The first time you try an upscale vegan cheese, you just might be blown away by its sophisticated textures and flavors. You can find excellent brands in stores worldwide, and you can also make fantastic versions right in your kitchen. I know the idea of making dairy-free cheese at home might sound daunting, but it’s surprisingly easy and the results can rival the top brands. This article features the best vegan cheese brands and finishes with a list of cookbooks devoted to dairy-free cheese recipes.
The Evolution of Vegan Cheese
If you last tried vegan cheese ages ago, you owe it to yourself to try the newest offerings. The first non-dairy cheeses on the market deserved their bad reputations. Most were made from highly processed ingredients, and many brands didn’t even melt properly.
That’s all changed as companies have stepped up their game [paywalled]. Today, many vegan cheese brands qualify as truly gourmet. Most use premium ingredients such as nut milks that carry rich and satisfying flavors. They’ve also innovated production methods that deliver the satisfying textures and flavors of dairy-based cheese. With so many superb vegan cheese products now crowding the market, mediocre offerings don’t survive long.
The following lists feature the best vegan cheese brands available in North America and worldwide. These products come in every variety, including artisan hard cheese blocks, spreadable soft cheese in tubs, and convenient shredded varieties perfect for pizza and casseroles. You can even buy vegan grated Parmesan-style cheese, which is a fantastic spaghetti topping.
Vegan Cheese Brands (USA & Canada)
- Daiya Foods: Shreds, Slices, Blocks, and Cream Cheese
- Field Roast: Chao Shreds & Slices and Chao Queso
- Follow Your Heart: Shredded, Sliced, and Specialty Cheeses
- Good Planet: Olive oil based: Shreds, Slices, Snack Packs, and Cubes. Coconut Based: Snackable Wedges and Grated Parmesan
- Kite-Hill: Cream Cheese Alternative
- Miyoko’s Creamery: Mozzarella, Cheese Wheels, & Cream Cheese
- Nona: Cheesy Style Fromage (Canada)
- Nuts for Cheese: Organic Fermented Cashew Wedges, Dips, and Cream Cheese
- Parma: Vegan Parmesan (many flavors)
- Parmela Creamery: Shreds & Slices
- Rebel Cheese: Many Styles
- Trader Joe’s: Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style and Spicy Mexican Style Shreds and Vegan Cream Cheese
- Treeline: Soft Cheese, Cheese Wheels, and Cream Cheese
- Violife: Blocks, Shreds, Slices, and Cream Cheese
- Vromage: Various Artisan Styles
Internationally Distributed Dairy-Free Cheese Brands
- (Europe and Brazil) Violife: Blocks, Shreds, Slices, and Cream Cheese
- (UK) Applewood Vegan Cheese: Plant Based Slices, Plant Based Bites, and Plant Based Block (Note: Applewood’s other cheese products are dairy-based)
- (UK) Tyne Chease Ltd: Various Artisan Styles
- (UK) I Am Nut OK: Various Artisan Styles
- (Scotland) Bute Island Sheese: Blocks and Grated Varieties
Vegan Cheese Cookbooks
Making your own vegan cheese opens up still more possibilities. Take a look at these exciting cookbooks:
- Vegan Cheese: Simple, Delicious Plant-Based Recipes, by Jules Aron
- One-Hour Dairy-Free Cheese, by Claudia Lucero
- Super Easy Vegan Cheese Cookbook, by Janice Buckingham
- This Cheese is Nuts!, by Julie Piatt
- The Cheesy Vegan, by John Schlimm
- The Art of Plant-Based Cheesemaking, by Karen McAthy
Moving Towards Dairy-Free Living
Most people switching to vegan cheese also want to reduce or eliminate their consumption of dairy products. If you’re headed in that direction, you’ll get a great deal out of reading my Dairy-Free Guide. It’s crammed with all sorts of helpful tips and expert guidance. You will also want to check out my Vegan Alternatives page, since it features popular vegan replacements for every sort of dairy product.
Finally, I can’t send you on your way without offering a recipe: here is my famous cashew cheese. It’s got just eight ingredients and you can make a batch in five minutes. Serve it on pizza or include it in grilled cheese sandwiches. Also try it spread cold and topped with sprouts on a toasted bagel.
