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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

• Follow Your Heart Grated Parmesan
• Go Veggie Vegan Parmesan Grated Topping
• Violife Just Like Parmesan Wedge

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

• Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese
• Kite Hill Ricotta

Vegan Cheese Blocks

• Violife Blocks

Vegan Queso (aka Nacho Cheese)

• Siete Cashew Queso
• Trader Joe’s Cashew Fiesta Dip

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.

The Impossible Burger, made by Impossible Foods, has quickly taken off in popularity. Rather than accept the plight of being just another veggie burger, the Impossible Burger takes aim at the meat-eating crowd.

Vegans, vegetarians and people who adopt a plant-based diet are quick to try the latest and greatest vegan products.  But meat lovers may be a bit skeptical.

What’s in the Impossible Burger? Does it really taste like beef? Is it safe,  healthy, and a good source of protein? How does the Impossible Burger 2.0 compare to the original recipe?

If you’ve been curious about the veggie burger that “bleeds” like real meat, here’s what you need to know.

What is the Impossible Burger?

The Impossible Burger is a meatless patty that mimics a beef patty in every way. The creators at Impossible Foods set out to recreate the sensory experience of sinking your teeth into a juicy hamburger, but with plants.

The process of cooking, seasoning and eating the Impossible Burger is like a traditional beef burger.

When uncooked, the Impossible Burger looks like raw ground beef and can be seasoned or marinated like a regular patty. Once it hits the grill, it sizzles like beef and gives off a mouth-watering aroma. And finally, when it’s wedged between two buns and piled high with toppings and sauces, it’s indistinguishable from real meat.

History of the Impossible Burger

You can make a true veggie burger at home with some black beans, brown rice and, obviously, vegetables. You can’t make the Impossible Burger at home.

In 2011, Impossible Foods founder Patrick O. Brown, M.D., Ph.D. posed the question, “Why does meat taste like meat?” Simple enough.

The next five years consisted of religiously researching beef burgers at the molecular level. The result? A recreation of the precise texture, flavor and nutrition profile of ground beef using only plant-based ingredients.

The Impossible Burger launched in 2016, but the geniuses at Impossible Foods didn’t stop there. In 2019, the new and improved Impossible Burger 2.0 made its debut.

Is the Impossible Burger Safe to Eat?

The Impossible Burger looks, feels and tastes like no veggie burger you’ve ever tried before, so it’s natural to question food that’s completely new to you and to the market.

The safety of the Impossible Burger was a major concern at first. Impossible Foods uses an ingredient, soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. heme), that hasn’t previously been tested for safety. Now, we know that the Impossible Burger is safe, but it was a long, winding road for Impossible Foods.

According to a 2017 press release, Impossible Foods placed the novel ingredient in front of a panel of food safety and allergy experts in 2014 and again in 2017. Both panels unanimously found the ingredient to comply with GRAS standards.

In 2015, the FDA was wary to declare the new ingredient as safe for human consumption and urged the company to submit more information on heme. Despite the FDA’s request, the company brought the Impossible Burger to the market based on third-party expert testing. The New York Times brought the controversy to light in 2017 with concern that Impossible Foods rushed to the market with a product that wasn’t FDA approved.

Without GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the FDA, a product could be pulled off the shelves. To ensure that the key ingredient of the Impossible Burger is 100% safe, Impossible Foods volunteered their product to be tested on animals.

In response to the positive results of the testing, the FDA sent Impossible Foods a no-questions GRAS letter in July 2018. This was a major proponent in bringing the meat replacement to consumers and ensuring everyone that yes, the Impossible Burger is safe to eat and FDA approved.

Impossible Burger Ingredients

The Impossible Burger has an impossibly short ingredients list. Almost one-third of them being vitamins and minerals.

Here is the full ingredients list of the Impossible Burger 2.0:

Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Potato Protein, Methylcellulose, Yeast Extract, Cultured Dextrose, Food Starch Modified, Soy Leghemoglobin, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Zinc Gluconate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12

Somehow all of those plant-based ingredients come together to replicate meat. Let’s take a closer look at some of the ingredients and what they do.

Impossible Burger Main Ingredients Broken Down:

Soy Protein Concentrate

With the launch of the Impossible Burger 2.0, Impossible Foods decided to swap out wheat protein with soy protein. This swap makes the burger beefier, higher in protein quality and higher in fiber.

The Impossible Burger has both the texture and protein content like a beef burger due to this ingredient.

As you can imagine, soy protein concentrate contains soy. This is the major allergen the Impossible Burger. Because Impossible Foods removed wheat protein, the burger is now gluten-free.

Coconut Oil

This is likely the largest source of saturated fat in the Impossible Burger. However, a beef burger is juicy and somewhat greasy. Coconut oil satisfies those characteristics of a good burger.

Sunflower Oil

The original recipe did not contain sunflower oil, but the Impossible Burger 2.0 has 40% less saturated fat thanks to this ingredient. Sunflower oil also reduces the amount of total fat in the burger.

Potato Protein

Like wheat protein, potato protein gives the burger its texture and protein-packed nutrition profile.

It’s exactly what it sounds like — protein from potatoes! It’s similar in nature to other protein isolates derived from plants, like peas, rice, and mushroom. Potato protein is generally vegan as well as kosher and halal certified. There are no animal proteins nor gluten in potato proteins.

Potato protein does not have as many allergy concerns as products like soy, dairy, or wheat.

Methylcellulose

The Impossible Burger 1.0 amazed consumers with its realistic flavor and texture, but Impossible Foods wasn’t happy with the dryness. Some critical reviews critiqued the burger for being too dry, so Impossible Foods set out to make the burger juicier.

With the help of methylcellulose, the new burger is easier to handle when it’s raw and juicier to bite into when it’s cooked. Methylcellulose is “a plant-based culinary binder commonly found in ice cream, sauces, and jams.”

2% or less of Leghemoglobin (Soy)

Although Impossible Foods uses an extremely small amount of soy leghemoglobin, or “heme,” this ingredient plays a huge role in the sensory experience in the meat-like Impossible Burger.

Humans have consumed heme for thousands of years. It occurs naturally in all living organisms, including plants and animals. This molecule is high in iron, which is why both the Impossible Burger and regular beef patties are high in iron.

There are two types of heme: myoglobin, which is found in animal muscle, and leghemoglobin, which is found in nitrogen-fixing plants and legumes. The Impossible Burger uses heme from soybeans.

Vitamins and Minerals (2% or less)

Almost one-third of the Impossible Burger ingredients list is made of vitamins and minerals, including:

• Vitamin B12
• Zinc
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin C
• Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
• Vitamin B6
• Niacin
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Vitamin B12 is especially important to note, as this vitamin can be difficult to obtain on a plant-based diet.

Impossible Burger Nutrition and Dietary Concerns

Impossible Foods not only created a veggie burger that’s indistinguishable from beef, but it also stacks up against meat’s nutrition. How do they do it? Let’s look at the facts.

Impossible Burger Nutrition Facts

Impossible Foods state the nutrition facts for the Impossible Burger clearly on their website.

The Impossible Burger 2.0 is even more nutritious than its predecessor with 30% less sodium and 40% less saturated. Plus, the new recipe is higher in fiber, vitamins and mineral.

For every 4 oz (113g) serving of the Impossible Burger, the nutrition profile* is as follows:

• 240 calories
• 14g fat (18%)
• 8g saturated fat (40%)
• 0g trans fat
• 0mg cholesterol
• 370mg sodium (16%)
• 9g carbohydrates (3%)
• 3g fiber (11%)
• <1g sugar
• 19g protein (31%)

The Impossible Burger is also a significant source of the following vitamins and minerals:

• Calcium: 170mg (15%)
• Iron: 4.2mg (25%)
• Potassium: 610mg (15%)
• Thiamin: 28.2mg (2350%)
• Riboflavin: 0.4mg (30%)
• Niacin: 5.3mg (35%)
• Vitamin B6: 0.4mg (25%)
• Folate: 115mcg DFE (30%)
• Vitamin B12: 3mcg (130%)
• Phosphorus: 180mg (15%)
• Zinc: 5.5mg (50%)

*The daily value percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Impossible Burger Nutrition vs. Beef Nutrition

The Impossible Burger rivals real beef on every level, including nutrition.

A 3-ounce ground beef patty contains the following nutrition facts:

• 251 calories
• 18.5g fat
• 0g carbohydrates
• 0g fiber
• 65mg sodium
• 0g sugar
• 20g protein

As you can see, the Impossible Burger is lower in calories and fat, but higher in sodium, carbohydrates and sugar. The Impossible Burger is also higher in dietary fiber.

The Impossible Burger contains roughly the same amount of protein as a traditional ground beef patty.

Where the Impossible Burger really stands out against beef is its vitamin and mineral content. The Impossible Burger contains more calcium, iron, thiamin, folate and zinc. It contains roughly the same about of vitamin B12.

Let’s not forget about cholesterol. People who are trying to lower their cholesterol and promote good heart health will be happy to know that the Impossible Burger is cholesterol-free.

What’s interesting is that the Impossible Burger is nutritionally closer to a beef patty than other veggie patty. An 85g veggie patty contains significantly less calories, protein, fat, iron and vitamin B12.

Impossible Burger Allergens

Impossible Foods strive to make their products as allergen friendly as possible, but the Impossible Burger is not entirely allergen-free.

The major allergen in the Impossible Burger is soy. While the new recipe is gluten-free and wheat-free, the burger is not soy-free.

Soy protein concentrate is the main source of soy in the Impossible Burger, but it also contains Soy Leghemoglobin.

However, the Impossible Burger is free of other common allergens, including gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts and shellfish.

The Impossible Burger also recently achieved its Halal and Kosher certifications.

Is the Impossible Burger Vegan?

Technically, yes, the Impossible Burger is vegan and vegetarian. There are no animal products used in the Impossible Burger ingredients. It is safe to eat for people who don’t consume animal products.

However, Impossible Foods tested heme on rats as explained in this letter to their community. Impossible Foods felt this was a necessary action to receive GRAS status from the FDA.

People who don’t buy products that were tested on animals may not feel comfortable supporting this product.

The fact still remains that the Impossible Burger is free of animal-derived ingredients.

What Makes the Impossible Burger Unique

Part of what makes the Impossible Burger radically different from other veggie burgers is its use of plant-based heme.

Impossible Foods states that “The heme molecule in plant-based heme is atom-for-atom identical to the heme molecule found in meat. It’s what makes the Impossible Burger so rich and decadent.”

Heme is basically what makes the Impossible Burger taste like meat. Since other veggie burgers, like the Beyond Burger, don’t contain this meat-like ingredient, they just don’t appeal to people who want a hearty, meaty burger.

Veggie burgers can taste amazing, but it depends on who you ask. Vegans and vegetarians may be satisfied with a classic black bean burger, but try getting a meat eater to replace a juicy slab of beef for some beans and veggies. It just won’t stick.

What makes the Impossible Burger so different is that Impossible Foods’ target consumer is the meat-loving carnivores. They’ve given the masses what they want: A meat replica that tastes identical but has less of an impact on the planet.

Sustainability of the Impossible Burger

The Impossible Burger is significantly more eco-friendly than beef. One of the main reasons that consumer food trends are pushing towards plant-based alternatives is because of the lesser environmental toll.

Impossible Foods asserts that, “Compared to cows, the Impossible Burger uses 95% less land, 74% less water, and creates 87% less greenhouse gas emissions.”

Impossible Burger Reviews

Of course Impossible Foods think their product is delicious, but is the Impossible Burger really juicy, meaty and mouth-watering?

The folks at Revelist tried the Impossible Burger 1.0 when it debuted at Momofuku Nishi in New York City. The Italian-Korean fusion restaurant was packed due to the debut, but it was worth the wait. The Revelist rep—who is a full-fledged meat-eater—gave a promising review: “Given the option of a regular burger or an Impossible Burger, I’d choose the latter eight out of 10 times—because it’s that good to my palate and it’s that good for the planet.”

No matter how environmentally conscious a burger may be, no one will eat it if it doesn’t taste amazing. There were some mixed reviews about the flavor and texture of the Impossible Burger 1.0 (can’t please everyone, right?), but the Impossible Burger 2.0 lives up to its impossible promise.

Does the Impossible Burger Taste Like Beef?

Reviewers were quick to notice the upgrade in taste and texture of the Impossible Burger 2.0. The Thrillist staff flew to Las Vegas where the new recipe was debuted to see if the Impossible Burger 2.0 actually tastes like meat. It turns out, the Impossible Burger 2.0 could trick meat eaters into believing it’s real.

The Real Simple staff, including a vegetarian and a meat-eater, tried the Impossible Burger and found that it tasted eerily similar to ground beef. The vegetarian concluded, “I found it too similar to ground beef, to the point where I felt like I was eating a real burger.”

Skeptical BuzzFeed staff members couldn’t believe that the Impossible Burger wasn’t real beef. Some predicted that Impossible Foods is the future. One of the taste testers joked, “This is me becoming a vegetarian.”

It’s not just magazines and online media companies raving about the Impossible Burger, however. Bloggers, YouTubers and social media influencers have spread awareness with taste tests, reviews and more online. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive.

Where to Find the Impossible Burger

As of 2019, the Impossible Burger has expanded to more than 5,000 restaurant locations across the United States, Hong Kong and Macau. Their ground “beef” is used in a variety of products, including burgers, tacos and more.

Where is the Impossible Burger Sold?

The Impossible Burger is sold in many national restaurant chains across the United States. Some of them include Umami Burger, White Castle, Fatburger and Dave and Buster’s.

See if the Impossible Burger is available near you using the Impossible Foods store locator.

How Much Does the Impossible Burger Cost?

The price of the Impossible Burger varies per restaurant and location. The price also depends on the size of the burger.

Umami Burger charges $16, but you get two Impossible Burger patties. White Castle, however, charges $1.99 per slider, but the portions are very small.

Here are some other examples*:

• Fatburger — $9
• Dave and Busters — $14.99
• Punch Bowl Social — $13
• Charleston’s Restaurant — $15
• B Spot — $9.99
• Dog Haus Biergarten — $8.99

*Prices may vary per location and menu item.

Can You Buy the Impossible Burger in Stores?

The Impossible Burger is currently only available for purchase in select restaurants. It’s expected to hit stores in 2019.

Reasons to Consume the Impossible Burger

Impossible Foods released a sustainability report in 2018 that details all their efforts to create the world’s most realistic veggie burger in a sustainable fashion.

Some of the highlights and reasons why you should try the Impossible Burger include:

• Taste: In a blind taste test, about half of meat-eating consumers prefer the Impossible Burger based on taste alone. Their goal is to beat beef burgers decisively in blind taste tests.
• Sustainability: If Americans replace 50% of ground beef consumption with Impossible Foods products, there would be a drastic reduction in carbon gas emissions, water use and land use.
• Transparency: Impossible Foods aims to be the most transparent food company in the water. They publicly list every single ingredient and where they’re sourced from.

Final Thoughts on the Impossible Burger

The Impossible Burger wasn’t created exclusively for vegans, so to all the meat-eaters out there: Give the Impossible Burger a try.

Vegans are welcome to enjoy the eerily meat-like burger, too, but the reality is that they make up only 6% of the U.S. population.

Impossible Foods caters to the other 94% who love a thick, juicy cut of beef—not the “rabbit food” that they think vegans eat. If you’re a part of that 94%, this burger is for you.

Listen, most vegans don’t give up meat because they don’t like the taste of meat. They go vegan for all kinds of reasons (i.e. health, ethical, environmental, etc.) that have nothing to do with taste.

I think everyone can agree that meat tastes good.

If the Impossible Burger succeeds at tasting like meat, then it’s a win-win for everyone. No animals were harmed, fewer resources were required and your tastebuds were still happy.