It’s truly never been easier to find delicious vegan options to help you protect animals! Check out some of our favorite cheeses.
Dairy-free cheese has come so far in the last decade that we can’t get enough of it! Whether you’re creating a vegan charcuterie board to impress your friends or simply making a plant-based cheeseburger, there are so many delicious vegan cheese options you can purchase right now from non-dairy slices to cheese blocks and soft cheese spreads.
Here are 11 of the best dairy-free cheeses you can buy right now (in our opinion!). It covers products that use a variety of base ingredients including many that do not include tree nuts for those with allergies.
1. Field Roast’s Original Chao Cheese
If you’re looking for comfort food, this coconut-based dairy-free cheese is perfect for those days when a grilled cheese and tomato soup hits just right! The creamy Chao cheese slices melt perfectly as a delicious complement to any plant-based burger or sandwich. If you’re anything like me, you’d just eat these by the slice directly from the package! Field Roast also sells this dairy-free cheese in a shredded version, perfect for salads, pizzas, quesadillas, or mac-and-cheese sauce.
2. Miyoko’s Creamery Aged Smokehouse Cheddar
This dairy-free cheese using organic-culture cashew milk, is a definite showstopper on your charcuterie board! Miyoko’s aged smokehouse cheddar is a semi-hard cheese crafted using cheesemonger techniques in Sonoma County, California. Smoked for over four weeks, this cheese pairs well with apricots or a sweet jam, according to Miyoko’s!
3. Violife’s Smoked Gouda
If you want to up your sandwich game, Violife’s dairy-free smoked gouda is the place to start. These round slices are better for animals and the environment—all while being free from soy, gluten, nuts, and preservatives. One reviewer on its website stated, “I have to say that Violife is better than dairy cheese.” Okay, slay!
4. Darë Vegan Cheese’s Balsamic Fig Plant-Based Wedge
One of the best dairy-free cheeses I’ve personally ever tasted, this plant-based cheese has a sweet and sour flavor from dried figs and balsamic vinegar. The swirls of the balsamic in this cheese wedge will beautifully complement the fresh fruits and nuts on your plant-based charcuterie board—and trust us, this cheese will be the first to go!
5. Treeline Cheesemakers’ Vegan Goat-Style Cashew Cheese
Made from a base of cashews, Treeline makes three versions of its dairy-free goat-style cheese: original, blueberry, and garlic and basil. Any of these three dairy-free cheeses is delicious in its own right, but the blueberry was voted the best vegan cheese by USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards, so you know it’s the bomb dot com! While the blueberry dairy-free goat cheese is sweet and tart, pairing nicely with salads and greens, the garlic and basil is perfect for pizza, pasta, or bruschetta. YUM!
6. Tofutti’s Better Than Cream Cheese
An OG, Tofutti has been making dairy-free products since 1981—a time when veganism wasn’t as mainstream as it is today! The brand’s Better Than Cream Cheese is still a tried-and-true favorite, but it now comes in four flavors and a whipped version. You honestly can’t go wrong choosing the plain, garlic and herb, herbs and chive, smoked, or whipped plain version for your Sunday morning bagel.
7. Kite Hill’s Almond Milk Ricotta
This dairy-free cheese is delicious on its own as a dollop on noodles and grandma’s Sunday sauce, but that’s not all it can be used for. Made from an almond milk base, this Whole30-approved dairy-free ricotta can be used in place of mascarpone in desserts or in savory recipes like stuffed shells. You can even pair this ricotta with dairy-free goat cheese in a Sicilian cannoli recipe. Kite Hill also uses this ricotta in its dairy-free ravioli, so excuse us while we run to the nearest store to pick some up!
8. Follow Your Heart’s Dairy-Free Parmesan
One of the best toppers for salads and pasta, Follow Your Heart’s dairy-free parmesan cheese will add a little extra oomph to any meal you create! An online review states: “Everything about it [from] the slightly salty tingle, the texture it adds to pasta, and even the slight stinky smell is all like the real dairy thing!” Bonus tip: Pair this cheese with Follow Your Heart’s Organic Caesar Dressing for an epic and easy Caesar salad.
9. SriMu’s Bertie Cheese
This woodsy and aromatic cheese is inspired by Camembert but is infused with truffles and can easily become the “hero of cheese boards,” according to SriMu. The Bertie flavor of SriMu’s cheese can also be used in an alfredo sauce or risotto, according to the brand, though it’s definitely a dairy-free cheese meant to be savored. Note: SriMu is not just dairy-free, but also paleo and keto-friendly, gluten-free, and crafted using raw ingredients!
10. Nuts For Cheese’s Un-Brie-Lievable
This fermented cashew-based cheese is recommended for its versatility and has a 3-month shelf life from the time it’s delivered! Nuts For Cheese’s Un-Brie-Lievable is mild, rich, and creamy, and the chef recommends using it in recipes such as pasta sauces, cheesecakes, poutine, and more. This company is also not only clean label certified but is woman-founded and led—we love that!
11. Daiya’s Mozzarella Shreds
Daiya is another brand that’s been around since before the boom of dairy-free cheese (2007, to be exact), and it has recently reformulated its dairy-free mozzarella shreds to be made from an oat cream blend! This dairy-free mozzarella cheese is best for homemade pizzas, saucy pastas, or hot subs (like plant-based meatball subs or Philly cheesesteaks). While you can find these in almost every supermarket nationwide, this is also the brand many pizza restaurants use for their vegan slices!
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Looking to join the plant-based revolution and incorporate more dairy-free options into your lifestyle? Join World Animal Protection US’s Plant-Powered Changemakers community for tips, tricks, dairy-free products, and more!
