Easy Vegan Cheddar Cheese (Spread & Sauce!)

Happy to report that this vegan cheese sauce is as decadent and easy to make as the MB team has advertised! I did a cornstarch sub and the stove top whisky took about 5 minutes to reach the thickness I desired. Perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches and I’ve got mac n’ cheese planned for later this week!

I have made a lot of vegan cheddars and this is one of my favorites. Thank You! It’s a great mild cheddar flavor that can go on so many things.

We used this with the no-tuna melt recipe, and it was really, really good. My husband was really skeptical, but he ended up loving it. We’ll use the leftover cheese on baked potatoes for an easy dinner this week.

Wow! This was my first time making vegan cheese but I’m so impressed with how easy and delicious this was! I have plenty to use in the vegan grilled cheese recipe (also on the MB website) and will definitely be using this recipe again. I love that this version uses whole foods as opposed to the highly processed alternatives in the stores.

Simple put – Love it for the minimalist ingredients compared to other vegan cheeses. I work from home and made this during my lunch break. I used it as a base for broccoli cheddar soup. For some reason I like hot soup even in the hot summer – go figure. I made it my Vitamix and then added the ingredients for the broccoli soup. Voila no not kitchen!!

Holy queso, Batman! I made this with raw sunflower seeds instead of cashews, and subbed some of the water for some homemade veggie broth I needed to use up, and this is some amazing spread! I used it for grilled cheese and for nachos. So easy and with ingredients I usually have on hand! Thank you!

Hi!

I loved the flavor of this cheese but somehow it came TOO thick! Any ideas? Is it possible I heated it for too long? I’m gonna give it another shot!

Oh wow! This is the best spread ever! I’m a new vegan and have just about got over my cheese cravings BUT I so wish I’d have discovered this years ago. The flavour is amazing whether you have it on toast or used in dishes like the Vegan Quesadillas with smoky black beans now an absolute favourite. Great to make a batch and leave in the fridge for convenience. Thanks for this yummy recipe.

I love that this sauce/spread has endless possibilities. I gave it 4 stars as I needed to add a lot extra spices, salt and vinegar to make it great. I did taste a slightly chalky flavor immediately after I made it, but the chalky flavor mellowed out after storing the leftovers in the fridge. I had a eureka moment when I heated up the sauce for 30 seconds in the microwave, topped it with nacho jalapeno slices, dipped in some corn tortillas and ate the MOST DELICIOUS non-dairy nachos EVER. You need to try this! So good!

This cheese is AMAZING!! The consistency and flavor are on point and I have been adding it to just about everything. I have had issues in the past with cashew cheese being grainy, but somehow this one does not have that problem and is super smooth.

This is so tasty. We are eating it out of the jar! Used arrowroot flour in place of tapioca starch. I’ll make this again.

Love your page! I have made this recipe twice. So easy! The first time it was incredible! I didn’t have mustard powder so I used prepared dijon mustard. The second time I think I added a little too much mustard and garlic (or the tumeric) because it was a little different in taste. Also, I must have put it in the fridge before it was cooled enough because it was not as thick. It was still so good! I used it in a cheese omelet and as a cracker dip. Also tried mac and cheese but I don’t care for Banza pasta at all.

Made this for lunch and loved it! OK, it doesn’t taste completely ‘cheesey’ but hey, it is salty, creamy and savoury and downright addictive! I added a big dollop to a burrito bowl and plan to use it in sandwiches and wraps. Will definitely be making this again!

I followed the recipe exactly as written. I loved it. I used it for grilled cheese and loved it

I made this recipe today exactly as the recipe is written except for adding a little extra sea salt and apple cider vinegar. For me, the end product needed more sharpness. I also found the garlic powder too forward. So, next time I make this I will try adding in some miso paste (Maybe a little of the brown variety for more of a sharp cheese flavor. Or some white for a mild cheddar like cheese flavor) before adding in any salt and then cut the garlic powder in half….or not use it at all.

The only other thought I have is that maybe one TBSP of avocado or canola oil would help give the “cheese” that shiny coat that melted cheese has along with a fattier mouth feel.

I made this for “taco night” to avoid processed vegan shreds. It was wonderful. We used it the next day for grilled cheese sandwiches on sourdough—even better after a night in the fridge. Love it and plan to make it again. Thank you!

This was delicious! I used a bite-sized yellow potato instead of the tapioca starch but it came out with a great consistency and excellent flavor! I used it for a cheese sauce on a vegan burrito with crumbles and it was amazing!!!!

This was not creamy and smooth and was very mustardy. Not a fan.

Great recipe!! I used it to make grilled cheese on sourdough. Delicious. I did make the flavors stronger by adding more vinegar, and a bit more salt and garlic with a dash of smoked paprika. Plenty left over, looking forward to using it on other things!

Yum! I followed the recipe exactly, it was really good. I made the mac an and cheese with it. Thanks!

This cheese is awesome….I was eating it right out of the pot. I usually dont like any of the plant based cheese recipes I have tried. But this was awesome….I added more apple cider vinegar, cause I like it tangy, but wow….sooooo good . Thanks for the recipes.

We’ve tried lots of similar recipes, and this one is a winner. We drizzled it when warm, and spread it when chilled. It is very versatile, and will definitely be in our regular rotation. I can imagine flavouring it with different herbs for more variety. Thanks for sharing!

I’ve made this twice now and it’s great! I find that a lot of “cheese” recipes are good base recipes, but usually need some type of tweak, and this recipe is no exception. This go around, I had to add about a teaspoon more of ACV, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, and up the garlic and salt to make it meet my taste buds. It’s magic though! It truly does stiffen up in about two minutes (I used corn starch since it’s what I had on hand).

The last time I made it, I did the recipe as it’s written (again with the corn starch sub) and made some lovely caramelized onion grilled cheese sandwiches and added it on top of some roasted broccoli. I can’t wait to do so again. Thanks for the recipe, MB team!

I was really nervous making this – I’d never tried making vegan cheese or worked with tapioca starch before, and was a bit skeptical this would come together into anything resembling cheese.

I had no reason to be nervous, this was so easy and came together beautifully. I ended up at least doubling the seasonings as I wanted it to have a bit more of a bite, and threw in a couple of dashes of cayenne pepper. I probably cooked and whisked it for more like 5-6 minutes? It hadn’t thickened up much at the two minute mark but a bit more whisking made it come together.

Thanks so much for this recipe! Cheese is absolutely my weak spot when it comes to eating plant-based, and I can tell this recipe is going to make it a lot easier.

It made a fantastic grilled cheese, and I’m really excited to try it in mac and cheese soon.

Made this last night for grilled cheeses (served with the Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup) and it was delish! I was a bit nervous as I’ve never made vegan cheese before and am typically not a fan of store bought, but this was really good!

I skipped the nutritional yeast (we’re not fans) and added in about a half tablespoon of white miso as I saw you mentioned to someone else. I def should have added more spices.

It took me a lot longer than 1-2 minutes for it to thicken – probably about 10 minutes. Even then, it wasn’t as thick as the picture shows, but once it cooled down a lot more it thickened up.

All in all, it was really good! Going to use the leftover for a mac n cheese today! Thanks for once again pushing me out of my cooking and eating comfort zone – you’ve earned my trust!

This sauce… is incredible. After struggling to go fully plant-based because of my cheese addiction (specifically, my mac & cheese addiction), I’m happy to say I’ve been completely dairy-free for over a year now! But that desire for a comforting bowl of mac & cheese or a grilled cheese with tomato soup was always there, left unsatisfied. Until this recipe came along. Like magic, this sauce has cured my desire for their dairy-filled counterparts. I had no idea how it would turn out, so I admit I went into this skeptical, and I’m happy to report it turned out exactly as the recipe lays out! I substituted arrowroot starch for the tapioca, Dijon mustard for the ground mustard, and added a shake of paprika per other comments. Absolutely amazing as a dip, spread for crackers, grilled cheese, and mac & cheese. Trust me, I tried it all! Thanks so much for a true hit!

This was absolutely delicious! I had been craving macaroni cheese for a few weeks and this was the perfect substitute for the cheese sauce.
After the first blending and tasting the mixture, I decided to add some white miso and a little bit of paprika to add some more depth to the cheese. I loved the creamy umami rich flavours of this “cheese” and I’m so glad I made double to freeze some!
Can’t wait to make this again and see how else I can use it.
Thanks :)

Love this cheese. Have used it in a cheesy broccoli baked potato recipe. Superb. The flavor is great. And my husband loves it too so that makes it a winner! This will be my go to recipe for a melting cheese from now on. Can’t wait to try the grilled cheese sandwich!
Thanks

Delicious! I’ve made this vegan cheese two times now. The first time I skipped the turmeric but I added it the second time. You don’t taste it at all (which was my fear with adding it to a cheese sauce) and it definitely helps to give the sauce that orange color although my cheese sauce hasn’t come out as orange as Dana’s! I used a food processor and it doesn’t come out quite as smooth either but still just as good to me. Thanks for the great recipe!

Dana, this sauce blows me away!
Trying to be plant-based- cheese is my Kryptonite. This recipe will help me stay on track!
Thanks for another great recipe!

Holy moly this is amazing! I taste-tested it out of the blender (prior to thickening in a sauce pan) and thought it tasted fine. But once it thickened, it just about knocked my socks off. So excited about all the things I can put this on!!!

Yup, it’s delicious.

This sauce was amazing! Like lick the spoon good. We used it in quesadillas but I’m excited to try it in grilled cheese and Mac and cheese. I subbed arrowroot and yellow mustard as that’s what I had on hand. I also added more nooch to taste. Thanks for such an easy alternative to expensive store bought cheese!

I just made this and used it for Mac and cheese and my whole family loved it! I subbed 1tbsp cornstarch for tapioca starch and didn’t find it chalky. We also added 1/2 almond milk 1/2 water in the blender, as well as a bit more salt and smoked paprika. Finished it under the broiler with some panko. Thank your for such a tasty and versatile recipe!

WOW! More “cheesy” yumminess! Super easy to make and cannot wait to try it for mac-n-cheese and any other meals and snacks that would benefit from the addition of cheddar “cheese”! Thank you, Dana, for your amazing work and recipes! I have never encountered one I didn’t enjoy fully!

Wow, what a recipe. I didn’t have any tapioca starch so I substituted cornstarch and it was so delicious!!

Another great recipe. I made this a few days ago with arrowroot starch (I didn’t have any tapioca starch) and it is delicious!

First time trying to make this and came out great. One of the other reviewers mentioned miso, smoked paprika and hot sauce. I am a hot sauce nut and it sure added a lot. This will be a staple in our house hold for sure. It was a great snack on top of rice crackers.

Each taste leaves me thinking… how?! Absolutely delicious and so versatile. I especially love the way that the color comes into itself as the mixture thickens.

We immediately made these into a pair of your grilled cheese sandwiches and wished we’d made five more. Each.

Thank you, Dana!!

I posted just a bit ago but did not leave a rating, so I’m reposting here: This recipe is genius. If I hadn’t made it myself, I would never have known it wasn’t cheese.

This recipe is genius. If I hadn’t made it myself, I would never have believed it wasn’t cheese.

I made this today for lunch and dipped some French bread into it. For the first time it didn’t feel like I was eating a cheese alternative! I didn’t long for regular cheese at all and it’s by far my favorite fake cheese recipe that I’ve tried. The fact that it thickens up is amazing. I feel like I could rave about this all day haha.

Hi made the recipe lovely! I didn’t have garlic powder so used two cloves of fresh, and no tapioca starch, so used rice flour same quantities, this worked very well, it can be extra creamy by using oat milk or almond milk with the ingredients instead of water! If you like .
Alison, Dundee Uk

I have never made a vegan “cheese” before, so I didn’t know what to expect, but this came out surprisingly good! It isn’t exactly “cheesy” in the same way as a dairy cheese spread/dip, but it hits that same creamy/salty/rich/savory craving.
I didn’t have carrots on hand, but I did have frozen cooked rutabaga, which I think tasted great here. I also used a food processor instead of a blender and the texture came out very smooth and creamy.
This did need quite a flavor boost- in addition to increasing the listed seasonings, I added a little hot sauce, black pepper, miso paste, and smoked paprika (that was the game changer – SO good!) Overall, this was very easy and delicious, and it will definitely be fun to experiment with other flavoring ideas in the future.

I’ve been making your vegan cashew mozzarella style cheeze for so long so I was excited to try this! I made this this morning and couldn’t wait for lunch, it was so good on sourdough bread! Hubby loved too! I told him it was carrots and nuts and he was shocked!
I literally need about 5 pounds of cashews delivered every month to keep up with all these amazing vegan chz recipes! We love them all!!

Made this last night w/ raw sunflower seeds instead of cashews b/c that’s what I had (cheaper, more sustainable, friend w/ nut allergy…). It was delicious! I added some beer to thin it out and my honey and I ate it as fondue with vegan sausage, bread, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and apples to dip. It was so yummy and easy, I made it again for movie night w/ my sister and our adult kids ~ all non-vegans. Rave reviews and no leftovers.

Wow, I love this! I was a little skeptical – I’ve made plenty of vegan cheese sauces before, which tasted great while fresh but not so great the next day. I’m still enjoying this sauce after 24 hours of refrigeration, and I like that the consistency thickens in the fridge to make it more like a spread. Pretty awesome, and wayyy cheaper to make than the chemical-laden stuff you buy in the store. Thanks MB!

I wanted to love this and I DID!! So yummy and easy. I added a tad more turmeric to get the beautiful color in the photos. Served on toast with soup on the side. Comfort meal. Thank you always, MB!

This was good! I wouldn’t say it tastes like cheddar really, but there is a slight cheesiness to it. Next time I think I will add a little bit of lemon juice to brighten it up a bit, along with some miso paste. But the texture is great, I spread it on toast and it was super yummy. I’m going to make mac n cheese with the leftovers. For a homemade vegan “cheese”, I think this recipe is really great. I love that the carrots lighten it up a bit.

This was by far the easiest vegan cheese spread I have tried. Easy to find ingredients, I did have to sub corn starch as my store does not have tapioca starch, but it was just delicious. Thick enough to spread on toast but could easily be made thin enough to dip! Can’t wait to try it with your mac and cheese recipe. Thanks!

We found this to be only okay. It was lacking richness. Subbed cornstarch. I would try making again but would want to tweak, maybe more cashews, carrots and some mustard next time.

I made this today for a simple mac and cheese and it was wonderful!! I added a little miso for umami. Delish! Can’t wait to see your version of Mac and cheese with this!

I really wanted to love this. My cheese is not in the least “stringy” and tastes like mustard. I made exactly according to recipe and instructions. Then I added extra yeast , salt and apple vinegar but still wasn’t happy with it. I tried adding some fresh lemon juice and that helped improve with a little extra brightness but I won’t be doing this recipe again.

Thank-you for your recipes. Sorry this one just wasn’t a hit with us.

Wow, the vegan cheese or cheese sauce is fabulous. Must make again. Thank you.