After not being thrilled with the vegan cheese selections at the store, we set out to make our own, specifically cheddar! Cheddar is a classic flavor that’s so versatile, vibrant in color, and delicious on things like grilled cheese, mac ‘n’ cheese, and more (swoon). And after cracking the code on vegan cheddar cheese, it was time to make a grilled cheese sandwich!
Thick slices of sourdough are buttered and spread with a generous layer of vegan cheddar cheese then grilled until toasty and golden brown. The result? A crispy, buttery, salty, cheesy, melty, incredibly flavorful, comforting vegan grilled cheese sandwich that’s made with wholesome ingredients. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make a Vegan Grilled Cheese
It all starts with the cheese! And this, friends, tastes like the real deal! Plus, no unrecognizable ingredients required.
Our vegan cheddar recipe is made with a base of cashews and carrots. Then it’s blended up with tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and spices. Finally, it’s gently heated into a spreadable sauce.
With the cheese ready, just 1 pan and 15 minutes stand between you and this sandwich! Butter the bread, spread on the cheese, and cook it in a skillet until golden brown, crispy, and with warm melty cheese in the middle.
We hope you LOVE this vegan grilled cheese! It’s:
Crispy
Salty
Cheesy
Melty
Comforting
Quick & Easy
& SO delicious!
It’s the perfect lunch or dinner when craving something satisfying yet simple. And the homemade cheese keeps well in the fridge or freezer, shortening the time between craving and comfort! It’s especially delicious paired with a bowl of soup, such as our Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup, Creamy Asparagus and Pea Soup, 1-Pot Everyday Lentil Soup, or Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
More Vegan Sandwich Recipes
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Avocado Slaw
- Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich
- Cauliflower Banh Mi
- Grilled Nutella Banana Sandwich
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
The BEST Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 large slices vegan bread of your choice (sturdy bread is better for crunch / flavor — we prefer sourdough // gluten-free if needed)
- 1 Tbsp vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s with a hint of salt // use more or less depending on size of bread)
- 4-5 Tbsp Vegan Cheddar Cheese (spread // or sub comparable amount of store-bought cheddar cheese slices or shreds)
Instructions
- In the meantime, butter both sides of your bread.
- Once skillet is hot, add your bread and lightly toast both sides (~1-2 minutes) — this develops flavor and crunch on both sides of the sandwich.
- Remove bread from the pan and spread a semi-thick layer of vegan cheddar cheese on one side of both slices of bread. Then fold the slices together to make a sandwich (cheese in the center).
- Return sandwich to the skillet and continue cooking over medium heat, flipping a couple times until both sides are nice and golden brown and crispy, and the cheese appears melty and gooey (~5-8 more minutes — lowering heat as needed if browning too quickly).
- Enjoy hot. Slice in half for serving if desired. Best when fresh. Pairs beautifully with soup!
Margaret says
I have not made this, but wonder if my usual way of making “grilled cheeze“ would work with this recipe? I toast my bread in a toaster, since I prefer not to use oil, add cheeze, then heat in the microwave.
We think so!
Verna Smith says
Why not call it a Cashew and Carrot Sandwich (for what it is) instead of a Cheese sandwich? Just wondering. The idea of eating an “artificial” sandwich takes some getting use to (for me).
Bonnie says
This is very similar to the recipe I use. Instead of butter, I use vegan mayo, which is mostly oil, on both sides of the bread.
Toast one side of mayo covered bread slices, flip the bread, spread a small squeeze of mustard, place the cheese slices (some thin tomato slices nice too), top with the other bread slice, and continue to simmer and flip assembled sandwich until crusty/melty. I find the vegan mayo gives a bit of a tart flavor and less salt than butter, and it seems to crust a little sooner with less darkening.
Sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing your method, Bonnie! xo
Allison says
This, paired with the garlicky tomato soup is SO good. Such a nice cozy comfort food for the fall. Soooo good.
Ooo, yes! Love that combo! Thank you for sharing, Allison! xo
Christien Anderson says
Can this recipe be frozen? How does it turn out if frozen? Made it today 11/10 added oregano
We don’t think it would freeze well, unfortunately!
Sarah says
Can you use cornstarch in place of the tapioca starch?
Hi Sarah, cornstarch should work! Let us know if you try it.
David Gates says
I didn’t any kind of starch in the ingredients list. For a vegan grilled cheese? What am I missing?
Hi David, the homemade vegan cheese includes a starch.
Nikki says
Um, wow! This recipe was such a comforting treat (paired with the garlicky tomato soup!)!
I would never have guessed it was so easy to make a delish vegan cheese that beats all the store brands!
Per other comments, I added a little extra salt & garlic powder to the cheese. It also took a little longer to thicken than the recipe stated (more like 4-5 minutes).
Thank you!!
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Nikki! So glad you enjoyed!
Lisa Simmons says
Why are you using butter if it’s vegan?
Hi Lisa, we like vegan butter for the best texture and flavor in this recipe!
Marie says
Awesome! Love the double tasting of the bread – delicious. Ingredients for cheese sauce are perfectly balanced (although I did add a little extra salt). Tastes like a restaurant made it :P
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed it, Marie. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Shonda says
This was so good. Even my “real” cheese loving family raved about this grilled cheese. I added a bit more garlic and salt. It was very tasty (even better than regular grilled cheese). It’s going in my plant based recipe book!!
Whoop! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review, Shonda! xo
DJ says
Best vegan grilled cheese spread I’ve tried so far.
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review on the cheese, DJ!
Christine says
I have been on a cheese kick since finding your Pure Gold Cheese recipe…..I know thats not what its called….but it should be haha. So far I have made the cheese, the mac n cheese, and now the grilled cheese. Im kind of a picky eater….I dont like most vegan/plant based meals I try…..And I have been vegan since i was 13… a long time….lets just say thats a lot of unhappy meals…….till now…..I usuallly dread meal time…..but i have been looking forward to my meals since finding your recipes…..I never had a grilled cheese that you grill both sides of the bread…..it is pure genius….so much more crispy and delicious. Thank you for another great recipe, :)
Woohoo! We love to hear this. So glad you enjoy the cheese, Christine! Thanks for the kind review! xo
Emily says
This cheese is so stretchy, I haven’t been able to find a vegan cheese recipe that is both stretchy and tastes delicious. Like always minimalist baker nailed this cheese recipe and I’m so happy I got to try it. Will definitely be trying more of her cheese recipes.
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Emily. Thanks for sharing! xo
Jennie says
One of my life goals is to eventually be dairy free. It isn’t great for my stomach but for me the texture and flavor is so hard to replicate. I’ve found vegan butter that works and I love your vegan parm, but everything else is elusive. I tried the cheddar cheese for this sandwich a few days ago and because I eat dairy regularly it didn’t quite work as a cheese replacement. However, I haven’t given up on it and I made this sandwich today–the sandwich was quite good! I’m going to keep fiddling with the cheese to see if I can get it to work for me long term. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Jennie! We’re glad you enjoyed this sandwich!
Amy says
Vegan comfort food game changer. Our homemade gf bread is a bit fragile so we toasted the slices in a toaster first but otherwise went step by step through the recipe to perfection.
The only problem is not wanting these sandwiches at every meal. Thank you for changing lunch forever :)
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Amy!!
Alex says
I have tried to make vegan grilled cheese several times and always failed. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. So gooey and delicious! I will be making this all the time. :)
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Alex. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Julie caldwll says
Hi Minimalist Baker. Have been cooking with you for many years now. Any chance you might build an ad free app? Or even one that has adds , but the way the games or You tubes do – a quick 15-30 second ad then on to the cooking? Thank you. I love your recipes.
Hi Julie! Thanks for the request. We were in the process of building an app last year and decided to go another direction with it. Our website now has 1000+ recipes now and trying to transfer them over to an app (with all of the technical details, ratings, comments, etc.) is no small feat. However, we hope to add some features to the mobile site soon to make it feel more like an app – stay tuned!
The Vegan Goddess says
I love your website the way that it is. It’s already perfect.
I hope you don’t add ads because this is classier and ads slow sites down.
Aline Bessa says
If you have the chance to buy sour tapioca starch in a Brazilian grocery store (it should be easy to find it online, too), also known as “Polvilho Azedo”, please do use it. It is fermented tapioca starch, and its flavor notes are super cheesy!
Thanks for the tip, Aline!
Clarence Jasmagy says
Please subscribe me. Thank you,
Clarence Jasmagy
Hi Clarence, you can subscribe here.
Alyssa says
Making this grilled cheese right now! Can’t wait!
Yay! Let us know what you think!
Alyssa says
Reporting back: it was delicious!! And….I want another one right now. I have to make more cheese! I added some miso, and a bit of beer to the cheese sauce….and I added red onion slices to the sammy as well. Super delectable!
So great!!! Thanks for sharing, Alyssa! Sounds so delicious.