Dairy free fondue
Vegan fondue that I learned from my Swiss in-laws. Easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes. Nut free, no cashews. Satisfy your cheese cravings with this easy recipe that’s great for a romantic date night or new year’s eve dinner.

Every Christmas eve since 2008, my husband and I go to his parent’s house (who are Swiss) and eat a Swiss cheese fondue. After a delicious meal, we light the candles on the Christmas tree. Yes, REAL CANDLES!
In 2015 I became vegan, but I didn’t want to miss out on this lovely tradition as a new vegan.
Each year I’ve been tweaking and trying a different vegan version. Last year I finally tweaked my in-law’s recipe and I’m really happy with the way it turned out. It tastes just like I remember it tasting the first time I had it.
Fondue is a great comfort food to have on new years, for a dinner party during the winter months, holiday parties or valentine’s day.
This easy vegan cheese fondue does not disappoint. This recipe doesn’t contain any raw cashews, so no need to fuss with soaked cashews and it’s great for people with nut allergies.
History of fondue
Interesting side note, fondue is Switzerland’s national dish and it was first mentioned in Homer’s Iliad between 700-800 BC.
Ingredients
We’re going to make and easy vegan cheese sauce with a nice creamy texture out of these simple ingredients:
- Vegan cheese
- White wine
- Fresh garlic
- Corn starch – to help thicken the cheese. If you want to create an even better stretchy cheese pull, use tapioca starch too.
- Cognac
- Lemon juice – adds a nice tangy flavor
- Seasonings – Paprika, white pepper and nutmeg
Tips for making a good vegan fondue
- Swiss fondue is made up of a cheese mixture of two or three different cheeses. I’ve finally found the perfect vegan cheese blend. 1 cup Violife feta, 1 cup Violife mozzarella (or follow your heart provolone) and 1 cup Chao cheese.
- Swiss fondue always uses white cheeses
- Shred your cheeses before you measure them
- Make sure to use dry white wine
- Once your wine is simmering, then add in your shredded cheese
- Traditional Swiss fondue calls for Kirsch at the end. Kirsch is a bitter cherry liquor. We didn’t have that so we substituted for Cognac. You can also use Brandy.
- Dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in a tablespoon and a half of cognac. This will help to thicken the cheese
- I love seasoning with a dash of paprika, white pepper and nutmeg. Nutritional yeast and garlic powder also tastes good in this recipe.
What do you serve fondue with?
Make sure that you have a fondue fork! If you don’t want to fall into a food coma, I love dipping steamed vegetables in the melted cheese sauce.
Be polite and don’t double dip, if having guests over! Some of our favorite things to serve fondue with are:
- Thick and crusty bread cubes
- Steamed broccoli
- Cauliflower florets
- Steamed yellow potatoes
- Steamed brussels sprouts
- Pears
- Apples
What if I don’t have a fondue pot?
If you don’t have a fondue pot, just use a medium saucepan and melt everything on medium heat or low heat. Stir the whole time.
Once your cheese is melted you can keep it warm by placing it on an electric hot plate.

Storing tips
Let the fondue come to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for about 5 days.
This delicious recipe is
- easy
- quick
- satisfying
- cashew and nut free
- dairy free
- vegan
- delicious cheesy flavor
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Vegan Swiss Fondue
Equipment
- Dinner plates
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 cups vegan white cheese (I loved the combination of Violife feta, Chao and Violife mozarella)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1½ tablespoon cognac
- Squeeze of lemon
- Dash of paprika
- Dash of nutmeg
- Dash of white pepper
Instructions
- Shred your cheese
- Cut off the ends of the garlic and rub the garlic on the insides of the fondue pot. Mince garlic once finished1 clove garlic
- Put fondue pot on medium heat and add 1 cup of dry white wine and the minced garlic. Bring to a simmer1 cup dry white wine, 1 clove garlic
- Once wine is simmering, add your cheese. I’ve been making this fondue for years, and really love the cheese combo that I showed above. The violife feta has a really creamy and fermented taste that goes really well in a fondue.3 cups vegan white cheese
- Stir constantly while getting the cheese to melt. This may take 5-8 minutes.
- Once cheese has melted, dissolve the cornstarch into the cognac and add it to the fondue1 tablespoon corn starch, 1½ tablespoon cognac
- Add a dash of nutmeg, white pepper, paprika and a squeeze of lemonDash of paprika, Dash of nutmeg, Dash of white pepper, Squeeze of lemon
- Serve with bread, cooked potatoes, steamed broccoli, fruit or whatever you desire
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Lisa
Amazing !! Love your site x
Maria
So glad you loved it! Thank you
Maria
Thank you!