Mushroom 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 gets its remarkable texture from tapioca starch, which transforms the blended cashew base into something that melts, stretches, and slices just like the real thing. A splash of apple cider vinegar and lemon juice bring that subtle tang you expect from fresh mozzarella, while garlic powder adds just enough depth without overpowering. Many store-bought dairy-free cheeses rely on fermented or fungi-derived ingredients that can be tricky to track down on labels, but every single component here is straightforward and easy to verify. The process is surprisingly hands-on and fun — watching the mixture go from thin cream to a glossy, stretchy mass in the saucepan is genuinely satisfying. Once chilled and set, it slices cleanly for a caprese-style plate or tears beautifully over a hot pizza where it re-melts into bubbly, golden perfection. If you've been skeptical about homemade vegan cheese, this one is the recipe that changes minds.
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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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