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Cheese is one of the most addictive foods that most people just can’t get enough of! The melty deliciousness of these plant-based recipes will prove once and for all that eating a plant-based diet doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your pizza, mac and cheese, or just cheese straight out of the fridge – we don’t judge. Have easy cheesy meals with these 15 recipes from our Food Monster App!
1. Herbed Macadamia Nut Cheese
Image Source: Herbed Macadamia Nut Cheese
Macadamia nuts are perfect for plant-based cheese making – they’re soft, and buttery, and they taste mild enough that you can add a bunch of your favorite flavorings! Enjoy this sophisticated Herbed Macadamia Nut Cheese from Taryn Fitz-Gerald with your favorite crackers, as part of a vegan cheese board.
2. Creamy Chia Cheddar Sauce
Image Source: Creamy Chia Cheddar Sauce
The recipe for Creamy Chia Cheddar Sauce from Annie Oliverio is proof that you don’t need soy to make a yummy vegan cheese sauce — all you need is plants. It’s made from a combination of potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, cashews, nutritional yeast, and spices. Chia seeds help give it a smooth, velvety texture that’s perfect for serving over broccoli, use it as a nacho cheese, or pour it over noodles to make the best mac and cheese you’ve ever had.
3. Sliceable Cashew Cheese
Image Source: Sliceable Cashew Cheese
If you’re vegan and you’re craving cheese, you gotta try this Sliceable Cashew Cheese from Charanya Ramakrishnan. Super simple, and can be whisked in under an hour. Set to perfection, you can slice this, grate it, or melt this, there is no oil in this, and made from all-natural ingredients. 7 ingredients (without counting water in) the Best part of all, completely soy-free.
Image Source: Stretchy Potato Cheese
Stretchy, gooey, dairy-free cheese … made with potatoes? While most melty, stretchy vegan cheese is made from cashews, these genius recipe makes the magic happen with just veggies! A simple Stretchy Potato Cheese from Alicja Rokicka that goes great on sandwiches and pizza or that can be used as a dip!
Image Source: Sunflower ‘Cheddar’ Spread
Sensitive stomachs, rejoice! This is a dairy-free, nut-free, grain-free, and coconut-free cheesey Sunflower ‘Cheddar’ Spread from Courtney West! This tastes similar to a smoky cheddar cheese, except it’s easier to spread than cheddar cheese. Win-win situation going on here. Slab this on bread, veggies, crackers, grapes, whatever! You can’t really do anything bad with this spread because it’s just that good.
Image Source: Instant Cashew Cheese
This crumbly Instant Cashew Cheese from Lenia Patsi is just wonderful, which is fast to make, easy, and very nutritious!
Image Source: Spicy ‘Cheese’ Spread With A Raw Option
Cheese: for many one of the most difficult things to give when going completely plant-based. You will not be missing ANYTHING with this Spicy ‘Cheese’ Spread With A Raw Option from AJ Affo. This cheese spread is made using whole, (raw) food. You can even ferment it like a proper vegan cheese. The possibilities are endless with this spicy, colorful, and nutritious cheesy spread!
Image Source: Baked Brie With Apricot Jam
Yes, you can have dairy-free brie! Made from cashews, the texture of this Baked Brie With Apricot Jam from Emilie Heck is soft and spreadable and when baked, it has a gooey consistency. Either way, it’s perfect for serving with crackers and apple slices. It’s wrapped in vegan croissant dough and served with apricot jam, but any jam will do. The biggest regret you’ll have about this cheese is not eating it slower.
Image Source: Creamy Garlic Cashew Cheddar
This Creamy Garlic Cashew Cheddar from Tiana Haines is going to be your new addiction! It has a sharp tanginess from the garlic and a savory kick from the nutritional yeast – so delicious! You’ll definitely want to make a ton so you can put it on everything.
Image Source: Life-Changing Cheese Sauce
Sometimes all a recipe needs is to be smothered in cheese sauce. Baked potato? Put some cheese sauce on it. Roasted broccoli? Pretty much meant to be eaten with cheese sauce. This Life-Changing Cheese Sauce from Gin Butters is your new secret weapon in the kitchen. You won’t believe how authentically cheesy it tastes! And get this — it’s super easy!
Image Source: Baked Chèvre Cheese Dip
Chèvre is the French term for goat or goat cheese. While this Baked Chèvre Cheese Dip recipe from Zsu Dever contains no goat cheese, it is not your ordinary dip; it’s funky and creamy and unique, just like goat cheese is, thanks to fermented tofu. Serve it warm with potatoes, crackers, or vegetables for dipping.
12. Creamy Spreadable Pesto Cheese
Image Source: Creamy Spreadable Pesto Cheese
This delicious Creamy Spreadable Pesto Cheese from Maya Sozer is spreadable, incredible, and will be almost impossible for you to stop eating. The soft, creamy cashew cheese is perfumed with a simple pesto made with fresh basil and a bit of garlic. This is the perfect cheese to put out at a party or you can use it as a topping to make any pasta dish extra special.
Image Source: Aquafaba Mozzarella
Who knew that mixing cashews with aquafaba (chickpea brine) could make a delicious vegan mozzarella cheese?! What it really comes down to is the flavoring. A bit of lemon juice, some nutritional yeast, and sea salt go a long way. And once it’s done, you’ll be layering this Aquafaba Mozzarella from Lisa Dobler on pizza, making Caprese salads, and serving it with wine, all the time, trust us.
Image Source: Roasted Garlic and Fresh Herb Cream Cheez
Creamy, garlicky, and irresistible smeared on crackers or toasted bagels, this cashew-based Roasted Garlic and Fresh Herb Cream Cheez from Annie Oliverio might just remind you of herbed Boursin.
Image Source: Green Chili Cashew Queso
This ooey-gooey, scoopable, rich, and delicious Green Chili Cashew Queso from Wicked Healthy is made from cashews, butternut squash, miso, and a few other easy-to-find ingredients. Butternut squash gives the queso a silky texture and an oh-so-queso-ey color. Not only is it a great dip, but it can also be used over baked potatoes, chili, tacos, and avocados!
Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home
Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.
For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.
Here are some great resources to get you started:
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