The Best Dairy-Free Paleo AIP Cheese - Tapioca Cheese! (Nut-Free, Vegan option) — The Curious Coconut (2024)

For some, the most difficult thing to give up when going Paleo or AIP is not bread but rather CHEESE. There is nothing quite like the rich, creamy, melty, stretchy, umami experience of cheese. There are already a lot of dairy-free Paleo cheese recipes out there, and zucchini cheese is popular for those on the AIP, but let me tell you, NONE of those recipes are anything like what I am sharing with you today: tapioca cheese, the best dairy-free Paleo and AIP cheese!

It melts without dissolving, and stretches, and will even brown. It was one of the best kitchen accidents I've ever had! This recipe was previously only available in my debut print cookbook Latin American Paleo Cooking. It's called Queso Blanco (white cheese) in the book to fit with Spanish recipe names and appears on page 170.

This truly is the best dairy-free Paleo and AIP cheese I've ever eaten....and I think this is going to make a HUGE impact, especially in the AIP community. I know how hard it can be and how limited it can feel to have to adhere to the AIP elimination phase, so it is just so amazing that this is compliant!

Tapioca cheese looks, feels, and acts just like fresh mozzarella. It has a mild flavor that works both as a topping for pizza and other savory dishes, and even in some dessert recipes as well! The Aborrajados de Platano (page 64) of my cookbook (VIDEO BELOW!)are one of my new favorite healthy desserts thanks to this Paleo and AIP cheese recipe.

A Kitchen Fail Turned Fantastic Discovery

One of the key dessert recipes in my cookbook is Tembleque (page 136), a traditional Puerto Rican coconut milk pudding and one of my husbands favorites. Traditionally it is made using corn starch, so when I was working on making a strict Paleo and AIP version, I said, "hey, why not try tapioca starch in its place?"

Well....what happened is that I ended up making this weird sweet cheese-like stuff. It was kind of awful, but I knew immediately that I had discovered something utterly amazing with how tapioca starch behaves when heated with coconut milk.

So I tested, and tested, and eventually discovered the perfect ratio of tapioca starch to coconut milk, with the minimum ingredients necessary to give it that flavor just like fresh mozzarella cheese. You only need 4 additional ingredients for this recipe!

Part of why I think this is the best dairy-free Paleo and AIP cheese ever developed is how FAST and EASY it is to make. Seriously, it comes together from start to clean up in 10 minutes.

Tips and Tricks for Tapioca Cheese, the Best Dairy-Free Paleo and AIP Cheese

The Best Dairy-Free Paleo AIP Cheese - Tapioca Cheese! (Nut-Free, Vegan option) — The Curious Coconut (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat cheese on an AIP diet? ›

The AIP Diet eliminates nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, food additives, nightshade family vegetables, and processed foods such as processed vegetable oils and processed sugars during the elimination phase of the diet. You should also avoid consuming certain drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine.

Can you eat dairy-free cheese on Paleo? ›

Melted tapioca cheese - the best dairy-free Paleo AIP cheese! Easy to make vegan, too. Tapioca cheese looks, feels, and acts just like fresh mozzarella. It has a mild flavor that works both as a topping for pizza and other savory dishes, and even in some dessert recipes as well!

Is there coconut in vegan cheese? ›

What is vegan cheese made of? Most commonly, it's made from coconut oil which replicates the fattiness of dairy rounded up with thickeners such as xanthan gum or starch, which helps to bind it together.

What cheese does not cause inflammation? ›

In particular, goat cheese contains A2 casein, with an anti-inflammatory effect for the human body. Crumbled goat cheese can be added to salads, pizzas and eggs. In addition, whipped goat cheese can also be used to flavor fruit or vegetables.

Can you eat eggs with AIP? ›

An AIP diet avoids all processed foods, alcohol, additives, refined sugars, coffee, tea, oils, and certain medications. In the elimination phase, a person will also avoid foods such as grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, and nightshade vegetables, but they may reintroduce these later.

Can I eat potatoes on paleo? ›

Generally, unprocessed potatoes of all types can be part of a paleo diet. Similarly to grains, which are off-limits on paleo, potatoes are starchy and rich in carbohydrates. However, potatoes are actually a type of starchy vegetable that grows underground, known as a tuber ( 2 , 3 ).

What cheese is OK for dairy free? ›

Hard cheeses such as cheddar, colby, Swiss, mozzarella and Monterey Jack “are virtually lactose-free,” Cifelli explains. Additionally aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano are virtually lactose free. At less than 1 mg lactose per 100 grams even the Italian Ministry of Health allows it to be labeled as such.

Are eggs paleo? ›

A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. These are foods that in the past people could get by hunting and gathering. It doesn't include foods that became more common when small-scale farming began about 10,000 years ago.

Is coconut OK for vegans? ›

Coconut milk is vegan. Unlike cows' milk, for which mums and babies are torn apart so humans can consume mammary secretions, coconut milk doesn't come from an animal. Coconut milk is made by grating the white flesh inside a mature coconut and soaking it in hot water. It doesn't involve stealing anything from an animal.

Why is coconut milk not vegan? ›

Yes, coconut milk is vegan, making it a great alternative to dairy for those on a plant-based diet. So the next time you're in the mood for a co*cktail, you don't have to shun the Pina Coladas. Looking for some vegan milk recommendations?

Is cheese good for autoimmune disease? ›

Dairy: People with autoimmune diseases may want to stop drinking or eating any type of animal milk, such as cow's, sheep's, and goat's milk, and foods that derive from them, such as cheese, butter, cream, and dairy-based protein powders and supplements.

Why is dairy not allowed on AIP? ›

Non-Paleo Foods Eliminated on the AIP Diet

Anything made with cow's or goat's milk, like cheese and yogurt, should be avoided. Dairy contains certain proteins that can trigger inflammation. [4] Plus, lactose intolerance is a common condition.

Can you eat peanut butter on the AIP diet? ›

Legumes & Beans

Core AIP excludes all beans and legumes like chickpeas, green beans, peanuts, peas, soybeans and all soy derivatives like tofu and soy sauce. Modified AIP excludes peanuts, soybeans and all soy-based foods and products, but allows beans and other legumes.

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