Perfectly salty, crumbly, and creamy vegan feta cheese that's surprisingly easy to make. The combination of almonds and tofu creates amazing texture. As an added bonus, this vegan feta is made with healthy, whole-food ingredients (no coconut oil) and just 20 minutes of hands-on prep time!
Why This Recipe Works
It's easy.
I've experimented with a lot of vegan cheese recipes in the past ten years, mostly "quick cheeses," not cultured or aged. I love un-aged vegan cheese recipes because they're more accessible for the average person.
Cultured nut cheeses are fantastic, but the process is really more of a hobby than an everyday cooking skill. It requires space, special equipment, controlled ambient temperatures, and rare ingredients. This vegan feta recipe is much simpler and can be made the same day you plan to enjoy it.
The flavor and texture are on point.
Creating a quick vegan feta was more challenging than I anticipated, in part because we have very specific expectations from feta. Other vegan cheeses can get away with simply being salty, creamy, and cheesy tasting. But feta needs a certain briny acidity and needs to crumble while also having a creamy mouthfeel. This recipes checks all the boxes!
AND it's healthy!
We also love that this almond feta is oil-free, getting its creaminess from a little bit of tofu. Instead of using coconut oil to help the cheese set when chilled, we're calling on our friend agar agar to help the cheese firm up, similar to this popular Almond Queso Fresco.
Ingredient Notes
Raw Slivered Almonds - starting with slivered almonds makes this recipe a bit easier, but whole blanched almonds can also be used. If you don't have access to either, check out this post by Serious Eats to learn how to remove the skins from whole raw almonds.
Extra Firm Tofu - usually found in a refrigerated section near the produce, extra-firm tofu is perfect for this recipe because it adds a creaminess plus extra protein, but without adding too much moisture. There's no need to press the tofu first, simply pat it dry.
Agar Agar Powder - if you're not familiar with agar, it's a fantastic ingredient to have in your vegan pantry because it can be used to help desserts and cheeses set without the need for a lot of saturated fat. It also makes delicious "jell-o" (as you probably know, gelatin isn't vegan). I use this agar powder by Living Jin.
You can also use agar in these recipes:
Vegan Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Healthy Lemon Bars
Almond Queso Fresco
Vegan Cheese-Stuffed Breadsticks
and Vegan Stuffed Crust Pizza!
How To Make It
- Begin by soaking the slivered almonds in hot water for 1 hour. Then drain and pat dry.
- To the bowl of a large food processor add the almonds, tofu, lemon juice, brine, vinegar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Blend until mostly creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Give it a taste, and add a bit more lemon or salt, if desired.
- Process again until the consistency is fluffy, creamy, and only slightly textured (see photos). Add the agar powder, and pulse to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a small sauce pan over medium heat.
- Whisking constantly, heat the cheese until thickened and it has reached boiling temperature (this activates the agar).
- Transfer to a ramekin or other mold. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold, about 2 to 3 hours.
FAQs
Not exactly, but it can be used in hot dishes. It's possible that adding tapioca starch and refined coconut oil could transform this into a meltable feta, but I haven't tested that yet.
Stored in the refrigerator, I feel comfortable keeping the cheese for 6 or 7 days.
Yes! Almond feta is freezer-friendly. Make sure it is well-protected from air, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
It sure can! Raw sunflower seeds work very well as a substitute for the almonds. See the Notes section of the recipe below for full details.
I hope you love this healthier Vegan Feta Cheese. If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and leave a star rating to share your feedback!
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Vegan Feta Cheese (No Oil)
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched slivered almonds (no skins) - See Notes.
- half of a (14 oz) block of extra firm tofu, patted dry
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons brine from a jar of green olives
- 2 teaspoons white distilled or rice vinegar
- 1 to 1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- scant ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons agar agar powder
Instructions
- Place almonds in a bowl, and cover with hot, but not quite boiling, water. Soak for 1 hour, then drain and pat dry.
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the drained almonds, tofu, lemon juice, brine, vinegar, 1 tsp salt, onion, powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Process until creamy, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Taste the mixture, and add more lemon or salt, if desired. *After the cheese is heated in the next step the flavors become more muted. So you want it to taste very tart and salty at this point. Run the processor again until the consistency is fluffy, creamy, and only slightly textured. Add the agar powder, and pulse several times to incorporate.
- Transfer the mixture to a small sauce pan. Whisking constantly, cook over medium to medium/low heat until the cheese is steamy hot and thickened, about 3 or 4 minutes. When you see bubbling and are certain the mixture has reached boiling temperature, continue to whisk and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer the cheese to a ramekin(s) or small container, and smooth the top.
- Allow to cool on the countertop for about 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, 2 to 3 hours. The flavor develops and improves overnight.
- When ready to use, simply scoop individual servings straight from the ramekin/mold, or run a butter knife around the edge, and turn the whole wheel of cheese onto a serving platter.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com. For the most accurate nutrition information we recommend calculating it yourself to reflect the specific ingredients used in your dish.
kb
Really like this recipe! Thank you for sharing it with us Lori!
I did change it slightly - used 3/4 Cup almond flour instead of whole almonds. It was delicious and texture was perfect.
Only added scant tsp of salt but the olive juice seemed to also be pretty salty. My preference would be for less salt so, next time will try without the added salt.
Also, the recipe said "The flavor develops and improves overnight."
This is really true - even though it tasted good right away, it tasted even better the next day.
I find myself craving this cheese with crackers and avocado or in tomato salad and will be making it again!
Pamela
Would like to try this but allergic to almonds . Do you think it would work with cashews? Thanks.
Lori
Hi Pamela, yes absolutely! Cashews will work very well.
Sue
I love this! Thanks for another great recipe Lori.
Lori
So glad to hear that, Sue. You're very welcome!
Eva KROKIDI
I loooove it!!!! its so good!! and as a Greek, feta cheese means everything on the table. Finally we have something worth calling feta cheese. Thank you very much!!!
Lori
Thanks so much for the fabulous feedback, Eva!
eganvay
Has anyone tried this with raw almond flour and a bit more liquid added?
Eva KROKIDI
Actually I had to put in more liquid to ease the blender to mix the stuff. I think it was good for agar agar in the boiling phase.
lindsay kennedy
This was excellent! I added probably double the olive brine and lemon juice to make this work in the vitamix. I have never used agar agar before…. I bought flakes instead of powder and it worked!
Thank you so much for sharing this gem.
Francesca
Hi, can I use fermented tofu? I mean, extra firm fermented tofu.
Lori
Hmm great question. I’m not sure how fermented tofu would change the flavor, but it sounds promising! You could probably reduce some of the other tangy ingredients. Let us know if you give it a try!
Lauren Vaught
Finally! Vegan feta that checks all the boxes: taste, texture, and recipe ease. The umami level is perfect and I'll be making this many times over!
Lori
So glad you loved it, Lauren! Thank you. 😀
Anna
I'm allergic to soy and gluten how can do it?
Lori
Hi Anna,
It's already gluten-free. To replace the tofu you could simply use more blanched almonds. I'm not sure of exact amounts since I haven't tested it yet, but I would try 50% more almonds. And for a bit of extra creaminess you could try adding a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk or coconut cream. But that's probably not necessary; just a thought.
If you give it a try let us know how it turns out.
Tracey Stephenson
Is there any substitute for the olive brine as I hate olives?
Lori
Hi Tracey, sure. You can simply increase the vinegar and salt to taste.
Debbie
I agree, that is my question as well