Vegan Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Ok, this is serious. This is my vegan sharp cheddar cheese recipe and there’s a problem- I can’t stop snacking on it!! Vegan sharp cheddar cheese on crackers, layered on sandwiches, smeared onto crusty bread, crumbled onto salad, grated onto soup, shoved directly into mouth. This cheese is a creamy, tangy, cheddary problem that I’m very, very happy to have.

But there’s more! (Do I sound like an infomercial yet)? It only takes 9 easy-to-find ingredients to make this vegan cheddar cheese. Just blend them up in a food processor, and then chill in the fridge to set. Done! Easy peasy vegan cheesy. (Yeah, even I rolled my eyes at that one).

My vegan sharp cheddar cheese is a slightly different texture than traditional cheese. It isn’t as rubbery and instead, it has a crumbly yet spreadable texture all at the same time. You can freeze the cheese for an extra-firm texture, perfect for slicing or grating, or serve it cold from the fridge for the perfect snacking texture. The coconut oil is what makes this cheese firm, so the longer it sits at room temperature, the softer it will get.

To make Vegan Sharp Cheddar Cheese: start by softening the cashews to make them tender enough to blend smoothly. To soften them you can either boil or soak the cashews.

To boil the cashews: add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse before using.
To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours or longer until tender. Drain and rinse before using.

Add the softened cashews, along with all the remaining ingredients to a small food processor.

Blend, stopping and scraping the sides as needed until the cheese is as smooth as possible. The smoother, the better so don’t be afraid to blend for a long time.

* If you have a large food processor, it can be difficult to smoothly blend a small amount of cheese, so I often double the recipe so it’s easier to blend in my large food processor. Then I will freeze half and save it for later. The recipe is doubled in the pictures.

Scoop the cheese mixture into a dish lined with plastic wrap, or into a small silicon baking dish, and smooth out the cheese. Cover and then chill in the fridge until completely firm. About 3 hours or overnight. Enjoy the cheese as you please! The cheese will become softer the more it warms up, so for extra-firm cheese, you could freeze it.

This cheese is perfect for snacking or as an addition to a gorgeous vegan cheese board.

While this cheese does melt a bit, it’s not ideal for nachos or similar uses. For a very melty and stretchy cheddar style cheese, I would recommend instead making my melty stretchy gooey vegan nacho cheese.

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

Vegan Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Just 9 easy ingredients and 15 minutes to make. So easy and totally delicious. Perfect for snacking, serving on a vegan cheese board, or adding to sandwiches.

1 cup raw cashews, (softened (see step 1))
1/4 cup refined coconut oil
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika, ((use smoked paprika for a smoky cheese))
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Softening the cashews makes them tender enough to blend smoothly. To soften them you can either boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews: add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse before using. To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours or longer until tender. Drain and rinse before using. 

Add the softened cashews, along with all the remaining ingredients to a small food processor*. Blend, stopping and scraping the sides as needed, until the cheese is as smooth as possible.

Scoop the cheese mixture into a dish lined with plastic wrap, or into a small silicon baking dish, and smooth out the cheese. Cover and then chill in the fridge until completely firm, about 3 hours or overnight. Enjoy the cheese as you please! The cheese will be come softer the more it warms up, so for extra-firm cheese you could freeze it.

*If you have a large food processor, it can be difficult to smoothly blend a small amount of cheese. I often double the recipe so it’s easier to blend smoothly in my food processor, and then I will freeze half and save it for later.

This cheese is perfect for snacking or vegan cheese boards. While this cheese does melt a bit, it’s not ideal for nachos or similar uses. For a very melty and stretchy cheddar style cheese, I would recommend instead making my melty stretchy gooey vegan nacho cheese.

The coconut oil is mandatory for this recipe as it has the unique ability to be liquid when warm, but solid when chilled. This helps give the cheese it’s amazing texture. Use refined coconut oil which is flavourless so your cheese won’t have a coconut taste.

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