Vegan Cheese for Pizza

I love pizza, but being lactose intolerant my whole life, I've always eaten vegan pizza without cheese. Over the years, however, the plant-based world changed, and vegan pizza grew in popularity, as did vegan cheese for pizza. But unfortunately, vegan cheese isn't very healthy. So, today I decided to throw my apron into the vegan cheese arena and make my vegan cheese for pizza. And, this vegan mozzarella cheese tastes divine.

In my opinion, the best vegan cheese for pizza melts and tastes creamy. One of my favorite restaurants with the best vegan pizza, La Grande Orange, makes their cashew cheese in-house. So, one night, I sat at the counter where the chefs interacted with the guests. I tried making vegan mozzarella before, but I failed to get the texture and taste I wanted. Finally, without a lot of effort, the chef told me his secret.

I don't care for many vegan cheeses in stores or restaurants. Most vegan cheese doesn't melt, and the ones that do contain coconut oil, which I prefer not to eat. So, I decided to make vegan cheese for pizza using my newfound knowledge. Of course, he didn't give me amounts or all the ingredients, so it took a few attempts before I was happy with the results.

How to make vegan cheese for pizza

First, I made two versions, one with cashews and one with white beans for people with nut allergies. Both recipes turned out the same, except the cashew version was slightly creamier. But both tasted the same, so the difference is in the texture only.

Cashew Mozzarella Cheese

• Water
• Raw Cashews
• Nutritional Yeast
• Garlic
• Lemon Juice
• White or yellow miso paste
• Salt
• Arrowroot powder

Nut-free Mozzarella Cheese

• Water
• White beans
• Nutritional Yeast
• Garlic
• Lemon Juice
• White or yellow miso paste
• Salt
• Arrowroot powder

Collect the ingredients, and then blend in a high-speed blender until smooth. As a result, the liquid is thin and resembles plant milk.

Once the liquid is exposed to heat and continuously stirred, the mixture thickens. However, the thickening process takes time and patience.

Even though the mixture begins to thicken, the more time and stirring, the thicker the substance becomes.

Next, all the mixture to cool. If cooled at room temperature, the mixture thickens; however, once refrigerated, it hardens. Because I made pizza while I made the vegan mozzarella cheese, I used the cheese at room temperature.

But, if refrigerated overnight, the cheese thickens further, requiring shredding.

Either way, it melts when heated in the oven.

How to make pizza with vegan mozzarella cheese

Since I prefer to make my oil-free pizza sauce and dough, I always make batches of dough and sauce and freeze them when I want to make pizza or Pizza Pinwheels.

Oil-Free Pizza Dough Ingredients

• Warm water (run the tap until warm)
• Dry active yeast
• Vegan raw sugar
• Whole wheat flour
• Vital wheat gluten (optional) or replaced with more wheat flour
• Flaxseed meal
• Maple syrup or date syrup
• Salt
• Cornmeal for the bottom of the pizza stone

Oil-Free Pizza Sauce

• Tomato puree (no oil) I used Muir Glen Organic or POMI crushed tomatoes
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Dried oregano
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Crushed red pepper
• Ground black pepper
• Pure maple syrup or date syrup
• Smoked salt

Tips

• Sprinkle cornmeal on the surface of a pizza stone to prevent the dough from sticking to the pizza stone.
• Once the dough is rolled out, place it on top of the cornmeal-covered pizza stone and shape it into a perfect circle if the dough is larger than the stone.
• Evenly add the sauce to the top of the dough before adding the vegan cheese for pizza.

Choose the pizza toppings.

For my vegan pizza, I chose to include various vegetables.

• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Spinach

Other great vegan pizza toppings

• Jalapenos
• Mild banana peppers
• Red bell peppers
• Red onions
• Olives
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Artichokes
• Red pepper flakes
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese

FAQ

What is vegan mozzarella cheese made of?

•  Store-bought vegan mozzarella cheeses are generally made from soy, cashews, or macadamia nuts, vegetable oils, such as coconut oil, and a thickening agent such as tapioca starch or arrowroot powder.

What is arrowroot powder?

• Arrowroot powder is made from the arrowroot vegetable. It is made into a powder and used as a thickener similar to tapioca starch or corn starch. Arrowroot powder is gluten-free and contains more calcium than cornstarch.

Where is arrowroot powder sold? 

• Local grocers such as Whole Foods and other retail locations sell arrowroot powder in the baking section of the grocery store. Bob Red Mill's brand is popular in the grocery store. Or, order arrowroot powder online.

Do you love vegan Italian Food? Then, check out these healthy recipes!

• Pizza Pinwheels
• Spaghetti Salad
• How to Cook Meatless Spaghetti & Meatballs
• Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Vegan Lasagna
• Italian Wedding Soup
• How to Make Your Own Oil-Free Italian Salad Dressing
• Italian Sandwiches
• Vegan Marinara Sauce
• Eggplant Parmesan
• Meatball Sub Vegan
• Fettuccine Alfredo

Vegan Cheese for Pizza

Kathy Carmichael

Homemade vegan mozzarella cheese is easy to make with a few simple ingredients. This vegan cheese for pizza melts and tastes creamy and delicious. Made with cashews or white beans, this easy vegan mozzarella cheese is oil-free and a healthy alternative to store-bought vegan cheese.

4.84 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Entrees

Cuisine Italian

Servings 20 servings

Calories 29 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Anthony's Premium Nutritional Yeast Flakes, 1lb, Fortified, Gluten Free, Non GMO, Vegan
• ▢
  NutriBullet Pro 900 Hi-Speed Blender/Mixer, 9-piece Set
• ▢
  Raw Cashews, 1 Pound – Deluxe Whole Nuts, Unsalted, Unroasted Fancy Snack, Size W-320, Kosher, Vegan, Bulk, A good source of Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper & Manganese

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Vegan Cheese for Pizza

• ▢ 1 ½ cups water
• ▢ ½ cup raw cashews or canned white beans drained
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon white or yellow miso paste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 ½ Tablespoons arrowroot powder

Pizza Recipe

• ▢ 1 recipe oil-free sauce and oil-free dough
• ▢ 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 1 cup organic spinach
• ▢ ½ white onion
• ▢ 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in halves

Instructions

 

Vegan Cheese for Pizza

• Soak raw cashews overnight unless you have a high-speed blender.
• Drain cashews and add all ingredients to a high-speed blender.
• Blend until smooth.
• The mixture will be thin.
• Add the contents of the blender to a saucepan.
• Heat stove to medium-low, and continuously stir as the mixture heats.
• Be patient; it takes a while for the arrowroot powder to work its magic.
• Do not leave the mixture; instead, continue to stir as it thickens.
• When the mixture is thick, remove it from heat and cool completely.
• Use once cool or transfer to a safe refrigerator container and refrigerate until ready to use.
• This recipe makes enough cheese for 2 large pizzas.
  

Pizza Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
• Prepare oil-free sauce and dough recipes
• Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on a pizza stone
• Roll out the dough into a similar size to the pizza stone
• Place the raw dough on the pizza stone and shape, so all the dough is on the pizza stone and not hanging off.
• Using a spoon, spoon a layer of sauce onto the raw pizza dough and spread evenly across the edges.
• Add the vegan mozzarella cheese (if still thick and saucy without being refrigerated, drizzle and spread on the pizza sauce, or if solid after refrigeration, shred and add to the sauce)
• Scatter the toppings around the pizza.
• Cook on the center rack for 12 minutes. Check the bottom of the dough by lifting an edge with a spatula. If still not brown, return to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Notes

Nutrition is for cheese only since pizza toppings vary.

Tips

1. Sprinkle cornmeal on the surface of a pizza stone to prevent the dough from sticking to the pizza stone.
2. Once the dough is rolled out, place it on top of the cornmeal-covered pizza stone and shape it into a perfect circle if the dough is larger than the stone. 
3. Evenly add the sauce to the top of the dough before adding the vegan cheese for pizza.
4. Choose any vegetables or topping you like.
5. The dough freezes well. Freeze once the dough is thoroughly mixed and form into a ball. Wrap in wax paper and place in a zip lock bag or container to freeze for up to 3 months.
6. Completely thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator, then knead and roll out following the exact directions provided for the freshly made dough. 

Nutrition

Calories: 29kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 62mgPotassium: 55mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.3mg

Tried our recipe?Let us know how it was!

Kathy Carmichael

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/