Vegan Cheese Recipe: Oil-Free DELICIOUS Hard Vegan Cheese

This vegan cheese recipe is going to blow your mind! It is how I got over my intense cheese addiction – with vegan cheese alternatives!

Vegan cheese is quite expensive to purchase and can contain really yucky ingredients. That is why we like to make our own vegan cheese at home, and trust me, it is a perfect alternative that tastes way better than dairy cheese.

To make this vegan cheese recipe, I am inviting my favorite vegan cheese maker: my partner, Tomer!

Tomer’s specialty in this home has always been making vegan cheese and vegan desserts. He is amazing at it, and he gets a gold star because those are two of my very favorite things (he has my heart and he’s smart, you know…)

So today, Tomer will be the one showing you how to make vegan cheese at home that is actually hard, just like dairy cheese. And I will be filming him and typing up the recipe 😉

This hard vegan cheese will fulfill your every cheesy craving. You can use it in so many ways, but honestly, I end up eating most of it with crackers even before it’s ready (which makes Mr. Tomer very angry). I just don’t have the patience to wait! I hope you do…

My Cheese Addiction and Vegan Cheese to the Rescue

Those of you who have been around here long enough know that I used to be completely addicted to dairy cheese. I was so addicted that I would actually sneak out of the house, buy an entire block, and eat it as a meal. It’s no joke…

Sadly, this dairy cheese addiction happened about 6 years ago, and lasted for at least 4 years of my vegan journey, no matter how hard I tried to get rid of it!

What helped me the most in letting the dairy go was learning some horrific facts about the dairy industry, becoming part of a tight-knit vegan community, and finding these amazing, home-made and easy alternatives!

I can now tell you that I no longer crave dairy cheese, and I do think the biggest way I overcame it was with a mindset shift. I realized that I do not need it, and that I am stronger than this addiction. I also was inspired by many people in the vegan community who did not consume it for animal rights as well as health reasons, and being around them really helped me shift my habits.

Lastly, I have not had a chance to read it yet, but Dr. Neal Barnard has an incredible book on the addictive properties of cheese (so you can find out that it’s actually physically addicting to eat dairy): The Cheese Trap.

In addition to getting educated about the physically harmful and violent aspects of dairy and the dairy industry, I encourage you to make this recipe. It will help your cravings for dairy disappear! 

Hard Raw Vegan Cheese Recipe

While this raw vegan cheese recipe requires a couple of steps, it is totally worth it! All you have to do is stop yourself from devouring the entire batch before it hardens (which I often do…)

I love this recipe so much because it has totally replaced my cheese cravings. It is oil-free, dairy free, vegan gluten-free, and super satisfying!

You can use it on crackers, pasta, sandwiches, wraps, and so much more!

How to Make Hard Vegan Cheese

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Vegan Cheese Recipe

Hard vegan cheese that is dairy-free, oil-free and extremely delicious, to take care of all of your cheese cravings

Course Appetizer, Snack

Servings 8

Ingredients

Basics:

• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 capsule vegan probiotic capsule
• 1/2 cup sauerkraut liquid
• 3/4 cup water

Mix-in:

• 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Optional mix-in:

• 2 tablespoons kalamata olives pitted, and chopped into small pieces

Instructions

Step 1:

• First, blend all "Basics" ingredients in a high-speed blender until completely smooth. Use powder from the probiotic capsule only, and discard the outer encasing. 
• Next, place resulting mixture in a cheese-cloth, nut milk bag, or stockings.
• Now, place the cheese-cloth inside  a strainer, and place the strainer on a bowl, with enough room for liquid to come out of the cheese without touching the strainer and absorbing back. 
• Then, place a 1.5 liter mason jar filled with water, or any other heavy object, on top of the cheese-cloth, and lean it against the wall so it doesn't fall over. 
• Lastly, leave for 8-10 hours, for the liquid to drain out outside of the fridge, in a cool, dry place.

Step 2:

• First, remove the cheese mixture from the cheese-cloth, and place in a bowl. 
• Next, mix with all "Mix-in" ingredients. Add olives if you desire. 
• And lastly, allow the cheese to ferment for another 8-10 hours so that it forms a hard rind. Leave it outside of the fridge during this time.

Optional:

• Instead of leaving the cheese out in a bowl, place the mixture on a dehydrator sheet in the shape of your choice (resembling cheese), and allow to dehydrate for 8-10 hours at 115F, or until it hardens.