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Got 10 minutes? Then you have enough time to make some incredible Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese! It is naturally soy-free, grain-free, oil-free and nut-free, plus high in protein. Enjoy it plain, as a snack or appetizer, or slice it for all kinds of sandwiches.
It started with Chickpea Flour Feta Cheese.
Now it’s time for another cheese made from chickpea flour, one that is ideal for sandwiches, snacking, shredding, and so much more.
Introducing Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese! It is addictively delicious, easy to make, and inexpensive, too.
Table of Contents
- Benefits of Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese
- Ingredients
- Step by Step Instructions
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- Tahini-Free Variation
- Grating / Shredding Tip
- More Vegan Cheese Recipes
- Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese (V, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free) Recipe
- Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese (V, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free) Recipe
Benefits of Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese
This nut-free, frugal cheese is:
- Vegan
- Oil-Free
- Nut-free (no cashews, almonds, or other nuts)
- Soy-Free
- Grain-Free
- Gluten Free
- High Protein
- Rich in B Vitamins
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- chickpea flour
- nutritional yeast flakes
- paprika (sweet paprika, or smoked paprika)
- onion powder
- fine sea salt
- water
- prepared yellow mustard
- cider vinegar (or lemon juice, or another light colored vinegar)
- tahini, (see notes for alternatives)
To create a Cheddar flavor, I used a combination of the following: paprika (sweet Hungarian for regular Cheddar, or smoked paprika for a smoky Cheddar), nutritional yeast flakes (for umami cheese taste), a bit of tahini (lends richness; I have options in the recipe if you cannot eat sesame seeds), and vinegar.
Prepared yellow mustard is my stealth ingredient. It adds a distinctive Cheddar tang as well as golden color (which comes from turmeric).
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Set a 9×5-inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan close to your work area.
- Whisk the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, paprika, onion powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup (237 mL) of the water until blended and smooth. Whisk in the mustard and vinegar.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 1 and 1/4 cups (296 mL) water to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and whisk in the chickpea mixture and tahini. Cook, whisking constantly (it sets up very quickly!), for 4 to 7 minutes, until the mixture is very thick.
- Immediately scrape mixture it into the pan, smoothing the top.
- Cool the cheese to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 2 hours until very firm.
- Drain any water from the pan (water will release from the cheese as it sets); invert the cheese onto a cutting board.
- Cut, cube, slice or shred as desired!
Finally, add cheesemaker to your LinkedIn profile :).
Serving Suggestions
Cheese Cubes: Cut the chickpea Cheddar into cubes for a supremely satisfying snack, or impressive appetizer.
Cheese Sticks: Cut the block into some cheese sticks for packed lunches and after-school munching:
Slices: Slice the cheese for sandwiches and cracker toppers.
Shreds: You can shred it, too! It does not melt in the same way as traditional cheese, but it is a flavorful topping for salads, baked potatoes, and tacos.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Tahini-Free Variation
If you do not eat seeds (tahini is made of sesame seeds), you can use an equal amount of oil (e.g., olive oil or avocado oil), or unsweetened almond butter or cashew butter.
Grating / Shredding Tip
The cheese will grate more easily if it is very cold / semi-frozen. Cut off a hunk of cheese (that you intend to grate), wrap, and place in the freezer for 45 to 60 minutes before grating.
Keep it cheese-y, everyone!
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
- Cashew Cheddar Cheese
- Chickpea Flour Feta Cheese
- Cashew Boursin Cheese
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Vegetable Nacho Cheese Dip
- Easy Cashew Cream Cheese
- Chickpea Flour Queso
Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese (V, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
Equipment
- 1 Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon paprika , (sweet, or smoked)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 1/4 cups water, divided
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tahini, (see notes for alternatives)
Instructions
- Set a 9×5-inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan close to your work area.
- Whisk the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, paprika, onion powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup (237 mL) of the water until blended and smooth. Whisk in the mustard and vinegar.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 1 and 1/4 cups (296 mL) water to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and whisk in the chickpea mixture and tahini. Cook, whisking constantly (it sets up very quickly!), for 4 to 7 minutes, until the mixture is very thick.
- Immediately scrape mixture it into the pan, smoothing the top.
- Cool the cheese to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 2 hours until very firm.
- Drain any water from the pan (water will release from the cheese as it sets); invert the cheese onto a cutting board.
- Cut, cube, slice or shred as desired!
Notes
Nutrition
Chickpea Flour Cheddar Cheese (V, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
Equipment
- 1 Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon paprika , (sweet, or smoked)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 1/4 cups water, divided
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tahini, (see notes for alternatives)
Instructions
- Set a 9×5-inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan close to your work area.
- Whisk the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, paprika, onion powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup (237 mL) of the water until blended and smooth. Whisk in the mustard and vinegar.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 1 and 1/4 cups (296 mL) water to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and whisk in the chickpea mixture and tahini. Cook, whisking constantly (it sets up very quickly!), for 4 to 7 minutes, until the mixture is very thick.
- Immediately scrape mixture it into the pan, smoothing the top.
- Cool the cheese to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 2 hours until very firm.
- Drain any water from the pan (water will release from the cheese as it sets); invert the cheese onto a cutting board.
- Cut, cube, slice or shred as desired!
I really like this. Mine came out a little bit soft, but I actually like it becuase I can easily spread it on bagels and toast. I plan on topping a baked potato with it, too!
I am so glad that you like the cheese, Mara!
My husband and I love this recipe and we are very impressed that the cheese can actually be grated! I did some modifications as we don’t eat nutritional yeast. I used 1 tbsp of chickpea flour + 1 tbsp of cassava flour + 1 tsp of porcini powder as a substitute to the nutritional yeast. It turned out perfect although the colour is more orange-ishh which we don’t mind. The taste still is delicious! I also used lemon juice instead of vinegar.
We used the cheese grated on a poutine (French Canadian dish) and it truly « melted » with the hot gravy which made me beyond happy!! On top of that, it’s really low in fat.
Thanks for putting together this recipe! 5 stars for sure!
Wow, Maila, thank you so much for such a generous review! Thank you, too, for sharing your adaptations. I especially love the use of porcini powder for nutritional yeast to add umami flavoring–fantastic! I know about poutine (my mother was Canadian, and my husband spent time living in Quebec :))–I am so happy to know that this worked on your homemade poutine, brilliant!
It turned out very tasty. I think the mustard gives it the extra kick. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Liz!
Can you use coconut flour instead?
Hi Cheltzay,
Alas, no. Coconut flour will not work for cheese.
Will it melt like regular cheese when grilled?
Hi Asha,
This vegan cheese will melt, but not exactly like “regular” cheese.
I made this 2 days ago using superfine Gram flour. After reading other comments I used less water (2 cups total) I would say the consistency is more like pate! It does slice but they are sticky. I also think it’s best to leave on a plate to dry out better. In the tin, the cheese is sitting in moisture, resulting in a slimy exterior. Not overly keen on the flavour ( onion powder taste not great) Will attempt again with even less water and different spices.
Hi Jonathan,
I am glad you gave the cheese a try. It sounds like you needed to cook the chickpea flour mixture longer on the stovetop, until it is very thick. It will be much former and, because more of the water is cooked off, it will release a limited amount of water over the coming days.
I love the flavor of this cheese. I cannot eat nuts or seeds so this is a great option. I may make with less water next time for extra firmeness. Otherwise, great.
This is a keeper. Came out perfect !
Fantastic, Donna!
This is delicious but I goofed the first time and did not cook long enough so it was only soft set. Second time I cooked much longer until more water evaporated. Came out so good. I am so happy to have a nut-free vegan cheese, thanks!
Great recipe! If you have an electric stove like I do then you may need to turn up the heat to medium for it thicken nicely. Also I find if you microwave a bowl of it with hot sauce you get a nice spicy queso.
So glad you like it, Hari! And thank you for sharing your tip. 🙂
Great cheese substitute with a yummy yummy flavour. My husband is so happy. Thank you very much. All the fake cheeses in the supermarket are made of coconut oil and upset his stomach…plus they are SO high in calories. I just wish that it set a little more like cheese though and not so much like cheesy jelly. Im going to try again with less water but did you try adding a small amount of something like coconut flour to your mix when you were developing it? I don’t want to mess with your recipe if you have already tried it and it failed. This one is definitely a keeper.x
Hi Jean! I am so glad you like the cheese! And good news: I have a very firm sliceable version of the chickpea cheese in the works (😍). I should have it posted by next week (it’s still super easy)
@Camilla, Hello, I am enjoying your recipes, super easy and fabulous. Have you finished your sliceable version of the chickpea cheese? I would like to have this recipe. Thanks from a gluten free vegan who is grateful for all your experiments in the kitchen.
Lynley
This was a simple and surprisingly realistic cheese replacement, not cheese but really enjoyable. Great in a sandwich with tomatoes or in a mushroom burger. Very easy to make and did set firm.
I am so happy to hear that you like it, Stephanie!
Does this work well for melting cheese or just raw applications?
Hi Danae,
It is not great for melting, except as a cheese sauce.
Where do you get chickpea flour? I’m new to this dairy free gluten free scene and have never heard of this as a flour.
@Natalie, Whole Foods or almost any other health food store would have it; stores that sell Indian food would have besan, which is ground a little finer so you would have to use less water. I have also read that stores that specialize in Italian food would have it, but I haven’t personally experienced that. I don’t know where you are, but here in Los Angeles even some of the large chain supermarkets have it. To avoid going out during the pandemic, I just ordered some from Amazon.
@Natalie, you can make your own chickpea flour just buy dried chickpeas and put them in a food processor and keep blending till you get a flour texture and Voila !
Hi Camilla,
Thank yo uvery much for this recipe, I was looking for vegan cheese recipes and stmbled upon yours which souunded great and I simply had to try it, alas, I only had red lentils flour and was missing the mustard so I thought I’d give it a try just in case, I mean, who doesn’t love experimenting in the kitchen? I used a bit of spices gifugred I’d go for a spicey cheese but everything had set I ended up with the best pastrami-like vegan thingie I’ve ever tasted and I tried some of the better bought brands around here, pretty sure it’s the lentils combined with the spices (just some bbq and kajun) but wow! I did not expect that, I’ll try the recipe again with chickpea and mustard because I do want a vegan cheese recipe and let you know how that one went but thank you, I would never have thought about using legume flour for a cheese recipe
Since this recipe sets quite fast, do you, perhaps, have some ideas/pointers on how to mold it into smaller tubes/sausage-like?
Thanks again, this has been awesome and is now at the top of my recipe list
@Nir, OOOOH now Im giving THAT a try. did you use the same quantities of everything? Just swapped the chickpeas for the lentils and added the different spices?My husband will think hes died and gone to vegan heaven.
Hi, I am rather confused about the amount of water to be used: is it 2 separate 1/4 cups or is it 2cups +1/4? I think it is the 1st but reading some comments it may be that I am not the only one with doubts👍🙏
My apologies, Melané! It is 2 and 1/4 cups (I have updated the recipe to make it clearer). Thanks for drawing this to my attention!
I am curious to know if I can replace the chickpea flour with Tapioca flour?
Hi Rob,
No, tapioca will not work in lace of the chickpea flour here, they are not at all similar in how they work/can be used in vegan cheeses. So sorry.
Hii. I just made this and it is fabulous. Usually all my cooking goes wrong, so it is a real testament that this recipe is great! Just wondering, could I freeze this?
So glad it was a success Amy! No, this does not freeze particularly well, sorry.
Have you ever used canned chickpeas instead of the flour version? Would it make a difference?
Hi Natasha,
Alas, cooked chickpeas will not work as a replacement here.
I would like to make this for my husband but he is allergic to mustard (prepared due to what they make it with) and vinegars. Is there any way to make this without those items?
Sure, Susan–you can use lemon juice in place of the vinegar. You can leave out the mustard, or consider adding a touch of prepared horseradish if you want that bit of zing that mustard adds.
Hi Susan, I can’t get hold of yellow mustard so am going to try substituting with 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric added to the dry ingredients. For the vinegar you could try using lemon juice to provide the acid tanginess.
Can I use a gluten free flour in stead?
Hi Judy,
No, this will only work with chickpea flour.
chickpea flour is gluten free
Aren’t beans gluten free?
Hi Laura,
Yes, beans are definitely gluten-free. They are legumes, not grains.
Chickpea flour is naturally gluten free
Can you use food grade wax to store this cheese? If so, how long can you store it on the shelf.
Hi Rachel,
Apologies, but I do not have any experience using food grade wax. I am assuming you mean on the (refrigerator) shelf (this will definitely not keep if unrefrigerated). Apologies for not being able to help out with this one, Rachel!
Dear Rachel, salt and starch it and wrap in dry cook paper, may need something to absorb moisture in fridge, close in plastic or glass container too. Monitor it: white mold safe can be scraped or eaten, anything else verbally bad news or dangerous.
i tried to make this today it didn’t come out as it was supposed to.. it tastes ok, but it came out more like processed cheese/jello.
Unlike others here there’s not really any water coming out of it.
What was confusing to me though is that the recipe says to bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat to low (so i put it on low fire on the smallest thing) and then put in the mixture. i had been stirring for 5 minutes but still just a watery mess so i brought it to a boil and then turned the heat down and kept stirring.. it got thick then, but probably not thick enough..
so now i’m thinking maybe i should’ve kept the fire medium/high while continuously stirring?
Maybe you were meant to put it very low so you can add the mixture and the tahini to the water, but does the word cook mean you ened to turn the heat back up?
i don’t know but keeping it very low doesn’t seem right.
Hi Henk,
It sounds like there was too much Walter or not enough chickpea flour. With the right measurements, the mixture becomes quite thick, quickly. It should not be watery at all after about a minute. You were doing everything right with the heat. Based on your earlier comments, it sounds like differences in measurements between the US and Europe. So sorry.
On the plus side of this spspread out more liduidy (will firm as set)makes excellent burger cheese i reackon
sounds good, Kate!
@Camilla, There should be a modification if one uses oil instead of tahini for this recipe, because tahini soaks up a TON of water when the two are combined.
Also, speaking from many years of experience with using tahini, every different brand has a different oil to protein ratio; some are very thick, and some have so much oil that they are a syrupy consistency.
Just something to think about.
@Jason, Very excellent points! I have never been able to understand how ingredients of “sesame seeds” can come out thick or very thin/liquidy…. The pourable tahini doesn’t have near the great taste that the thicker ones do, in my opinion.
I want to try this, but I’m a little reluctant as all my other attempts at vegan cheese have been disappointing. Can you tell me, is the finished cheese fairly hard? Dryish? My main dislike of other vegan cheeses has been the spongy jelly like texture, so I’m wondering how ‘wet’ this cheese is. Is it really possible to eat it plain, or is it better disguised in cooking?
Many thanks
Hi Fife,
I enjoy eating chickpea cheese plain. It continues to firm up in the refrigerator after several days so you can slice it and grate it. You might consider halving or quartering the recipe to see what you think before committing to a bigger batch 🙂
Does it melt like normal cheese?
It does melt, but it melts more like a thick sauce than like dairy Cheddar
Hi Camilla,
I made this recipe last night and it is delicious. One thing I would like to do it firm up the inside. The cheese sat in the fridge 13 hours and the inside is stiff but stick to knife when I cut it. Your cubes look good with sharp edges. I think mine would be worse. Like I said, just the inside needs to firm a little but this is going to be my go to new cheese. Do you think adding a small amount maybe 1 tbsp Agar Agar might help?
Thanks again for the great recipe
Steve
Great, Steve! Thanks so much for sharing your tips 😊
@Steve, You might want to adding a small amount (start with one Tbsp) of Cassava flour mixed into the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients.
Cassava flour absorbs a ton of water, sets up well, and doesn’t melt under heat like agar-agar does, but it’s a lot harder to work with.
I’d try it out, but you’d have to start folding the mixture in a non-stick skillet after whisking it smooth, instead of just whisking, because it will become very thick very quickly.
Hi – newly dairy free former cheese fiend…so your cheese recipes are definitely high on my list of priorities.
How long can I store these (hypothetically speaking as I’m expecting to devour the lot ASAP).
Thanks!
Well, I don’t have any idea what I’m doing wrong, but I’ve attempted to make this twice now. Each time, I’m left with an ooey-gooey mess. Even though it gets very thick while cooking, it doesn’t really set up, and gives off tons of water (I keep pouring off and pouring off, and I’ve even tried putting paper towels in to soak it up.) Then it cracks (even though it’s mostly goo) and is never something I could slice, dice, or grate, at all. Is the besan I’m using somehow wrong? Are there no additional thickeners? I think I might have to give up on this one, as I’m not getting very far!
Hi Geof,
I am so sorry you are having trouble with this! Can I ask how long you have let the cheese set? I’m trying to figure out what could be going wrong. The type of chickpea flour/besan should not make any difference.
One thing I want to check: I just want to make sure that you are only using 2 and 1/4 cups water TOTAL. Based on your description, it sounds like there is far too much water. 1 cup of the water gets added in at step 2, the remaining 1 and 1/4 cups at step 3. Is there any possibility of that you added more (e.g., 1 cup at step two, 2 and 1/4 cups at step three)? Just checking!
i am planning to make this now.. possibly you might have taken an actual cup of chickpea flour? i don’t know what kind of cup the person of this website has but whereever i look a cup of chickpea flour is around 92 gram, while in this recipe it says a cup is 120g.
i don’t know if this person has used the same cup size for the water and nutritional yeast, but i’m afraid i’m being set up for disaster here.
however i just put 120g in some thing that had a cup measurement on it and it does seem to work out, don’t know why every source i can find says a cup is 92 gram.
i’ll let know how it went.
Hi! Hmm, that’s odd— all the brands in the use are standardized to 1/4 of chickpea flour equaling 30 grams (120 per cup) . It is still standard in the US to use standardized cups for baking and cooking in recipes, so if that is not the norm where you are (from your email, Netherlands?), definitely go with the grams measurement.
God this is so useful, thanks. If literally had this whole cup grammar chaos confusion madness playing havoc some days now & this makes sense. I noticed some people actually put 1 cup 90 gram or another amount. Tres confusing!
@Geof, I hope you get to see this, because I’m replying 3 years later. But I’ going to write this anyway so that it might help anyone else that’s using besan instead of chickpea flour. Besan is more finely ground than most chickpea flour; you will need to use less water.
Hi was wondering if it could be made without the yeast, unfortunately I am intolerant to yeast
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, you can, it will still come together like the but it won’t really have much cheese-y flavor. But I have some ideas you could try : (1) use unsweetened cashew butter in place of the tahini (it has more of a cheese-y flavor, plus add an extra tablespoon or two, (2) If you eat soy, add a tablespoon or so of soy sauce or liquid aminos, (3) light toast the chickpea flour before using (just place in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir until light golden brown) to up the umami flavor of the chickpeas; (4) soak some dried mushrooms in water. Use the water from the soaking, and the soaked mushrooms (finely chop them) to get the umami/cheese-y flavor. 🙂
What brand of chickpea flour do you use? I’ve had trouble finding one without a nut warning!
Hi Autumn,
I have probably used every brand multiple times, all with equivalent results. Apologies, I have not made note of the nut warnings!
This came out great. Made a tomato pie with it. Froze the “cheese” and then cubed to add to the recipe in place of dairy cheese. Turned out very tasty. Can you double the recipe?
Oh my goodness, that sounds so good, Dee! Yes, you can certainly double the recipe! Thank you for your note about freezing the cheese. I had not tried to freeze it before you mentioned it here, and, like you indicate, it froze well!
Looks awesome ! Does it freeze well ? Is there an amount of dry mustard i can use to substitute the prepared one or you wouldn’t recommend it ?
Hi Nikos,
I have now tried freezing it, and yes, it does freeze well! I have been cutting it into somewhat smaller pieces before freezing to make it easier to remove small pieces at a time. The cheese becomes more dense after freezing and defrosting, which I like, especially if I use it in a recipe (as opposed to eating it plain). Yes, you can use dry mustard (perhaps 1 or 2 teaspoons? I have not tested, you can go by taste). You may want to add a touch more vinegar and a pinch of turmeric (which are in prepared mustard), and perhaps an extra tablespoon of water.
Is cider vinegar the same as Apple cider vinegar?
Can’t wait to try this, I’ve been searching for a vegan cheddar cheese that is firm and can be cut up!
Hi Davina,
It is indeed the same. You can use white vinegar, white or red wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar , too (the only one that might be odd is balsamic vinegar). I am with you, I need Vegan cheese that will slice or cube for a wide range of eating options. Enjoy!
No, they are not the same. Cider vinegar is stronger.
Hi Paulette,
That is not true. Cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar are the same except that, if “apple” is not specified (i.e., just “cider vinegar”) then it can be made from apples OR other fruits. There can be a lot of variation in strength of different vinegars, true, but it is based on the brand, and the process. In the case of cider vinegars, some apple cider vinegars will be stronger than bottles marked cider vinegars, and vice versa. And apple cider vinegars can vary in taste and strength from brand to brand. The main point is that absolutely, you can use cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar interchangeably in this recipe.
Trader Joe’s also carries it!
Thanks, Thea!
Is this dry powderd mustard or prepared musterd?
Where can I buy this yeast?
I really want to make this.
Hi Sandia! It is prepared mustard (I have a photo in the post :)). I used Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast; it is the most common brand. It is typically shelved in the health food section of grocery stores, or sold in natural food stores. You can also google it and find countless online sources for ordering it. It It is high in protein and B vitamins and is a great multipurpose seasoning in all kinds of things!