Best Vegan Cheese: The Ultimate Guide [17+ Cheeses]

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For many people, a life without cheese is unimaginable.

There’s a general consensus among foodies that veganism is too intimidating because they “can’t live without cheese.”

Some have even gone as far as comparing cheese to crack.

The truth is that vegans still indulge in all the cheesy goodness that we’re all shamelessly anddicted to.

How so? Vegan cheese.

There’s just one largely important thing to remember about plant-based cheeses: Some will blow your mind, but others can turn you off of non-dairy cheese forever.

Luckily, with so many options these days, many taste like the real thing (or at least very close).

To experience vegan cheese the right way, stick to these tried and true brands and recipes.

Vegan Cheese Brands You Can Get in Stores

No matter where you live, you should be able to find at least one of these vegan cheese brands that are actually worth trying.

Vegan Cheese Shreds

As cheesy as it sounds, the sky’s the limit with shredded cheese. You can put it on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, pizza, mac n’ cheese, vegan eggs, etc. Here are the ones that can actually replace shredded cheese forever.

Best: Follow Your Heart Shreds

Follow Your Heart is one of the top vegan cheese brands. The shreds come in a wide variety of flavors: mozzarella, cheddar, fiesta blend, and pizza blend. The base is palm oil, so these shreds are perfect when you want a gooey quesadilla or greasy pizza. Find them here on Amazon (though looks only large quantities currently available) or search here for a nearby store.

So Delicious Dairy Free Shreds

I have to give a shout out specifically to the So Delicious cheddar jack shreds. So Delicious vegan shreds also come in mozzarella and cheddar. They’re made with coconut milk, but you wouldn’t know it based on taste alone. Find them here.

Daiya Cutting Board Shreds

Daiya makes seven vegan cheese shreds in total, but only the three Cutting Board Shreds varieties (pepper jack, mozzarella, and cheddar styles) are worth your time. The ingredients are mainly vegetable oils and tapioca starch, so they’re easy to melt. Their Shreds line is soy free too. Find them on Amazon here and in stores here.

Violife Shreds

Violife vegan cheeses are top-quality among all categories. They currently offer the two most common flavors in this category: mozzarella and cheddar. The core ingredients are coconut oil and various starches. Violife also puts a lot of effort into flavoring their cheeses, so both the texture and taste are spot on. You can buy on Amazon here via Whole Foods and also search for stores here.

Vegan Cheese Slices

There’s nothing more American than sliced cheese. If you’re a fellow grilled cheese lover, this is all you. Vegan cheese slices also go perfectly with a meaty Impossible Burger.

Best: Field Roast CHAO Slices

CHAO cheese melts perfectly on grilled cheeses and burgers, and they’re super convincing. The creamy original flavor is the most versatile—you can use this to substitute essentially any type of sliced cheese. These are made with tofu (though they don’t taste at all like the tofu you’re thinking of). They’re available on Amazon and you can locate them in stores here.

Follow Your Heart Slices

Unlike the shreds, Follow Your Heart slices are made with coconut oil. Their slices are among the best and come in a wide variety of flavors. They have classic flavors like American and even Smoked Gouda, Provolone, and Pepper Jack. These slices are soy free as well. Available here on Amazon and also find them here.

Tofutti Dairy-Free Cheese Slices

Tofutti is a brand that’s usually easy to find and affordable. The American slices are reminiscent of Kraft singles. They also have a mozzarella flavor. Like the name suggests, Tofutti cheese is made of tofu. Find them here.

Violife Slices

Some cheese slices (vegan or not) are slimy and slippery, but Violife slices aren’t. They’re thick and hold up well on sandwiches. There’s a fair amount of flavors, too, ranging from mature cheddar to hot pepper. They’re all made with a base of coconut oil. See em here on Amazon and find in stores here.

Vegan Cream Cheeses

Cream cheese is all about the texture. Is it thick? Spreadable? Level-10 creamy? I’m impressed with these vegan cheeses because they meet my strict requirements for this category.

Best: Miyoko’s Vegan Cream Cheese

Miyoko’s specializes in creamy vegan products, so it’s no surprise their vegan cream cheese is the clear winner. It’s cashew-based, so it’s very spreadable and indulgent. It also has a gourmet feel to it. There are three flavors: classic, lox, and scallion. Available on Amazon here and also find them here.

Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

Tofutti uses a blend of oils and tofu as the base of their four vegan cream cheeses: plain, herbs and chives, garlic and herb, and whipped. The plain isn’t savory at all, so it’s a great choice for making vegan desserts. I’ve actually made cannolis with it! It’s here on Amazon and with store listing here.

Trader Joe’s Vegan Cream Cheese

If you want vegan cream cheese on a budget, go to Trader Joe’s. The texture is exactly what you’d expect, and the plain flavor is versatile. The base is coconut and soy. Find them here.

Violife Just Like Cream Cheese

Everything made by Violife is delicious, including their cream cheese. It comes in five flavors: original, herb, hot pepper, tzatziki (Greek), and tomato basil. They use a similar recipe for their other products. Amazon has it here and search stores here.

Gourmet Vegan Cheeses

I love a good vegan cheese board with all the fixins’ for aesthetic reasons, but it also has to taste amazing. When you want to impress friends and family, these are the spreadable vegan cheeses to wow them with.

Best: Treeline Creamy Soft Treenut Cheese

Treeline has a variety of soft vegan cheeses and aged nut cheeses. You guessed the main ingredient: cashews. Toss one of these bad boys onto a cutting board with some crackers and veggies, and your tastebuds will be blown away. Find them here.

Miyoko’s Cheese Wheel

Miyoko’s has 10 different vegan cheese wheels, and they’re each equally addicting. The texture is creamy, and the presentation is on-point. Like Treeline, these are also made with cashews. These slice like butter and make for a tasty spread. Amazon has the Double Cream Chive and the Aged English Smoked Farmhouse. You can also find them in other stores here.

Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread

Technically, this is a vegan cream cheese. But it belongs in the “gourmet” category because it’s rich and luxurious. It comes in four savory flavors and one sweet flavor: plain, chive, jalapeno, everything, and strawberry. The base of each one is almond milk with various added flavors. Find stores here and also check them out on Amazon through Whole Foods.

Vegan Mac N’ Cheese

We all grew up on it, so naturally we try to recreate it. Vegan mac n’ cheese exists, and it’s amazing. These boxed vegan mac n’ cheeses are comforting, salty, and cheesy.

Best: Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac

Daiya’s Deluxe Cheezy Mac is one of their stand-out products. In fact, I think it’s their best product overall. If you want a boxed vegan mac n’ cheese that will take you back to your childhood, this is it. The Cheezy Mac comes in both cheddar and alfredo. They’re available for Prime shipping on Amazon.

Chao Creamy Mac N’ Chao

This vegan mac n’ cheese is interesting because it’s found in the freezer section and can be microwaved, yet it has a gourmet flavor. The cheese is very thick and creamy, though it’s not trying to be cheddar. The two flavors are creamy original and chili mac. Find them here.

Amy’s Non-Dairy Macaroni

Another vegan mac n’ cheese you can find in the freezer is Amy’s. Just make sure to grab the vegan option, because Amy’s has non-vegan products, too. Their vegan mac n’ cheese is made with Daiya cheese. It’s a very cheesy and convenient grab-and-go option. They offer a gluten-free vegan variety too. See the Vegan Shells here on Amazon and Gluten-Free Vegan Elbows here.

Road’s End Dairy-Free Shells & Chreese

This vegan mac n’ cheese is made with simple ingredients, yet it gets consistently good reviews from people who try it. The cheesy flavor comes from nutritional yeast, a delicious plant-based protein source. The mac n’ cheese also has gluten-free and alfredo variations. Find them here.

Other Store Bought Vegan Cheeses

Vegan cheese has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go. There’s basically an endless supply of cheddar and mozzarella alternatives, but we’re still waiting on more flavors. Here are some of the other store-bought plant-based cheeses that don’t fall in the main categories.

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Vegan Cheese Blocks

Violife Blocks

Vegan Queso (aka Nacho Cheese)

Plant-Based Cheese Recipes You Can Make at Home

The beauty of making vegan cheese at home is that you can make cheeses that you can’t buy at the store. Homemade vegan cheese is usually healthier, too.

Vegan Mac N’ Cheese Recipe

This vegan mac n’ cheese recipe uses cashews as the base, and it’s flavored with nutritional yeast and spices. This is a great dish to bring to a potluck because non-vegans will love it. Bonus points if you bake it in the oven with breadcrumbs on top!

Vegan Blue Cheese Recipe

There aren’t many vegan blue cheeses on the market, so this is the perfect example of vegan cheese you can try to make at home. This vegan blue cheese recipe gets its color from spirulina and its creaminess from soaked cashews.

Vegan Brie Cheese Recipe

The creator of this vegan brie cheese recipe describes it perfectly: “Sharp, creamy with a white and flowery rind. Before going any further, be aware this is not a quick recipe, don’t expect to have a cheese ready tonight. The whole process will take you about three weeks. BUT: It is totally worth it!”

Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe

The easiest vegan cheese recipe award goes to Minimalist Baker. This vegan parmesan cheese recipe couldn’t be any simpler. It has four ingredients and can be used on top of salads, pizza, and pasta.

Which Vegan Cheese is Best?

The best vegan cheese really depends on what you’re trying to make with it. Here’s a quick breakdown of the best vegan cheese based on use.

Best Vegan Cheese for Pizza

For pizza, you should obviously go for mozzarella. The So Delicious Mozzarella Shreds would work perfectly. They melt nicely in the oven, and they have that classic mozzarella taste. Follow Your Heart also has a delicious Pizza Blend.

Best Vegan Cheese for Burgers

If you want a white cheese, try the CHAO Creamy Original slices. If you want American cheese on your burger, the Tofutti American slices have that classic taste.

Best Vegan Cheese for Mac N’ Cheese

Vegan mac n’ cheese is really easy to make at home if you have vegan cheese shreds on hand. Just melt them on the stove top with some plant milk, vegan butter, and some spices. For mac n’ cheese, you can melt down any cheddar shreds or even slices. The Follow Your Heart Gourmet Cheddar shreds would do the job perfectly. You can even mix brands for a complex flavor.

Best Vegan Cheese for Mexican-Style Food

Hands down, the best vegan cheese for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas would be the So Delicious Cheddar Jack shreds. They would melt down nicely in a quesadilla, too.

Vegan Cheese FAQ

In which we answer everything you’ve ever wanted to know about vegan cheese.

What is vegan cheese made out of?

Store bought vegan cheese is typically made with vegetable oils, nuts, starch, and/or tofu. It’s common to see coconut oil or palm oil as the base of a store-bought vegan cheese. Softer vegan cheeses might use various nuts and/or tofu as the base.

Is vegan cheese healthy?

Vegan, plant-based cheese isn’t trying to be a health food. The store-bought options are usually high in calories, fat, oil, and salt. Though they may be made with plants, vegan cheeses are still processed foods.

Is vegan cheese healthier than real cheese?

Probably. Real cheese is high in cholesterol and animal fat. Homemade vegan cheese is especially healthier than real cheese. If you follow some of the recipes above, you’ll see they call for mostly whole foods.

What is the healthiest non-dairy cheese?

The healthiest vegan cheese is probably one you make at home with minimal ingredients. Out of the store bought vegan cheeses, Treeline soft cheeses have some of the cleanest ingredients lists.

Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Vegan Cheese?

If you’ve ever had awful non-dairy cheese, don’t let one bad experience turn you away from vegan cheese forever. There are hundreds of options now, and you’re bound to like a few of them.

So, what’s the best vegan cheese for you? Your best bet is to find a brand you really like and stick to that brand until you’re ready to experiment some more. Follow Your Heart and Violife are some of the most universally liked plant-based cheeses, and they both have multiple flavors and types to choose from.

When you’re introduced to the world of vegan cheese, you realize that you don’t have to live without dairy. You can still eat cheese regularly if you’d like. Just eat cheese made from plants instead of animals. It’s a win-win.