Vegan Cotija Cheese
My Vegan Cotija Cheese is salty, tangy, and so easy to make. With just four simple ingredients like raw cashews, lemon juice, salt, and white vinegar, you can make a delicious dairy-free cheese that goes with almost everything.
Servings: 20
Calories: 36kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews , do not soak
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice , can also use lime juice, I liked the lemon tang better
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- ½ - ¾ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Place dry cashews in a food processor and blend until they are a fine crumble. Do not over blend or it will make cashew butter.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until incorporated. Stop here if you prefer not to shape this into a wheel but simply use it in crumbled form. If you are shaping it into a wheel, then you can keep blending until smooth. It should come together into a ball, almost soft and dough like.
- Shape into a wheel and refrigerate overnight. You can use plastic wrap to store it in or shape with your hands and store in an airtight container. It will be ready to use in the morning, but if you can’t wait keep checking for hardness every few hours. This also stores very well in the freezer if you know you won’t use it all within 7 days.
- Use with everything!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for making this vegan cotija cheese is to always use dry, raw cashews. If the cashews are wet, the texture will not turn out crumbly the way it should. I always make sure they are nice and dry before blending.
- Pulse, do not over blend: I pulse the cashews just enough to get a fine crumble. If I blend too long, it turns into cashew butter and the texture will not be right for crumbling.
- Taste and adjust the salt: Before shaping or storing, I always taste a little and add a pinch more sea salt if needed. The saltiness is what makes it taste closer to real cotija.
- Keep it cold: I keep the cheese cold in the fridge until I am ready to use it. If it sits out too long, it gets soft and does not crumble as nicely.
- Serving size: This makes 1 wheel about 5 inches by one inch, or a little over 1 ¼ cup grated. Serving size is 1 tablespoon.
Nutrition
Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg