Vegan Queso Cotija

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This vegan queso cotija is crumbly, salty, and tangy. There’s absolutely no dairy in it and it’s delicious. It is perfect for topping sopes, chilaquiles, enchiladas, gorditas, salads, and pastas.

Slivered almonds in the bowl of a food processor.

If you are new to veganism I just want to let you know that I get it, I miss cheese too. I loved cheese, all kinds of cheese! This is why I detest processed vegan cheese, because it just doesn’t taste like the original. (I haven’t had the privilege of tasting Miyokos vegan cheese, they say it’s a game changer though.) There are exceptions to this, like this vegan cotija cheese which is made from almonds. It of course is not like the original, but let’s just say it evokes the sensation and taste of cotija cheese.

Almonds processed to fine meal in the bowl of a food processor.

Almond meal straining in a cheesecloth lined bowl.

Cotija is actually a small town in the mountains of the state of Michoacan. The cheese is said to have originated more than 400 years ago. It was made by the local people to keep milk from spoiling by turning it into aged cheese. The cheese is aged for about 3 months and is available in large rounds. I visited Cotija, many years ago, and I remember being blown away by the sight of the huge cheese rounds in the local shops and restaurants.

Almond meal wrapped in cheesecloth on a plate.

You must be wondering why I’m talking about the actual cheese making. Well, this blog is all about making traditional Mexican food vegan, but also about preserving our Mexican food traditions and food culture as much as possible. So, it’s important to look into the history a little bit. Plus, I’m a total food nerd.

Vegan queso cojito crumbles in a small blue bowl.

The Recipe: Vegan Queso Cotija

I got the idea of using almonds for this cheese from Eddie Garza’s book Salud, Vegan Mexican and from this recipe from Veggies Don’t Bite. I’ve put my own spin on it.

  • Use slivered almonds, do not soak them.
  • You can also use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
This vegan queso cotija is crumbly, salty, and tangy. There’s absolutely no dairy in it and it’s delicious. It is perfect for topping sopes, chilaquiles, enchiladas, gorditas, salads, and pastas.
Save Recipe
4.45 from 18 votes

Vegan Queso Cotija

This vegan queso cotija is crumbly, salty, and tangy. There’s absolutely no dairy in it and it’s delicious. It is perfect for topping sopes, chilaquiles, enchiladas, gorditas, salads, and pastas.
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time23 hours 45 minutes
Total Time1 day
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 78kcal
Author: Dora R.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Slivered almonds
  • 2 tsp. Lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Brine from a jar of manzanilla olives
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Place the almonds. Lemon juice, brine, and salt in a food processor.
  • Process until you get a crumbly mixture resembling cheese, about 4-5 minutes. Be careful not over process or you’ll end up with almond butter.
  • Place mixture in a cheese cloth or nut bag and twist tight to close and squeeze all of the excess liquid out.
  • Place in the refrigerator for 24 hrs.
  • Remove cheese from cloth and crumble.

Video

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Notes

You can also use lime juice. Recipe adapted from Veggies Don’t bite
If you eat nutritional yeast, add 1 tsp. to the recipe before processing.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @dorastable or tag #mexicangonevegan!

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24 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you for this easy recipe! I hope I did this right. It was very crumbly like your picture, but I was unable to just process straight for 4-5 minutes maybe because I used my small food processor, so it was very broken up and I don’t think I did it for that long. Next time I’ll use a timer and pause it when I have to pause the processor to use a fork to loosen everything up. Also when I squeezed the nutbag, oil from the almonds did saturate the bag, but no actual liquid dripped out and I felt like I was squeezing very hard. Is this normal? At any rate it is in my fridge now and I hope to enjoy it tomorrow. Any feedback for a novice healthy eater would be great. Thanks again!

    1. The time will vary according to your food processor. Yes the oil part is normal. The purpose of squeezing it is to make sure to get out as much moisture as possible.

  2. I’m not vegan but I am certainly interested in progressing towards eating this way, I was wondering if this actually tastes cheesy or just mimics texture. Have you tried blending a little nutritional yeast or vegan fish sauce with this to give extra extra funk?

    1. I’ve been been looking for a recipe for vegan cotija cheese. Unfortunately I’m allergic to almonds. What do you suggest for an alternative?

  3. 5 stars
    So good. I put this on a Mexican corn salad that I made for my family – who are not vegan – and every single one of them loved the taste. I’m always using cashews in my cheeses, so it’s nice to have a use for the almonds! And, I’ll be using this one a lot.

      1. Hi Dora
        Just want to know how long does it keep in the fridge?
        Love your recipes!!
        Thank you

  4. No one in my family (myself included) really enjoys the taste of olives. I noticed that the recipe you adapted from used white vinegar instead. What sort of flavor does the olive brine bring to the table that the vinegar does not? Is there a better substitute for the olive brine (aside from the vinegar) that you know of?

    1. Hi Brianna, if you don’t enjoy olive you can sub for lemon juice. All it does is add acidity, the olive juice adds a little funkiness to the cheese but it’s not necessary

  5. Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to let it ferment overnight on the counter-top to get some more tang. Works well with cashew cheese.

4.45 from 18 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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