Tofu Mozzarella (Nut-Free Vegan Cheese!)

Vegan tofu mozzarella ball, cut in half, sitting on a wooden cutting board with more cheese balls in the background.

5 from 13 votes

Tofu Mozzarella (Nut-Free Vegan Cheese!)

If you're looking for a nut-free vegan cheese that's soft, creamy, and perfect for pizza, lasagna, or a refreshing caprese salad, this oil-free tofu mozzarella is for you!

Prep Time25 mins

Chill Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Italian-inspired

Keyword: cheese, dairy-free, gluten free, mozzarella, nut-free, oil free, vegan

Diet: gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, vegan, wfpb

Servings: balls

Calories: 56.1kcal

Author: Amber Asakura

Equipment

Blender
#24 Cookie Scoop or ice cream scoop

Ingredients

In your blender, combine:

1 package extra firm silken tofu in the paper/aseptic package, not water-packed (335g-350g)
½ cup canned coconut milk full fat
¼ cup water
3 Tablespoons tapioca flour also called tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons white or yellow miso
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

In a small saucepan, combine:

½ cup cold water
1 Tablespoon agar powder

For the ice bath:

3 cups ice
3 cups cold water
2 teaspoons salt

Volume - Weight

Instructions

Combine the tofu, coconut milk, ¼ cup water, tapioca flour, lemon juice, miso, salt, and vinegar in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
Whisk together the ½ cup cold water and agar powder in a small saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture starts to bubble. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking often, until the agar mixture looks thick and syrupy.
Now, while whisking continuously, pour the tofu mixture into the saucepan and keep whisking until the agar mixture and the tofu mixture are completely combined.
At this point, I like to switch to a silicone spatula for stirring. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes. Your arm might get tired. Your hand might start to cramp. The mixture will start to look lumpy and you might think things have gone horribly wrong, but keep stirring. Eventually the mixture will become smooth, glossy, thick, and stretchy. Once that happens, remove it from heat while you prepare the ice bath.
Add the ice, water, and salt to a large bowl, making sure to leave enough room in the bowl so you can drop the cheese balls in without the bowl overflowing. Give it a quick stir to help the salt dissolve slightly. When the ice bath is ready, give your cheesy mixture another quick stir before moving on to the scooping step.
Using a #24 cookie scoop (see notes for alternatives), quickly scoop up portions of the warm mixture and drop them into the ice bath. Place the bowl in the fridge and let the mozzarella chill for at least 30 minutes, until your balls are firm (haha).
You can either store the mozzarella in the bowl of water and cover with a lid or plastic wrap, or transfer the balls to a storage container, pour in just enough of the salted water to cover them, and put the lid on. The cheese will stay good in the refrigerator for up to a week. Freezing the cheese changes the texture and I don’t recommend it.
Slice mozzarella and use anywhere you would use regular mozzarella, or just eat it straight out of the fridge like I do.

Notes

If you don't have a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, you can use a tablespoon (for smaller balls) or a ¼ cup measuring cup (for bigger balls, haha). The mixture is sticky, so it helps to use a spoon to scrape the cheese out of the measuring cup and plop it into the ice bath.

Nutrition