Easy Vegan Smoky Gouda

A sultry, smoky vegan cheese. Using only cornstarch as a thickener, this recipe contains easy-to-find ingredients and is perfect for a beginner venturing into vegan cheese making. No blender or other special equipment needed!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

• 1 cup water or unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice

• 4 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil (optional, but gives the cheese a rich silky quality)

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, liquid smoke, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the water (or non-dairy milk) and cornstarch until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken.

3. Add the almond flour mixture to the saucepan and continue stirring until the mixture thickens further and resembles a cheesy sauce. This should take about 5-7 minutes.

4. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the coconut oil (if using) and apple cider vinegar until everything is well combined and the coconut oil has melted completely.

5. Pour the mixture into a greased or lined container (such as a small loaf pan) and smooth out the top with a spatula.

6. Allow the cheese to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill and firm up for at least 2 hours or overnight.

7. Once your smoky Gouda has chilled and firmed up, slice and serve any way you would with dairy cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition:

Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): 97 calories; 2.6g protein; 5.1g carbs; 7.0g fat; 151mg sodium. Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary depending on ingredients used.

If you enjoyed this cheese, please add a comment below and let me know how it turned out! I love feedback so that I can keep improving my recipes. You can also subscribe to receive all my newest creations as soon as they are here on the blog!