When you're craving a crumbly vegan cheese that's tangy, salty, cheesy, and tastes like dreams have come true, the search stops right here with this Vegan Feta Cheese recipe! It tastes like feta cheese, crumbles like feta cheese, melts beautifully, and is cheap, nut-free, and easy to make!
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FEATURED COMMENT:
"I was skeptical about the taste before I made it. I am Greek, and feta is huge in my diet. I am also a chef. I have many vegan customers that will love this on their Greek salad. Congratulations, you are a genius! Thank you for sharing the recipe." - Peter ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Feta cheese was one of my pre-vegan faves, so the bar was high for me when creating this vegan feta cheese recipe.
I also LOVE spanakopita, so I needed to be sure the feta cheese I developed would taste amazing as is, and also work well when baked.
Both boxes checked ✔️
OOH, it's good!
This incredible Vegan Feta Cheese is creamy, crumbly, and spreadable. It's also protein-packed, salty, tangy, super delicious, truly multi-purpose, and sent from vegan cheese heaven!
It tastes like real feta cheese and crumbles like real feta cheese, and doesn't include any hard-to-find ingredients or cost a small fortune to make.
Even more importantly, it's quick and easy. I totally respect people who get all science-y and make real vegan cheese by growing cultures and all that, but it's not for me.
And what's with all of the vegan tofu feta cheese recipes that are just cubes of tofu marinated in oil? You might get something that looks a bit like feta to throw in your salads, but the flavour and the texture are nothing like real feta cheese.
You know me. If it's not really like the non-vegan version, then it's not making it to my website. I'm all about authentic tasting vegan dairy alternatives like my Vegan Butter and my Vegan Ricotta, and you can trust that this one is the same. This really is the best feta recipe!
I hope you love it!
Mel x
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Extra firm tofu - I don't recommend using any other firmness, or the texture of your cheese will be affected. Drain the tofu if it is packed in water, but don't press it. For a soy-free alternative, use pumpkin seed tofu (like Pumfu U.S link (U.S link) or Canadian link) or fava bean tofu (I like Big Mountain Food's).
- Refined coconut oil - You must use refined/deodorized coconut oil. You cannot use virgin or unrefined coconut oil, and you also cannot use MCT oil or any other liquid oil. The recipe will only work as intended with refined coconut oil. See the FAQs for more info.
- Nutritional yeast - For cheesy umami flavour. I've had a lot of people wanting a sub for this, and sweet white miso can be used instead. One or 2 tablespoons, depending on how pronounced you want the flavour. Taste as you go and adjust as necessary.
- Lemon juice - Just a touch for depth of flavour and tang.
- Apple cider vinegar - This adds acidity and some more tang.
- Salt - Feta is salty, so there is a lot of salt in this recipe. This means it's really important to use good-quality salt. It needs to be one that tastes good. I recommend using a good quality sea salt for the best flavour. I do not recommend using table salt.
- Onion powder & garlic powder - These add depth of flavour and make the cheese taste cheesier. Don't use fresh onion or garlic. It doesn't have the same effect.
- Dried dill - I don't know why it works, but it works, so I don't recommend skipping this. For some reason, it really improves the feta flavour. You cannot taste dill in the finished recipe, so if you aren't keen on dill, don't worry.
For an authentic feta flavour, it is very important not to alter the ingredients or their quantities. Every one of them plays an important role, and the recipe will not be at its best if you change them.
You will also need a food processor. I recommend using a food processor rather than a blender for this recipe. Even a high-powered blender will struggle once the coconut oil comes into contact with the cold tofu. Everything starts to set and will clog the blades up. A food processor is a way better tool for the job and will save you the hassle of starting it in the blender and then having to transfer it all to your food processor anyway.
Let's Make Vegan Feta Cheese!
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. I recommend watching my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner:
It is really simple to make and can be made two ways. You can make a soft, creamy feta cheese, or a quite firm and crumbly feta cheese, so please take note of the different directions for each.
1 - Add the ingredients to a food processor and process until pretty much smooth but with a little graininess for authentic feta texture.
2 - Now comes the part where you have to make choices. You can enjoy it just as it is, straight out of the food processor. It is so good spread on all the things! Or, you can spoon it into a lined container, pack it in well, then refrigerate until it has set, turn out and serve. That way, it will have a slightly firmer texture, but will get softer as it comes to room temperature. Or, see step 3 for how to bake it to make it nice and firm.
3 - Or, for a very firm cheese that you can easily cube up and will hold it's shape do this: Spoon into a parchment paper-lined oven-proof container (I use mini loaf pans but you could also use a small ceramic baking dish), set it in the fridge (an important step so don't skip it), then bake it after it has chilled. Once baked, allow it to chill again for at least 4 to 5 hours, then use as desired.
Mel's Tip
When I make this recipe, I like to divide my cheese mixture in half. I leave half as it is for cooking, baking and spreading, and I bake the other half so it's firm for adding to salads, sandwiches, and nibbling. I use 2 mini loaf pans and split the cheese mixture between them, then follow the directions for preparing each one.
A Note On The Colour Once Baked
I struggled a little with the colour of the baked feta at first because it gets a little golden around the edges. I tried other methods of cooking to reduce the colouration, but I loved the taste of the slightly crusty golden bits so much that I decided they should stay.
I hope you love them too, but if you would prefer them gone so that your feta looks perfectly white, it's easy to shave the golden bits off with a sharp knife. Be sure to eat the shaved-off bits as you go though - Chef's treat!
Serving Suggestions
This is a really versatile vegan cheese due to the fact that it can be made in two ways. Creamy and soft, or firm and easily cubeable if you make the baked version.
Both versions can be cooked in recipes, but the soft, unbaked version will become lusciously soft and melty when cooked. So if you're making something like spanakopita, stuffing something like my baked pears, or adding it to a pasta bake, then the soft, unbaked version is best. If you want firm cheese that will hold its shape or crumble, then make the baked version. Having said that, the soft unbaked version can also be crumbled into very soft crumbles while well chilled.
My favourite ways to enjoy vegan feta include:
- In my Vegan Spanakopita or my Vegan Baked Pears with Feta & Hot "Honey".
- Melted into hot pasta or on pizza.
- Cubed and marinated in extra virgin olive oil and herbs.
- On baked potatoes, tacos, or soups. It's especially good on my Vegan Tortilla Soup.
- Drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano, then served with bread or crackers and olives or as part of an antipasto platter.
- On salads, in particular:
Try It Melted Into Pasta!
One of my favourite ways to enjoy the soft version of this feta is to make it a meal by melting it into freshly cooked pasta. It's so good!
Here's how: Boil the pasta as per the directions on the packet. Drain, return to the pan, and dollop in a few very generous spoonfuls of cheese. Stir well, and it will melt and coat the pasta beautifully. Add some freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of chili flakes, and you've got a super special dinner in no time at all!
I really love to serve it with some roasted cherry tomatoes or broccoli on the side!
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, you must use refined coconut oil. You cannot use virgin or unrefined coconut oil. If you do, your cheese will taste and smell strongly of coconut, which is not what you want in feta cheese. It simply does not work at all flavour-wise. Refined coconut oil has no coconut taste or smell, which is why it is so important to use it.
You also cannot use MCT/liquid coconut oil or any other liquid oil because it does not set, which means your cheese will not set.
I really like Nutiva refined coconut oil because it is refined with steam, not chemicals, and it is ethically produced and monkey-friendly. Much of the coconut industry involves terrible cruelty to monkeys, so always check whether the coconut products you buy are monkey-friendly. You can see a list of approved companies here.
Feta cheese is one of Greece's most popular cheeses. It is made from sheep or goat milk, or a combination of the two, and it is brined, giving it that unique tangy, rich, and salty flavour.
Feta is quite firm to the touch, but it crumbles when cut and has a creamy, but slightly grainy mouth feel. It is best known as the cheese used in Greek salads, spanakopita, and tyropita.
Recipe
Vegan Feta Cheese
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 12oz (350 grams) extra firm tofu , no need to press
- ½ cup (120 ml) melted refined coconut oil (measured after melting) , it MUST be refined and not unrefined or virgin
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill (leaves not seeds) , please note the finished feta does not taste of dill at all - Strangely, it helps the feta flavour.
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons good quality fine sea salt or kosher salt (not table salt)
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor (this recipe does not work well in a blender, even a high-powered one), starting off with only half of the salt. Blend it all up until smooth, then taste and add more salt as needed. Blend to incorporate it after each addition. Remember that this is feta so it should be quite salty. I use the full 2 teaspoons in mine.
For soft, creamy & meltable vegan feta
- Serve straight from the food processor, or pack into a container, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours for a firmer, spreadable cheese. If you want to be able to turn it out for use on a cheese board, line the container with cling wrap so that you can easily remove it once it's set.
For firm, cube-able vegan feta
- Once you have processed the cheese mixture, line a small oven-proof pan/dish with baking parchment. A square or rectangular-shaped pan/dish is best if you want to be able to cut perfect cubes once it's ready. A loaf pan will work well. It doesn't matter if the cheese doesn't fill the container. You just need the cheese to be between 1 and 2 inches deep once it's in there.
- Spoon the cheese from the food processor into the dish and push it down well and evenly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). This step is very important so don't skip it.
- Once the cheese has been well refrigerated, preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C). Once heated to temperature, remove the cheese from the fridge and bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. It will be puffy, a bit soft and bubbly but will set again as it cools. Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before cubing or crumbling.
- OPTIONAL - The firmer, baked version can be cubed, put in a jar, then covered with extra virgin olive oil and some herbs to marinate.
NOTES
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Shelly Hawes-Smith says
Ok, look..I've been plant based a long time and I loved feta cheese in the before times. I've made various recipes of tofu feta and they were simply cubed and marinated and they were delicious but this recipe is a step up.
I don't know why it has taken me so long to try this but I finally made it. I tried it both ways. I baked off most of it but I left some unbaked as a spread and it is delicious! I used some on crusty bread and then I used a dollop in a rice bowl I made. So good. I think the unbaked version would be an amazing base to creating lots of flavored spreads.
The baked is even better! When I first made it, I thought 'this isn't salty enough' but I trust Mel and her recipes so I did not add more than the 2 tsp she called for in the recipe.... it was perfect. It got saltier once it was baked and 'cured' in the fridge. I cannot wait to have this crumbled over a salad or tossed in a rice bowl.
Thank you, Mel for another amazing recipe. Seriously.... you rock.
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you're enjoying it, Shelly! Do yourself a favour and try the unbaked one melted into freshly cooked pasta. I love serving it with some sweet and bursty roasted cherry tomatoes on top. It's so good!
lana says
The creamy (unbaked) version of this is fantastic! If I close my eyes I might think it's Boursin!
The baked version, cut into cubes, is not so good. Just falls apart into small crumbs when you put it in a salad or on a plate with sliced tomatoes. Not pleasant, a waste of ingredients.
Viv says
Yes, I had a similar experience: fabulous uncooked and crumbly after baking it. I thought I might try again, but bake for 5 - 10 mins less, as it would be lovely to have it in cubes.
Bridie says
Yum. Easy to make and so good. Even my omnivore partner said it was like feta and will be happy to substitute. Healthier for the heart too.
Lisa Ewing says
This has such a great mouthfeel - which I'm attributing to the coconut oil. This is amazingly delicious! I just made this for the first time and my goal was to make half of it into the cubes, but I don't think the batch is going to make it that far- lol.
You are so right about the dill - you don't taste dill per se, but it definitely adds to the flavor profile.
I will definitely be serving this at our next get together. (In the future though - this batch isn't going anywhere - haha.)
Oh - and I used the Big Mountain Fava Tofu - which I absolutely love. I found it by accident in a local store and had to try it. I like a lot of tofu recipes and my husband has issues sometimes with soy. He really likes their tofu as well, and it works great in any of the tofu recipes I've tried.
Michelle says
I'm allergic to soy plus many other food allergies too.
Is there a way to substitute the tofu for like a chicpea tofu, lentil tofu, & or pumfu?
Thank you😀
Melanie McDonald says
I've only ever tried it with regular soy tofu or fava bean tofu (Big Mountain brand). Fava bean tofu worked really well. There is also someone somewhere in the comments section here that used Pumfu and said it turned out great, so you should be fine with either of those. I think I'd try to avoid chickpea or lentil tofu in this recipe though because they are quite texturally different and I'm not sure they'd turn out so well. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Viv says
Currently sitting here eating soft feta with veg sticks and crackers. It's so close to the real thing, I reckon most people wouldn't pick the difference. It's waaay good, the best cheese substitute I've tried making so far, and I've tried several. We can't get palatable vegan cheese in Australia atm, (except possibly for one or two niche ones that aren't readily available), so this recipe is mega valuable, thanks so much!! Will bake it later and freeze some, can't wait to try that style, too 😋
Cindy says
One word - Incredible!