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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Cathy says
Wow! I’ve been using another popular recipe for vegan feta but came across this one and decided to try it. I LOVE IT! The addition of nutritional yeast and dill really adds to the flavour. I’ll be using this recipe exclusively from now on. Thanks for posting it.
JL says
Please explain why must use refined cocobut oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
So that the feta cheese tastes like feta cheese and not coconut.
Dorita Milano says
why does the unrefined cocnut oil not work?
A Virtual Vegan says
Because you don't want feta cheese that tastes like coconut. It would be really unpleasant. For it to taste like feta you need to use refined.
Dot says
I was wondering if this recipe would hold it’s shape in cubes I need it in veggie sausage rolls. Would it be worth freezing before cooking it in the rolls. Thanks for your help.
A Virtual Vegan says
Sounds tasty! So the soft version of this cheese will melt which wouldn't be what you want. But, if you make the baked version (be sure to follow the directions exactly), then let is chill and firm up nicely before you use it, it will hold its shape. You won't need to freeze it or anything. Hope that helps!
ela says
i was soooooo excited to try this!! bought all the ingredients (it's super hard to get refined coconut oil where i live). but it just didnt taste that great... all the flavours were too strong. and then i realised my tofu was only 300 grams! i never stopped to check how much you were talking about, because thats the size of the packages in my country so i assumed its the same everywhere. maybe i'll try again some other time
Louise says
This is a perfect recipe. I have made it exactly as ingredients are listed and also used it again with left over marinated tofu (GREEK/ITALIAN type of herbs) but still used all of the recipe herbs and spices. It worked out delicious both times. I think I like it better than feta! Family loves it too. As spreadable and crumbled. I am going to make a spreadable batch for a vegan lasagna next. Thanks Mel!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you're enjoying it Louise and thanks for stopping by to leave a rating/review!
Susan says
This is really tasty and close to feta. Nice. Crumbles and has a tangy zip. I will definitely make a big batch and freeze. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you are enjoying the recipe Susan and thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review!
Ottilie Carter says
can you use rapeseed oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
No you absolutely have to use refined coconut oil or the recipe won't work.
Connie Moultroup says
I very rarely rate recipes....unless they are truly OUTSTANDING!!! This is one of those recipes!!!’n. Thank you for all you do!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Connie! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
Connie Moultroup says
Just finished baking it!!! I’m truly impressed!!! Btw...you’re ruining my m/o!!! I just made your leek and potato soup!!! Had to a comment!!! Lol
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! Glad you like it. It's one of my favourites. I've had to stop making it because I just eat it all in one day!
NAOMI Walsh says
Wow! What a treat! I did everything exactly as you said. The only dill I had was fresh though. It is delicious. Oh, and I live on a boat so I have consolidated my galley supplies and the large food processor didn’t make the list so I used my Vitamix blender. I blended everything and added the melted coconut oil at the end. Success! Thank you for another wonderful recipe toward saving our planet.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Naomi. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Vi says
The Best Vegan Feta Cheese! Thank you so much for another AMAZING recipe!
Sally Reed says
I am overjoyed! I made the recipe exactly as directed and it came out perfectly. I have been vegan for four years and have tried scores of vegan cheez recipes. This is by far the best I've tried. Mel, I bought your cookbook just on the basis of this terrific recipe!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Sally! I'm really pleased you enjoyed it and I hope you enjoy my book too.
Vicente says
I made it with only half the oil. It was destined for spanakopita but it was so good on crackers right out of the food processor, that a friend and I ate too much and had to make more for the spanakopita.
Now that I made twice, I want to try making it with only a third of the oil. I don't know how these adjustments affect its melting on hot pasta or the cube-ability and crumbliness of its firm version, but I don't need it to be exactly like feta. I just need it to be awesome . . . and it is.
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha, that's funny. I might have done the same when I made it for my spanakopita recipe. It is so good on crackers so who can blame us?!
Carole craig says
I tried this and a cashew nut one. This one worked very well, tasted wonderful and was easy. Thank you
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Carole!
Suzanne says
Hi Mel, love all your recipes and usually substitute an oil low in saturated fats in recipes due to hereditary heart disease. Why is that not possible here?
P.s. As a girl from Yorkshire I can say your Yorkshire Pud recipe is amazing!
Melanie McDonald says
The refined coconut oil is essential in this recipe because it is the only oil that will set to make the cheese firm up and give it its texture. I have had some people omit it or use a bit of some other liquid oil and they were ok with it but it will be much looser and it won't be like feta. I have tried it and i personally don't like it without the coconut oil.
Maybe scale the recipe down down and make a small portion and see how you like it without oil or with some olive oil before making an entire batch?
Glad you like the yorkies!!
Monita says
I'm really want to make it sound yummy!! Any Sustitute for tofu? I'm allergic to soy products. Please let me know .
Thanks a million
Melanie McDonald says
I tried other tofu free variations when I was creating the recipe and they didn't work anywhere near as well. Sorry!
Maureen says
Totally amazing in both unbaked and baked form. It is absolutely spot on like feta. I am in awe and will be making this ALL the time. Thank you so much!