This is the most awesome vegan feta cheese! It’s slice-able, crumbly, easy to make, and full of that unmistakable feta flava. Add it to salads, serve it on a snack plate, crumble it atop ALL the sandwiches and pastas and basically your entire life.
Good day, my friends. It’s VEGAN FETA CHEESE DAY!
I’m so happy to share this vegan cheese recipe today because my journey to find the best vegan feta felt like a struggle of epic proportions. But today, we have FINALLY cracked the code!
So first of all, when I was vegetarian, feta cheese was like a food group to me – could not get enough of the stuff. I put it on everything from salads to pasta to right outta the fridge and into my mouth.
And since my cooking know-how was severely limited at this stage, I tended to use that last option more often than not. Either way, everything was betta with some feta.
Well, you know how the story goes; then I learned about the horror movie that is the dairy industry, went vegan, and feta and I parted ways for some time.
The Quest for Vegan Feta
I didn’t necessarily miss it because, like I said, the dairy industry is so cruel and soul-crushingly awful and who could ever truly miss participating in that, right?
But I was curious to see if I could recreate this crumbly, herb-laden cheese in my own kitchen using ingredients that weren’t taken from our animal friends and especially curious when I could not seem to find a single store-bought vegan feta on the market (although, that has definitely changed in recent years).
When I turned to the interwebs for guidance on this, I was pretty disappointed.
I saw no shortage of vegan feta recipes, but the vast majority of them suggested marinating cubes of tofu in a feta-like brine, and friends, I just could NOT get on board with that.
Maybe I’m wrong, but the thought of squishy blocks of uncooked tofu, even IF they were flavored to feta perfection, were NOT going to satisfy my personal feta needs.
I needed something crumbly and hard but not too hard, soft but not squishy, with that unmistakable tangy zip we all know and love.
I wanted FETA CHEESE, damnit. And I wanted it vegan.
Vegan Chees-piration
After doing more research, I landed on a method suggested by the awesome Skye Michael Conroy in his book, “The Non-Dairy Evolution”, using a base of firm tofu and refined coconut oil, blended and chilled. Yes! This was the method for which I had been searching.
And side note: This is a book I HIGHLY recommend purchasing if this whole vegan cheese-making thing is appealing to you. It’s life-changing, and I do not use that word lightly in this instance.
This method was a total game-changer for me and ultimately led to the recipe I’m sharing today.
No squishy cubes of tofu, no weird flavorless almond paste that falls apart when you try to slice it (yeah, that happened 😭). This is feta perfection.
I love this vegan feta recipe so freakin’ much, I could cry right now. 😍😭That’s not an exaggeration; you all know how emotional I get about recipes like this.
It’s everything I ever wanted, the culmination of a journey spanning over four years…
How to Make Vegan Feta Cheese
So, how do you make this vegan feta cheese? It’s so much easier than you can imagine. Basically, if you can use a food processor, you’ve got this.
First, drain your tofu and melt some refined coconut oil.
And listen up, friends because this part is important AF: You’ll want to be sure you use a coconut oil labeled REFINED (like this) and not one labeled UNREFINED or VIRGIN.
This is a key element to nail, as you definitely don’t want a feta that tastes like coconut! You have been warned.
Next, you’ll blend the tofu, melted REFINED coconut oil, and several other flavorful ingredients to achieve that perfect feta flava:
Kalamata Olive Brine – for the salty savory Mediterranean vibe
Rice Wine Vinegar – For that aged flavor (Sub ACV or white vinegar if you’re low on pantry staples.)
Lemon juice + zest – For that tangy zip
Olive oil – for rich flavor AND texture (You’ll want to use the good stuff.)
+ some basic spices – like salt, garlic and onion powder to round it all out!
Blend it all up until the oil is emulsified and the texture goes from grainy to smooth and shiny. Then, pour this mixture into a mold (anything you store leftovers in will do), and set it in the fridge to chill.
Yes, it IS that easy.
You will need to let the cheese set and firm up in the fridge for about 8 hours though, so be sure to give yourself some time.
A Note on Equipment
We used this Vitamix for this recipe. It has a deeper bowl than our other Vitamix and works great for this vegan cheese, but you can use any food processor you have!
Bonus points for a processor with a tamper because that helped us immensely with getting the mixture going. If you don’t have one, you’ll just need to stop and scrape down the sides really well and more often.
How to Use Vegan Feta Cheese
This recipe results in a beautiful block of vegan feta cheese that you can slice, cube, toss into salads and pasta dishes, top your sandwiches and pitas, and even eat right outta the fridge
That last one may be the most common way I’ve eaten this over the past few weeks if I’m being honest…just like my vegetarian days 😂. Dreams DO come true!
“The Freezer Trick”
This vegan feta freezes REALLY well. In fact, I often cube mine and store it in the freezer for salads because I find it stays a little firmer under all the dressing and veggies that way.
If you’re making this for an event where the feta will be in a salad or out of the fridge for several hours, this freezer trick is GOLD. Cube as desired, freeze it overnight, and add it to the salad or other dish right before you leave.
Done this way, the cheese will hold its shape for about 3-5 hours in a cool air-conditioned setting. If you’re outside on a hot day though, it’s more like 30 minutes – 1 hour.
In case you haven’t noticed from the alarming specificity in that paragraph, we have brought this vegan feta to a LOT of parties and family events. Vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, everyone loves this stuff!
Your friends and fam will love it too. And your life will be filled with fetaliciousness from now until eternity.
All that, and no mama / baby cows were harmed. Allow me to reiterate (read: shout it from the rooftops): DREAMS DO COME TRUE! 🙂
More Vegan Cheese Recipes:
When you try this recipe (and I do mean when because, friend, you NEED this vegan feta cheese in your life), let us know about it!
Rate the recipe and leave a comment below or tag us in your SUPER EXCITING photos on Instagram. In case you’re not already following along, we’re @theplantpowercouple with the “the”.
Bonus points if you can capture the look on your face when you first try it. I love seeing people’s actual reactions to recipes, and I have a feeling this one is going to produce some great moments like that.
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Cheers! 🍾
Brittany Roche
Yield: 1 very large block of feta
This is the most awesome vegan feta cheese! It’s slice-able, crumbly, easy to make, and full of that unmistakable feta flava. Add it to salads, serve it on a snack plate, crumble it atop ALL the sandwiches and pastas and basically your entire life.
8 hr, 30 Prep Time:
8 hr, 30 Total Time:
Save Recipe4.5 based on 10 review(s)
Ingredients
- 1 16-oz block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed well (NOT silken tofu)
- 2/3 cup refined coconut oil , melted
- 2 Tbsp kalamata olive brine (water from jar of kalamata olives, optional)
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar*
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest or 1 tsp lemon peel powder
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (optional, for a herbed feta)
Instructions
- First, make sure your tofu is completely drained. We drain it on paper towels until they're no longer soaking up water. A tofu press works too!
- Next, crumble your tofu into a food processor, add all the ingredients (except the Italian seasoning), and blend until smooth and creamy. This will take a few minutes, as you want the oil to emulsify. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of your processor a few times.Then, stir in your Italian seasoning.
- Grab your mold (We used a Pyrex-type container; anything you wrap leftovers in will do.) and line it with plastic wrap. This will help you lift your cheese from the mold when it firms. Pour the cheese mixture into the plastic-lined container and use a rubber spatula to smooth the top as best you can. Then, cover it and refrigerate for at least eight hours.
- When the time has come, use the plastic wrap to lift the cheese out of its mold, and enjoy! Slice it into cubes, throw it on salads + sandwiches or eat it right outta the fridge! Store this vegan feta cheese in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer. The cheese will soften significantly the longer it's out (see notes**).
Notes
*If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, you can easily sub ACV or even white vinegar.
**FREEZING: This vegan feta freezes really well. In fact, I often cube mine and store it in the freezer for salads because I find it stays a little firmer under all the dressing and veggies that way. If you’re making this for an event where the feta will be in a salad or out of the fridge for several hours, this freezer trick is GOLD. Cube as desired, freeze it overnight, and add it to the salad or other dish right before you leave. Done this way, the cheese will hold its shape for about 3-5 hours in a cool air-conditioned setting. If you’re outside on a hot day though, it’s more like 30 minutes - 1 hour.
This recipe was adapted from the method in Skye Michael Conroy's book The Non-Dairy Evolution . If this stuff interests you, definitely check that book out. Your life will change!
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