This cashew mozzarella is a creamy, sliceable, buffalo-style plant-based cheese made with soaked cashews, coconut yogurt, rice milk, tapioca flour, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and pink salt. It sets beautifully into a round mozzarella shape, slices cleanly, and has that lovely balance of creamy texture, gentle tang and savory umami flavor. I have made versions of this recipe for many retreats, events and private chef menus over the years, and it always disappears fast - which is usually the best review a recipe can get.
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Our Favorite Cashew Mozzarella Recipe
This cashew mozzarella is one of those recipes that proves plant-based cheese does not need to be complicated, rubbery or sad.
The texture comes from soaked cashews, coconut yogurt and tapioca flour. The cashews create the creamy base, the tapioca helps give it body and stretch, and the coconut yogurt brings a subtle tang that makes the cheese taste more developed. Nutritional yeast adds that gentle cheesy umami flavour, while lemon juice brightens everything up.
The method is simple: blend, cook, shape and chill. For a buffalo-style mozzarella shape, set the warm mixture in a lightly oiled dome-shaped bowl or small round mould. Once chilled, it can be sliced and served with tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salads, toasties, sandwiches or pizza.
Ingredients You Will Need
Full recipe quantities and method are below in the recipe card.
You will need:
- Cashews
- Rice milk or any plant milk
- Coconut yogurt
- Tapioca flour
- Lemon juice
- Nutritional yeast
- Pink salt
The key here is balance. The cashews bring body, the coconut yogurt gives tang, the nutritional yeast brings savory depth, and the tapioca helps create that smooth, sliceable mozzarella texture.
How To Make Cashew Mozzarella
- Start by soaking the cashews overnight, or for at least 6 hours, until softened. Drain and rinse them well.
- Add the soaked cashews to a high-speed blender with the rice milk, coconut yogurt, tapioca flour, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook gently over medium-low heat, whisking continuously. At first, it may look slightly lumpy or uneven, but keep going. The mixture will thicken, become glossy and start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer the hot mozzarella mixture into a lightly oiled dome-shaped bowl or small round mould. Smooth the top, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours until firm enough to slice.
Once set, remove it from the mould and slice as needed.
Cashew Mozzarella Step-By-Step Infographic
What To Serve With Cashew Mozzarella
This cashew mozzarella is perfect served simply with sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper.
It also works well with:
- Fresh salads
- Bazlama flatbread
- Grilled vegetables
- Pasta dishes
- Pizza
- Toasties
- Sandwiches
- Mediterranean-style mezze plates
For retreats and events, I love serving it as part of a fresh salad or sharing platter. It looks impressive, tastes clean and satisfying, and gives guests that "wait, this is plant-based mozzarella?" moment. Always a winner!
How To Store Cashew Mozzarella
Store the cashew mozzarella in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
For best texture, keep it chilled until ready to slice. If serving on a sharing board, allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavour and texture soften slightly.
Avoid freezing, as the texture may become grainy once thawed.
FAQ
Yes, but the coconut yogurt adds a lovely tang and creaminess. You could use another plain unsweetened plant-based yogurt, but avoid anything sweetened or strongly flavoured.
That is normal at the beginning. Keep whisking and stirring as it heats. The tapioca activates as it cooks, and the mixture will become glossy, thick and stretchy.
Yes. It works well on pizza, especially when added in slices. It will soften and give a creamy mozzarella-style finish, although it will not melt exactly like dairy mozzarella.
Yes. Set the mixture in a container, chill until firm, then scoop or shape into smaller balls. For the classic buffalo-style look, use a lightly oiled dome-shaped bowl.
More Recipes To Try
We hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. If you give it a try, let us know in the comments below - we love hearing your feedback and seeing your recreations.
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