20 Best Vegan Cheese Recipes (Dairy-Free and Plant-Based)

These unique vegan cheese recipes deliver cheesy goodness from basic cheddar cheese to smoked gouda and even blue cheese. 

Ditching the dairy in your life doesn’t mean you have to give up cheese!

These vegan cheese recipes use inventive ingredients such as nuts, nutritional yeast, tapioca scratch, and coconut milk.

They’re perfect for pizza, salads, dips, sandwich toppings, or sliced up as a snack with crackers. 

1. Vegan Provolone

This vegan provolone cheese is mild with a slightly sharp kick from a bit of lemon juice.

It calls for simple ingredients such as coconut milk, salt, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Added nutritional yeast lends color as well as a hint of nutty flavors. 

It comes together in under 10 minutes but takes around 2 hours to set up firmly in the fridge. 

2. Vegan Cheddar Cheese

Need a slice of cheddar cheese for burgers?

This vegan cheddar cheese has a firm texture that melts perfectly on burgers or as a sliceable snack with crackers.

It has a slightly smoky flavor thanks to the added smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. 

The base of this cheese uses raw cashews for a buttery finish.

There’s also a red pepper and tomato puree to achieve that perfectly orange cheese coloring. 

3. 5-Minute Vegan Cream Cheese

If you don’t have time for ingredient-heavy recipes that take a few hours to set, this 5-minute vegan cream cheese is worth checking out.

It goes from the blender to a bagel in just 5 minutes and is so simple to make. You likely have all ingredients on hand. 

Throw raw cashews, non-dairy yogurt, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice in a blender.

What’s great about this recipe is that you can toss in whatever strikes your fancy.

You can even add sweetened ingredients for a sweet bagel topping!

4. Vegan Swiss Cheese

This vegan Swiss cheese recipe is just too good!

When making homemade seitan, don’t just wash your wheat water down the drain- save it for this swiss cheese.

This recipe calls for wheat starch water, soaked cashews, miso paste, and sweet white wine to activate that classic Swiss sharpness. 

So, how do you get those holes? Once you place it in your container to chill, put a few straws (or chopsticks) into the mixture.

Then, pop it into the fridge for classic Swiss Cheese holes. 

5. Quick and Easy Vegan Cottage Cheese

Vegan cottage cheese sounds complicated, but it’s surprisingly easy (and delicious).

To achieve that lumpy cheese-curd-like consistency, crumble-drained silken tofu. 

For added creaminess and flavor, toss lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and silken tofu into a blender and add it to the tofu crumbles. 

6. Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Are you looking for a suitable replacement for that parmesan cheese in the green shaker bottle?

This recipe is so straightforward and only requires stirring a few dry ingredients together. 

I often sprinkle straight nutritional yeast on my spaghetti for an added pop of nutty and cheesy flavors.

Pair nutrition yeast with hemp seeds, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to add a ton of flavor to your Italian dinners. 

7. Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

This shreddable mozzarella cheese recipe is quite firm, making it perfect for shredding for salads or atop a pizza.

It boasts a mild flavor that isn’t overpowering with that classic chewiness of dairy mozzarella. 

This recipe calls for simple pantry ingredients such as raw cashews, lemon juice, and coconut oil.

Although, nutritional yeast, tapioca flour, and kappa carrageenan call for a special trip to the grocery store, but it’s worth it!

8. Smoky Cheddar Vegan Cheese

What’s great about this smoky cheddar vegan cheese is that you can use it for just about anything.

You can eat it alone with crackers, shred it into mac and cheese for a flavor boost, or throw it into a fresh garden salad. 

This unique take on cheddar cheese gets a rich, smoky flavor from smoked paprika and liquid smoke.

It has full-fat coconut milk and soaked cashews for a creamy and nutty taste, with just a touch of tang from miso paste. 

9. Vegan Smoked Gouda

Vegan smoked gouda may sound challenging, but it’s super easy and doesn’t use a laundry list of ingredients.

It packs bold flavors with a base of full-fat coconut milk and a touch of hickory-flavored liquid smoke!

Pour coconut milk, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, garlic powder, and water into a prepared pan with aga agar powder.

Pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set, and it’s ready. 

10. Cashew Ricotta Cheese

Is it even lasagna without ricotta cheese? This cashew ricotta cheese recipe is rich and creamy with bright, nutty flavors. Plus, it comes together in a flash. 

Soak your cashews and puree them with lemon juice, onion powder, garlic, and nutritional yeast.

This comes together in 10 minutes, so you can make it while your lasagna noodles cook on the stove. 

11. Vegan Brie

No charcuterie board is complete without brie! This vegan brie looks impressive and packs nutty and creamy flavors that jump off the board. 

Plus, it comes together so quickly. Soaked cashews are pureed with rich flavors from white miso paste, nutritional yeast, vegetable stock, and lemon juice.

Pour the mixture into ramekins and bake them for 30 minutes until golden and delicious. 

12. Vegan Pepper Jack Cheese

This vegan pepper Jack cheese packs a spicy punch from the jalapeno and red bell peppers.

If you want to tone down the spicy, swap out the jalapeno peppers for something milder. 

The base of this cheese uses full-fat coconut milk paired with peppers, lemon juice, and garlic.

This recipe is perfect for slicing on sandwiches, but you can also tinker with the recipe for a melty cheese for pasta or cheese dips. 

13. Meltable Vegan Muenster

This meltable vegan Muenster cheese has a light and mild flavor that pairs perfectly with pasta or atop a black bean burger.

With very few seasonings or ingredients, it pairs well with just about anything that needs extra creamy goodness. 

To make this recipe, use vegan yogurt, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast, and carrageenan powder.

Cook it on the stove until it becomes glossy, and then place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set. 

14. Vegan Mascarpone

Are you looking for an excellent vegan Mascarpone recipe for your vegan desserts?

This recipe is oh-so-simple, and it’s a great substitute when making a batch of cannolis! 

Using soaked cashews and almonds gives this Marscarpone cheese a rich and nutty flavor. Pop into the blender, and pulse until it’s rich and creamy. 

15. Easy Vegan Blue Cheese

It may seem impossible to replicate the tangy and funky flavors of blue cheese sans dairy, but it can be done!

It even has the classic, blue-green marbling, like traditional blue cheese. 

The base of this recipe calls for raw cashews, white miso paste, apple cider vinegar (for the funk), and garlic and onion powder.

A dash of spirulina provides extra funk (it’s also rich in vitamins) and provides the classic, blue marbling effect. 

16. Best Vegan Feta Cheese

Good feta cheese is light and crumbly, with a slight tang and saltiness. This vegan feta cheese recipe checks all of those boxes!

It earns its delightfully light crumbly texture from a block of firm tofu.

For added tang, mix tofu with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, and white miso paste.

It comes together in 10 minutes and is the perfect pairing for a healthy Greek salad. 

17. Vegan Goat Cheese

So, how can you recreate tangy goat cheese’s unique flavors? This recipe is a little more complicated, but the final results are worth it!

For that fermented flavor, place blended cashews, lemon juice, macadamia nuts, and a probiotic capsule in a covered jar.

Let it sit at room temperature overnight. It’s crumbly, creamy, and has that classic tang of rich goat cheese. 

18. Vegan Cheese Slices

These vegan cheese slices are easy to prepare and go well with just about anything!

You can top them on a burger, melt them into gooey mac and cheese, or eat them with crackers.

The secret to this fast and easy recipe is chao. Chao is tofu fermented in brine, which adds a ton of rich and cheesy flavors.

This cheese is hard to resist with added nutritional yeast, onion powder, maple syrup, and liquid smoke. 

19. Best Vegan Cheese Sauce

Are you looking for a great cheese sauce for nachos or just for dunking tortilla chips?

This simple recipe calls for pantry staples without needing to hunt down unusual ingredients at your local supermarket. 

The base incorporates boiled potatoes and cashews (or white beans) for texture and creaminess.

Build upon the creamy base with ingredients such as onions, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast for added nuttiness. 

20. Creamy Vegan Queso

Salsa and tortilla chips are great, but nothing beats spicy queso!

This creamy and delicious queso dip incorporates a potato and cashew base with rich Mexican flavors. 

Once your base comes together, add bright and punchy seasonings.

Chili powder, smoked paprika, hot sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and pickled jalapenos all work well.