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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Tash says
Okay, my tofu fetta is currently baking but I tried some straight out of the food processor and it was So. Delicious!
Andy Major says
Incredible! We have just begun our vegan lifestyle and cheese was a real worry. This satisfied our feta cravings hands down. Very, very good. We also made your ricotta. Just as good. Next up your parm. So pleased to have found you!
Lynne says
I followed the recipe exactly, weighing ingredients that had weights provided. Sorry, but this doesn't taste like feta - the vinegar taste overshadows all other flavors. Hopefully my spanokopita will turn out ok.
Just for information - my son and I have transitioned to a plant based diet, but we still have cheese about 1x a week. We'll eventually stop eating it completely, but for now, I know what feta tastes like.
Lynne says
Ok, I can't adjust my rating - and I need to do so! I made a few changes and ended up with THE BEST VEGAN SPANACOPITA I ever made. My son said it was as good as (or better) than spanacopita made with real feta.
After I mixed up the feta, I realized that my son had just told me that he wanted to reduce his fat intake. So I put the feta in my air fryer on low to cook, and thereby getting rid of some of the coconut oil. When it was a bit brown, I took it out, put it in the fridge and made my spanacopita two days later.
Hopefully I can recreate this again without the oil! It was amazing
D. Flores says
I am still waiting for the cheese to chill so I can bake it, but it is so good right from the food processor. I have been experimenting with vegan cheese but nothing seems to taste right. This tastes like feta cheese! I know I will be making it again.
Ben says
I tried both baking and simply refrigerating the mixture after processing, and after an overnight rest in the fridge, I really prefer the flavor of the un-baked feta, and I think the un-baked version holds together well enough to serve as crumbles. Either way... I love the flavor, great recipe!
Amy says
Amazing! I’ve made this at least 10 times and it disappear so fast. So delicious!
Adriana says
The flavour was delicious. I did have some oil separation (even after refrigerating for two hours before baking). Maybe I'll trying freezing instead like someone else did. I also had the top brown a lot baking at 400. Next time I'll try 350. Would recommend overall and will try again with alterations.
Marie says
Second time I've made it, so good! First time I followed directions to a T. This time my parents were visiting and they don't eat added oil. Out of respect for them I modified it and it turned out fantastic. Mods: pressed tofu for three hours before blending, omitted oil (didn't replace with anything), used 1 1/2 tsp salt, refrigerated for a couple hours before serving. Seriously it was wonderful and I kinda didn't miss the oil 🤷♀️ Next time I want to try baking / refrigerating/ cubing / crumbling. Thanks for a great vegan feta!
Mary says
Have you tried baking it without oil? I’m curious how it turned out!
Siki says
Yep! Best vegan feta recipe I’ve tried. Tastiest and love that it is cheaper as mentioned and I always have tofu on hand. My favourite way to have this is in a greek salad using crunchy home grown cucumbers .
Thanks so mch!
Natalie says
This is without doubt the best vegan feta recipe. It's salty, rich and crumbly; my non vegan customers are always amazed by it!
Melanie McDonald says
Thaks Natalie! I'm so pleased everyone is enjoying it!
Colleen says
Wondering if there’s a substitute that can be used for coconut oil. I am allergic and cannot use any coconut products. Does it have to be an oil that solidifies? Would vegetable shortening work?
Melanie McDonald says
It does need to be an oil that solidifies. I recommend refined coconut oil because it does the job and has no flavour. I've never bought or tried shortening so don't know what it tastes like, and I haven't tested it in this recipe so I can't say how it would turn out or how it would affect the flavour. Sorry, I can't be more helpful.
Marie says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Third time I'm making it, following your measurements to the gram, and it makes a perfect fêta each time!
Thank you again for sharing 😊
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you're enjoying it, Marie!
abby says
it's good
Debra Vance says
I've been making tofu for over 25 years and this is one of the best recipes I've ever found. Thank you! Right now most vegan cheeses use cashews as the main ingredient - which might taste good, but doesn't pack the protein punch provided by tofu. I cheated a little by putting the pureed mixture into the pan and then freezing it for 15 minutes rather than refrigerating for 2 hours. And again after baking, I slipped it into the freezer just long enough to get it to firm up enough to cut and serve. Wonderful recipe!
Linda says
Dear Melanie,
I hope you are doing well.
Please help mine didn’t come out harder after I baked and refrigerated overnight. It’s still soft. What might I have done wrong??
A Virtual Vegan says
That's impossible to answer without knowing more about your process but if you followed the recipe exactly it should have hardened enough to cube. Even when made without baking it isn't really soft. It's crumbly once refrigerated.
Did you change anything at all or use any different ingredients? When a recipe doesn't work, 9 times out of 10 it's because the correct ingredients weren't used or the directions weren't followed exactly.
Did you use extra-firm tofu (not silken tofu)
Did you use coconut oil (not MCT oil)? With half a cup of coconut oil and only 12 oz of tofu it can't not set because that's just what coconut oil does.
Did you refrigerate it twice as per the instructions?
Melissa says
Would this work in the baked feta & tomato casserole with pasta that recently went viral? I made the baked version of your feta and was hoping to give it a try. I wasn’t sure if I can bake it again. Maybe reduce the time a bit?
A Virtual Vegan says
Once it's been baked this feta doesn't really melt. The viral feta/tomato recipe works really well with the unbaked version of this cheese. It stirs and coats the pasta beautifully. The baked version would probably still taste nice but I don't think you'd get it to melt down and coat your pasta. Hope that helps!
Melissa says
That makes sense. I’ll try that next time! Thanks so much for the reply and this awesome recipe!
Mary says
I’m excited to try this! I have all of the ingredients on hand, but my tofu is frozen solid. Have you made the recipe using previously frozen tofu? Freezing does change the consistency of tofu, and I wonder if that would affect the recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
I wouldn't make this with previously frozen tofu. It wouldn't blend up smooth and creamy like fresh unfrozen tofu does. It just goes kind of grainy and weird if you process it up. Wait until you've got some fresh tofu. It will be worth it!
Mary says
I just wanted to check back in and let you know I did wait until I had unfrozen tofu, and it was definitely worth the wait! It’s SO good. I have made it many times over the past months and shared with several friends who now make it as well. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Ramya says
Will be making this soon this is perfect for me as i dont like dairy feta i will make and eat this will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Jane says
First time making it and I followed all of the directions, but my coconut oil still separated when I baked it. Left it in fridge overnight. Any thoughts on why this might have happened? It still tastes great, just doesn't seem to be as "blocky" as yours in the pictures.
Thanks for all of your great vegan recipes. I'm hoping to try the cadbury eggs for Easter!
A Virtual Vegan says
Love those creme eggs. I can't wait to make some!
RE the feta - Did you miss the first refrigeration step? It has to be refrigerated twice when making the baked version. Before baking and after baking. That step is crucial and anyone who has had the separation occur so far has missed that step.
It's probably not as "blocky" because of the separation. You need the oil in the cheese for it to solidify and hold together.
Did you make any changes at all? Did you use extra-firm tofu not any other type? And you melted the coconut oil before adding it?
Hope that helps!
Jane says
Thanks for the info. No, I followed the recipe to a T. I used a Pyrex dish that the "mold" in formed it in was as smaller than, so I think that may have been the problem. (It spread while cooking). I took it out of the fridge last night and removed the parchment paper and separated c. oil. Really only a small amount. I wrapped it in several dry paper towels and it looks to be pretty sturdy today. And it still tastes great! I'll try a smaller container that does not have excess room next batch. Thanks again!
Jaclyn says
What happens if I use refined?
A Virtual Vegan says
You need to use refined for this recipe. It's unrefined you shouldn't use because if you do it will taste like coconuts and not feta.
Lorna McLeod says
I don't know why ANYONE would give this less than TEN stars (if I could I would) We LOVE this recipe and I've been making it steady since you first released it. This is a MUST have. I make a double batch and keep the extra in my freezer until it's needed. SO thrilled to have found your website Mel and especially THIS recipe! LOVE!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Lorna. I love that you're enjoying it so much!