In this post I share five raw vegan recipes using Irish Sea Moss!

When I graduated from the California Culinary Academy of San Francisco in 2004, I did my internship at a popular raw food restaurant in Santa Monica called Juliano’s RAW. At Juliano Brotman’s restaurant, Irish sea moss (often called Irish moss in the raw-food world) was primarily used as a natural thickener, binder, and gelatin substitute in uncooked recipes.

Thank you to TrueSeaMoss for sponsoring this post!

Here’s what Irish Sea Moss looks like:

 

Irish Sea Moss Nutrition Facts

Here’s a view of nutrition facts from TrueSeaMoss product shown above:

Prepared Sea Moss Gel

You can also purchase Irish Sea Moss already in gel form. Here’s a popular product that is flavored with Mango and Pineapple for TrueSeaMoss:

 

Raw Vegan Food Recipes Using Irish Sea Moss

Common uses in the Juliano’s RAW style of cuisine included:

• Raw cheesecakes and desserts – to help fillings set without baking or using gelatin.
• Cream pies, mousses, and puddings – for a smooth, creamy texture.
• Raw breads and crackers – to improve structure and create a softer, more elastic texture.
• Sauces and dressings – as a natural emulsifier and thickener.
• Smoothies and elixirs – for added body and nutrition.

How to Make Irish Sea Moss Gel

The typical process was:

1. Soak dried Irish moss overnight.
2. Rinse thoroughly.
3. Blend with water into a smooth gel.
4. Add a few tablespoons of the gel to recipes as needed.

A common ratio used by raw food chefs, including those inspired by the Juliano’s RAW style, is:

1 part soaked Irish moss : 1–2 parts water

For example:

• 1 cup soaked Irish moss + 1 cup water = very thick gel
• 1 cup soaked Irish moss + 1½ cups water = medium gel (good all-purpose consistency)
• 1 cup soaked Irish moss + 2 cups water = thinner gel for smoothies and sauces

If you’re making gel specifically for cheesecakes, mousses, breads, and other Juliano-style recipes, I’d recommend:

1 cup soaked Irish moss + 1½ cups water

Blend until completely smooth and creamy. The gel should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable.

A typical batch:

• 1 ounce (about 28 g) dried Irish moss
• Soak overnight
• Rinse well
• Blend with 1½–2 cups water

This usually yields about 2 to 2½ cups of sea moss gel, depending on how much the moss expands during soaking.

If you’re using a dehydrator and making lots of raw recipes, many chefs intentionally made a thicker gel (closer to 1:1) because it provided stronger binding power in breads, crackers, and nut cheeses. For smoothies and desserts, a slightly thinner gel was more common.

Why Use Irish Sea Moss in Raw Vegan Recipes?

In the late 1990s and early 2000s raw-food movement, Irish moss was one of the signature ingredients used by chefs like Juliano because it allowed them to create rich textures without cooking. It was especially important for making raw vegan desserts that held together like conventional cheesecakes or custards. Modern raw-food chefs still use it in many of the same ways.

Raw Vegan Recipes using Irish Sea Moss (inspired by Julianno’s RAW!)

Here are a few recipes inspired by the style used by Juliano Brotman. These are not exact restaurant recipes, but they use Irish moss the way Juliano often did—as a natural thickener and binder.

Shop Julianno’s RAW Uncook Book on Amazon >

 

RAW VANILLA CHEESECAKE

Crust

• 2 cups almonds
• 1 cup dates
• Pinch sea salt

Filling

• 2 cups cashews, soaked
• ½ cup Irish moss gel
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup agave or date syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup coconut oil

Directions

1. Process crust ingredients and press into a springform pan.
2. Blend filling until completely smooth.
3. Pour onto crust.
4. Refrigerate 4–6 hours until firm.

Why Irish Moss?

It creates the classic cheesecake texture without baking, gelatin, or agar.

RAW CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• ¼ cup Irish moss gel
• ¼ cup cacao powder
• 3 tbsp maple syrup or agave
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch sea salt

Directions

1. Blend everything until silky smooth.
2. Chill for 30 minutes.
3. Serve with berries.

Why Irish Moss?

Adds body and a light mousse-like texture without making the avocado flavor stronger.

RAW PIZZA CHEESE

One of the signature techniques from early gourmet raw cuisine.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups cashews, soaked
• ⅓ cup Irish moss gel
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp miso
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Blend until very smooth.
2. Spread on raw pizza crust.
3. Dehydrate briefly if desired.

Why Irish Moss?

Helps the cheese hold its shape and gives it a stretchy, cultured feel.

RAW SUNFLOWER BREAD

Ingredients

• 2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked
• ½ cup Irish moss gel
• ½ cup grated zucchini
• 2 tbsp flax meal
• 1 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Process into a thick dough.
2. Spread onto dehydrator sheets.
3. Dehydrate until bread-like.

Why Irish Moss?

Acts like gluten and eggs would in conventional bread, helping the loaf stay together.

RAW BANANA CREAM PIE

Crust

• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 cup dates

Filling

• 3 bananas
• 1 cup cashews, soaked
• ⅓ cup Irish moss gel
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Press crust into pie plate.
2. Blend filling until smooth.
3. Pour into crust and chill.
4. Top with sliced bananas.

Why Irish Moss?

Creates a custard texture that slices cleanly.

A common Juliano-era ratio was approximately 1 part Irish moss gel to 4–6 parts nuts or seeds in creamy recipes. That amount thickens the mixture without adding a seaweed flavor. Many raw chefs considered Irish moss one of the key ingredients that made gourmet raw desserts possible before coconut products became widely available.