Vegan cheese for pizza that actually tastes good, is quick and easy to make at home, and doesn’t use nuts or cashews? Yes!

It’s perfect for those who want to use but can’t find or tolerate Miyoko’s cashew-based liquid mozzerella (it’s phenomenal if you can, though!).

I told you on my Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce recipe that it could be used to make a million and one different cheesy applications, and I wasn’t kidding! From my crave-worthy Choriqueso to nachos to vegan or dairy-free Philly cheesesteaks and more – it’s a great recipe to have in your arsenal.

This recipe transforms it into the perfect topping for all your homemade pizzas (and anything else you’d love pizza cheese on!). It browns in the oven, has some stretch to it, and even re-melts when you heat the leftovers back up.

Here are some of the reasons you’ll love this recipe:

It’s vegan! Whether you’re lactose-intolerant, allergic to dairy, or just choose not to consume animal products, now you have a great cheese for your pizzas.

It’s easy! This recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients and no expensive equipment – not even a blender.

It’s fast! No need to worry about setting overnight or even for an hour. If you decide last minute to make pizza for dinner, that’s fine! This recipe comes together in less than ten.

It’s delicious! Not only does it check the boxes of vegan, fast, and easy – it also tastes great. It can be hard to find a recipe like that!

It’s allergy-friendly! Dairy is just the tip of the iceberg here. This cheese sauce also boasts being nut-free. Since most vegan cheeses contain cashews or other nuts, this is pretty impressive and inclusive.

Equipment Needed

A stovetop or burner. You’re going to be cooking this sauce over a stove. You could use a fancy heating blender if you have one, but the stove works just fine.

A small saucepan. I prefer non-stick, but if you don’t have one that’s ok. A one-quart is plenty big enough.

A silicone spatula. A wooden spoon, a plastic heatproof spoon, or a metal spoon will work fine too (just don’t scratch your non-stick pan with the metal!), but silicone works the best.

Ingredients Needed

Two batches of my cheese sauce base recipe. It should be more than enough to cover two medium or large pizzas with some left over. This will definitely depend on how thick you pour it on, though.

If you’re only making one pizza, feel free to make only one batch of the cheese sauce and halve the additional ingredients.

Miso. Miso is a fermented soy bean paste, and the more mild white miso works well here. It’s used for its tangy fermented flavor (similar to the lactic acid in dairy cheese).

If you’re soy-free or can’t find it, you can omit it or substitute it for two times the amount of fermented sauerkraut brine. Yes, I just said that. Thanks to 86eats.com I’ve learned how wonderfully cheesy it can make vegan cheeses taste!

Vegan Mayonnaise. Yes, mayo.

Mayo adds some cheesy tang to the recipe, as well as adds some fat – which is lacking in the base, but definitely needed on pizza! If you’re oil-free though, you can omit this and add extra miso or sauerkraut brine instead.

Check the ingredients and look for a soy-free variety if you need one!

Mmm Garlic. Pizza is Italian and garlic is a requirement. It just is. Granulated or paste work best here, or it’ll make your cheese chunky. That doesn’t sound good at all.

Salt. Pizza cheese is salty! Please don’t forget to salt your sauce. Table salt, pink salt, whatever salt – just not black salt unless you’re making an “egg” pizza!

How to Make It:

It really couldn’t be easier!

Just whip up the vegan cheese sauce base, then stir in the rest of the ingredients (except the salt). Then, salt at the end to taste!

That’s it! Really!

How to Use It:

I pour it hot directly on the pizza. That’s the easiest way! Once it starts to cool, it’ll start to get kind of gloopy and slime-like, and it makes it harder to get an even ‘coat’ of your vegan cheese on the pizza.

If you’re using leftover, cooled cheese sauce, it’ll be gelatinous and pretty off-putting as is (this is what happens when the heat-activated tapioca starch gets chilled). No worries, though! Just use a spoon or ice cream scoop to put it on the pizza and it’ll melt beautifully.

Bake your cheesed pizza at 480F for 15 minutes to get it to bubble and brown nicely. Five to ten minutes longer if you’re like me and like it to be a bit extra or if you’re using cold cheese sauce from the fridge.

How to Store Leftover Vegan Cheese for Pizza:

If you happen to have any sauce left over, just pop it into a sealed container and put it in the fridge.

It’ll keep for three to five days.

Leftovers will turn semi-solid and gelatinous, but will melt beautifully once heated again.

Video to Make the Base Cheese Sauce:

Follow the video above to make the sauce – just remember to add in all your other ingredients except the salt after the cheese is done. Salt to taste at the end, and enjoy!

Pin it For Later:

Printable Recipe Card: