Best Vegan Cottage Cheese Recipes For Your Kids

Best Vegan Cottage Cheese Recipes For Your Kids

Are you a parent searching for healthy and delicious vegan options for your kids? Cottage cheese is a popular and versatile ingredient used in many kid-friendly recipes.

You might ask yourself, but what if you follow a vegan diet and want to avoid dairy products? Don't worry; we've got you covered!

In this blog post, I'll share some easy and delicious vegan cottage cheese recipes your kids will love.

These recipes are healthy, nutritious, and dairy-free, making them a perfect choice for vegan families. So, let's get started and explore some tasty vegan cottage cheese recipes for your little ones!

What Is Vegan Cottage Cheese?

Vegan cottage cheese is a dairy-free alternative to traditional cottage cheese made from cow's milk.

Vegan cottage cheese is suitable for individuals following a vegan diet, lactose intolerant, or dairy allergies.

There are various ways to make vegan cottage cheese, but the most common base is plant-based milk, such as soy milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.

The milk is usually coagulated using a vegan-friendly acid, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, which gives it a curd-like texture similar to traditional cottage cheese.

To add flavour and additional texture, vegan cottage cheese can be seasoned with herbs, spices, or nutritional yeast, which gives it a cheesy flavour.

Some recipes also incorporate ingredients like tofu or vegan yogurt to enhance the creaminess and protein content.

Vegan cottage cheese can be used in similar ways to traditional cottage cheese. It can be enjoyed on its own, added to salads, used as a topping for baked potatoes or toast, or incorporated into various recipes like lasagna, stuffed peppers, or vegan cheesecake.

It's important to note that vegan cottage cheese's specific ingredients and nutritional content can vary depending on the brand or homemade recipe. If you're looking for a vegan cottage cheese product, check the label or search for recipes that align with your dietary preferences and needs.

What Is Vegan Cottage Cheese Made Of?

Vegan cottage cheese is typically made using plant-based ingredients instead of dairy products.

While the exact ingredients can vary depending on the recipe or brand, here are some common components used in vegan cottage cheese:

1. Plant-Based Milk

Soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or other non-dairy milk alternatives are commonly used as the base for vegan cottage cheese.

2. Coagulating Agent

A coagulating agent is added to the plant-based milk to achieve the curd-like texture of cottage cheese.

Lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or another acidic substance is often used to curdle the milk and create a cheese-like consistency.

3. Flavourings

Vegan cottage cheese can be seasoned with various herbs, spices, and flavourings to mimic the taste of traditional cottage cheese.

Ingredients like nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, chives, or salt are commonly used to enhance flavour.

4. Thickener

Some recipes may incorporate a thickening agent like agar-agar, tapioca starch, or arrowroot powder to achieve a more cohesive texture.

5. Additional Ingredients

Vegan cottage cheese can include other ingredients to enhance its creaminess or protein content, depending on the recipe. This may include silken tofu, vegan yogurt, or cashew nuts.

Best Vegan Cottage Cheese Recipes for Your Kids

1. Vegan Cottage Cheese With Cashews

The perfect vegan cottage cheese is savoury and simple, with the ideal cottage cheese texture. It's even better than the ‘real thing.'

Prep time: 15 minutes | Soaking time: 1 hour | Total time: 1¼ hours | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• Raw cashews: 1½ cups (225g) – soaked in hot water for 1 hour
• Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons, freshly squeezed
• Coconut cream: ½ cup (120ml)
• Water: ⅓ cup (80ml)
• Distilled white vinegar: 1 teaspoon
• Sea salt: 1 teaspoon
• Nutritional yeast flakes: 1 tablespoon
• Onion powder: 1 teaspoon
• Garlic powder: 1 teaspoon
• Extra-firm tofu: 8 oz (226g), crumbled.
• Fresh chives: 1 teaspoon, finely chopped

Method

1. Soak the cashews in hot water for 1 hour.
2. Place them into the blender.
3. Add the lemon juice, coconut cream, water, distilled vinegar, sea salt, nutritional yeast, onion and garlic powder to the blender and process until the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into a glass bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, crumble the firm tofu with a fork or your fingers.
6. Add the chopped chives and the crumbled tofu to the blended cottage cheese mix and fold everything together gently so you don't break up the tofu.
7. Place the vegan cottage into the fridge and let it firm up.
8. Enjoy it with French bread or a dip with vegetables or baked potatoes.

2. Vegan Cottage Cheese Without Nuts

This Vegan cottage cheese tastes like the one we used to eat but without the dairy! To make a batch, you only need 4 ingredients, 1 bowl, and 10 minutes.

It's creamy, can rich in plant-based protein. You use it any way you would use regular cottage cheese. Enjoy it sweet or savoury, hot or cold.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Chill time: 1 hour or more | Total time: 10 minutes | Servings: 5 (1¾ cups)

 Ingredients

• Extra-firm or regular tofu: 14 oz (400g)
• Vegan yogurt: ½ to ⅔ cup (plain and unsweetened)
• Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon, freshly squeezed
• Sea salt: ¾ to 1 teaspoon
• Garlic powder: ½ teaspoon (optional)

Method

1. Pressing the tofu is unnecessary, but we want to remove some liquid. Wrap the tofu block in a tea towel or paper towel and gently squeeze it.
2. Place the tofu and the other ingredients into a bowl, starting with less yogurt and salt.
3. Mash the tofu with your fingers or a fork into “curds.”
4. Carefully incorporate it with the yogurt and seasonings.
5. Taste for seasoning, adding more yogurt, garlic, and salt, if desired. 
6. Enjoy your deliciously healthy vegan cottage cheese immediately. You can also place it in the fridge for an hour or more to allow the flavours to mingle.

3. Vegan Cottage Cheese With Dairy-Free Yogurt

This vegan cottage cheese is a wonderful replacement for its dairy counterpart, mimicking the texture with harder curds, a softer sauce, and a neutral flavour.

Plus, this recipe is dairy-free, lactose-free, gluten-free, low-carb, low-fat, and uses just 5 base ingredients.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Chill time: 1 hour or more | Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• Firm tofu: 8 oz (225g)
• Dairy-free unsweetened yogurt: ½ cup (120g)
• Sea salt: ½ teaspoon or to taste
• Onion powder: ½ teaspoon – or use ¼ teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder
• White vinegar or lemon juice: 1½ teaspoons
• Nutritional yeast: 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Black pepper: ¼ teaspoon or to taste (optional)
• Fresh chives: 2 tablespoons, chopped (to garnish)

Method

1. In a medium bowl, crumble the firm tofu with your fingers or use a fork.
2. Be careful not to make the pieces too small. We need them for the “cottage cheese-like” texture.
3. Whisk the other ingredients (except the chives) in a small bowl.
4. Carefully combine the mixture with the crumbled tofu.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, vinegar, nutritional yeast, onion powder, etc., to taste.
6. Add fresh chives, stir, and chill for at least one hour.
7. Enjoy this vegan cottage cheese on your favourite bread, crackers, vegetable dip, or baked potatoes!

4. Quick & Easy Vegan Cottage Cheese With Silken And Firm Tofu

This quick and easy vegan cottage cheese recipe requires only 6 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make. It is healthy and dairy-free, which you and your kids will enjoy.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 0 minutes | Total time: 10 minutes | Servings: 4 (~2 cups)

Ingredients

• Soft or silken tofu: 1⅓ cups (300g)
• Nutritional yeast: 1 tablespoon
• Apple cider vinegar: 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon, freshly squeezed
• Sea salt: ½ teaspoon or to taste
• Firm tofu: 1½ cups (210g), crumbled

Method

1. Add the silken or soft tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and sea salt to a blender. 
2. Mix it until everything is smooth, stopping scraping the sides as needed.
3. Pour the soft tofu mixture into a medium bowl. Crumble the firm tofu into the silken tofu mixture. Mix to combine.

5. Vegan Cottage Cheese With Plant-Based Milk And Tofu

This delicious vegan cottage cheese is an excellent substitute for the dairy version. We use firm tofu (crumbled), plant-based milk, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. You can use it in recipes or enjoy it with French bread or as a dip.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Resting time: 1 hour | Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• Firm tofu: 14 oz (400g), drained and pressed
• Soy, oat or Ripple (yellow peas) milk.
• Nutritional yeast: 2 teaspoons or to taste
• Apple cider vinegar: 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
• Sea salt: ¾ teaspoon or to taste

Method

1. Drain and press the tofu. (You can use a tofu press or squeeze it between 2 cutting boards weighted down for about 15 minutes to get the liquid out of it.) 
2. Drain as much liquid as possible and crumble it into small “curds.”
3. Mix the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and salt separately. 
4. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the milk to curdle.
5. Stir the milk mixture once more and pour it over the tofu crumbles.
6. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour to soak the milk mixture and flavour. Letting it sit in the fridge for 8 hours or more is best. This way, it will soak up more of the taste.
7. Use as you would cottage cheese.

6. Vegan Cottage Cheese With Organic Tofu

Creamy, tasty, and easy to make, this Vegan Cottage Cheese is protein-packed and versatile. Enjoy with fruit and stuffed in tomatoes.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Chill time: 2-3 hours | Total time: 2-3 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 5 cups

Ingredients

• Organic silken tofu: 16 oz (454g)
• Lemon juice: 2-3 small lemons divided
• Agave syrup: 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Nutritional yeast: 1½ teaspoons (optional)
• Sea salt: 2-2½ teaspoons, divided
• Firm tofu: 14 oz (396g)

Method

1. Blend silken tofu, lemon juice, agave syrup, nutritional yeast, and sea salt to a smooth texture. Taste and adjust as needed.
2. Remove the water from the firm tofu and crumble it in a large bowl. It will get a little finer in the next step, so don't overdo it.
3. Sprinkle on the remaining teaspoon of salt and squeeze the remaining lemon over the crumbled tofu. Mix well with a fork or spoon.
4. Add the blended silken tofu mixture to a large container and mix the crumbled firm tofu until combined. It will look liquidy–don't worry, it firms up in the fridge.
5. Refrigerate the vegan cottage cheese for 2-3 hours.
6. Serve it with crudit1é or some French bread.
7. This vegan cottage cheese keeps in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

7. Easy Vegan Cottage Cheese Recipe With Tofu And Yogurt

This simple homemade vegan cottage cheese recipe uses ingredients you already have! Make it simple, or add herbs for more flavour!

Prep time: 15 minutes | Resting time: 1 hour | Total time: 1¼ hours | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Firm tofu: 10 oz (300g)
• Plant-based yogurt: ⅔ cup (187g)
• Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon, freshly squeezed
• Lemon zest: ½ teaspoon

Method

1. Begin by pressing the tofu to remove some of the excess moisture.
2. Crumble the tofu with either your fingers or a fork.
3. Combine the crumbled tofu with yogurt, lemon juice, and zest in a glass mixing bowl.
4. Add agave syrup or salt, dried herbs, and garlic powder to customize the vegan cottage cheese base to create your desired sweet or savoury flavour.

8. Dairy-Free Vegan Cottage Cheese

This quick, easy, flavourful, and protein-rich recipe is a crowd-pleaser. It's not identical to cottage cheese, but it is the closest dairy-free version. You can use this vegan cottage cheese like you would enjoy the dairy version.

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 0 minutes | Total time: 5 minutes | Servings: 1¾ cups

Ingredients

• Organic firm tofu: 12 oz (340g)
• Vegan mayonnaise: ½ cup
• Water: 2 tablespoons
• White miso: 1 tablespoon
• Sea salt: ⅜ teaspoon or to taste

Method

1. Drain and press the tofu with a tea towel to remove the excess liquid, then place it in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk the plant-based mayonnaise, water, and miso in a small bowl until smooth. Whisk in the sea salt.
3. Scrape the vegan mayonnaise mixture onto the tofu and thoroughly mash it until you get small chunks and a cottage cheese-like appearance.
4. This vegan cottage cheese can be stored in the fridge in an airtight glass container for 3-4 days. 
5. The flavours do meld a little more after a few hours of refrigeration.

9. Vegan Gluten-Free Cottage Cheese

This vegan cottage cheese uses crumbled tofu as a substitute for real curd. The rich and tangy taste comes from the silky cream of cashews, soy yogurt and lemon juice mixed into crumbled tofu.

Prep time: 25 minutes | Soak time: 1 hour | Total time: 25 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• Raw cashews: 2 cups (280g), soaked for 1 hour in boiling water
• Soy or vegan Greek-style yogurt: ½ cup (128g)
• Lemon juice: ¼ cup (60ml), freshly squeezed
• Lemon zest: ½ teaspoon
• Sea salt: ¼ teaspoon or to taste
• Firm tofu: 21 oz (600g)
• Fresh parsley: 1 tablespoon or to taste, chopped

Method

1. Put cashews in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Leave them to soak for 1 hour.
2. After 1 hour, discard the soaking water and rinse the cashews with fresh water.
3. Put cashews and all other cream ingredients in a blender: vegan yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Mix until you get a smooth and silky cream.
4. In a bowl, crumble firm tofu with the back of a fork. Add the cashew cream to the tofu and mix well with a spoon.
5. Decorate the cottage cheese with fresh parsley.
6. Store this vegan cottage cheese in the fridge.

10. Vegan Cottage Cheese With Plant-Based Milk And Yogurt

Besides soaking the cashews, you only need 15 minutes to prepare this vegan cottage cheese.

Blend all ingredients for the creamy mixture, mix it with crumbled tofu and season everything to taste.

You could eat this vegan cottage cheese directly as it is, but I preferred it the next day, as this allows the plant-based cottage cheese to improve in taste and consistency.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Soaking time: 8 hours | Total time: 8 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 14 oz (400g)

Ingredients For The Cottage Cheese

• Raw cashews: 3 oz (75g), soaked overnight or in boiling water)
• Plant-based milk: ⅓ cup (75ml)
• Plant-based yogurt: 3 tablespoons
• Nutritional yeast: 1 tablespoon
• Apple cider vinegar: 2 tablespoons
• Tofu: 7 oz (200g)
• Sea salt: ½ teaspoon or to taste
• Pepper: ¼ teaspoon or to taste

Method

1. Soak the cashews in water overnight, which will help to soften them for blending. You can also soak them in boiling water for an hour.
2. Add soaked cashews, plant-based milk, yogurt, nutritional yeast, and apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Use an immersion blender to blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Crumble tofu with your hands and add it to a bowl. Add the blended cashew mixture little by little and stir to combine. If you liked the texture before, you might not need all the cashew mix. If you prefer the cottage cheese to be creamier, add some more plant-based yogurt—season cottage cheese to taste again.
4. You can eat the vegan cottage cheese directly or let it sit overnight in your fridge. If desired, serve on bread with linseed oil, fresh garden cress, and chives.

Conclusion

As parents, we want our kids to eat healthy, nutritious meals that taste great. These vegan cottage cheese recipes give your children a fun and delicious way to enjoy healthy, plant-based foods.

From creamy dips to flavorful spreads, there's something for every tastebud. The best part? These recipes are healthy and eco-friendly, helping reduce our dependence on animal products.

By introducing your kids to vegan cottage cheese, you're nourishing their bodies and teaching them the importance of sustainable eating habits.

So, let's raise a toast to a healthier and more compassionate future, one vegan cottage cheese recipe at a time!