Apparently, for many, the most difficult part of transitioning to a vegan lifestyle was giving up cheese. As far as taste goes it’s not something difficult to understand considering the vast array of recipes that call for cheese, like pizzas, burgers, pasta, grilled sandwiches, mac & cheese, and the list goes on.
But with the ever-increasing vegan cheese brands and flavors coming into the market, there is no reason to be deprived. Vegan cheese has come a long way and with this post, you will know popular vegan cheese brands for all types of meals & recipe requirements.
Therefore for this review, we have chosen some of the best dairy-free vegan cheese brands showing you consumer ratings, with a discussion of taste, texture, melt quality, and other product details.
Note:
Since these are substitutes for dairy cheese products, we may have compared vegan cheese to its dairy counterparts from the faintish memories we have when we were omnis. Our intention was to be as detailed as possible, but never to glorify dairy cheese in any shape or form.
Vegan Cheese Slices/Singles
Field Roast Creamy Original with Chao Tofu Chao Slice Review
Rating: 4.9 out of 5 (from 123 consumer ratings)
Product Details
- Free of cholesterol, trans fat, GMO, gluten, dairy, and eggs
- Low calories (60 per slice) compared to dairy cheddar cheese (80 per slice)
Field Roast Creamy Tofu Chao Slices have already taken the vegan cheese world by storm. If you thought that you would have to give up on cheese by being vegan, then here’s a vegan cheese that could simply discard such thoughts.
This rich and creamy vegan cheese is coconut-based and seasoned with a fermented tofu, traditionally called ‘Chao’ by the Vietnamese. The blend of European & Asian heritage is brought to you by a dedicated vegan products manufacturer, named ‘Company of the Year for 2015’ by VegNews Magazine.
It is ideal for vegans, and those who are lactose intolerant or anyone that has ditched dairy. Chao slices are flavorful and have a cheesy bite right out of the package. Use them with your sandwiches, burgers, quesadillas, crackers or slice them into salads. Whether you have it plain or grilled, it’s difficult to see how you would miss its cheesy goodness!
The only warning we have is, that if you have experienced any allergic reaction to soy before, then you may not want to buy this.
Taste Test
Whether we taste the slices right out of the packet or as melted cheese, it doesn’t fail to deliver and can be so addictive.
Smells like cheese and tastes like cheese, we love the soft texture and creamy taste and you don’t have to force yourself to believe that it tastes as good as your favorite cheese slices.
These slices may take a little longer than dairy cheese to melt, but it melts perfectly. Reminded us the American cheese we used to have when we were omnis, if not better, but certainly way better than Kraft Singles. We never experienced that plastic like flavor. There was no weird aftertaste as well.
All we can say is that Field Roast has taken vegan cheese to the next level and exceeded our expectations!
Vegan Cream Cheese / Vegan Cheese Spreads
Creamy Sheese Vegan Cheese Spread Review
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 8 consumer ratings)
TheVeganKind (delivery: UK & international)
Product Details
- Available in six flavors
- Dairy-free, vegan alternative to cream cheese (vegan certified)
- Produced by an award-winning vegan cheese producer (Free-From Food Awards 2016 Winner, Viva 15th anniversary Best Vegan Product, Winner Yaoh – Environmental Awards – Best Vegan Manufacturer, VegNews – Best Vegan Product you can’t find in the US)
- Free of dairy, eggs, gluten, cholesterol, artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, colors, palm oil, hydrogenated fat, and all ingredients are sourced as non-GMO
- Good source of protein and fiber
This award-winning Scottish vegan cream cheese comes in six spreadable varieties. It is a great alternative for dairy cream cheese, butter, and margarine. According to the manufacturer, the ‘Original’ flavor is a great choice for cooking delicious vegan desserts and other sweets as well.
Use it with your toasts, sandwiches, baguettes, pizza bases, bagels, scones, baked potatoes, make creamy soups, pasta sauce, mashed potato or as a dip. Limited only by your imagination!
Taste Test
We tried the ‘Original’ flavor. Since this is the first time we’re trying a vegan spread we didn’t know what to expect. But it didn’t disappoint us at all!
Once the seal is removed it looked so appetizing and no one would say it’s vegan looking at it, so much like dairy cream cheese.
We spread it on toasts. Guess the consistency is slightly thicker than your soft dairy cream cheese but we had no difficulty of spreading it evenly.
There seems to be a strong taste, but mind you, it was a delicious creamy taste! Almost tastes like your typical dairy cream cheese flavor with a tang!
Seems like we don’t have to try another vegan cream cheese as it tasted great on toasts. By the way, don’t forget they have five more vegan cream cheese flavors, folks! Hurray!
Vegan Cheese Mozzarella
Just like dairy mozzarella, vegan mozzarella cheese, in general, can make a great vegan pizza topping and add more delight to vegan lasagna, cheese sticks, casserole, quesadillas, burritos, nachos or any other dish to your liking. Ideal for creating the hot and stretchy joy that traditional mozzarella cheese delivers.
Follow Your Heart – Vegan Gourmet Shreds Mozzarella Cheese Review
Rating: 3.7 out of 5 (from 22 consumer ratings)
TheVeganKind (delivery: UK & international)
Product Details
- Already shredded which adds convenience and measuring is easier
- Free of dairy, eggs, cholesterol, trans fat, gluten, wheat, nuts, and soy
- Non-GMO Project Verified
This vegan gourmet mozzarella cheese is an excellent dairy-free option for vegan pizza or pasta. Do note that, Follow Your Heart brand may go as “Earth Island” in Canada.
Taste Test
Since you can’t talk about mozzarella without pizza, we tried the typical combo.
If you just taste it straight out of the packet you may find it a bit weird tasting and feel a gritty like texture. But don’t let that be a turn-off considering the end result after getting it melted.
Certainly, it melts well without showing any pieces of shreds among the melted cheese topping which gives that classic pizza look resembling a regular cheese pizza.
Compared to Daiya we felt Follow Your Heart mozzarella cheese had a much softer texture and a better finish once melted. Both more or less have the same creamy consistency but we believe Follow Your Heart mozzarella had a slight edge over Daiya.
It was an inviting, delicious vegan pizza that wouldn’t allow any room to detect the difference.
If you’re looking for a vegan cheese that melts and tastes great on a pizza, then this is for you!
Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds Review
Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 192 consumer ratings)
(8 ounce – 12 per case pack)
(5 lb pack)
Product Details
- Certified vegan
- Already shredded which adds convenience and measuring is easier
- Free of dairy, eggs, cholesterol, trans fat, preservatives, gluten, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts
Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds can be used with any recipe which calls for melted cheddar, like pizzas, creamy macaroni & cheese, grilled sandwiches, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, casseroles, salads, etc.
This brand seems to be in demand with a lot of restaurants and pizzerias that make vegan pizzas and that speak volumes about its adaptability and how well it works as a pizza topping!
Once opened it’s good for 7 days and keep it refrigerated. You can freeze it as well.
Taste Test
Another vegan cheese that melts well (again, there has to be a reason why many restaurants use this brand).
We just tried a few shreds straight out of the packet. It has a pungent smell and does taste like cheddar (a milder version). The texture is not exactly as you would expect with standard dairy cheese shreds but not bad for a vegan cheese at all.
Tried with grilled sandwiches. After getting it melted it looked like any typical grilled cheese sandwich we’ve seen before. There was nothing weird about the texture as well. In fact, it appears to have the same kind of greasy residue you normally associate with regular cheese which we think is appetizing when it comes to grilled sandwiches.
In terms of taste, it’s certainly not far behind compared to regular cheese, and the taste difference is minimal.
Vegan Cheese Dressings
Daiya Blue Cheeze Dairy-Free Dressing Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 (from 53 consumer ratings)
Product Details
- Certified vegan
- Available in three flavors: Blue Cheeze, Creamy Caesar, Homestyle Ranch
- Free of trans fat, cholesterol, dairy, eggs, gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy
This rich and creamy Daiya Blue Cheeze Dairy-Free Dressing doesn’t fail to deliver the typical tangy flavor you associate with blue cheese dressings. Whether you use it as a condiment, blend with salads, add some zing to your decadent dishes or use as a dip, you would not be disappointed!
Shelf-stable until opened. Shake well before using and keep it refrigerated.
Taste Test
Well, if you taste it on its own, it may slightly differ from a dairy ranch dressing, but when we used it with salads, or as a dip for veggies we couldn’t tell any difference!
No peculiar smell, texture or taste here. Tastes just like blue cheese dressings with the tartness it’s known for.
The texture feels so natural and has a very smooth, thick and creamy consistency.
In case, if you’re disappointed with your previous vegan dressings then this is highly recommended!
Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Go Veggie Vegan Parmesan Grated Cheese Review
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (from 391 consumer ratings)
Product Details
- Ideal for vegans, those who are lactose intolerant or anyone that has ditched dairy
- Non-GMO ingredients
- 30% less fat compared to dairy parmesan cheese
- More calcium (8% RDI*) than dairy parmesan cheese (6% RDI*)
- Free of cholesterol, trans fat, dairy, eggs, gluten, and preservatives
Go Veggie vegan parmesan grated cheese is an excellent way to add some cheese flavor to any of your savory dishes. Sprinkle on your pizza toppings, pasta, salads, use it for casseroles, burritos, mac and cheese, soups, and pesto. Add some zest of classic parmesan cheese taste with this vegan version.
Shelf stable and refrigeration is not required until opened. Do note that this product has soy if you have any allergies.
Taste Test
We used this vegan parmesan with pasta and it complimented well! We wouldn’t go to the extent of saying that it tastes exactly like regular parmesan, but it’s pretty close and does the job considering that it’s plant-based.
Honestly, some may not even know that it’s a vegan parmesan once you add it to your dishes. It’s tasty, melts well and of good quality, the closest we’ve found to dairy parmesan!
Another pro of this parmesan is that it has no odd smell, artificial texture, and chemical aftertaste.
The only suggestion we have is, don’t put too much of it and use only according to the demands of your taste.
*Recommended Daily Intake
We hope this dairy-free vegan cheese brands review helped you to know the top quality plant-based cheese brands available and see the variety of options you’ve got. Keep trying different brands & types of vegan cheese according to your taste, meals, and recipe requirements!
Image credits: Follow Your Heart, Daiya, Field Roast, Bute Island, and Go Veggie
Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 169 consumer ratings)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 277 consumer ratings)
