Smoky red pepper vegan cheddar cheese. Firm and sliceable and totally delicious on crackers or sandwiches or grated on pizza.
This vegan cheddar cheese has a delicious smoky red pepper flavor and is truly divine.
It’s perfect for a vegan cheese board and you’ll absolutely impress all your guests if you bring this out at your next dinner party!
It’s also wonderful for any special occasions. Cheese and wine anyone?
This recipe is based on our sliceable cashew cheese recipe. That recipe is amazing, and if you’re going to make a cheese board, why not go all out and make both kinds of cheese? I recommend it.
I knew that I could intensity the flavors even more, make it a bit sharper and tangier for a cheddar flavored cheese. And that is exactly what we have here.
How To Make Vegan Cheddar Cheese
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
It’s so easy to make this. The majority of the ingredients are simply blended up in a blender as you can see below.
Then you boil some water and agar agar on the stove, and once boiled you add that to the already blended ingredients in the blender and blend it in.
And then, working quickly because it starts to set super quickly, you pour it all out into a bowl, smooth it down and then place it into the fridge to set.
This is probably the easiest sliceable vegan cheese you’ll ever make. Unless you’ve made our other cashew cheese, then you already know how easy it is.
You don’t even need to soak your cashews first.
Really, the only tricky part to this recipe, is once you’ve boiled the agar agar powder and water together, and poured that into the blender to blend, you have to be really fast or you’ll have hard set cheese sitting in your blender jug.
You have to pour it in, blend it with the other (previously blended) ingredients really quickly and then pour it out into your prepared dish, all really quickly. Have I said the word ‘quickly’ enough? I’m not sure that I have. I really mean you have to do it quickly! Hahaha.
Ingredient Notes
Agar Agar Powder:
The crucial ingredient in making this vegan cheddar cheese set is the agar agar powder. You get agar agar powder and agar agar flakes. Use the powder.
The powder is much stronger than the flakes, and the flakes would require you to use a lot more (around 3 times as much).
This recipe was made with the powder and not the flakes so definitely use that. However, if all you can get is agar agar flakes, then use 3 tablespoons instead of 1 tablespoon.
Raw Cashews:
Raw cashews make up the base of this cheese recipe and to that we add all kinds of delicious things that create that sharp cheddar flavor.
We don’t find it necessary to soak the cashews first. However, if you DO prefer to soak them, then you may have a softer cheese as a result.
Red Bell Pepper:
Red bell pepper provides color and flavor and just works really great in this recipe.
Smoked Paprika:
Smoked paprika creates a mildly smoky flavor that works great here.
Ingredient Substitutions
I always get asked about ingredient substitutions so let me just say, the best results are going to come from following the recipe. We test everything thoroughly so that we come up with something really good.
However, if you want to leave something out that is there for flavoring, it is still most likely going to come out fine.
As mentioned above, don’t try and leave out the agar agar powder, it won’t work without that. Or the cashews, but aside from those crucial ingredients, if you want to swap the red bell pepper for a yellow bell pepper or you want to leave out the cayenne pepper because you don’t like it, this is all likely fine.
Provided it is in a small quantity and it is not a crucial ingredient, you likely can substitute it for something similar or possibly even leave it out altogether.
Vegan Cheddar Cheese FAQ
Can you grate it? Yes you can. It is firm enough to grate. It tends to get firmer the longer it’s in the fridge, so if it’s not ideal for grating when it’s just set, it will be the next day.
Does it melt? Yes it does. It is not the kind of melty cheese that is going to spread over pizza, but it does melt a bit and soften when heated. So you can absolutely grate some and use it on a pizza. It won’t spread, but it will still be delicious.
Can I mash it? Yes, it’s soft enough to mash over your cracker if you like it mashed. It’s soft enough to mash while still also being firm enough to grate. It’s good stuff.
Storing and Freezing
Keep it covered in the fridge and consume within a week. It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. The texture may change slightly after thawing. Thaw it in the fridge.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
- Vegan Mozzarella
- Vegan Nacho Cheese
- Vegan Queso
- Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Vegan Cheese Sauce
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw Cashews (150g)
- ⅓ cup Water (80ml)
- 5 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup Tahini (60g)
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce or sub Tamari for gluten-free
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper deseeded and chopped, about ¾ cup
- 2 and ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- ⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast (15g)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 cup Water (240ml)
- 1 Tbsp Agar Agar Powder must be powder and not flakes*
Instructions
- Add the cashews, ⅓ cup water, lemon juice, coconut oil, tahini, soy sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, red pepper, salt, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and onion powder to the blender jug. Blend until smooth. Set aside, but do not remove from the blender.
- Add the 1 cup of cold water and agar agar powder to a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling let it boil for 1 minute. You will notice it getting thick and gelatinous.
- Remove from the heat and pour it into the blender on top of the cheese mix.
- Blend until smooth.
- Working quickly, as it will start to set very fast, pour it out into a round dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Smooth it down and then place it into the fridge to set.
- To remove from the bowl, turn it upside down onto a plate.
Notes
- It’s really important to use agar agar powder and not the flakes. If you do use flakes you will need to use 3 times as much.
- The bowl I used was 5 inches round and 2 inches deep, chosen because it goes quite straight up the sides so creates a nice shape for the cheese. You can use any round bowl or ramekin, and if your bowls are smaller, then just use 2 bowls for 2 smaller rounds of cheese.
- This cheese can be grated, melted or smashed up on a cracker.
- This recipe makes a 21 ounce (600g) round of vegan cheese.
- Serving size is 4 slices which is approximately 1 ounce.
- Keep it covered in the fridge and consume within a week. It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
Chris says
Maybe premature to rate this, but I was about to make your sliceable hard Cashew cheese again and wanted to tell you that it is now a staple in our home. We love it. So far the only thing I have changed is that I use chick peas instead of cashews. Very yummy and less calories. I might try half and half next. I have some small square boxes (3 for a Pound in the Pound Shop) and they are perfect for freezing, so we always have fresh ‘cheese”. Just the right size for 3 slices to fit a slice of bread. Off to make the cheddar cheese now.
Alison Andrews says
That’s so awesome Chris! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Chris says
Yep, made it, had it for dinner and again toasted for lunch.Definitely a 5 star. had to substitute the pepper for mushed peppers in a jar, but it was fine. Stores don’t have all ingredients right now, and we piggyback our neighbors food deliveries right now.
Lucia says
Hi Chris
I am so keen to try this .When you refer to chickpeas, are you using them dry, uncooked?
Erin says
Hello,
I’m new to the vegan cheese world – for medical reasons I’m trying to reduce dairy. Would you mind giving a little more detail on the chickpeas? Did you purchase canned chickpeas?
Thank you,
Erin
Alexis says
Do you think I could sub regular white distilled vinegar instead of the apple cider vinegar?
Alison Andrews says
I think that would be fine! Slightly different flavor but would also work great.
Elaine says
I want to try this recipe but I only have agar-agar flake 🙁
What can I do to get the flakes into powder ? Would my Ninja Magic Bullet works ?
Thank for your help.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Elaine, I would use them as is, but use 3 Tbsp. All the best!
Elaine says
Thank you Alison I’ll try this it looks so delicious and I’m missing cheddar cheese but don’t want to be in trouble, so I’m staying away from dairy products.
Sara says
This recipe is perfection! Making it for the second time. Everything i could want in a vegan cheddar cheese. I didn’t have fresh red peppers so added some jarred roasted red pepper and a few smoked sundried tomatoes. It makes a generous amount so I make it in smaller containers. One goes in the freezer. Many thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome Sara! Thanks so much for the great review!
Tracy says
Hi, just made VEGAN CHEDDAR CHEESE, it’s in the fridge setting.
Can’t wait to taste it. I made half the quantity which filled a 4″ X 4″ square dish, 2″ height.
I am a fairly new plant based eater (4 months), and I just want to say that this web site is amazing, so creative, the things I have made came out really great. It’s by far the best site I use.
Thank you very much 🙂
Tracy
Alison Andrews says
Thank you so much Tracy, that’s so awesome to hear! xoxo
Jacquie says
This looks so good – I’m going to give it a try. Also, those seedy crackers look divine..are they from a recipe on your site or a commercial product?
Alison Andrews says
Awesome, hope you enjoy it! We just bought the crackers from a local store, they are really good though!
Lor says
I want to try this but my son is allergic to soy a sesame. Any advice on a substitute?
Alison Andrews says
You can use something like coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. You could omit the tahini or use something like cashew butter instead. 🙂
Lorrine says
I made this with only one omission…salt. It taste pretty good. I put most in the freezer for later use. What would you suggest to increase the “cheddar” flavor. It was good but think it would be better for me if I could boost the cheddar flavor. Will be making this again as it is great on crackers or cut up and served with grapes.
Alison Andrews says
Glad you enjoyed it Lorrine! I was pretty happy with the flavorings but you can always experiment with bumping up the spices and see if you like it more. 🙂
Drsteele046 says
To make it more cheddary especially toward a sharp cheddar then add real horseradish NOT creamy horse radish sauce
Cxd says
This recipe turned out ok. I actually mixed it into a couscous/veggie chili dish and it was good!
I rank the cashew sliceable cheese #1 of all your cheese recipes! It is magnificent! I make it over & over & it never disappoints! It’s versatile, melts, spreads and tastes AMAZING!!! I’ve shared that recipe a 100 times!!
THANK YOU FOR EMPOWERING ME TO MAKE MY OWN CHEESE ❣️
Lisa says
I love this recipe! I substituted tamari for the soy sauce, added some turmeric for extra color and used white pepper instead of cayenne. The taste is amazing, but after 24 hours it still hasn’t firmed up – it’s more like cream cheese, but I don’t think that will stop my family from gobbling it up. I’ll try more agar agar next time and see if that helps.
My husband and I have been transitioning to a more plant based diet – the meat has been surprisingly easy to do without, but we really miss dairy (especially cheese.) Your recipes have been a godsend – thank you for sharing them!
Alison Andrews says
So happy our recipes have been helpful and congrats on transitioning to plant based! Check your agar agar powder to see if it’s pure, it shouldn’t be mixed with other ingredients, and also check that it is the powder and not the flakes. If you do happen to have the flakes then use 3 times the amount (it may be ‘too’ firm but you can adjust further depending on the outcome). Thanks for the awesome review! 🙂
Dan Eberhardt says
I just want to compliment you on your recipes and your thoughtfulness and kindness when responding to others in your comments. You are very kind. Thank you. Also, thank you for your hard work and dedication, creating these recipes for those of us in the Vegan community. I am a no oil WFPB Vegan, so I always omit the oil in your recipes and so far they have all turned out delicious. Thank you! Dan
Alison Andrews says
Thank you so much Dan, that is so appreciated!
Breanna Kalla says
Hi there, I was wondering if this cheese is ‘meltable’. I was thinking I might make a batch and try making a pizza with it. Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Yes! It does get a little melty and works great on pizza. 🙂
Tom Checkley says
The taste is amazing, I am so impressed at how it came out! On first try it is a little softer than I had hoped. Would you recommend adding more agar agar to harden?
Alison Andrews says
So glad the taste was great! You can definitely use a little more agar agar next time to make it really firm. 🙂
Kelly says
This looks fantastic! I have a crappy blender so should I soak the cashews first?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Kelly, you can soak them first if you think you need to. Just place them into a bowl and pour over hot water from the kettle and leave to soak for an hour then drain very well and continue. You can even soak them for as little as 15 minutes if you’re short on time, it’s enough to soften them.
Asch Q. says
Hi there, I would really like to try this recipe but my partner is allergic to cashews. Unfortunately, most cheese recipes I find use cashews… Can you think of -anything- that might replace them? I see other recipes using coconut milk but then you get a coconut flavor. Any thoughts or opinions would be awesome, thank you!
Alison Andrews says
Hi there, you can try this with slivered almonds, it will have a different texture (not as smooth) but will still work! 🙂
Bethany says
Try macadamia nuts!