Making this vegan feta cheese at home is easy and super tasty! It has the same flavor boost effect as regular feta and you can crumble it just the same way. It is a great dairy-free alternative to traditional greek feta that's lower in sodium without any compromise on flavor and texture.
Making homemade vegan cheeses is so fun and rewarding. And it can really be as delicious as the real deal. We make cashew ricotta, almond parmesan and even a warm cheese dip often and it really calms all cheese cravings. But I was looking for a cuttable kind of cheese to add a savory cheesy flavor to simple dishes. And since I am not into processed store-bought cheese very much, I took on the challenge of making an easy vegan feta cheese from scratch!
I actually originally made a quick vegan feta cheese for my watermelon mint salad a while back when I just started the blog. It consisted of cubed raw tofu that were marinated in a savory mixture. The taste was de-li-cious, but the texture not very feta-ish. And it didn't have that intense flavor impact regular feta cheese has on a meal.
So, I rolled my sleeves and worked on improving that feta recipe to come up with this better version that I'm now obsessed with!
This vegan feta cheese is a great dairy substitution to classic greek feta cheese. It is salty, tangy, very cheesy, cube-able or crumb-able and also healthy and high in protein. You can use this vegan cubed cheese in multiple ways in the kitchen to flavor pasta, salads, sandwiches, etc. I also like how you can freeze the cubes to only use a few at the time as needed to easily boost a meal. It is so versatile and adds lots of flavor and texture instantly to dishes that need extra love!
What is feta cheese
Feta cheese is a salty soft cheese that originates from Greece. It is usually made with goat (or sheep) milk and is cured in a salty brine. Its texture is creamy (yet still firm) and usually comes in the shape of a white block that you can crumble or cube to use in recipes.
It is also an aged cheese (2-12 months) that has a strong salty flavor. The longer it is aged, the sharper the flavor will be. Usually, a little goes a long way to flavor dishes!
The idea behind making a vegan version of feta cheese is to reproduce that intense salty and briny flavor combo while creating a crumb-able texture to use in meal. Therefore, this recipe is a little saltier than I normally do to recreate that boost in flavor, while still being much lower in sodium than regular dairy feta cheese.
What you will need to make this tofu feta cheese
The combination of a few simple pantry ingredients create a vegan cheese that's super complex in flavor:
- A block of extra firm tofu
- Lemon juice
- Nutritional yeast
- Salt
- Oregano
- Garlic and Onion powder
- Coconut oil
How to make it
There are a few steps and waiting time, but the "hands on" prep time is super short. I recommend you prepare the cheese the day before you need it so it has time to cool down and firm up nicely overnight.
- Press your tofu: I do not have a tofu press and usually simply do a quick press. To do it, roll your tofu in a few layers of paper towel and place it on a clean hand towel. Then add something heavy on top and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes. This will allow to remove the extra water. Find more information about how to press your tofu with or without a tofu press.
- Process the ingredients: Combine the pressed tofu and the rest of the ingredients and process until super smooth.
- Bake: Cover a loaf pan with parchment paper, transfer the creamy mixture and bake in the oven.
- Cool down: Transfer the baked feta in the fridge and let it completely cool down before cutting in cubes or crumbling.
Watch how to make it
What kind of baking dish to use
A regular loaf pan works well when making this recipe and this is the kind of dish I used to test the feta.
But, the kind of baking dish to use does not really matter as long as the cheese is about 2 inches thick after transferred in the container.
In any cases, make sure to cover the dish with parchment paper before adding the cheese mixture so it is easy to remove after baked.
Tips for a perfect vegan feta cheese
- It is important to choose a extra firm (or firm) tofu for this recipe. Soft or silken tofu won't work to create the right feta texture since they contain too much water. I use our local tofu from Heiwa.
- Make sure you press your tofu first. Even a quick press will help achieve a nicer feta texture after cooked.
- There is only a small amount of coconut oil to make this recipe, but make sure to use a refined coconut oil to avoid any coconut flavor.
- It is important to process the ingredients long enough to reach a super smooth texture. Take a few breaks, scrape the walls of the food processor and process again. Repeat until the mixture is completely uniform without any tofu pieces anymore.
- After baked, the feta cheese will look a little puffy. You have to let it completely cool down in the fridge to let the cheese set before unmolding and cubing.
Make a creamy vegan cheese spread
Once you taste the creamy mixture straight from the food processor, you might wonder if you actually want to keep going with the recipe. It is SO good!
So yes, you could use this recipe to make a spreadable vegan cheese to use over bagels, in sandwiches or even tossed in warm noodles. If you want to make a vegan cheese board, then you can also mold the creamy mixture, let it rest in the fridge (without cooking it at all) and unmold on a cutting board with crackers and fruits around. Use a layer of saran wrap placed in the molding dish before transferring the creamy cheese so it is easy to remove the cheese and flip on the serving board.
How to store
The feta cheese can be kept in a air-tight container for up to 5 days.
It can also be frozen! I recommend to first cube the feta before storing in the freezer so it is easy to simply grab a few pieces at the time to top a meal. Simply let the cubes thaw for about 15-20 minutes at room temperature before using.
Great pairing for this vegan cheese
I hope you enjoy this vegan feta cheese recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.
Vegan Feta Cheese
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 454 g extra firm tofu - pressed and pat dry for at least 30 minutes
- 3 tbsp lemon juice - about one large lemon
- 1 tbsp coconut oil - refined (be sure not to use unrefined to avoid coconut flavor)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Press your tofu for at least 30 minutes to remove the extra water.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Cover a loaf pan with parchment paper (you can use a different baking dish, as long as it make the cheese mixture about 1-2 inch thick).
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until very smooth. Take a few breaks to scrape the walls. You are looking for a super smooth creamy mixture. (You could even stop here and use this cheese spread over bagels, sandwiches or tossed in warmed noodles!)
- Transfer the tofu mixture to the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake in the oven for 50 min. The feta might look a little puffy at first, but will set as it cools down. Just let it cool down slightly at room temperature then transfer to the fridge and let it completely cool down before slicing in cubes or crumbling.
- Store in a air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The feta cheese can also be frozen for up to 3 months (cube it first so you can take only a few out at the time as needed).
Video
Notes
- I use our local tofu from Heiwa, but any extra firm (or firm) tofu will work.
- Make sure you press your tofu first. Even a quick press will help achieve a nicer feta texture after cooked.
- It is important to process the ingredients long enough to reach a super smooth texture. Take a few breaks, scrape the walls of the food processor and process again. Repeat until the mixture is completely uniform without any tofu pieces anymore.
- A loaf pan works great to cook the cheese, but the kind of baking dish you use does not matter as long as the cheese mixture is about 2 inches thick after transferring to the baking dish.
- After baked, the feta cheese will look a little puffy. You have to let it completely cool down in the fridge to let the cheese set before unmolding and cubing.
Pin it for later!
Tellement plus santé que le fêta régulier !
Génial