This Cashew Mozzarella Sauce is an easy, oil-free homemade alternative to store-bought vegan mozzarella. It comes together in under 10 minutes and is perfect for pouring on pizza, pasta, veggies, and more!
One thing I love about this recipe is that it doubles as a cheesy sauce and a meltable mozzarella.
Use it as is to add pizzazz to your favorite veggies or potatoes, or melt it onto a pizza, lasagna, or another baked pasta dish.
The options are endless!
Be sure to check out the notes in the recipe card below for specific instructions for using this sauce depending on what you are making.
Ingredient Notes
- Cashews: Use raw, unsalted cashews. There’s no need to soak them if you’re using a high-powered blender like a Vitamix. However, it your blender isn’t powerful enough and doesn’t break down nuts well, feel free to soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.
- Lemon Juice: Provides acidity and tartness, which is found in traditional dairy-based cheese as lactic acid. If you don’t have lemons on hand, you can use white wine vinegar instead. I’ve tried both ways and while they’re both tasty, the lemon juice definitely comes out on top.
- Arrowroot Starch: Helps thicken the sauce and helps achieve a meltable consistency. You can use tapioca starch or cornstarch with similar results.
- White Miso Paste: Adds an umami flavor and a bit of tartness. You can use 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast instead, but it will taste slightly different.
- Garlic: Provides depth of flavor. You can use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic if needed.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients, so don’t skip it!
Storage
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Be sure to give it a stir before using.
Watch How to Make Cashew Mozzarella Sauce
Cashew Mozzarella Sauce
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (see notes regarding soaking)
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoon white miso paste
- 2 teaspoon arrowroot starch
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
- Add the cashews and water to a high-powered blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides if needed.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend again on high for 1-2 minutes, until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Use right away or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
For Pizza – Add the sauce to your pizza before baking in a 400°-425° F oven. For Baked Pasta Dishes – Pour or spoon the sauce on top of the pasta for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time. For Topping Veggies, Baked Potatoes, etc. – If not using immediately, let the sauce sit out at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before drizzling onto the cooked food. You could also microwave it in 10-second intervals, stirring in between each one if needed to warm it slightly. However, note that this may make it clump up a bit, so be careful not to overheat it.
Nutrition
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed.