Lactose Free Vegan Cashew Mozzarella

Total time2 hr 20 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time10 min

Stretchy, glossy, and genuinely satisfying to pull apart, this cashew-based mozzarella delivers the melty experience you'd expect from the real thing — without a drop of dairy in sight. Soaking raw cashews before blending is the key to getting that silky-smooth base, and tapioca starch is what gives the finished cheese its signature stretch and gooey pull when it hits a hot pizza. The whole process happens on the stovetop in under ten minutes of active cooking, and watching the mixture transform from thin cream into something glossy and elastic is genuinely one of the more satisfying things you can do in a kitchen. Once it sets in the fridge, you can slice it, shred it, or tear it just like a fresh ball of mozzarella. For anyone navigating lactose sensitivity, this is the kind of recipe that removes the guesswork entirely — every ingredient is clearly plant-based, so there's no label-reading anxiety or wondering about hidden dairy derivatives. It re-melts beautifully when warmed, making it just as useful on a baked dish as it is served fresh with tomatoes and basil.

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Ingredients

6 servings

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours, then drained and rinsed
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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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