Cheese is probably the most problematic food for most vegans; it doesn’t taste the same, and very often, it doesn’t behave in the same way. Getting vegan cheese to melt properly, for example, can be a major issue.
Unfortunately, most vegan cheeses struggle to melt properly because they lack casein. This is a protein found in animal milk that causes the cheese to melt when it is exposed to heat. Casein is a complicated structure and we don’t yet really understand how it works, which is why it has been so hard for the makers of vegan cheese to replicate its behavior.
In this article, we’re going to learn more about why vegan cheese doesn’t melt easily. We’ll also briefly touch on the ways you can encourage your cheese to melt a little more.
Why Does Vegan Cheese Fail To Melt?
The main reason that vegan cheese fails to melt is that it does not contain casein. Casein appears as little balls inside the cheese, but it is thought to have a more complex molecular structure than any other protein type.
This means that it is extremely difficult to recreate. Frustratingly, researchers don’t yet know how the balls of casein work, or what the structures within the balls look like.
Added to this, casein only occurs in animal milk; it is not present in any non-dairy substances. Goat milk, cow milk, sheep milk, etc., all contain casein, but no plant-based products do. That means that anything made with plant-based products cannot react to being heated in the same way, and cheese’s melting properties are extremely difficult to replicate.
However, some researchers are still working on this challenge, and are looking for new ways to mimic how casein behaves in cheese. The current most promising approaches include:
- A fungal strain that behaves in a similar way to casein
- A microbe-grown casein that is not produced by animals
- Tapioca starch (which makes the cheese stretchier)
- Psyllium husk powder (which makes the cheese stringier)
There are other ingredients that may make the vegan cheese more closely mimic traditional cheese, but those are some of the major ones being developed at the moment. If you are struggling to find a vegan cheese that melts properly, try a few different brands, and look out for one that specifically advertises itself as melting cheese.
Why Does Vegan Cheese Melt A Little Bit?
Although vegan cheese rarely takes on the deliciously stringy, melty properties of traditional cheese, you may have noticed that it does melt a little when you heat it. That might not be enough to satisfy your desire for stringy cheese, but it should be noticeable. This is because some of the proteins the cheese contains may behave in slightly similar ways.
The cheeses that mimic traditional melting cheeses (such as vegan mozzarella) are more likely to have this property than block cheeses. Manufacturers of block cheeses will often focus on the taste and the texture of the unheated cheese, so look for things like mozzarella, Havarti, Swiss, and others.
How Do You Melt Vegan Cheese?
You can melt vegan cheese using several different methods, so you may want to experiment to see what gives you the best results with your specific kind of cheese.
In some cases, you’ll just be placing slices on a burger or grating it onto pasta. In these situations, the residual heat will melt the cheese a little – but in others, you’ll actively want to melt the cheese. You can do this in an oven, on a stovetop, or in the microwave, and taking the right approach will result in creamy, smooth, and sometimes even stringy cheese.
To melt cheese in the oven, you should layer the grated cheese thinly over the food (whether that’s a casserole or nachos) and put it in the oven on a hot temperature. The small the pieces of cheese are, the better they should melt, so don’t put large chunks in. Bake it until the cheese is bubbling and has fully melted.
If you’d rather melt the cheese on the stove, you’ll need two types of vegan cheese, and a plant-based milk, such as soy milk. Grate the cheeses into a pan, and then add a little plant-based milk and heat gently over medium-low heat. Keep stirring until you have a sauce.
To melt the cheese in the microwave, grate vegan cheese into a non-stick container, and add a little plant-based milk and a dash of vinegar. Microwave for 5 seconds, stir, microwave for 5 seconds, stir, and repeat this process until the cheese is smooth.
Conclusion
Vegan cheese is among the most challenging vegan foods out there, especially if you’re looking for a melty, stringy consistency. Because it lacks casein, it doesn’t melt like traditional cheese does, even though major progress has been made in this area.
