Rice 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's built entirely from soaked cashews, tapioca starch, and a handful of pantry staples — no grains, no rice flour, no fillers that sneak in unwanted carbohydrates or allergens. The tapioca starch is what works the magic here, transforming a blended cashew cream into something that pulls away from the pan in long, melty ribbons just like the real thing. Once chilled and set, it slices cleanly, shreds beautifully, and re-melts on a hot pizza or baked dish without turning greasy or grainy. The apple cider vinegar and lemon juice add just enough tang to mimic that classic dairy flavor, while garlic powder rounds everything out with a subtle savory note. Store-bought vegan cheeses often rely on rice starch or rice-derived thickeners, so making your own gives you full control over every ingredient. Whether you're layering it into a caprese salad or melting it over a flatbread, this homemade version delivers in a way that's hard to believe came from a blender and a saucepan.
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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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