Macadamia Free Vegan Cashew Mozzarella

Total time2 hr 20 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time10 min

4.5

(22)

Stretchy, glossy, and genuinely satisfying to pull apart, this plant-based mozzarella is the kind of thing that makes you do a double-take. Soaked raw cashews blended with tapioca starch and a touch of coconut oil create a mixture that transforms on the stovetop into something remarkably close to the real deal — it even melts back down when you put it on a hot pizza. The apple cider vinegar and lemon juice add just enough tang to mimic that classic fresh mozzarella flavor without any dairy in sight. For anyone navigating a macadamia-free kitchen, this recipe is a straightforward win — cashews do all the heavy lifting here, and there's no need to hunt down specialty nut blends or worry about cross-contact from other tree nuts. The process is surprisingly hands-on and fun: watching the mixture go from thin cream to a glossy, stretchy mass in the pan feels almost like a science experiment. Once it sets in the fridge, you can slice it, shred it, or tear it over a caprese salad for a result that genuinely impresses.

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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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