Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (2024)

Published on by Kate, Updated on - 49 Comments

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Creamy, sliceable, shreddable and meltable, this Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese recipe is completely irresistible and can be created in your very own kitchen in just minutes!

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (1)

I'm so excited to be sharing with you another rendition of my blender-based, no 'cook' vegan cheese!! Today we're going to go over how to make a sumptuous block-style Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese. But first, some questions and answers....

Can you make Vegan Cheese?

That is a million dollar question and I'm here today to tell you YES YOU CAN! A thousand times YES! Don't let the whole idea scare you. You are going to feel like a master chef in minutes!! This cheese is such a confidence booster and a game changer!

This cashew cheese can be used in any recipe because it is sliceable, meltable, shreddable like regular cheese. It is also fantastic as part of a vegan charcuterie board.

What does this Vegan Cheese taste like?

Obviously, it's not quite like dairy cheese - BUT the texture, flavor, richness, and creaminess of this vegan cheese will literally knock your socks off! It satisfies a major cheese craving for me, and it even meets the expectations of my non-vegan friends!

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (2)

Why would you makevegan cheese?

  • it's non-dairy
  • it tastes amazing
  • it's cheap
  • it's easy to make
  • it cooperates (will slice, shred, melt)
  • it is low in fat compared to dairy-cheese
  • it is low in fat compared to non-dairy store-bought cheese
  • it's also soy-free and gluten-free

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (3)

What's in this Smoked Gouda Vegan cheese??

The one challenge of making this cheese is that it takes a few unusual ingredients that not everyone has on hand - but please believe me - it is SO worth the effort!! Really, only #3 is harder to find. Here's the short list:

  1. REFINEDCoconut Oil -(Please don’t miss the word refined.)Refined coconut oildoesn’t taste like coconut but it still turns solid at cooler temps, thus adding firmness and richness. It's available at many local grocery stores in the health food section.
  2. Tapioca Flour -a thickener with a slightly 'stretchy' texture. I usually buy online but many local health food stores sell this.
  3. Kappa Carrageenan -This is the most unusual ingredient and somewhat difficult to obtain. A derivative of sea weed, this ingredient is vital because it is what makes the cheese able to go from liquid to solid and back to melted state. It’s a wonder ingredient and not widely sold.
  4. Wright's Hickory Smoke Flavor- It adds a lovely smoke flavor and can be widely obtained.
  5. Seasoned Salt - I use Johnny's that I buy at Costco, but you can also get it here!

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (4)

Steps to Make Vegan Smoked Gouda:

Assemble all your ingredients (Photo above). Rinse Cashews under hot running water for several minutes. (Photo 1 below)

Add all the ingredients to the blender except for the water. (Photo 2)

Add boiling water to blender and blend until smooth. (Photo 3)

Pour immediately into heat safe dish (your mold) and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to harden. (Photo 4)

Slice or grate, and enjoy!

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (5)

Cooking tip:

Don't skip the 'rinse your cashews under HOT tap water for several minutes' step. Not only does this soften the cashews for blending, but it removes that 'cashewy' flavor so the final cheese doesn't taste nutty.

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (6)

Super excited for you guys to experience the joys of making awesome vegan cheese at home! Let me know how it goes, and if you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll try to help out!! (For a video tutorial of making this style cheese, please see the links for my vegan mozzarella cheese recipe below. )

Check out these other vegan cheese recipes:

  • Vegan mozzarella cheese
  • Vegan cheddar cheese
  • Vegan herb cheese
  • Vegan cheese ball
  • Vegan feta cheese
  • Vegan pepper Jack
  • Best vegan cream cheese
  • Vegan parmesan cheese
  • Vegan nacho sauce

If you’ve tried this Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese recipe or any other recipe on my blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I LOVE hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME onFACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food!!!

Recipe

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (7)

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese

Creamy, sliceable, shreddable and meltable, this Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese recipe is completely irresistible and can be created in your very own kitchen in just minutes!

4.55 from 72 votes

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Course: Appetizer, cheese

Cuisine: American, French

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 people

Calories: 97kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Select a heat-safe preferably glass dish that can hold approx 3C and set aside. (This is your cheese mold.)

  • Rinse the c¼ashews under HOT water for several minutes.

  • Put your water in a small pot on the stove to boil.

  • Add all ingredients (except the water!) to the blender. Add the cashews first and then everything else on top of the cashews.

  • Carefully add (so you don't burn yourself!!!) the boiling hot water into your blender. Put the blender lid on! And blend immediately until completely smooth.

  • Stop blending once if need be to quickly scrape sides of blender and resume blending right after.

  • Immediately transfer your cheese to your chosen dish/mold as it will start to solidify quickly as it cools.

  • Place in refrigerator to chill. No need to cover yet.

  • After 2-3 hours or when fully chilled, remove cheese block from dish/mold and wrap in paper towels and then tightly plastic wrap. The flavor gets better over a day or two but it’s great as soon as it’s hardened, too. Yeay! You are officially a cheese-maker!

Notes

This Cheese recipe is one of my saltier options. If you're not a salt-lover you may want to scale back on the salt by a ¼ tsp. I often use Himalayan salt, although not "Kala Namak" or "black salt" in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 457mg | Potassium: 61mg | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan Gouda cheese made of? ›

Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Food Starch - Modified (Tapioca, Potato & Corn), Potato Starch, Salt (Sea Salt), Calcium Phosphate, Lentil Protein, Smoked Gouda Flavor (Vegan Sources), Olive Extract, Beta Carotene (Color), Vitamin B12.

What pairs well with smoked gouda? ›

For a cheeseboard or a small snack plate: pair our Smoked Gouda with raw vegetables (think broccoli, cucumber, & tomatoes), cured meats, and pumpernickel bread. Enjoy it with an Amber ale or Lager. For a simple meal: Smoked Gouda adds great flavor atop sandwiches, melted on burgers, and shredded into dips & spreads.

Do you eat the brown rind on smoked Gouda? ›

Smoked Rind: Some smoked cheeses, such as smoked gouda, have a brown or black rind that is not edible and should be removed before eating.

Is there a big difference between Gouda and smoked gouda? ›

Smoked Gouda is a bit nuttier tasting than the regular Gouda. Containing 45% butterfat, it's buttery, creamy and smooth with sweet and salty notes. As with all cheeses, be sure to enjoy it at room temperature and it will literally melt on your tongue.

What is the main ingredient in vegan cheese? ›

Vegan cheese is usually made from soy, nuts, vegetable oils, and various other natural ingredients like peas or arrowroot. Vegan cheese is seen as a healthier alternative to cheese by some, and may reduce your risk of heart disease due to its lower content of fat.

Does vegan Gouda cheese melt? ›

With a score of 9.8 out of 10, Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda vegan cheese is one of the best vegan cheeses for melting. One of the highest rated vegan cheeses out of hundreds within the discovery app, this smoked gouda is perfect for a home made pizza or grilled cheese sandwich.

Do you cut the outside off of smoked gouda? ›

Do You Cut the Rind off Gouda? Gouda cheese often has two rinds: the wax one and the natural one under it. The wax one is always supposed to be cut away. The natural rind is perfectly edible, but most people don't enjoy the hard and gritty texture and cut it away as well.

Does smoked gouda cheese need to be refrigerated? ›

Gouda cheeses remain perfectly fine outside the refrigerator. When the cheese is hot, 'sweaty' or soft at delivery, simply put the cheese in the refrigerator and you will see that the cheese becomes 'hard' again (the heat during transport will not compromise the quality and / or the taste of the cheese).

Is smoked gouda a melting cheese? ›

Gouda is a great melting cheese; Often used in homemade macaroni and cheese. It works well on any cheese board, compiled with other cheeses. You can use Gouda in a lot of dishes including cheese based soups, smoked gouda mashed potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches and in fondue.

What fruit goes with Gouda cheese? ›

Pairing gouda

Especially on a cheese board, we suggest mixing fresh fruit—like apples, peaches, or pears—alongside dried fruit—dried apricots and cherries—for extra variety. If you have an aged gouda on hand, which is sweeter and more complex, opt for a sweet pairing with chocolate or even a brownie.

What cheese is close to smoked gouda? ›

Substitutes for Gouda
  • Provolone.
  • Monterey Jack.
  • Emmental.
  • Muenster.
  • Royalp Tilsit.
  • Fontina.
  • Edam.

Why does my Gouda cheese taste bitter? ›

Thus, large amounts of proteases and lipases are produced, which in turn will degrade cheese components during maturation. Considering that this degradation causes cheese bitterness, the effect of these enzymes is more noticeable in cheeses with a long maturation period.

How is Gouda dairy free? ›

Gouda is a Dutch cheese that has a mild, sweet flavor, and is also low in lactose. Its a great choice for lactose intolerant people. The fermentation process that gouda cheese undergoes breaks down the lactose, making it easier to digest.

Is vegan cheese technically cheese? ›

Vegan cheese is a category of non-dairy, plant-based cheese analogues. Vegan cheeses range from soft fresh cheeses to aged and cultured hard grateable cheeses like plant-based Parmesan. The defining characteristic of vegan cheese is the exclusion of all animal products.

What does Gouda cheese contain? ›

Nutritional value
Protein24.9Vitamin B12
Sugars2.22Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
Calcium, Ca700Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units
Iron, Fe0.24Vitamin D (D2 + D3)
Magnesium, Mg29Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
3 more rows

Which cheese is most vegan? ›

You may be asking yourself, what types of cheese can I eat? Vegans can eat cheese that is comprised of plant-based ingredients like soybeans, peas, cashews, coconut, or almonds. The most common types of vegan cheeses are cheddar, gouda, parmesan, mozzarella, and cream cheese that can be found in non-dairy forms.

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