You only need 5 ingredients to make this vegan mascarpone. It's smooth, creamy, tangy, and so close to the original. Perfect for both savory and sweet recipes like tiramisu, cheesecake, pasta, or on top of pizza or toast.
Add the full can of coconut milk, soy milk, and yogurt to a saucepan and whisk well to combine. Slowly heat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the temperature reaches 85-90°C (185-194°F).
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Place the pot back on the heat and continue to heat on medium heat for another 10 minutes, without agitating the pot - it should be bubbly and foamy on top and some of the curds will appear to be separating from the liquid.Remove the pot from the heat again and let it cool completely to room temperature for about 30 minutes or so. The mixture will start to appear curdled and thicken in parts.
Place a fine-mesh sieve or colander over a large mixing bowl and line the sieve/colander with cheesecloth. Transfer the cooled cream to the lined sieve/colander. Secure the top of the cheesecloth with a rubber band or loosely cover it with foil or a large plate. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
After the cheese is chilled and strained, you'll be left with a mixture of water and light cream in the bowl. You can reserve this and use it for other recipes such as pasta. What's left in the cheesecloth will be thick vegan mascarpone cheese.
Transfer the mascarpone to a large mixing bowl and whisk for 3-5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Serving: Use in vegan desserts like tiramisu, or in place of vegan yogurt in cheesecake recipes, or top pizza, add to pasta, or simply enjoy with fresh fruit or on a slice of toast with a drizzle of agave or maple syrup.For a sweet mascarpone cream, stir in 1-2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup or whisk in 2 tablespoons of confectioner's sugar.
Storage: Place the mascarpone in an airtight jar or container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
Coconut Milk - Avoid coconut milk with added guar gum or other stabilizers, as this prevents the cream from separating - which is necessary for this recipe. I recommend Biona or Nature's Charm natural coconut milk.
Let the mascarpone mixture cool completely before transferring it to the cheesecloth. If you try to drain it whilst hot, you will lose a lot of the fat particles which first need to cool and thicken slightly.
Don't throw out the strained liquid. You can use this in so many other recipes that usually call for milk or buttermilk (think pancakes, tortillas, curries, or creamy pasta sauce, perhaps even bread, etc.)
If you can't find a dairy-free substitute for Greek yogurt, then regular unsweetened soy yogurt is fine. The mixture will yield a fraction less of the solid mascarpone cheese.
I do recommend using a candy thermometer, but if you're keen to go ahead and make the recipe without one, just follow the timings closely and use the images above for reference!