If you’re dairy-free, vegan, or just trying to cut back on dairy cheese, this is the recipe for you! In our quest to find a quick and easy cheese to make vegan grilled cheese, we crafted this simple, delicious, vegan cheddar cheese spread made with 8 wholesome ingredients.
The best part? It looks and tastes like cheddar cheese! Okay, maybe it doesn’t melt exactly like cheddar cheese, but the flavor and color are there! And it does provide that melty, stringy factor when heated. Perfect for storing in the fridge to make quick vegan grilled cheese sandwiches, vegan mac ‘n’ cheese, and more! Let us show you how it’s done.
It starts with soaking cashews and sliced carrots in very hot water. This helps them soften, which later yields a creamy consistency.
Once soaked and drained, they’re added to a blender along with tapioca starch for thickening and stringy texture, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, apple cider vinegar for a tangy/fermented element, and sea salt, garlic powder, and ground mustard for flavor. Optionally, if you’re going for a yellow cheddar appearance, you can add a little bit of turmeric.
The creamy mixture is then gently cooked in a saucepan where it transforms into a thick and spreadable paste. And that’s it — so easy!
We hope you LOVE this vegan cheddar cheese! It’s:
Melty
Cheesy
Salty
Quick & easy
Versatile
& Delicious!
The uses for this vegan cheddar are endless, but it’s especially perfect for making grilled cheese sandwiches and vegan mac ‘n’ cheese. It would also be delicious on baked potatoes or in casseroles, scalloped potatoes, enchiladas, and beyond!
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
- How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Easy Vegan Mozzarella “Cheese”
- Cashew Ricotta Cheese (Soy-Free, Fast, Easy!)
- 5-Minute Vegan Cashew Queso
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!
Easy Vegan Cheddar Cheese (Spread & Sauce!)
Ingredients
CASHEWS & CARROTS
- 2/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced (peeled) carrots
- Hot water for soaking
THE REST
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric (optional // for color)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup, soak cashews and carrots in very hot water for 30 minutes (uncovered). Then drain and add to a high-speed blender with 1 cup water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, garlic powder, and dry mustard (turmeric is optional for deeper color). Blend on high until the mixture is smooth.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more apple cider vinegar for acidity, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, garlic powder for depth of flavor, or salt to taste.
- Transfer to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook, while whisking, for 1-2 minutes or until thickened to a spreadable consistency (see photo). It should resemble the texture of soft cooked polenta.
- The cheese spread is now ready to use on things like grilled cheese sandwiches, or to add to cooked shells for quick vegan mac ‘n’ cheese.
- Store sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month (let thaw in the refrigerator before use). In the fridge, it will thicken into a paste/spread as it chills.
Video
Notes
*Recipe as written makes ~1 ¼ cup.
K says
Wow! I just made this to go with the vegan chili cheese fry recipe, and YUM! I think this this might be the best vegan cheese sauce I’ve ever made. I also made a couple changes to deal with a food restriction I have as well as what was in my pantry — and I wanted to share, as it worked out well, I thought!
My changes: I used walnuts instead of cashews (I unfortunately can’t eat cashews). Got all creamy, thickened up nicely, had great flavor. Like many others, I also used cornstarch instead of tapioca, and I thought it worked, too. I also added a good bit of hot paprika and more turmeric than called for, and the sauce turned a lovely, appetizing yellow-orange cheesy color.
This is a keeper! It’s my new queso substitute, I think! I’ve dearly missed queso as someone who can’t have dairy and also can’t have cashews, so I’m thrilled!
Amazing! We’re so glad it turned out well with those modifications and that you now have a dairy-free queso you enjoy :) Thank you for sharing! xo
Aidan says
Well, this is superb. I use cornstarch in place of tapioca and a teaspoon of smoked paprika because I didn’t have a carrot! I made it slightly tighter by using a little more cornstarch, but it turned out tangy, cheesy and a real mouth-watering success. Thank you. Aidan.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Aidan! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Arvis says
Can I use cornstarch?
Hi Arvis, we haven’t tested it, but we think it would work. Let us know if you try it!
Ana says
I have made this and it’s awesome. I’m wondering if would work with roasted cashews (what I have on hand tonight).
Cheers
Ana
We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Ana! Raw cashews are best, but roasted can work in a pinch.
Heather says
This is my go to vegan cheese recipe. Sometimes I add extra spices that I like, such as cumin or coriander. I wad skeptical the first time I made it. Now I share it with friends.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Heather. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing the recipe with friends! xo
Mel says
Thank you for making one of my dreams come true! Your cheese hit the mark in every way: flavor, texture, and appearance. I made a sandwich with three slices of roasted thinly sliced brisket, caramelized onions, and your vegan cheese. It was spectacular! My husband, who eats regular cheese, loved it and said it was even better than melted Kerigol cheese. I made only two substitutions: I used arrowroot instead of tapioca and Dijon mustard instead of mustard seeds. Thank you so much!
Yay! We’re so happy this recipe helped make one of your dreams come true, Mel. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Emily says
Can I use arrowroot instead of tapioca?
That should work!
Mel says
I did it and worked!
Theresa Helligar says
I have made soooo many different recipes on my quest to find the best cheese recipe and I can finally say my search is over! I just ate the most delicious grilled cheese that I have had in a loooooong time! You definitely nailed it in every way! It is perfection! Thank you so much!
YAY! We’re so thrilled you loved this recipe and got to enjoy a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. Thank you for sharing your experience, Theresa! xo
Derrick says
When making other vegan cheeses, I often use some white miso to give it that aged tang and flavor. Would that be what the cider vinegar is doing here? Can I substitute or maybe just add miso for more of that aged cheese taste?
Hi Derrick, the apple cider vinegar is adding a tangy/fermented flavor here. Miso would add a fermented flavor, but not tanginess. You could try just miso and then add a little vinegar if it tastes flat. Hope that helps!
Roger Ewing says
I made the recipe for cheddar cheese spread twice. Unfortunately, on both occasions it was a disappointment. I tossed out both batches after giving them a few tries to prove me wrong.
This recipe does not taste, nor does it look, like cheddar cheese. Rather it is an unremarkable orange sandwich spread.
I rate most of the recipes I find on Minimalist Baker as very good to excellent. Sorry, this is not one of those. But I appreciate the attempt. Myoko makes a roadhouse cheddar that is far superior. Give it a try.
Bummer. We’re sorry this one wasn’t a winner for you, Roger.
Viviana Garcia says
This looks delicious! I cannot eat nutritional yeast. Is there another ingredient you can suggest to replace nutritional yeast?
Hi Viviana, perhaps a lesser amount of white miso paste or chickpea miso paste? Or leave it out!
Caitlin says
Delicious! Great for a grilled cheese! A question I have is to how to get the flavors to blend together more evenly? Did I maybe not blend it enough? Otherwise, I found it perfect for a vegan grilled cheese.
Hi Caitlin, hmm, that’s a possibility! Is it getting smooth and creamy? If not, a more powerful blender might be the solution.
Linda Hugues says
I’m sorry. This does not look OR taste like cheddar. It has too much carrot taste and it’s a brown-yellow color like nutritional yeast, not light orange like cheddar cheese. A disappointment.
Oh no! We’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy it, Linda. This should be a vibrant orange color, so it sounds like something went wrong. Did you add the turmeric? What brand of nutritional yeast were you using? Is it possible the carrot soaked too long? We could see that diluting the color and having too much of a “cooked carrot” flavor.
Linda Hugues says
I’m sorry for my regrettably snarky comment. Thanks for your gracious reply. : ) Yes, I added the turmeric, I used Briggs brand nutritional yeast, and the carrots soaked for 30 minutes.
I did cut the carrots in half lengthwise before I sliced them so maybe my 1/2 cup had more than the recipe intended.
Any other ideas?
Thank you for the update, Linda! Hmm, we’re a little stumped then. Our only other idea would be if perhaps the carrots were more bitter vs. sweet? We’re sorry you didn’t enjoy it!
Elisabeth says
This is a great recipe, love it! I was wondering if possible to blend and keep in fridge overnight to cook the next day? Will the texture get slimy or be ok for 24hours? Thanks
Hi Elisabeth, that shouldn’t be an issue! Enjoy!
Hannah says
I just made this recipe and it is absolutely delicious. Instead of the chili recipe I used my leftover vegan sloppy Joe’s (also from this website) and it turned out perfectly. I am absolutely thrilled with this. It felt so decadent and yummy and nourishing (even though it’s supposed to be a treat). Thank you for this wonderful and nourishing (at least to the soul) recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Hannah! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Bunny says
Incredible discoveries of amazing over the moon and back delicious meals for vegans with easy to understand simple instructions! I’m delighted, I’ve been vegan a few years now but at first I was terrified not a very talented cook and used to didn’t like to cook at all but since being vegan and discovering the luxurious of recipes like yours I’m so excited and delighted to like finding a map to Gold from the rainbow inspiring love for cooking 🌈😇👻👑🪽🪽🪽💙🩵💙🩵🫶🫶🫶🫶🙌🙌🙌🙌 thank you so much.
We’re so glad our recipes have been helpful on your journey! Thank you for sharing your experience! xoxo
Gabrielle Fontaine says
Can’t wait to try this! I’m going to add some horseradish to FINALLY be able to recreate my old, pre-vegan days, favorite cheese spread for rye toast! YUM!
Exciting! Let us know how it goes, Gabrielle!
Melissa King says
Anyone tried this soaking the cashews and carrots overnight? Will that work too?
Hi Melissa, soaking the cashews overnight would be fine! We’re not sure if the carrots would lose too much of their color or be okay. Let us know if you try it!
Vanda Victoria says
This is by far the best cheese sauce I’ve made. I used it for macaroni and cheese and it was delicious. Can’t wait to try it in other ways. Yum.
Whoop! We’re so glad you loved it, Vanda. Thank you for sharing! xo
Lisa says
Thank you so much for all your recipes. I’ve recently found it I have a dairy intolerance and I’m so so grateful to have such a great resource of fabulous recipe options.
My husband is allergic to vinegar. We eat together and I don’t want to start doing two meals. What would you suggest as an alternative? I often use lemon juice, but it might be too strong a flavour and I’m not sure if that would give the right flavour that you were aiming for.
Hi Lisa, we do think lemon would be the best alternative. We hope you both love it! xo
Cyndi J says
I haven’t made this recipe but I’d suggest green olive brine as a substitute for the vinegar. Hope that helps.
Jenna says
Delish! I’m never disappointed with your recipes!
I only had pecans on hand so used those in place of the cashews.
I also used cornstarch in place of the tapioca.
Followed everything else and this sauce is so good!
Thank you 😊
Aw, YAY! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review, Jenna! xo
Sharon says
This is the best cheese sauce ever! I can’t stop eating it with a spoon out of the blender. I just used it to make a quesadilla today.
We’re so glad you love it, Sharon! Thank you for the lovely review! Enjoy your quesadilla :)
Fred says
Hello,
Can you make this recipe without cashew?
Maybe sub with chickpeas?
Looks like an amazing recipe but looking for a nut-free vegan cheese dip.
Thanks, Fred
Hmm, possibly, but it wouldn’t be as rich or smooth. Let us know if you try it out!
Stephanie Gussler says
How about blanched slivered almonds?
Hi Stephanie, our experience with blanched slivered almonds is they stay a little gritty and don’t get completely smooth. Flavor-wise it would work!
Darlene says
Can I use cornstarch to thicken instead of tapioca starch?
Hi Darlene, we haven’t tested it, but we think it would work!
khaoula says
what can I use instead of tapioca starch?
Hi Khaoula, arrowroot starch or corn starch might work!
Dobrinka says
I don’t have a blender and never grew up with one. Is there any way to mix this manually? Maybe cook the cashews and the carrots till soft?
Hi Dobrinka, unfortunately this recipe does require a blender!