Hazelnut Free Vegan Cashew Mozzarella
Stretchy, glossy, and genuinely satisfying to pull apart, this plant-based mozzarella is the kind of thing that makes you do a double-take. It starts with soaked raw cashews blended smooth with tapioca starch, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and a few pantry staples — then gets cooked on the stovetop until it transforms into something almost magical: thick, stretchy, and shiny like the real deal. The tapioca starch is the secret here, giving it that signature pull when it melts back onto a hot pizza or warm dish. Store-bought dairy-free cheeses can be a minefield for anyone avoiding tree nuts like hazelnuts, since many blends combine multiple nut bases or share processing lines — making a homemade version like this a genuinely smart move. These ingredients are straightforward and easy to source, so you stay in full control of what goes into your cheese. Once it sets in the fridge, it slices cleanly, shreds beautifully, and re-melts with that satisfying stretch you want on a pizza or in a baked pasta. It's the kind of recipe you'll keep coming back to once you realize how simple it actually is.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours, then drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup water
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp refined coconut oil
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- 1
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews, then add them to a high-speed blender along with the water, tapioca starch, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder. Blend on high for 60–90 seconds until completely smooth with no visible cashew pieces — the mixture should look like thin, pourable cream.
- 2
Pour the blended mixture into a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, for 5–8 minutes until the mixture thickens dramatically, pulls away from the sides of the pan, and becomes glossy and stretchy — it will look like melted mozzarella and stretch when you lift the spatula.
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