Vegan Cashew Cheese
Original, aromatic, tender, and very tasty! This vegan cheese is made from cashews with no animal products. Thanks to agar-agar, it slices well and can even melt when heated. Serve as a snack or as an addition to other dishes.
Updated : 02 February, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
250 grams
Cashew
100 grams
Vegetable oil
25 milliliters
Lemon juice
400 milliliters
Water
4 grams
Agar-agar
20 grams
Dried onion
to taste
Dry spices
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to make vegan cashew cheese? Prepare the ingredients. Use raw (not roasted) cashews. You can substitute almonds (you’ll need to peel them). Any vegetable oil works - refined or extra-virgin, aromatic. I couldn’t find dried onion, so I made it without.
Step 2
Put the nuts in a bowl and cover with clean cold water (this water is not included in the ingredients). Soak for at least 10 hours.
Step 3
The cashews will swell a lot. Drain the water and rinse them lightly.
Step 4
Squeeze 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Step 5
Put the nuts in a blender. Add the lemon juice, salt, vegetable oil, and 200 ml water (about 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp). If using dried onion, add it now.
Step 6
Blend until completely smooth.
Step 7
In a saucepan, pour the remaining 200 ml cold water (about 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) over the agar-agar and stir. The amount of agar-agar is approximate for a medium-firm texture; it may vary (about 2-8 g) depending on your agar strength and desired result.
Step 8
Place the saucepan over low heat. Bring the agar mixture to a boil, stirring, then cook for about 2 minutes more.
Step 9
Add the hot agar mixture to the blender with the nut mixture. Blend again until smooth.
Step 10
Choose a container to set the cheese (I used a deep bowl). Pour in the mixture. Work quickly - agar starts setting around 40°C (104°F). If desired, add dried herbs or spices (I added dried basil). Smooth the top and refrigerate until fully set.
Step 11
The vegan cheese will set fairly quickly and will be easy to slice. If you add it to pizza, it will melt. Frozen, it can be grated over pasta. Enjoy!
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