture you're after.
FAQs
This vegan mozzarella will melt, though it doesn't have the exact same consistency as dairy cheese. When warm, it stretches and become gooey like regular mozzarella, thanks to the tapioca starch.
Yes! This mozzarella is 100% vegan and dairy-free. It contains no milk or dairy products.
Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Stretchy)
Special Equipment
- High speed blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 3 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional - for cheesy flavour)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Optional step: If you don't have a high-powered blender, soak cashews in boiling/hot water first for up to an hour to soften them. (If you have a strong blender like a Vitamix you won't need to do this.)
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high power for 30 seconds, or until completely smooth (your cheese will be liquid at this point).
- Pour into a small saucepan and cook gently on medium heat - stirring constantly - for 3-5 minutes. The cheese will begin to form clumps - keep stirring! Eventually the clumps will transform into stretchy, gooey cheese.
- Remove from the heat and ideally use immediately. Dollop the cheese on pizza in balls - patting them down slightly - or spread in a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The vegan mozzarella will get thicker as it gets cooler - just reheat to bring it back to its original state. I found its flavour and texture was best if used immediately.
Notes
Nutrition per serving
If you’ve tried this recipe, please leave a comment or tip for others below.
I'd love to know how you’ve made it your own!
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Teri
I really appreciate that you include the purpose of each ingredient, along with potential substitutions. Knowing what each ingredient offers is so key for me understanding a recipe!
Elizabeth
That's really great to know Teri! Sometimes it's hard to know if certain sections are helpful to readers (especially when you've been doing this for years - you can tend to lose touch with what people need from a recipe) so thank you for sharing this. 🙂
Kim Beaulieu
This is such a fabulous recipe. My son's partner is vegan so I had to try this cheese when they visited. We made grilled cheese with roasted red peppers with it and they turned out great. The cheese was stretched perfectly when we cut them in half and the sandwiches tasted delicious!
Elizabeth
I'm so happy to hear that Kim! Nothing makes me more pleased than hearing how well a recipe worked. Plus, I now need to try grilled cheese with roasted peppers. 🙂
Bernice
Cool!! I'm sending this post to my vegan daughter ASAP! She's been wanting to learn how to make her own cheese and this post has all the great tips and tricks.
Elizabeth
Oh fantastic! Hope she loves it Bernice.
Oscar
This left me amazed by the world of vegan cheese-making. Learning how to achieve that perfect stretchy texture has opened up a whole new realm of culinary possibilities for me! Thank you.
Elizabeth
Thank you so much Oscar. 🙂 It makes me so happy knowing this opened up the world of vegan cheese making for you!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
This really is a great cheese! It’s hard to find a dairy free cheese with this kind of stringy stretchy texture. I love it!
Elizabeth
So happy to hear that Helen! Glad you liked it. 🙂