Nitrate & Nitrite Free Vegan Cashew Mozzarella
Stretchy, glossy, and genuinely satisfying to pull apart, this cashew-based mozzarella delivers the kind of melt that makes plant-based cheese worth getting excited about. Conventional processed cheeses — including many store-bought vegan alternatives — can contain preservatives and curing agents you'd rather avoid, so making your own puts you fully in control of every ingredient. Soaking the raw cashews first is the key to getting that ultra-smooth, cream-like base before anything hits the heat. The real magic happens in the saucepan: tapioca starch transforms the blended mixture into something genuinely stretchy and glossy, behaving almost exactly like melted mozzarella when you lift the spatula. A touch of apple cider vinegar and lemon juice adds just enough tang to mimic the subtle sharpness of dairy cheese without any artificial flavoring. Once chilled and set, it slices cleanly, shreds easily, and re-melts beautifully on a hot pizza or baked dish. It's the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why you ever reached for the store-bought version.
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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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