Muenster is a cheese from the United States, not to be confused with the French variety, Munster. Non-dairy Muenster has a semi-soft texture with an orange “rind” and a slightly ripened, buttery flavor. The coloration of the “rind” is created by rubbing the exterior of the cheese with sweet paprika. Slices are ideal for cold sandwiches and for melting on burgers or other grilled sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 315g (1 ⅓ cup) Water
- 32g (¼ cup) Soy Milk powder
- 30g (¼ cup) Tapioca Flour
- 6g (2 Tbsp) Yeast Flakes
- 7g (1 Tbsp) Kappa Carrageenan
- 1g (¼ tsp) Ground Mustard
- 8g (1 ¼ tsp) Salt
- 1g (⅛ tsp) Onion Powder
- 1g (½ tsp) Lactic Acid
- 2.5g (1 tsp) Smoked Paprika
- 129g (4oz) Coconut Oil
Equipment
- Baking Trays
- Cooking Spray
- Small Heavy Bottom Pot
- Rubber Spatula
- Blender
- Silicone Mold
Timing
Active Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hours 20 Minutes
Yield
1 lb
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Prepare Cheese Mold
Spray your cheese mold with a scant amount of non-stick spray. Using a paper towel whip the non-stick spray around the inside of your mold.
Pour in your Smoked paprika and dust the bottom and sides of your mold. Remove any excess paprika from your mold.
Place your coconut oil in the microwave on low power. Heat gently until melted, do not heat on high or you can ruin the integrity of the coconut oil.
Reserve your lactic acid for after the cooking process.
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Blend Ingredients
Using a blender; first pour your water into the blender.
Place all the rest of your soy milk powder, tapioca starch, salt, nutritional yeast flakes, ground mustard, onion powder, and carrageenan kappa into the blender.
Important: If you pour the ingredients into the blender first it can sometimes clump to the bottom.
Blend the contents, scraping the sides as needed.
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Mix with Coconut Oil
Once fully incorporated, pour your mixture into a nonstick pan.
Pour your coconut oil into the nonstick pan with your cheese mixture.
Using a silicone whisk or spatula, stir the mixture constantly as you cook on medium heat.
The coconut oil will not mix in immediately, as you cook the mixture will come together.
Your mixture should be smooth and not clumpy. At this point you can mix in your lactic acid.
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Pour into Mold, Refrigerate
Pour the cheese mixture into your paprika lined mold and place in the refrigerator.
Cool your cheese until it is cool and firm to the touch. This should take around 1 hour. Do not leave the cheese in the refrigerator for too long as it can form a skin.
Once your cheese is cooled remove it from your pan and place it on some dry paper towels. Wrap the cheese in a single layer of paper towels and place in a plastic resealable bag. You can eat it immediately, but for the best texture let it rest for a day or two.
Usage Chart:
Based on 6 Review(s)
31 Comments.
Is there a replacement for the carraggenan? My son was diagnosed with Chrons disease and is extremely allergic to carrageenan. He loves Muenster cheese and I would love to find a good vegetarian recipe for it. Thanks so much for your time and help. Melissa
Hi Melissa, unfortunately we’re not aware of any substitute for carrageenan that will make a melty vegan cheese. There are many nut variations of vegan cheese available, but they won’t have the same properties.
Can citric acid powder be used instead of lactic acid?
Citric Acid will not have the correct flavor profile in vegan cheese.
Hi. Im just a customer and did not make this recipe. I believe you can find the ratio using agar agar and I’ve also heard of Irish moss having a gelling affect.
Irish moss is carrageenan.
But would agar work? Or would it provide too much of a gelatinous texture?
I live in South Korea where I cannot get soy milk powder or lactic acid powder. Is there any replacement for these two ingredients?
Hi Angela, there is no replacement for these ingredients for this particular recipe.
I have made this using soy protein powder (same volume as recipe states for milk powder) and lemon juice (1 TBS lemon juice, reduce water by 1 TBS)
You can make a version using agar agar it won’t melt well but will at room temp be delicious
And just as good
Try
The Ultimate uncheese book
by Joanne Stepinack.
Youll find it invaluable!
So many cheeses and chessy recipes!
I prorably spell last name wrong
None of the cheeses recipes have Carragenne
Angela, you needn’t soy powder, simply use tofu as a suitable replacement for soy powder. I have been making vegan cheese for years and whilst soy powder is used often as means to simply the smooth texture required, blending silken tofu will yield the same results if not better.
[…] Recipe Link: Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Chef Skye’s Vegan Muenster […]
I’ve made this and it’s in the fridge cooling. Once wrapped in paper towels & in the bag does it need to go back in the fridge?
Yes it needs to be stored in the fridge
Is there a recipe for the mozzarella cheese without having to purchase the kit cause I may have all the products and won’t have to purchase the kit . I search in your recipes and couldn’t find mozzarella cheese recipe. Can you help me, please
The original recipe is available in Chef Skye Conroy’s Non-Dairy Revolution
Can we use citric acid power instead of lactic acid?
Is there a replacement for the coconut oil?
Not really, other types of oils do not have the same melting/solidifying properties of coconut oil
Hi Janie – Has anyone tried playing with neutral-flavored (or even infused, for extra fun) oils thickened with mono & diglycerides in place of coconut to try to emulate a higher melting point? Maybe oil thickened with maltodextrin for harder cheeses that don’t melt so readily?
A big plant-based bonus for me is the option to easily cut out a lot of saturated fat, but it feels like all the best vegan cheeses sacrifice nutrition for texture with starches and coconut oil.
We haven’t done it but sounds interesting. Definitely give it a shot and let us know what you find!
Hi there. This cheese looks absolutely amazing, and am keen to try it. Would there be a suitable substitute for the soya powder? Is it basically like a protein powder you used?
If you purchase Chef Skye’s book I believe he uses soy milk instead of powder, but it has to be additive free soy milk.
That is actually inaccurate. Most commercial vegan cheeses and healthy do not use coconut oil. The emulsification that K-carrageenan or the use of soy/sunflower lecithin can provide is sufficient for solidification. The cheese will be refrigerated prior to use thus solidification is not an issue.
I would highly recommend the use of olive oil as olive extract is often used to enhance cheese flavouring in vegan cheese.
That is actually inaccurate. Most commercial vegan cheeses and healthy do not use coconut oil. The emulsification that K-carrageenan or the use of soy/sunflower lecithin can provide is sufficient for solidification. The cheese will be refrigerated prior to use thus solidification is not an issue.
I would highly recommend the use of olive oil as olive extract is often used to enhance cheese flavouring in vegan cheese.
If I use silken tofu, would it be 337g, ( same amount as water plus soy milk powder).
yes that is fine
Is lactic acid a must for the success of this recipe?
Yes it is
Hi, Lorraine. I’ve tried lemon juice, citric acid, and a bunch of different vinegars in my vegan cheeses. Nothing tastes nearly as good as lactic acid. Recipes don’t require very much of it, making it an economical and delicious addition.