Understanding Your Plate: What is vegan cheese made out of?

November 9, 2025 •

4 min read

The market for plant-based foods has seen a significant increase in recent years, with vegan cheese gaining substantial popularity. Consumers exploring dairy-free alternatives often wonder: What is vegan cheese made out of? Unlike its traditional counterpart, which relies on animal milk, vegan cheese is crafted from a wide array of plant-based sources.

Quick Summary

Vegan cheese is created from various plant-based ingredients, including nuts, soy, and coconut oil, to mimic dairy cheese's texture and flavor. Its production involves processes similar to traditional cheesemaking, such as fermentation and aging, but with plant proteins instead of animal milk proteins.

Key Points

Diverse Plant Bases: Vegan cheese is made primarily from plant-based ingredients such as nuts (cashews, almonds), soy, and coconut oil.
Texture from Thickeners: Ingredients like tapioca starch and agar-agar are used to achieve the desired firmness and meltability in vegan cheese.
Flavor from Fermentation: Many vegan cheeses are fermented with bacterial cultures, giving them a tangy, complex flavor similar to dairy cheese.
Cheesy Taste via Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is a staple ingredient that provides a distinct, savory, and cheesy flavor profile.
Nutritional Differences: Vegan cheese is cholesterol-free and lactose-free but may be lower in protein and calcium unless fortified, compared to dairy cheese.
Different Melting Properties: Due to its lack of casein protein, vegan cheese tends to soften rather than stretch when heated, although modern formulations have improved meltability.

Core Ingredients of Vegan Cheese

Vegan cheese can be made from a diverse range of plant-based ingredients, with the specific components determining its flavor, texture, and melting properties. The following are some of the most common base ingredients used in vegan cheesemaking:

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are a very popular base for both artisan and homemade vegan cheeses, prized for their creamy texture.

Cashews: Often soaked and blended to form a smooth, rich cream base, cashews are a top choice for creating cheeses with a creamy mouthfeel, from spreads to firm blocks.
Almonds: A great choice for products like ricotta and cream cheese alternatives.
Macadamia Nuts: Offer a rich, buttery flavor and are used in premium artisan vegan cheeses.
Sunflower Seeds: A more affordable and nut-free option that can be boiled and blended for a creamy texture.

Soy and Tofu

Soy has a long history as a plant-based alternative and is a foundational ingredient for many vegan cheeses.

Tofu: Pressed curd from soy milk, tofu can be used to create cheeses like vegan feta or paneer alternatives.
Fermented Tofu: Adds a distinct umami flavor and tanginess, as used in some commercial cheese slices.

Coconut

Coconut oil, milk, and cream are utilized for their high fat content, which helps replicate the richness and meltability of dairy cheese. Refined coconut oil is typically used to avoid a strong coconut flavor. It is a key ingredient for many mainstream shredded and block-style vegan cheeses.

Starches and Thickeners

To achieve the desired texture and melting properties, vegan cheesemakers use a variety of starches and gelling agents.

Tapioca Starch (from cassava root): A common ingredient that provides elasticity and a stretchy, melty quality, making it essential for pizza and grilled cheese.
Agar-Agar: A gelatinous substance derived from algae, it is used to help firmer vegan cheeses set.
Kappa Carrageenan: Another seaweed-derived thickener used to achieve firmness.

Flavoring Agents

Since vegan cheese doesn't use dairy, distinct flavors are developed using other ingredients.

Nutritional Yeast: A deactivated yeast with a savory, cheesy, and nutty flavor profile. It's an indispensable component for imparting a characteristic cheesy taste.
Miso Paste, Lemon Juice, and Vinegar: Provide the tangy, fermented notes often found in aged dairy cheeses.
Spices and Herbs: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and herbs are used to create different flavor profiles.

Production Methods and Techniques

Vegan cheesemaking, both at home and commercially, mirrors some aspects of traditional dairy cheesemaking. The process often involves fermenting a plant-based base to develop complex flavors.

Preparation of the Base: The process starts by soaking and preparing the primary ingredient, such as cashews, or using a premade plant milk or tofu.
Fermentation: Bacterial cultures, similar to those used in dairy production, are added to the plant-based base. This allows the mixture to ferment, developing a tangy, aged flavor profile. For example, artisanal cashews can be fermented to produce nuanced results.
Thickening and Shaping: Thickeners like tapioca starch or agar are added to achieve the desired consistency, from soft and spreadable to firm and sliceable. The cheese is then molded into its final shape.
Aging (Optional): Some artisanal vegan cheeses, particularly nut-based varieties, are aged to develop deeper flavors and a firmer texture, much like traditional cheeses. For example, some blue-style vegan cheeses are aged for weeks.

Vegan Cheese vs. Dairy Cheese


Feature	Vegan Cheese	Dairy Cheese
Source	Plant-based ingredients like nuts, soy, and coconut.	Animal milk (cow, goat, sheep, etc.).
Lactose	100% lactose-free.	Contains lactose (can cause issues for intolerant individuals).
Cholesterol	Zero cholesterol.	Contains dietary cholesterol.
Saturated Fat	Varies; can be lower, especially with nut bases, but high with coconut oil.	Generally high in saturated fats.
Calcium	May be fortified with calcium; levels vary by brand.	Naturally rich source of calcium.
Vitamin B12	Often fortified, as it's not naturally occurring.	Found naturally in animal products.
Protein Content	Generally lower, depends on base (e.g., higher in soy).	Typically a good source of protein.
Melting	Tends to soften rather than stretch, though tapioca helps with meltability.	Melts and stretches due to casein proteins.

Conclusion

The world of vegan cheese has moved far beyond its humble origins to a vast landscape of textures and flavors. From creamy cashew spreads to meltable coconut oil shreds, the plant-based alternatives available today can satisfy many cheese cravings while catering to specific dietary needs. Understanding that the primary components are often nuts, soy, or coconut, combined with starches and nutritional yeast, helps to demystify this popular dairy-free food. With continued innovation, vegan cheese continues to evolve, offering more convincing and varied options for everyone to enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many popular store-bought vegan cheeses, such as those from Violife and Daiya, use coconut oil as a primary ingredient, along with starches like tapioca, to achieve a meltable texture.

No, nut-based vegan cheeses made from cashews, almonds, or macadamia nuts are not suitable for people with tree nut allergies. Soy-based or coconut-based cheeses are alternatives, but it's crucial to check labels for other potential allergens.

The signature cheesy flavor is typically achieved using nutritional yeast, a deactivated yeast with a savory, nutty taste. Other ingredients like miso paste, vinegar, and certain spices are also used to create a complex and tangy flavor.

Historically, vegan cheese had different melting properties. However, modern versions, especially those using tapioca starch and coconut oil, have been engineered to melt and even stretch similarly to dairy cheese, though results can vary by brand and type.

The healthiness of vegan cheese depends on the ingredients and processing. Vegan cheese is cholesterol-free and lactose-free. Some nut-based versions may be lower in saturated fat, but many coconut oil-based versions are high in saturated fat. It often contains less protein and calcium than dairy cheese unless fortified.

Fermented vegan cheese achieves its tangy flavor by adding bacterial cultures to a plant-based milk or paste, such as from nuts. These cultures ferment the base, producing a sharp, tart taste similar to aged dairy cheese.

Yes, many homemade vegan cheese recipes exist. Common recipes often use soaked and blended cashews, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. You can use ingredients like agar-agar or tapioca starch to control firmness and meltability.