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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
This vegan cheese recipe is not 100% raw. I used agar which has to be dissolved in boiling water/liquid. If you are opposed to using a “cooked” ingredient then please check out the other raw nut cheese recipes that require fermenting/culturing. But if you want to give this recipe a try, let me explain as to why certain core ingredients are used.
Water or nut milks ~ water is needed to create the agar gel. This requires boiling. Nut Milk can be used for a more authentic flavor, but it is not required. You can use water instead. Once you heat the nut milk it will no longer be a raw product.
Raw Cashews ~ Raw cashews are very popular because they have a neutral taste and create a very creamy texture. Other nuts and some seeds can be used instead but will give the recipe a different flavor and sometimes, texture.
Agar Powder ~ Agar is a sea vegetable. It is a magical ingredient in this recipe because it gives the cheese the structure. Without it, your cheese will…. well will be more of a sauce or dip. Nothing wrong with that it just depends on how you want to use the cheese.
For more information on agar, you can read about it here. You can use agar flakes instead of the powder but you’ll have to use 3 times as much. It is also more difficult to dissolve the agar flakes in the small amount of water called for in this recipe. I don’t recommend it, but it can be done. Flakes are also harder to measure in volume, as they tend to fluff up.
Tahini ~ Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds. It gives the cheese a hardier and more convincing flavor.
One really fun thing to do with these types of cheese is to make them in different sized and shaped containers. You have to move quickly when pouring but if you have them all lined up and ready to beforehand, it is easy.
Ingredients:Agar slurry:
Cheese base:
Agar gel:
Putting it together:
I choose these two “containers” just to show you that you can use about anything to mold the cheese in. Here I used a bread tin from Pampered Chef and an old camping coffee cup. :)
This is freaky! I just downloaded a recipe on Cauliflower pizza crust that includes Pepper Jack cheese and since we do not have it here I was thinking about what to substitute it with.. Then I open my mailbox and find your recipe for Vegan Pepper Jack cheese! Amazing! :)
That sounds freaky good! hehe I love it when stuff like that happens. :) I hope this is just what you are needing for your pizza! Keep me posted. amie sue
The thin pizza cracker with the cheese and.. is it jam on top?.. Looks delicious! Please post cracker recipe soon!
Oh, I do hope it is jam! Crackers with cheese and some sweet jam and bean sprouts on top, yummy!!
Good morning Veronica,
I will get that recipe out this week for sure. That isn’t jam, just a raw marinara sauce that I made. :) Your combination sounds good though! Be well and enjoy. amie sue
This recipe looks fabulous! I’m really looking forward to trying it. In the directions you mention adding thyme but there is no amount of thyme listed in the ingredients :)
How much would you use?
Morning Christine,
Thank you for the kind words. :) If you look at the second ingredient from the bottom, under the “spices”, I have the thyme listed there. :) Enjoy and many blessings, amie sue
Thank you AmySue for this recepe, I can’t wait to try it..I must agree with the previous reply as I do not see the thyme. I looked for the Spices and cannot find it.
Good evening Nathalie,
I am sorry that it took me a bit to respond to you. I have been on a “walk about” for the past 6 weeks (see blog posting). I am not fully integrating back into things but I wanted to start tackling some of the questions that have been collecting. :) All that to say, I appreciate your patience with me. :)
Did you give the recipe a try? I would love to hear your experience. Have a blessed week, amie sue
Thank you so much! I cant wait to make this!! Just need to go get agar powder
It is really fun to make Tami… be sure to read through the directions first so you have a clear understanding of the process. Towards the end, things happen quick. hehe Keep me posted and have a splendid day, amie sue
Good Golly Molly (opps – I mean Amie Sue :],
This looks really amazing, yummy,and I can’t wait to try this out on Gene this weekend. Amie Sue can I use hemp milk with this? It seems to be the only milk (besides sunflower ) he can have. Can I sub. out the cashews for sunflower seeds ? He will be so happy as he can’t have any dairy, welllll “undairy” :] just walked back into his life :] – I am living for the weekend!!!! Thank you again and again, :] Lyn
Oh I am so sorry Amie Sue,
I got SO EXCITED to see the picture of this cheese, that I forgot to read through your directions and peoples questions, before I asked you my questions (I just want to make this right away) !!! :] So don’t bother answering me as you already did – :] Thanks!!!
It’s ok Lyn… you can ask as many questions as you want. :)
P.s. The thin crust pizza crackers look awesome too, can’t wait to try those too. Yes , I’m sorry it was a hint :], no pressure though. You are one lucky man Bob, you not only get to see the new recipes, you get to devour them too!!! :] Lyn
That recipe will be following today or tomorrow Lyn :) Hint all you want… keep me on my toes. Eating around here is an adventure. You have no idea how many times I dish up his plate, hand it to him and say, “WAIT, I should snag a picture of that.” Then off I go with his plate. One thing about raw dishes is that you don’t have worry about it cooling off. lol He always laughs at me. Thank goodness he has a good sense of humor. One needs it to live with me. Now days, every time, well almost every time, he goes to take a plate of food, or take a snack off the counter… he stops and asks me if I need a picture first. hehe Sometimes, he sneaks off with my test samples and I have to start all over, but really, how can I get mad at him for that? Anyway, enjoy. hugs, amie sue
Looks great, but when do you add the peppers?
IisDC,
Thank you, I forgot to add that. Sometimes I just get to excited and need to slow down a bit. :) You will find that info under “preparation” Have a great evening, amie sue
I do that all the time when I am trying to explain creations, so no problem, I totally understand :-)
This looks astonishing–very like the chili-laced jack cheese blocks in the shops. I’m trying this soon. Thanks as always.
Thank you Ben. Have a wonderful day! amie sue :)
will try to keep this short..at the coop here, they make a ‘raw’ tiramisu’ and it has agar agar in it, so i called, and asked about the dissolving in boiling water. The guy I talked to said that they just blend the powder up with the almond milk in the recipe. Maybe they warm the milk a little?? Do you think the agar powder would dissolve in the warm almond milk???
thanks, kate
Hi Kate,
My guess is that they are either heating it to a high temp OR just dissolving it in the nut milk and using it more for stability than for creating the same texture that is required for these cheese recipes.
In order for the chemical reaction to take place, agar-agar must be brought just to boiling and then cooled. I am willing to learn so if anyone knows anything different and has tried it, please let me know. amie sue
This sounds great and I’d love to try it! But I still do not see where you add the peppers in to the recipe? I even read it aloud to make sure I was not missing it! I’d love to know as I think the blender might chop them up a bit? Thanks!
Hello Heather…goodness gracious. I am sorry! I made the changes but it didn’t save. Oy-vey :) I got it put in and saved!! Have a great evening, amie sue
I just came back from my local health food store getting the ingredients to make this over the weekend. They didn’t have agar powder but they had guar gum or powder. I didn’t buy the guar since it was almost $12 and I wasn’t sure if it would be a proper substitute. Can I use the guar gum or should I make the trip to whole foods tonight? I will be anxiously awaiting your answer so I can make this cheese, along with the hearty smoked chili and the pizza crackers over the weekend. Yummy! :-)
Morning Dee,
I am sorry that I didn’t get to your comment yesterday. We were gone from the house from morning till night. I am glad that you didn’t buy the guar gum. I haven’t ever used it, so I don’t know how it works. I can only speak for agar since that is what I use, so I recommend getting that. :) Good luck and keep me posted. Off to a great weekend! amie sue
Update: So I did end up going to whole foods for the agar flakes and I’m glad I did. I just made this and I must say you are an absolute genius! This cheese here is amazing! I’m so excited to be able to finally eat cheese again, and it does taste like cheese! Wow! I am going to put this on my collard green wraps for Sunday dinner tomorrow..The possibilities are endless. No more searching thru the stores wishing they had a cheese made out of coconut milk..I have my own! Yay!
I think you can make a spicy cheddar cheese version of this by taking your spicy nacho cheese sauce and adding the agar flakes. Also, do you think the agar flakes would work for a raw vegan cheesecake? I think it would make it set perfectly and give it a nice texture that I find l lacking in most raw vegan cheesecakes.
Hello Dee…
Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you. You are so right in saying that the possibilities are endless. So happy that you have your cheese again. hehe
And yes, it can be used in the cheesecakes. I made a tiramisu with agar, which is posted under “cakes”. You can take a peek at how I did it. I just ordered some more agar to do some playing around with. My mind is racing, if only I could keep up!
Many blessings Dee. Enjoy!
One last thing. When I made this I didn’t realize I was making a combination of all three of your white cheeses. I thought it was one recipe..lol! Now I realize you have pepper jack, smoked ghouda, and swiss…I made this one but omitted the peppers for more of a “swiss cheese” type of taste..I said all this to say that I took it a step further, and after a few days of it being in the fridge, I put it into the food processor with fresh garlic, fresh spinach and artichokes…mmmmm! Artichoke, spinach dip!! After processing it, I mixed in some marinated (not raw) artichoke chunks…talk about good! I am even more excited because I have been trying to find a good “raw” vegan artichoke dip and most of the one I found either use tofu or require baking..But this was was sooooo good! Thanks so much Amie Sue!
lol Dee… well I am glad that it came out. :) After reading your comment, I find myself hungry. hehe It all sounds so yummy. Thank you sharing that with me…us. Have a great day and enjoy! amie sue
First of all, I love your beautiful inviting website!! And thank you for posting this recipe!!! I was about to try it and then was a little confused about the water/almond milk in the ingedients. The first ingredient listed is 1/2 cup almond milk and the instructions says to blend that with the cashews. Then there is 1 cup water listed near the end of the ingredient list, which I assumed was for the agar flakes, but in the directions is says to bring the flakes to a boil with the 1/2 cup water or almond milk. What is the 1 cup water for? Sorry if I am missing something in the recipe. :)
Sorry for the confusion Andrea… I fixed the recipe. You use 1/2 cup water (or nut milk) in the “cheese sauce” and 1 cup water in the agar gel. Thanks for pointing that out. :) amie sue
Thank you!!! I’ve made this a few times and it is wonderful!!!!!
So happy to hear that Andrea… I really appreciate that you shared that with me. Have a great evening, amie sue
Could you mention some resources to buy some more difficult items, or even some more common ones, do you order through the mail? Can you say through which companies? which are your favorites? I have the pizza crackers in dehydrator now, can’t wait to try them. I want to try to make your pepper jack cheese without peppers and instead put in garlic and green onions, to eat on top of your pizza crackers with mushrooms, sounds great. Thank you for all you share.
Good morning Nancy,
Do you have particular items that you are looking for? It would take me a long time to go through all the ingredients I use and list out where they come from. Usually, the harder ingredients, I create links in the ingredient list to help people see what I am using. My “store” on the site, a good place to reference to so you can see what I use. But it changes as I find ingredients readily available or not. So, I might get my almonds from 5 different places, it just depends.
I hope you make the crackers and cheese. Both are so yummy! Have a great day Nancy. amie sue
I look forward to your recipes everyday! Your website has been such an inspiration on my journey into vegan life and more specifically trying for very high raw nourishment. Today I am making the cheese and got confused about some of the ingredients: the cashews, lemon juice, and thyme. Although my cashews had swelled to more than 1/2 cup after soaking, I added the whole thing…(hope it turns out okay); also, I was not sure at what point to add the lemon juice so I added it with the first set of ingredients that went in with the cashews. With the thyme, I just added a 1/4 tsp, since I could not find the measurement for it. I will let you know how it turns out. Now I’m tackling the chili recipe! WooHoo! I can’t wait for dinner!
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing and beautiful creativity and your wonderful healthy recipes!
Let me see if I can clear any of the confusion for you RenB.
Q ~ “the cashews, lemon juice, and thyme. Although my cashews had swelled to more than 1/2 cup after soaking, I added the whole thing…(hope it turns out okay)”
A ~ Yes, the cashews do swell and you add all of them. One way to read recipes is like this..
1/2 cup soaked cashews (the recipe writer has indicated to measure out 1/2 a cup of cashews that have already been soaked)
OR
1/2 cup cashews, soaked (the recipe writer is indicting to measure out a 1/2 cup of dry cashews and then soak them, thus using all of the end product after swelling)
ALL of my recipes will read the dry measurement of nuts and seeds used. It would be wasteful and confusing to the reader to make you soak more nuts than what are needed for the recipe.
Q ~ also, I was not sure at what point to add the lemon juice so I added it with the first set of ingredients that went in with the cashews.
A ~ Goodness, that was my error in not adding it in the list of items to add under preparation. I fixed that, thank you.
Q ~ With the thyme, I just added a 1/4 tsp, since I could not find the measurement for it.
A ~ Blushes with embarrassment. I didn’t use thyme, but not to worry, I am sure it will come out wonderful regardless. I am not normally so absent minded, my apologies. I hope I didn’t lose your trust in my recipes.
Have a wonderful afternoon RenB… and thank you for all your comments. Blessings, amie sue
Thank you so much for helping me. The cheese came out wonderful and I used all of the cashews – I thought about how you had written it and it really makes so much sense – no waste! If I might say so myself – it’s delicious and the thyme didn’t really show up! Your website and recipes are amazing. I’ve tried many or your crackers, ice creams, and bars, but never commented before today because I was always rushing to make dual meals for myself and my family. Your emails are the first ones I look for every morning to stay inspired.
I am working on the chili right now and can’t wait to taste it this evening! I will post the results when I’m done!
Thanks again for sharing your gifts! Blessings, RenB
Good evening RenB,
Your comment made my night. I am so happy that the cheese came out. :) I love hearing from those who try the recipes, good or bad, it helps me too. So thank you so much for taking the time out to share your thoughts, I know your time is valuable. I hope to hear from you in the future! Thank you for your kind words tonight. Many blessings to you and your family. amie sue
I just discovered your website… and bravo is all I can say! Excited to try some of these recipes. Do you have to use a cheese mold? I was thinking maybe I could try a silicone mold? What are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
Good evening Elissa,
Thank you… I hope that you can sense my passion throughout my site. I don’t use a “cheese” mold… I use everything and anything! Silicone is really fun to use for the vegan cheeses. They pop right out. Use any shape and size… have fun! amie sue
Hi Amie-sue,
Thank you so much for your wonderful site. I am curious, have you ever tried freezing these vegan cheeses? Do they hold up well?
Hi Terence,
Thank you for your kind words. I have tried freezing it and it doesn’t thaw the best. The flavor also seemed to diminish some. So, I wouldn’t freeze it. Have a great day, amie sue
I have been freezing mine — wrapping the individual blocks in plastic wrap and then keeping in a tupperware container in the freezer. The cheese isn’t quite as springy or firm when thawed, but I find it is still very good. It probably wouldn’t be ideal if you were going to try to shred it, but since I mostly use mine melted on top of a cooked dish, the firmness isn’t an issue. Having a few blocks on hand in the freezer is a real time saver if I need it on short notice (it thaws quickly).
Yes, that has been my experience too. I don’t care to freeze these types of cheeses. Thank you for sharing with us! Blessings, amie sue
hi do you have a recommendation of where to buy cheese rings? thanks Nancy
Hi Nancy, are you looking for the molds with the holes in them for draining or the molds to help shape them?
For shaping, I simply use just about any container in my pantry. I really like using my mini spring form pans too. https://nouveauraw.com/equipment/pans-forms-molds/kaiser-bakeware-noblesse-non-stick-mini-springform-pans-set-of-4/
Have a great day, amie sue
Hello, i am new to this site and would like to thank you for the recipes! I tried this out last night, but the texture of the cheese was very – “rubbery”. I used 1.5 tbsp of agar powder and boiled it as per your instructions. Have you experienced this outcome before?? Too much powder? Was it the way i blended in the gel? I only have a magic bullet so i had to mix it all at once. Could that be my issue?
Thanks for assistance and once again, for the recipes!
Hello Nadia,
Welcome to my site. :)
If you used the exact same measurements as I did, it shouldn’t be rubbery but then it might seem more on the rubbery side if you were expecting the outcome to be exactly like the texture of real cheese, or the type of cheese that you are use to. Do you suppose that could be the issue?
After making the agar gel on the stove top, you then poured it into the the Bullet with the other ingredients that were already blended? Let me know and lets see if I can help you. :) amie sue
Hi Amie-Sue,
Yes, i blended the other ingredients first, then added the gel and blended it all together. Then i poured it into a muffin pan and put it in the fridge.
I’ve never had nut cheese or made it, so maybe i was looking forward to a texture similar to real cheese? lol Your pictures make the cheese look like real cheese, so i was hoping for the same outcome!
Do your other nut cheeses have similar textures to this one?
Thanks again for all your help!
Nadia
Hello Nadia…
OK so it sounds like it was just a different texture than what you expected. :) The nut based cheeses without the agar tend to be more on the soft side than a normal cheese. Unless you let it “age” in the fridge for many weeks. But if you skim through the other cheese recipes, the ones using agar will have a similar texture as this one. Have a great evening, amie sue
Hi amie-sue!
Made this today and must say it was wowwowweeeee!! I put in some chipotle spice and smoked paprika also and it turned out great! My only question is, in one of the comments you say to let the agar cool….I didn’t do this, just poured it in like you stated in instructions then added the peppers. The texture is like fresh creamy mozzarella wow! If I was supposed to
Let it cool what would it be like and what is the reason for cooling it? All I know is that it was yummy!!
Also your suggestion for grinding the sheets of agar worked great, turned it right into powder and was able to measure my 1 1/2 T. Thanks for all your help.
Mary
Good evening Mary,
Soooo happy to hear that you are liking the cheese! I love your additions. I am not seeing “that” comment Mary about letting it cool. Help :) Are you referring to the chilling process after everything is blended?
Great job on being brave in playing with agar. It can be so much fun. :) Have a blessed evening, amie sue
Hi amie-sue
It’s the reply to Kate. ..Oct. 8th
“A chemical reaction occurs when it’s boiled and cooled”, I didn’t do this and wondered what happens when you do, does the texture change?
Thank you amie-sue…. you’re the be best
Does this cheese melt? ohhhh i hope so!!
It does a little Angel. It won’t be oooy-gooey like regular cheese though. :) amie sue
Hi Amie Sur,
The cheese is fantastic, the taste to die for. I only have this question: how can I make it a bit harder? It is like a cheese spread. I would like to ve able to shave som cheese, if you know what I mean. Have you any tips for me?
Greetings,
Jokuh
Hello Jokuh, you can increase the agar if needed. With that measurement it was shreddable for me but just add maybe 1/4 – 1/2 a tsp and see how that is. You can easily over do it and end up with a rubber bouncing ball. hehe Have a great day, amie sue
Hello Amie,
I am busy as a bee , on your site at the moment. Hope you do not mind all the combined questions.
I am making the Pepper Jack Cheese as you recommended to go with the Raw Vegetable Chowder. I have had my eye on this recipe for some time now an am excited to finally try it.
Question: In the introduction you said that other nuts or seeds could be used. What nut would you suggest to replace the cashews with in this recipe that may not “disturb” the flavor or texture as much?
Thanks for your help and caring.
Good morning Rhondy… you are a busy bee but I love it! :) I never mind the questions… that is why I put myself “out there”.
For a substitution for the cashews, I would use almonds without the skins on them. Same measurement but they should be soaked their normal time. I do hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know how it goes. Blessings and keep warm! amie sue
Hello, thank you for this amazing recipe. I am soo grateful that there is an alternative to cow cheese. Finaly i also can eat cheese :-). Amie Sue, i have agar powder and in the recipe you write about agar gel. But how do i preparate with agar powder? Thank you for your answer and have a wonderful week!
Hello Elena,
It is wonderful indeed to have options! The agar gel is what I am referring to when you combine the agar powder and water in the pan. I creates a gel like texture. Have a wonderful week too! amie sue
Going to try this today but use raw pine nuts and chives instead of the peppers…..we shall see how it turns out! :)
Do keep me posted Beth, can’t wait to see how it turns out! Blessings, amie sue
Well, it turned out delicious, but was a little too soft set. Not sure if it was because the chives are not as big as pepper pieces or I maybe inadvertently added too much liquid. Going to make again today with the peppers and a bit of horseradish. :)
Keep me posted how it goes Beth. Your combo sounds delicious! Have a wonderful Monday! amie sue :)
Hi. Is there anything else that can be used in the place of the Agar Agar? I tried it with another cheese recipe and it tasted like “gelatin” cheese. It was not your recipe, though but I don’t think I like the Agar Agar. Any suggestions? I would really like to make this one.
Hello LeJeune,
It sounds like you don’t like the texture of agar. I will say that some recipes use far to much making it rubbery. You can always cut it down some but it’s a tricky science that requires playing around and experimenting in the kitchen. You can always make a softer / spreadable cheese but not using the agar. I would also look through the other cheeses on my site, that don’t contain agar and see about using the base of “that” cheese but adding in the Pepper Jack Cheese flavorings.
Have a great day! amie sue
Can I double the Jack cheese recipe…just want to make a big batch for xmas giving??
thanks in advance
cheers
claire
I don’t recommend doubling the batch. I would just make the recipe 2x. The batter can be taxing on the blender and cause the mixing process to slow down which could cause the agar to gel up too quick, making it hard to pour into molds. I hope this helps, amie sue
Wowwwwwwwwwwwww awesome recipie amie-sue. Great Job : ) Thanks
Thank you Angel.I appreciate that. Blessings and enjoy! amie sue :)
thank you great reipe^^
but i want to know tahini butter recipe
could you ?:)
I don’t have a tahini butter recipe on my site kkysih. But until I do…
Ingredients:
1 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil or neutral oil such as grapeseed oil
salt to taste
Preparation:
Place the sesame seeds in a food processor fitted with the S-blade.Process until the sesame seeds form a crumbly paste.
Add oil the oil and continue to process for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture forms a thick and fairly smooth paste.
Salt to taste and process until combined.
Store in an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for a month or longer.
It may separate so stir the oil back into the butter.
Is this helpful? Blessings, amie sue
Very Yummy Recipe for this Pepper Jack Cheese. I just made it tonight and will be taking it to a Christmas Party Dinner along with some scrumptious crackers. The wholesome flavor of this cheese is melded together with the sesame butter. I added some chopped green onions and cilantro for color and a little extra ummph! It’s really very pretty. Love using the old metal Jello molds from the 50’s. They make beautiful cheese molds!. Thanks again, Amie Sue for another fantabulous recipe!!
Good morning Nancy,
Always a great pleasure to hear from you. We love this cheese as well. It’s so beautiful with specs of color, isn’t it? I wish I was there to help you make a mess in the kitchen… and then enjoy the food with you! hehe I love using a variety of molds too! Thank you for sharing as always. Blessings and love, amie sue
Hi Amie-Sue,
Justing wondering if you can tell me what the mold is that you are using that looks like a shape of a flower?
Does the cheese come out easy of it?
Looks soooo Yummmmmmmmmmy :)
Hope your having a great day or night :)
Yours sincerely Trish
Good morning Trish,
I hope you had a great weekend. You can find the mold that I used here: https://nouveauraw.com/?p=153040
And yes, the cheese slides right on out. Any mold or container will work as long as it doesn’t have an inner lip. That’s one of the beauties of this type of cheese. :)
Keep me posted if you give the recipe a try. Blessings, amie sue
Hi amie sue :)
Is this any chance to link some of the things you use as molds for your cheeses? When I type in cheese molds on Amazon it’s a little overwhelming, plus everything looks like it’s plastic which I usually try to stay away from (if possible unless it’s necessary)
Thank you!
Hello there,
I provided a link for the flower-shaped mold – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000VLYP4/?tag=nouraw-20. But I use just about anything. I often use bowls or containers that lend a nice shape. If I use a mold to make different shapes, I use silicon molds. I am not sure if you are ok with those. If so, there are so many different shapes and sizes; it just depends on the look you are after. Otherwise, look around your kitchen and get creative with what you have. I do, however, recommend staying away from containers or bowls that have a lip on them because it can make it hard to get the “cheese” out. Have fun! amie sue
Love nouveau raw for outstanding plant based cheeses!
Thank you Claire :)