Replaces cheese

Vegan cheese substitute: what to use for each dish

Quick answer

Cheesy flavor
nutritional yeast, a deactivated yeast with a savory, nutty taste
Cheese sauce
1 cup soaked raw cashews, about 3/4 cup water, 3 to 4 tbsp nutritional yeast, lemon, garlic, salt
Oil free sauce
cooked potato and carrot blended with nutritional yeast and some cooking water
Stretch and melt
tapioca starch, heated in the sauce until it turns glossy

Cheese brings three things to a dish: a salty, savory flavor, a creamy body, and in some dishes melt and stretch. No plant ingredient does all three, so pick the swap by what the dish needs most.

The swap for each job

The dish needs Use How
Cheesy flavor nutritional yeast sprinkle on, or blend into sauces
A creamy sauce cashew sauce blend soaked raw cashews with water, nutritional yeast, lemon, garlic and salt
An oil free sauce potato and carrot sauce blend cooked potato and a little carrot with some cooking water and nutritional yeast
Stretch and melt tapioca starch cook it into the sauce until it turns glossy
Ricotta firm tofu crumble with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic and salt
Grated parmesan nuts pulse cashews, almonds or walnuts with nutritional yeast and salt
Slices and shreds store-bought coconut oil and starch based; try a few brands

Cashew cheese sauce

Soak 1 cup of raw cashews for 2 hours or overnight, then drain. Blend with about 3/4 cup water, 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, a squeeze of lemon, a garlic clove and salt until completely smooth. Use less water for a thick dip, more for a pourable sauce. Recipes vary a lot, from 2 tablespoons to half a cup of nutritional yeast, so adjust to your taste.

Potato and carrot sauce

Boil peeled potato with a smaller amount of carrot for color until soft. Blend with some of the cooking water, nutritional yeast, lemon and salt. It turns silky and pourable without nuts or oil, which makes it a good nut free option for mac and cheese.

For a cream sauce rather than a cheese sauce, see the heavy cream swaps.

When it works and when it fails

Works well

  • Mac and cheese, nachos and gratins with a cashew or potato sauce
  • Lasagna and stuffed shells with tofu ricotta
  • Pasta and popcorn with nutritional yeast or a nut parmesan
  • Pizza with a tapioca based melting cheese

Fails or disappoints

  • Nutritional yeast adds flavor only; it does not melt or stretch
  • Cornstarch thickens a sauce but does not give stretch
  • Cashew sauce thickens as it cools; loosen it with hot water
  • Store-bought blocks melt very differently from brand to brand

Questions

What is nutritional yeast?

A yeast grown for food and then deactivated, sold as yellow flakes. It tastes savory, nutty and cheesy, and it is the base flavor of most homemade vegan cheese.

What is the best vegan cheese for mac and cheese?

A homemade cashew sauce, or an oil free sauce of blended potato and carrot. Both coat pasta better than most shredded vegan cheeses.

How do I make vegan cheese stretchy?

Cook a few spoonfuls of tapioca starch into the sauce until it turns glossy and stringy. Cornstarch will thicken it but not stretch it.

What is store-bought vegan cheese made of?

Most shreds and slices are coconut oil with potato, corn or tapioca starch and flavorings.

Sources

Ratios and temperatures were checked against these pages on 2026-10-10. Where they disagreed, we give the range.

Written with AI help, in our own words. Cooking advice, not health advice. Last checked 2026-10-10.