A coconut-based AIP mozzarella set with gelatin and tapioca starch, sliceable and shreddable, for use on pizza, pasta, and caprese-style dishes

Cheese is one of the things people miss most on this protocol, less for what it delivers nutritionally than for how deeply it was woven into how food used to feel. This mozzarella is coconut milk, coconut cream, gelatin, and tapioca starch, set firm enough to slice and shred, tasting like exactly what it is. Give it the time it needs, an afternoon or overnight in the fridge, and it will hold on pizza, in pasta, or next to basil and a little olive oil.

Coconut milk is a source of lauric acid, a fat with antimicrobial properties studied in the context of gut health. The same gelatin that sets this cheese firm is where its glycine comes from, an amino acid that shows up in how your body maintains connective tissue over time. Neither amount here does the work of a therapeutic dose, but a meal built from ingredients already pulling in the same direction as your healing is worth choosing on purpose.

The technique matters more than the ingredient list. Hydrate the gelatin in cold water before it meets the hot mixture, or it clumps into rubbery pockets instead of setting smooth. 10 minutes of real attention, then patience while it firms. Slice it thin, and let yourself notice that you made this.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups canned full-fat coconut milk
• 1/3 cup coconut cream (from the top of a chilled can, or packaged)
• 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast, to taste (unfortified; can be omitted)
• 2 tsp olive oil, plus extra to grease the container
• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tbsp gelatin (grass-fed, clean-label; see notes - collagen does not work here)

Method

1. Before you start: measure 2 1/2 tablespoons of gelatin into a small bowl and add just enough cold water to cover it. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes to hydrate (this step prevents clumping when the gelatin meets the hot mixture).
2. Grease a small round container - a glass jar, a small bowl, or a round mold - with olive oil and set it nearby.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk, coconut cream, nutritional yeast, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, tapioca starch, and salt. Whisk together over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens noticeably.
4. Remove the saucepan from heat. Add the hydrated gelatin and whisk until fully dissolved with no lumps. Work quickly.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared container and smooth the top.
6. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight, until fully firm.
7. To unmold, run a knife around the edge and invert onto a plate. Slice or shred as needed.

Notes

Gelatin only - collagen will not set this: collagen powder is hydrolyzed and does not gel. Only unflavored gelatin (the kind that gels in cold liquid) will produce a firm result. Agar agar is untested in this recipe.

Hydrating the gelatin first: briefly soaking the gelatin in cold water before adding it to the hot mixture prevents it from clumping into rubbery pockets. Do not skip this step.

Tapioca starch: arrowroot starch may work as a substitute but is untested in this application.

Nutritional yeast: omitting it reduces the savory, cheesy depth but does not affect the set or the AIP compliance.

Coconut is essential: no AIP-compliant substitute for the coconut milk and coconut cream has been identified.

Uses: slice for caprese-style dishes or platters. Shred for AIP pizza or pasta (see rr0874 for AIP Mac and Cheese). Use in casseroles.

Storage: keeps refrigerated for several days. Freezes well whole or in portions - defrost overnight in the fridge before using.

*Adapted from unboundwellness.com*