This is the best vegan mascarpone recipe. Slightly sweet and just a little tart it's made with raw cashews, coconut milk, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup to keep it dairy free yet still creamy and delicious. It's so easy to make and can be used in so many ways. It's also paleo and refined sugar free.
Why you will love this recipe:
- This dairy free mascarpone has the best flavour! Slightly sweet and a little tart, just like traditional mascarpone.
- It's so quick and easy to make and stores well in the fridge so is a great option for meal prep.
- It's so creamy and rich and spreads really well. It has such a velvety texture.
- It's made with simple ingredients like cashews, coconut milk and maple syrup and only takes a couple simple steps to make.
- This plant based mascarpone can be used in so many ways including making tiramisu and mascarpone pasta. It's a great vegan substitute for classic mascarpone.
- This recipe is also dairy free, refined sugar free, vegetarian, made with no animal products, and paleo so it's great no matter what your allergies or dietary needs.
- It's made with no cheese, no tofu, no coconut oil, no yogurt and no cream.
- If you love dairy free sauces you will also love vegan cheese sauce.
Taste and texture:
This creamy vegan mascarpone is thick, smooth and creamy. It has such a rich flavour that is slightly sweet yet also a little tart. This homemade mascarpone has the perfect smooth texture that makes it the perfect choice for both sweet desserts and savoury recipes.
Key ingredients and substitutions:
You should be able to find all of these simple ingredients at your local grocery store. For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Raw cashews - these are key for this dairy-free mascarpone recipe and give it that nice thick and creamy texture. Be sure to use raw cashews and not roasted cashews as roasted cashews will give this mascarpone a weird flavour.
- Coconut milk - I recommend using full-fat coconut milk for this recipe. This helps give this mascarpone recipe the most creamy and rich texture. Instead of coconut milk you could also use coconut cream which is also nice and thick. I do not recommend trying to use soy milk, almond milk or oat milk to make this recipe as they are all too thin and watery.
- Apple cider vinegar - to give it that perfect tartness and subtle tang. You could swap this for lemon juice or white vinegar if you don't have apple cider vinegar.
- Lemon juice - another tart ingredient to give this mascarpone the perfect tangy flavor is fresh lemon juice. You could also swap this for more apple cider vinegar if you wish.
- Maple syrup - this liquid sweetener adds just a touch of sweetness while keeping this recipe refined sugar free and sweetened naturally. You could swap this for date syrup if you don't have maple syrup.
Step-by-step instructions:
Step one:
First, place all the ingredients into your food processor or high-speed blender.
Step two:
Then blend everything well until the mascarpone has the texture you prefer.
Step three:
Then serve and enjoy!
Tips and variations:
- To make this homemade vegan mascarpone sweeter: add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup.
- To make it more bitter: add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice.
- For an even more delicious flavour add a little vanilla extract. This is great if you want to use this mascarpone for making desserts.
- Don't skip soaking the cashews. Soaked cashews helps this recipe turn out perfectly creamy when you blend all the ingredients together.
- Feel free to make a double or triple batch if you are serving a crowd.
How to serve:
This mascarpone can be used in many ways. Traditionally it is used to make tiramisu so you can use it to make a vegan tiramisu recipe. You can also use this recipe to top cakes, as an icing, as a bagel spread, or as a dip for fresh fruit. It can also be used to make creamy pasta sauces, to add to more savory recipes like soups, pasta dishes, or stews, or even to make mascarpone pasta!
How to store:
Store this mascarpone in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. It will firm up in the fridge so allow it to come to room temperature before serving again. You could also add a bit of hot water to help soften it more quickly.
This mascarpone also freezes really well in an airtight container or jar for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions:
Traditional mascarpone is an Italian soft cheese that is made from cream. It resembles cream cheese and is coagulated through the addition of acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid.
It is classically used to make tiramisu, but it can be used for many other things including as a frosting or sauce. I love using it as a dip for fresh fruit or as a topping for cakes, cupcakes or even banana bread. It can also be used in pasta sauces, soups or as a topping for cooked vegetables. It can even be used as a bagel spread.
This mascarpone is made with real food ingredients including cashews, maple syrup and coconut milk making it refined sugar free and a healthy dessert option.
Traditional mascarpone is made from cream.
Other vegan recipes you will love:
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Recipe
Vegan Mascarpone
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 1-2 hours
- 1/4 cup plus one tablespoon full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into your food processor.
- Blend well until smooth. Then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- To make it sweeter: add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup.
- To make it more bitter: add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Store this in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 7 days.
Amber
How much does this end up making? Enough for two layers/filling on a cake?
Erin Carter
It yields just over 1 1/2 cups (I haven't actually measured but based on the raw ingredients I think that's what it works out too).