Vegan mozzarella cheese is made from tapioca starch. Several other options don’t use animal rennet, including coconut milk-based and agar-agar cheeses. These cheeses have similar taste and texture but lack the satisfying melt characteristic of traditional mozzarella. This article will give you an overview of some of these alternative cheeses. And as always, please comment below if you’ve tried them. The comments below are our personal experiences with vegan mozzarella cheese.
Vegan cheese is typically produced from nuts and seeds such as cashews and walnuts and spices, herbs, and nutritional yeast. Aquafaba (the liquid inside canned chickpeas) and tofu are also used in some vegan cheeses. “Most have similar advantages and nutritional makeups because they’re produced from nuts and seeds,” explains McKel Hill, MS, RDN, LDN, nutritionist, and founder of Nutrition Stripped. “Nuts and seeds are high in minerals, fiber, good fats, and protein,” she says.
What is Mozzarella?
Mozzarella is a juicy white cheese with a delicate texture. It is often produced from Italian buffalo or cow’s milk and originated in Italy.
Most other cheeses have more sodium and calories than mozzarella: 1 ounce (28 grams) of full-fat mozzarella contains:
- 85 calories
- 6 grams of protein
- 6 grams of fat
- 1 gram of carbohydrates
- Sodium: 176 mg (7% of the Reference Value) Daily Consumption (RDI)
- 14 percent of the RDI for calcium
Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus fermentum are among the microorganisms found in mozzarella that work as probiotics.
These probiotics have been shown in both animal and human research to enhance gut health, promote immunity, and reduce inflammation in the body.
Drinking 7 ounces (200 ml) per day of fermented dairy containing Lactobacillus fermentum for three months dramatically shortened the duration of respiratory infections, according to a study of 1,072 older persons.
As a result, dairy products containing this probiotic, such as mozzarella, may help improve your immune system and fight infections. More research, however, is required.
Mozzarella is excellent in a Caprese salad with fresh tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar, but it may also be used in various dishes.
Top Alternatives to Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Almond Cheese
Mozzarella, Ricotta, cream cheese, and goat cheese are all creamy cheeses that can be substituted with almonds. Almonds have a mild nutty flavor that complements many spices and herbs. Hill says she uses almond ricotta cheese in lasagnas, on top of spaghetti, and even as a sandwich spread. Soak one cup of almonds in water for at least an hour to produce almond ricotta cheese. Then combine a quarter cup of water, lemon juice, and ground black pepper and salt in a high-powered blender. Other ingredients like Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and minced garlic can be used to enhance the flavor. Hill suggests Kite Hill for a store-bought version.
Dairy-Free Cheese
It might be challenging to mimic mozzarella’s stringiness and delicious texture at home. That’s why we propose Daiya, a dairy-free cheese available in stores. Daiya’s shredded, dairy-free mozzarella is made from tapioca starch, arrowroot, coconut oil, and potato protein isolate and is ideal for pizzas, tacos, quesadillas, and salads. Tapioca, a thickening ingredient derived from the root vegetable cassava, is used in various cuisines, including vegan cheese. Vegan cheese has the same hearty texture as regular cheese, but it’s easier to digest. Did we mention that it stretches and melts?
Best Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese Recipe
2 cups boiling water (I just heat up the water in my tea kettle). Allow the cashews to soak in the water for at least 5 minutes and up to an hour.
Drain the cashews and combine them with 1 1/3 cup of freshwater (not the soaking water), lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and tapioca starch in a blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. At this time, it will be very watery.
Fill a small saucepan halfway with water and set it over medium heat. Start stirring with a spatula or a spoon.
It will start to clump after a few minutes. Continue swirling until the mixture becomes gooey, stretchy, thick, and smooth. It’ll turn into a giant glob of stretchy vegan cheese. As soon as this happens, turn off the heat.
Use right away or keep refrigerated in a closed container. It’s best to use it right away because it will thicken and become less elastic in the fridge. So, if feasible, create right before using, especially for pizza or lasagna.
Drop 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls onto the pizza crust and push down lightly. Alternatively, spread it out. In the oven, it will brown. Drop dollops of cheese all over the top of the lasagna after the cooking time. For grilled cheese, place between two slices of bread and grill.
What is Vegan Mozzarella Cheese Recipe?
To soften the cashews, soak them in boiling water. In a high-powered blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth. In boiling water, whisk the agar powder until it becomes gel-like.
Cook, constantly stirring, until the cheese has thickened and stretched. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the cheese into the frozen water.
The cheese will firm quickly and form into a ball. Allow the cheese to firm up in the refrigerator (in the water) for at least 2-3 hours. In this manner, the texture will be more optimal, and the cheese will slice more easily.
What is the Taste of Vegan Mozzarella?
This Vegan Mozzarella is extremely weak and flavorless. It’s rich and creamy, with a delicious cheesy ‘chew’ to it.
Actually, it tastes a lot like string cheese.
It’s the best vegan mozzarella recipe I’ve ever tried, creating the perfect vegan pizza cheese.
Where does Vegan Mozzarella Come from?
Coconut Oil, Refined – Please note the word refined. It doesn’t taste like coconut, but it solidifies at cooler temperatures and has a lovely richness.
Tapioca Starch This helps the cheese firm and gives it a ‘stretchiness’ to the texture.
Carrageenan Kappa – This component is responsible for the cheese’s ability to transition from liquid to solid and back to melting. It’s a unique component that isn’t generally available.
Raw cashew chunks give the cheese a creamy texture while also providing magnesium, potassium, iron, and healthy fats.
Flakes of nutritional yeast – Nutritional yeast is high in niacin and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9, and B12, and it provides vegan cheese a delicious cheesy flavor.
What are Some Healthy Cheese?
Cheese, blue
Blue cheese is created from milk from cows, goats, or sheep that has been cured with Penicillium cultures (10Trusted Source).
It has blue or grey veins and dots and is usually white. Blue cheese has a distinct odor and robust, sour flavor due to the mold used to make it.
Because blue cheese is high in calcium, a vitamin essential for bone health, including it in your diet may help you avoid bone-related problems.
In fact, adequate calcium intake has been linked to a lower risk of osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become brittle and weak.
Feta
Feta is a salty, silky white cheese that originated in Greece. It’s usually prepared with the milk of sheep or goats. Sheep’s milk feta has an acidic, sharp flavor, but goat’s milk feta has a gentler flavor.
Because Feta is wrapped in brine to keep it fresh, it has a high sodium content, and it does, however, have fewer calories than most other cheeses.
Feta contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid linked to weight loss and better body composition, like all full-fat dairy.
What are the Health Benefits of Eating Cheese?
Knowing what nutritious foods to include in your diet can be difficult if you’re attempting to lose weight.
We’re glad to share these weight-loss suggestions with you at The Slimming Clinic, especially when it comes to cheese!
Cheese is a good source of protein since it contains casein, a kind of protein. This is a highly digested milk protein high in amino acids (necessary for protein formation).
Cheese also contains a protein called alpha casein, which has several health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and improving mineral absorption from the digestive tract.
Cheese is a well-known calcium source that is also one of the most nutritionally dense. Calcium is an essential component of weight reduction diets since it is necessary for bone health and has been shown to help prevent disorders like osteoporosis.
It has also been discovered to benefit heart health by lowering the risk of hypertension, a fundamental cause of heart disease.
Cheese also contains the following nutrients:
Zinc Riboflavin Vitamin B12 (which contains B2 vitamins)
Vitamin K2 Vitamin A Vitamin K1
Probiotics
Depending on the type of cheese, the fat level can vary significantly. The fat in cheese is highly complex, including hundreds of distinct fatty acids, and it’s heavy in saturated fat but high in monounsaturated fats. We’ve identified our top four healthy kinds of cheese that are low in calories and fat.
What are Some Unhealthy Cheese?
Cheese of Halloumi
Be careful how much squeaky cheese you put on your bagel and salads in the morning! Halloumi cheese is heavy in fat and therefore high in calories. When you’re trying to lose weight by reducing your calorie consumption, eating a lot of Halloumi cheese can rapidly add up.
Lower-calorie halloumi choices are available for your weight-loss plan, but watch your portions!
Halloumi cheese (1 oz./28 g) contains:
Calories: 86
6.6g of fat
Cheese Roquefort
Roquefort is a manufactured blue cheese with high salt content. 1 ounce of Roquefort cheese contains 500 milligrams of sodium, which is more than a third of the daily required amount, and is extremely heavy in saturated fats!
Weight loss programs that are successful encourage weight loss while also assisting you in becoming the healthiest version of yourself. High sodium levels and saturated fats are undesirable mixes that contribute to long-term health issues.
There are the following ingredients in 1oz./28g of Roquefort cheese:
Calories: 102
8.9g of fat.
For Lasagna, What are the Best Mozzarella Substitutes?
Who doesn’t enjoy a delicious lasagna dish? It’s one of the most soothing dishes you’ll ever eat. Mozzarella on lasagna ties everything together, helping the lasagna crisp up and turn golden on top.
Because the lasagna must be set before being divided into individual servings, the cheese substituted for mozzarella should not be too stretchy.
On the other hand, the cheese should melt quickly and crisp up to a gorgeous golden color.
The most acceptable mozzarella replacements for lasagna are as follows:
Mild Gouda – Mild Gouda is fantastic in lasagna. Mild Gouda’s buttery sweetness complements the rest of the dish well. Gouda melts into a smooth, creamy smoothness ideal for topping a fresh lasagna!
Havarti – Havarti is a semi-soft cheese created from cow’s milk. Havarti is a versatile cheese because of its subtle sweetness and stretchy texture. To top the lasagna, grate or slice the Havarti, which will melt wonderfully.
Edam is a highly similar cheese to Gouda in density and springiness. It’s a touch sweeter and creamier than Gouda, so it could give the lasagna a little more depth of flavor. Edam absorbs the flavor of herbs and spices nicely, making it ideal for a delicious lasagna.
Cheddar – Because cheddar has low elasticity, it settles rapidly after melted. This is ideal for lasagna since the melted cheddar hardens after cooking, allowing you to cut beautiful slices to serve. Cheddar turns a lovely golden brown when cooked, which looks fantastic on a plate. Depending on your preferences, you can choose from various cheddars with varying levels of intensity and sharpness.
Conclusion
Cheese is one of the most popular dairy products.
The majority of cheeses are high in protein and calcium, and some even have extra health benefits. Certain cheeses, in particular, may contain nutrients that help with gastrointestinal health, weight loss, bone health, and heart disease prevention.
However, because some cheeses are heavy in sodium and/or fat, you should monitor your intake.
Overall, cheese can be a healthy and balanced component of a diet.