Vegan feta cheese adds creamy, tangy flavor to salads, mezze platters, and wraps.
Made with blanched almonds and baked in the oven, it has the perfect dense but creamy texture. Vegan, soy-free, and gluten-free.
I love a good vegan feta cheese. It sets off garlicky and briny flavors just right.
I used to buy vegan feta alternatives in stores. But once I started making my own, it was a game changer.
Now I always have this staple in the refrigerator or freezer, ready at a moment’s notice.
A lot of homemade vegan feta recipes use tofu. And that’s okay. But for a really dense, creamy yet crumbly texture, almonds do an amazing job.
Once they’re blended with other flavorful ingredients and baked, they add fat & oomph to this mouthwatering dairy-free cheese.
Pro tip: Whenever I make this recipe, I make a double batch. It’s easier to blend, and it’s not much more work. Plus, you get double the amount of feta!
In this post:
Why readers love this recipe
“Thanks! I made a double batch as per the tall Vitamix recommendation, and it turned out beautifully. My husband tasted the leftovers in the blender container just after I popped the cocottes in the oven, and I had to pull out one of the cocottes upon his request so he could demolish the spread on crackers.
Needless to say, it was a great success, and I foresee many more batches of this feta in our future! 🙂“ – Yvonne
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Blanched almonds: For the best creamy texture and bright white color, blanched almonds are a must for this baked vegan feta recipe. You can find them in grocery stores, like Natural Grocers.
Or you can skin raw almonds yourself. That's not hard to do. Check out the details in this post, how to blanch almonds.
Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed has the best flavor.
Olive brine: Olive brine is my secret ingredient! I use the brine from Castelvetrano olives, which are my favorite. They have a light, bright quality that works especially well here.
However, any kind of olive brine will do. If you're not a fan of olives, don't worry. It doesn't take over at all. It just adds a tangy background tone.
Olive brine can be replaced with the juice from a jar of sauerkraut or pepperoncini peppers.
Extra virgin olive oil: This adds flavor & fat. It can be replaced with regular olive oil.
Salt: Cheese is known for its saltiness. So a little salt is a must.
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds bite. If you’d prefer, it can be replaced with ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Step by step instructions
This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put the following in a high-speed blender:
- Blanched almonds (store-bought or skinned by hand)
- Lemon juice
- Olive brine
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Water
- Garlic clove
Blend until smooth.
Put a square piece of parchment paper into an 8-ounce mini cocotte or ramekin.
(This is the same size cocotte I use for my mini vegetable pot pie.)
Smash the parchment down into the container to line it fully. Then cut off any excess from around the top.
Pour the creamy almond cheese mixture into it, and smooth the top with a knife.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
You'll know it's done with the top is cracked and lightly brown around the edges.
Allow it to cool slightly before removing from the cocotte or ramekin.
You can serve this feta warm with crackers as-is. The exterior reminds me a little of puff pastry.
Or put it into the refrigerator to cool & firm further.
When you're ready to use it, crumble it into uneven pieces with your hands.
Make it your own
You can make this plant based feta cheese your own by varying/adding certain ingredients.
- Instead of olive brine, use the liquid from a jar of sauerkraut or pepperoncini peppers
- Vary the amounts/types of oil
- Add your favorite seasonings like dried oregano, dried basil, dried rosemary, and/or lemon zest
Serving ideas
Obviously you can enjoy this baked almond feta right out of the oven with bread or crackers.
But there are so many more options – like Greek salad or on pasta!
- Put baked feta on a mezze platter with olive tapenade, hummus, baba ganoush & pita chips
- Use it as a topping on olive hummus
- Add it to a spinach salad with strawberries, tomato cucumber salad, or fall salad
- Make feta cheese-filled fried olives
- Stir it into Mediterranean pasta or bowtie pasta salad
- Sprinkle it in a veggie wrap with vegan chick'n strips and tahini dressing
- Use it as a topping on vegan shakshuka or a falafel bowl
- Add it to gravy smothered fries for vegan poutine
- Put it on black bean tacos, refried beans, or tortilla soup like a vegan cotija cheese
Storage instructions
Store vegan feta cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for two weeks.
To make it last even longer, freeze it. I recommend freezing it in crumbles, so that it’s easier to grab just a few pieces as needed.
Put the crumbled cheese in a freezer-safe container. Then when you want some, use a butter knife to break it up in the container to free it loose.
When you’re ready to enjoy it, let it thaw in the refrigerator. Or you can use the defrost function on the microwave. But be careful! You don't want to microwave it for long and make it hard.
If defrosting in the microwave, stay close by. It typically needs less than 30 seconds. You don't want the cheese to get warm - just softened.
More vegan cheese recipes
Try these other dairy-free cheeses for even more deliciousness:
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
The BEST vegan feta cheese recipe (with almonds)
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almonds soaked if necessary
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons olive brine or sauerkraut juice
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ cup water
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Put all of the ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides for even blending, if necessary.
- Line an 8-ounce mini cocotte or ramekin with parchment paper. Use scissors to cut off any excess paper from around the edges. Then pour in all of the almond cheese mixture from the blender. Use a spoon to smooth the top of the spread.
- Put the cocotte or ramekin into the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You'll know it's done when the top starts to crack and brown slightly, like a perfectly done toasted marshmallow.
- Remove from oven and allow it to cool slightly before removing the cheese from the cocotte or ramekin. You can serve the cheese warm. But for the most feta-like experience, put it into the refrigerator to cool in a covered container. It will continue to firm.
- When you're ready to use it, crumble the almond cheese in your hands into rough feta shapes.
Jordanna
Hello again, Cadry!
I forgot to add in my previous email is it ok to use sliced blanched almonds or slivered blanched almonds or do you recommend whole blanched almonds for the best texture?
Thanks again so much,
Jordanna
Cadry Nelson
Hi again!
I really don’t know if sliced or slivered blanched almonds would work the same way for the recipe. I’ve only made it with whole blanched almonds.
My main concern would be that the amounts could be off, because it’s easier to pack slivered almonds more densely into a measuring cup. For the sake of consistency, I’d recommend sticking with whole blanched almonds.
Happy cooking!
Cadry
Jordanna
Hello Cadry,
I am so excited that you created this recipe! I bought an 8 oz. mini cocotte that you referenced in this post and it will be coming this Thursday from Amazon. I plan to use it in a falafel recipe. Quick question! Do I need to cover the mini 8 oz. cocotte while it bakes in the oven or do you leave the cover off? I so appreciate you taking the time to answer this question! Thank you again for creating what looks to be an amazing recipe! Be well, Jordanna
Cadry Nelson
Hi, Jordanna!
Good question! You’ll leave the cover off of the cocotte when baking. You don’t need it at all for this recipe. If you watch the cooking video demonstration, you can see how the cheese puffs up & browns when it bakes. That’s part of the magic! 😀
Please come back and let me know how you enjoyed the recipe! Best, Cadry
Cho
This is an absolute winner!!!
Been looking for a vegan feta recipe without tofu or cashew and this is perfect. Thanks so much for creating & sharing this recipe! 🙂
Cadry Nelson
Excellent! I’m so happy to hear that, Cho! I’m delighted you’re enjoying the recipe, and thank you for letting me know!
Earlene
I made this 2 days ago and already my husband is asking for more. The first time I made it with sauerkraut brine, but this time I used the secret olive brine and it was it was even better. The sauerkraut was good, but this one was a little more complex. Thanks also for the simple blanching method because I am basically a lazy cook and that made it easy.
Cadry Nelson
I’m so glad that you & your husband enjoyed it. Thanks for the wonderful feedback!
Brigitte
Can I use walnuts ?
Cadry Nelson
I haven’t tried it with walnuts, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you want to explore this recipe with other nuts, I’d recommend cashews or macadamia nuts.
Yvonne
Do you know have a weight measurement for the almonds? I found blanched slivered almonds at the store, but couldn’t find whole blanched almonds, and want to make sure I’m not using too many. Thanks!
Cadry
Sure, I just weighed them. It’s 5.4 ounces. Let me know how it goes with the slivered almonds! I’ve never tried it that way.
Yvonne
Thanks! I made a double batch as per the tall Vitamix recommendation, and it turned out beautifully. My husband tasted the leftovers in the blender container just after I popped the cocottes in the oven, and I had to pull out one of the cocottes upon his request so he could demolish the spread on crackers. Needless to say, it was a great success, and I foresee many more batches of this feta in our future! 🙂
Cadry
I’m so pleased to hear that, Yvonne! Thank you for the great feedback. I’m delighted that you and your husband enjoyed it!
Mandy
Cadry, this feta is incredible!!!! I’ve never made my own before, and I’ve never blanched almonds…so thanks for the guidance! I couldn’t believe how easily the skins came off of the almonds – I will definitely use this method again. We doubled the recipe and I’m so glad we did! Not only was it delicious right out of the blender, but even better baked…can’t wait to try it once it’s chilled and set in the fridge. So far, Josh and I enjoyed some with crackers and crumbled some on top of our veggie bowls. Definitely making this again and adding it to our list of holiday recipes!
Cadry
Yay!! I’m so delighted to hear that, Mandy. Thank you for letting me know!!
Melissa
This is SO GOOD!! I realized halfway in that we didn’t have any olives, so I subbed dill pickle brine instead. It has a faint pickle flavor, but I don’t think you’d notice it if you didn’t know the pickle brine was in there. Regardless, I could not stop eating this while I was crumbling it. Will definitely make again.
Cadry
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa! Thanks for the great feedback and the insight on subbing dill pickle juice.
Lucy
This stuff is great! I have to admit that I got lazy and didn’t blanch my almonds and it tasted wonderful nonetheless (I always think almond skins sort of taste like mushrooms–is that crazy?). Also added some lemon zest because I can’t bear to cut open a new lemon without using the zest in something!
Will try it with the blanched almonds next time to compare!
Cadry
That’s great, Lucy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s good to know that it tasted wonderful, even without blanching the almonds. And excellent idea adding lemon zest! I added that to the modification ideas. Thanks for the feedback!
simon andrew
This recipe is full of fibers and vitamins thanks for sharing I will try it at home
Shell
Yum! It looks so good when it is warm! I would have a hard time not gobbling it up right away.
Cadry
That’s understandable! I always have to snag some of the exterior when it’s warm out of the oven. It reminds me of eating the puff pastry from brie en croute before I went vegan.