Alisa Fleming ~ Just a few simple tweaks from the Meltable Muenster and voila(!), a Meltable Mozzarella appears! Like the muenster, this vegan cheese alternative recipe is a sampling from the cookbook, Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner.
Miyoko offers two recipes for mozzarella in Artisan Vegan Cheese, one made from cashews, and this one, which is made from non-dairy yogurt. Which to choose? For Caprese Salad, she recommends the Fresh Mozzarella recipe made from cashews, as it is rich and delicious with tomatoes and basil. However, for meltability, this vegan cheese alternative recipe is the one to go with. Use it to make killer calzones and lasagna, and to impress guests at a dairy-free pizza party!
As mentioned prior, Miyoko uses some unusual ingredients in her cheesy recipes, but she also promises that her recipes are better than the norm. I’ve included links in the recipe to help you locate the lesser known ingredients, all of which are sold online and should also be available in some natural food stores. I’m sure that many of you cheese-aholics will find this recipe worth the ingredient hunt, and so easy to make once you have everything on hand.
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened nondairy yogurt (there is a homemade version in Artisan Vegan Cheese or store-bought options are available from Whole Soy & Co or Wildwood)
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
- 1 tablespoon carrageenan powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon xanthan gum, optional
- 8 cups ice water
- Put the yogurt, water, oil, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a blender.
- Process until smooth and creamy, occasionally stopping to scrape down the blender jar and move the mixture toward the blades.
- Transfer to a clean glass bowl or container, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours, until mildly sharp in flavor.
- Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan and whisk in the tapioca flour and carrageenan. For a stretchier consistency, whisk in the optional xanthan gum.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly with the whisk, until very smooth, thick, gooey, and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- To make a brine, put the ice water and remaining teaspoon of salt in a large bowl and stir until the salt dissolves.
- Form the cheese into balls using a small ice-cream scoop, dropping them into the brine as you go. They will harden almost instantly.
- Cover and refrigerate, keeping the cheese stored in the brine.
69 Comments
Hi, I followed this recipe but it didn’t melt. It also started deteriorating in the brine almost straight away. When I put it in the pot to thicken, it went thick and gluey straight away. Did I not use enough water? How runny should it be before it goes in the brine?
Flavour was awesome though 🙂
Hi Nicole, this isn’t my recipe, it’s Miyoko’s, but I’m pretty sure she won’t follow up, so I’ll do my best to help you based on my own experiences making cheese alternatives. Tapioca makes more of a gluey consistency, while carrageenan sets up more like a gelatin. It should go very thick when you cook it. You want it to set up solid when chilled, so very thick is a good thing. But if you think it isn’t right, it sounds like the tapioca. You can cook it a little longer (it will break down) or add more water. If it were me though, I would continue with the recipe. As mentioned, very, very thick is good. And it could seem gluey. Especially if you added the xanthan gum. That stuff can make an almost rubbery consistency.