Vegan Feta Cheese that actually tastes like feta cheese and crumbles like real feta cheese and is cheap, nut-free and easy to make!
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Vegan Feta Cheese that is creamy, crumbly if you want it to be, or spreadable if you don't. It's protein-packed, super yum, truly multi-purpose and sent from vegan cheese heaven!
I've worked on vegan cheese recipes on and off for ages and ages but am rarely happy enough with any of my efforts to share them.
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. I just want it to be easy and relatively quick. Are you with me?
And what's with all of the vegan tofu feta cheese recipes that are literally just cubes of tofu marinaded in oil? You might get something that looks kind of like feta to throw in your salads, but the flavour and the texture is 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 the blog. I'm all about authentic tasting vegan dairy alternatives like my Vegan Butter and my Vegan Ricotta.
So I made Vegan Feta Cheese for lazy people, that is made with tofu, but actually 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.
Heck, if you're feeling extra lazy (hands up me on at least 6 out of 7 days a week), you can skip the baking step and make it into a spreadable vegan cheese with all the flavour of feta.
In its soft state, it is amazing in my Vegan Spanakopita, or spread on crackers or even melted into pasta.
Tofu really is magic stuff. It is so transformed in this recipe that you would never know it's actually tofu and I love that. Hurrah for fantastic vegan tofu recipes!
What is feta cheese?
Feta cheese is one of Greece's most popular cheeses. It is made from either sheep or goat's 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.
What do you need to make it?
This vegan cheese recipe has pretty basic, store cupboard ingredients. There's nothing fancy. You will be needing :
- extra firm tofu
- refined coconut oil
- nutritional yeast
- lemon juice
- apple cider vinegar
- salt
- nutritional yeast
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- dried dill
The only piece of equipment you will need to make this recipe and my vegan parmesan cheese recipe, is a food processor.
Please note that 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 and everything sets. It will more than likely just seize up and the blades won't turn. 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.
Why do I have to use refined coconut oil?
I know I will get questions about the refined coconut oil, just like I do with my vegan butter recipe, so I am going to pre-empt them now.
For this recipe, you must use refined coconut oil. You cannot use virgin or unrefined coconut oil. If you use virgin or un-refined coconut oil your cheese will taste and smell of coconut not feta.
If you are worried about the refining process, there are plenty of brands out there that refine their coconut oil with steam only and do not use chemicals. Nutiva is one of them and is the brand I tend to use.
How to make vegan feta cheese
Vegan Feta Cheese is super simple to make but please take note of the different directions depending on whether you want smooth and creamy results, or firm and crumbly results.
Step 1 - Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.
Step 2 - Process until smooth but with a little graininess for that authentic feta texture.
Step 3 - Now comes the part where you have to make a choice.
You can eat it as it 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, then turn out and serve. That way it will have a slightly firmer cream cheese texture, but will get softer as it comes to room temperature.
Or, the best way ...You can spoon it into a baking parchment lined oven proof container, set then bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Step 4 - Then allow to chill completely for at least 4 to 5 hours. That will yield the perfect, authentic feta texture.
Perfect for cubing:
Or crumbling:
It might take a bit of waiting around while making, but the hands on time is really minimal and it really is so worth it!
I struggled a little with the colour of the baked feta at first. I know traditional feta isn't usually golden around the edges. I tried other methods of cooking it 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. If you would prefer them gone so that your feta looks perfectly white, it's really easy to shave the golden bits off with a sharp knife. Be sure to eat the shaved off bits as you go though!
Success Tips
- Be sure to use refined coconut oil.
- Blend the cheese thoroughly
- Don't skip any of the ingredients. Every single one works together to make this cheese special.
- Be sure to read my directions carefully and take note of the differences between the soft and baked versions.
- Do not forget or skip the refrigeration step before baking or after baking.
How to serve
This Vegan Feta is a really versatile cheese, especially as it can be made in two ways: soft and spreadable or firm and crumbly.
Serve your vegan feta cheese:
- In Vegan Spanakopita
- In my Vegan Baked Pears with Feta & Hot "Honey"
- With bread or crackers
- With olives
- In salads like my Strawberry Spinach Salad or my Watermelon Mint Salad
- Crumbled on soup like my Vegan Tortilla Soup
- As part of an antipasto platter
- Drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano
- Crumbled or cubed in salads
- Crumbled on tacos
- On pizza ( the soft unbaked version of this cheese melts beautifully when baked)
- With pasta. (the soft version of this cheese melts into hot pasta so well and the baked, firm version is amazing crumbled or cubed into pasta dishes or pasta salads)
- With potatoes. Try it on a baked potato or melted into mashed potato
How to store
This Vegan Feta Cheese will keep, in a sealed container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. You can cube the firmer, baked version, pop it into a jar and cover with olive oil and some herbs and keep that in the fridge for up to 7 days.
The baked version of this Vegan Feta Cheese freezes very well. Cube it up and put in a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. The cubes will defrost in about 30 minutes so you don't need to wait long for them, and if you are making something like a vegan feta salad for your packed lunch, you can throw in the feta cubes while they are still frozen. Freezing makes the cheese a little drier and crumblier but it still holds together well and tastes great.
So if you're looking for a convenient, cheap, no fuss vegan substitute for feta cheese, that as an added bonus just happens to be loaded up with vegan protein, low carb and completely nut-free, you know what? I got you. This is your vegan feta recipe.
When you're craving a crumbly vegan cheese that's tangy, salty, cheesy (or tangy, salty and spreadable), knocks dairy out of the park and tastes like dreams have come true, the search stops right here with this feta recipe!
And please, do not miss my recommendation for melting the soft version of this feta into freshly cooked and drained pasta. Dollop it in, stir it up and it will 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! And you really must try it on pizza too!
Recipe
Vegan Feta Cheese
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 350 g / 12 oz 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
- 45 ml / 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 30 ml / 2 tablespoons 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 so please don't omit it.
- 1½ - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt , or to taste (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 have quite a salty edge. I like to use a full 2 teaspoons in mine.
For softer meltable vegan feta
- Serve straight from the blender, or pack into a container 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
- Line an 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 oven proof dish and push it down well and evenly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight is fine). This step is important. If you don't refrigerate before baking, the coconut oil can separate a little on the bottom while cooking.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C) and once at 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, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before cubing or crumbling.
NOTES
I do not recommend freezing the soft, spreadable feta cheese. Vegan Feta Cheese will keep, in a sealed container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. The firmer, baked version, can be cubed and covered with olive oil and some herbs and kept in the fridge for up to 7 days. TIP - When I make this recipe, I like to divide my cheese mixture in half and make one of each kind of cheese. Soft and spreadable and firm and crumbly. I use 2 mini loaf pans and split the cheese mixture between them, then follow the directions above for preparing each one.
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Carmen says
No words. Incredible. I love your recipes Mel!
Rachel says
I was so excited to try this recipe. I love feta (it's the only cheese I miss since going vegan) and was so hopeful that this would be good. I made it exactly as written with all the right ingredients. Unfortunately, it was not good at all. Once cooked, the oil separated out of it and was caked on the bottom giving it a very unappetizing texture. The vinegar choice also gave it a very odd flavor. I tried a couple bites and desperately wanted to like it but just couldn't. I ended up throwing the entire thing away. I may try again with a few tweaks but as it is, I found it inedible.
Melanie McDonald says
If the oil separated it sounds like maybe you didn't refrigerate the cheese before baking which is a required step. It is really important as it prevents this happening. Then it needs refrigerating again after baking too so it all sets up and melds together.
There are only 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in the entire recipe and it makes quite a lot so its flavour shouldn't really come, except to give a little sharpness, and apple cider vinegar is very mild. Maybe you had an unusually sharp?
Also did you definitely use refined coconut oil? If you didn't that would cause an unpleasant flavour. The coconut flavour does not work well in this recipe which is why it has to be refined coconut oil. Hope that helps!
Karin says
Thanks for all the great recipes, Melanie, but I simply MUST press about the refined coconut oil: what happens if you use virgin or unrefined oil? You never really answered, and I want to know what the difference is.
Can't wait to see inside your cookbook too!
Melanie McDonald says
You must use refined coconut oil otherwise it won't taste like feta cheese. The coconut flavour does not work at all with the other seasonings and it all tastes pretty unpleasant together. Believe me, I tried it! For authentic flavour it must be refined coconut oil.
Tova says
Ok so I’ve made this TWICE in the past 3 days! We’ve eaten it soft, on toast, with smashed avo, baked & cubed in salad, & made zucchini & feta fritters - an addiction pre-vegan days. Next...your spanakopita recipe. I can only say - you’re a sorceress in the very best kinda way!
Melanie McDonald says
This makes me so happy! I'm really pleased you are enjoying the recipe. Using it in fritters is a fantastic idea. I need to try that! And you will LOVE the spanakopita for sure!!!
Mary says
I just made this and can't stop eating it on rice crackers right out of the bowl. It is really delicious. I managed to put some aside to bake for crumbled feta for a quinoa salad I'm making tonight. I used MCT oil, (and only 1/4 cup) so maybe it won't crumble properly, but it's so good as a spread that I feel lucky to have found it! I agree with the reviewer above in giving it 10 stars. Good job.
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you so much Mary! I'm really pleased you are enjoying it. You are right, you wont get the crumbly effect with MCT oil but as you've found it still tastes great! You need to use coconut oil that will solidify to make it crumbly. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review. I appreciate it!
Sandy says
I’ve used an odourless coconut oil. Not sure if it was refined or not. How will this affect the recipe please? It tastes lovely as a mixture and is resting in fridge.
Melanie McDonald says
If the coconut oil was odourless it is more than likely refined. That's what we want with this recipe as if you use one that smells/tastes of coconut, you don't get the proper feta flavour. Sounds like it will be just fine to me! Hope you enjoy it.
Sandy says
Thank you. It is great.
JP says
Wow, this recipe definitely needs more ratings! And five stars it absolutely deserves. I used to loooove feta before I became vegan and thought I'd never get to eat it again. But after trying your amazing butter recipe and being so impressed by it, I decided to try your feta... it didn't disappoint. I can have feta in my life again - YEAH! Thank you so much for another amazing recipe. Delicious!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm thrilled you enjoyed the feta recipe so much and thank you for coming back to leave feedback. It really means a lot to me!
Mayda says
Excellent Recipe! It tastes delicious and I really like that it doesn't need any nuts so it is inexpensive to make.
Thank you!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Mayda!
Euripidis Booras says
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 I am buying your book.
Thank you for posting recipe.
Peter
Melanie McDonald says
Wow Peter, thank you. That means a lot, especially as you are Greek. I do hope your customers enjoy the feta, and thank you for buying my book!
Dott Buchanan says
I make a massaged kale salad usually with actual feta, but need to substitute for a gathering coming up. When left in the fridge, the salad gets better and better the longer it sits. Will this vegan fetta stay good through a weekend, refrigerated, in a kale salad? I'm thinking the baked version would be better in it. What are your thoughts?
Melanie McDonald says
I think it would be ok. When baked and refrigerated well after, it is pretty sturdy when cubed and it would take on the flavours of the salad dressing when left to sit which will be nice. You would definitely need to use the baked version. The soft version is more like cream cheese texture and although it would taste nice with the salad it wouldn't look too pretty once it got tossed through all the leaves. Hope you enjoy it!
Janice Hutson says
I made your vegan feta cheese recipe and it's delicious! I don't know what real feta tastes like, because I'm allergic to dairy and eggs and I also have a gluten sensitivity, due to my auto-immune disease, but after saying all that I have found a number of your recipes that I can enjoy. Thank you so much for your hard work that I get to benefit from!
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you Janice. I'm so pleased you are enjoying this and my other recipes. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and let me know. I really appreciate it!
Paula says
For the extra firm tofu, do you recommend the water-packed or the vacuum packed? Thanks. I can’t wait to try this!
Melanie McDonald says
I have made this with both and it doesn't make any difference. Just be sure to drain the water from the water-packed one. There is no need to press the tofu before using it in this recipe. Enjoy!
Paula says
Thank you for your quick response!
DJ HIXSON says
can another oil be used besides coconut oil? My cardiologist says NO to coconut oil.
Melanie McDonald says
It's the coconut oil that sets it up and gives it the right texture. I did have a reader who made the soft, spreadable version yesterday with organic canola oil and she said it turned out well, but I haven't tried that myself. I would imagine it would turn out a lot looser and it might affect the flavour. Refined coconut oil has no flavour at all. I'm pretty sure that the firm version will not work with anything other than coconut oil.
Lorna McLeod says
I can't say ENOUGH good about this recipe. I have made it at least once every week and ADORE it! Everyone who has tasted it can't get enough. I even pressed the unbaked feta in a container and was able to turn it out and use is for a cheese ball for a potluck following a funeral. It was such a hit! If I could rate this 10 stars I would....LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!!
I'm puzzled about the cardiologist not allowing the coconut oil. I owned my own health food store for 33 years and found it HELPED my customers with heart issues. I eat a lot of it and my doctor said my cholesterol was the best she had seen. She even raised her voice so the patience in the waiting room and said "there goes the lady with the good cholesterol and she eats lots of Coconut Oil!"
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you so much Lorna! I'll take 10 stars out of 5!
Melissa DeYoung says
I just made this recipe with canola oil and it turned out really well. I don't know how it compares to the coconut oil version, but it did solidify to the point that I could cut it into cubes and it was creamy/crumbly just like feta. I almost didn't get it into the oven because I kept eating the soft version! I ate it like a dip on green beans and cherry tomatoes, then I put a big dollop on pasta and it tasted like alfredo! I will be making this again. Thanks for sharing!
Melanie McDonald says
The taste is probably pretty similar with canola as it's really neutral like refined coconut oil. You'll find it's crumblier with the coconut oil because it sets whereas canola doesn't. I'm really pleased it turned out well regardless though! I love it stirred through pasta too.
Emma says
I can't wait to try both versions of this! I was wondering which version you recommend for use in spanakopita?
A Virtual Vegan says
I so want to try this in Spanakopita! I think the soft version straight out of the blender would be perfect. It will spread easily on the phyllo and I am sure will bake up perfectly. But for ultimate interest and texture a combo of the 2 might be nice so you get the soft and oozy and the drier, crumblier chunks too. Next time I am at the store I am buying phyllo pastry and trying it! Watch this space ....
Stephanie Mendoza says
I cannot believe how much this tastes like feta cheese. We made the soft version and the baked firm version and they were both excellent. Thank you so much. Definitely the best vegan feta cheese recipe we have tried!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback Stephanie. I am so pleased you enjoyed it!
Peter Eden says
Always loved feta and didn’t think I’d be able to eat it again. You have made my day. The whole family loves it. It is the best vegan recipe I’ve tried so far.
Karen Francis says
Love everything about this. It really does taste like feta. Thank you so much!