Cashew Mozzarella: A Plant-Based, Zero-Waste Staple

From pizza to grilled cheese—made in minutes with just a few ingredients and zero packaging.

This easy cashew mozzarella comes together in minutes with simple ingredients—no packaging, no dairy, no compromise. Perfect for pizza, lasagna, grilled cheese, and more, it’s one of my go-to staples for living (and eating) compassionately. The recipe’s below—along with why I don’t eat fake cheese.

Insalata Caprese with fresh cashew mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and basil

While my new book A Year of Compassion: 52 Weeks of Living Zero-Waste, Plant-Based, and Cruelty-Free doesn’t include recipes (you can see buying options here), one of the weeks encourages readers to make simple staples at home to reduce packaging waste—a practice that also saves money and tastes better. My recipe for Cashew Mozzarella is a perfect example. It especially comes in handy—especially when the topic of pizza comes up.

Real Food. No Substitutes.

People often ask me, with some combination of curiosity and disbelief:

“How do you eat pizza without cheese?”

Or they assume I use some kind of commercial non-dairy substitute and ask,

“Do you use fake cheese?”

Let’s address that second one first: I don’t eat fake food. I eat real food based on real ingredients. I don’t consume substitutes, alternatives, analogs, or replacements. Far from “fake,” plant-made meats, milks, cheeses, and butters reside in the major plant kingdoms from which we derive much of our pleasure and most of our nutrition. ⁠ In using words that celebrate rather than belittle the plant foods of the world, we normalize a healthful, humane, sustainable way of eating. ⁠

As for pizza without cheese? Yes, I eat it—and not as some sad compromise. In fact, the original pizza—the one that predates every greasy, cheese-laden American version—is the marinara pizza: a thin, wood-fired crust topped with tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. No cheese. No need.

In fact, in most pizzerias across Italy, you’ll find Marinara pizza already on the menu—no substitutions required. You don’t need to ask them to “remove the cheese”—it’s meant to be that way.

Pizza Marinara in Florence, Italy

Cashew Mozzarella

Personally, I don’t love pizza covered in gooey cheese. It ends up masking what actually makes pizza good: the crust, the sauce, the fresh herbs, the garlic. But when I’m in the mood for something like a Margherita pizza—traditionally made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil—I reach for this simple, whole-food cashew mozzarella. I can blend it in minutes and dollop it gently over the dough. It adds just enough richness and stretch without overpowering the rest.

I can also use it for:

• Grilled cheese

• Lasagna

• Nachos

• Fondue

• Insalata Caprese

• Mozzarella sticks (yes, really!). I have an amazing recipe over here in this On-Demand Class, which you make with or without an air fryer.

And it’s totally plant-based, zero-waste, and delicious.

Cashew Mozzarella Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 g) raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 1 hour or even overnight

• 2 cups (480 ml) water or plant-based milk

• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (tapioca flour)

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

• 2 teaspoons light or white miso

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews.

2. Add them to a blender with the water (or milk) and all remaining ingredients. Blend until completely smooth—it will be watery.

3. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly.

4. The mixture will begin to clump—keep stirring. After about 5 minutes, it will become thick, stretchy, and melty.

5. Serve warm or let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. It will thicken as it cools. (I’ve also stored it in water in a container, first cutting it into little mozz balls just as you would do for fresh dairy-based mozzarella.)

Recipe Notes

• Tapioca starch is essential—it gives the cheese its gooey, stretchy texture. Other starches won’t work the same.

• To reheat: warm gently while stirring; add splashes of water to loosen if needed.

• For an extra smooth texture, strain the blended mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth before cooking.

Yield: About 1 cup

Approximate Nutrition per 1 Tablespoon (15g)

• Calories: 35

• Fat: 2.2g

• Carbohydrates: 3.2g

• Fiber: 0.3g

• Protein: 1.1g

• Calcium: ~5mg

• Iron: ~0.4mg

Cashew Mozzarella on homemade pizza before baking (l) and after (r)

I have two more On-Demand Classes you might be interested in:

Classic Neapolitan Pizza

• Perfect Pizza Dough

• Classic Pizza Sauce

• Easy (and Magic!) Cashew Mozzarella

Deep Dish Pizza

On-Demand Classes include the full written recipes, along with my class video demonstration!

• Rustic Pan Pizza

• Pesto di Rucola (Arugula Pesto)

• Almond Ricotta Cheese

Enjoy!

Complement Your Diet

Despite myths and misconceptions, we get plenty of vitamins and minerals from a plant-based diet. But I love Complement because it helps cover those small yet essential needs. I take Complement Essential as my daily multivitamin for B12, D3, iodine, zinc, and magnesium; Omega Complex for essential fats; and as part of my strength-training and muscle-building routine, I fuel up with their clean, unsweetened Unflavored Organic Protein. With Complement and my nutrient-rich diet, I have everything I need to fuel my body, support my strength, and thrive so I can do my work in the world for animals — both human and non-human.

Give them a try and get 15% off everything you order, every time you order, using THIS LINK and the code: JOYFULVEGAN.

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If You Want More!

👉 Work with me 1:1 – Get personalized guidance whatever you are looking for. (One one-on-one consultation is also a perk of the Founding Member/VIP level here on Substack.)

👉 Read A Year of Compassion – Daily inspiration to help you live with intention, kindness, and clarity

👉 Listen to Food for Thought – Inspiration for living compassionately, sustainably, and healthfully (18 years strong!)

👉 Travel with me! I host animal-friendly, luxury, all-inclusive vegan trips around the world, specifically curated to ensure high-quality, high-touch premium experiences. Check out our upcoming trips, and let me know if you have any questions.