What Is Dairy Free Cheese Made Of?
Dairy free cheese is made without any milk from animals. Instead of milk proteins and butterfat, it uses plant ingredients to recreate the taste, texture and melt of cheese. There are a few common ways to make it.
The main types
Nut based: made from blended cashews or almonds, often cultured. Rich and soft, but not suitable for anyone with a nut allergy.
Soy based: made from soy milk or tofu. Not suitable for anyone avoiding soy.
Coconut oil and starch based: made from coconut oil, starches and water. This is the type that melts and stretches most like dairy cheese, and it can be made free from all of the major allergens.
Nudairy's makes the third type.
What's in Nudairy's cheese
Take our Mozzarella block as an example. Here's what each ingredient does:
Filtered water: the base, like the water content in dairy cheese
Modified starches: starches that have been treated so they thicken and stretch when heated. This is what gives the melt and pull
Coconut oil: the fat, giving richness and the creamy mouthfeel. It's solid when cold and melts when hot, just like butterfat
Sea salt: for flavour, as in all cheese
Emulsifier (341): keeps the oil and water evenly blended
Yeast extract and natural flavour: the savoury, cheesy taste
Acidity regulator (270): lactic acid, the same acid that gives dairy cheese its tang
Preservative (202): keeps it fresh for longer
Colour (160a): a natural colour that gives a creamy yellow tone
Every product's full ingredient list and nutrition information is on its page under Our Cheese.
How is it different from dairy cheese?
No lactose and no animal products
Free from dairy, nuts, soy and gluten
Much lower in protein than dairy cheese, because the protein in dairy cheese comes from milk
The fat comes from coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat, so like any cheese it's best enjoyed as part of a balanced diet
Does it melt?
Yes. The starch and coconut oil combination melts, stretches and browns in the oven. That's why our Mozzarella has won its category at the NZ Vegan Cheese Awards twice. For the best melt, grate or slice it thinly and use a hot oven or grill.
Try it in: Dairy free pizza · Dairy free cheese toastie · Dairy free nachos
