Vegan Cheddar Cheese

An easy and delicious homemade vegan cheese. Red lentils are used as the base of this recipe. It is soy, oil, gluten and nut free. Perfect for anywhere you want to use vegan cheddar cheese.

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT25M

Rating

5 stars (6 reviews)

Keywords

vegan cheddar cheese

Ingredients

1/4 cup red lentils (45g)
1/2 cup nondairy milk (120ml) (unsweetened and unflavored, divided)
2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch (12g)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2-1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, just a small squeeze

Cuisine

American

Steps

Soak the lentils in a bowl with water for 5 minutes until water turns cloudy, then drain.
Place the lentils in medium pot with 1 1/2 cups (360ml) of water. Boil on medium high for 20 minutes, until the water has been mostly cooked off and lentils are extremely mushy. They will also turn yellow in color.
Add the lentils into a blender (a high speed blender is preferred) with 1/4 cup nondairy milk. Blend until extremely smooth for around 30 to 45 seconds.
Then add in the remaining nondairy milk, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast, paprika, garlic powder, lemon juice, and salt. You can start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add more to your preference. I usually do 1 teaspoon.
Blend on high until it is thicker liquid, it should be easy to pour. If not add another tablespoon of nondairy milk.
Pour into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring frequently until it has thickened. This will take about 5 minutes so don't worry if it takes a few minutes to thicken up. It will turn thick and stretchy resembling a thick cheese sauce.
Use immediately or wait for it to cool before transferring into a container.

Reviews

Almudena on 2026-08-14 (5 stars):
Thank you so much! No oil AND protein cheese? Yes! I can't wait to make this. Do you think arrowroot flour would work instead of tapioca, please?
Anna on 2026-03-20 (5 stars):
This is the best base for nacho sauce. It is my go to every time my husband gets out his queso, or need a sandwich spread. I add a little salsa, or sriracha and various spices for extra spices. This cheese also freezes wonderfully. Put the cheese in a silicone bottom ice cube tray to get the cubes out easily. After freezing I put the cubes in a freezer bag and take out a couple cubes as needed. Thanks for such an amazing and easy recipie.
Graciela on 2025-12-29 (5 stars):
I don’t know how did I miss this recipe. OMG! It was delicious! It came stretchy and chewy. I poured on top of black beans, baked veggies and sweet potatoes. Divine! Thank you!
Anna Brewer on 2024-02-19 (5 stars):
This is so delicious! Creamy, salty, flavourful - and yet super easy and super healthy! I subbed cornstarch for the tapioca starch and it worked out beautifully. I'll definitely be making it again!
Valerie on 2024-01-27 (5 stars):
Made this just now for grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato basil soup. Wonderful, nut free recipe. Tysm for sharing