When people become curious about veganism, many usually stop because of one word: CHEESE. This is why being able to show off a list of the best vegan cheese brands is so important to us!
By compiling this list, we are able to show that vegans can eat cheese. We aren’t just talking about plain old blocks either – we have cheese wheels, slices, shreds, spreads, crumbles, and more.
Whether you’re a cheddar enthusiast or a mozzarella aficionado, there is a plant-based cheese for you – and this article gives you all the deets on the best vegan cheese brands to check out!
Table of contents
Why Don’t Vegans Eat Cheese?
Traditional cheeses are made from curdled milk, which usually comes from a cow, goat, buffalo, or other animal.
Of course, vegans don’t consume any animal products, including dairy, due to the cruelty that permeates the industry, as well as the environmental issues.
Health is also a popular reason for many people to ditch dairy, as it usually contains a cocktail of hormones, antibiotics, steroids, and pesticides, not to mention potentially carcinogenic animal proteins.
You can read more about the issues surrounding dairy in our ultimate guide to going dairy free.
What is Vegan Cheese?
If vegans don’t consume animal products, then what the heck is vegan cheese made from?!
Good question!
While vegan cheese has technically been around for 500 years, its modern-day iterations are a lot different to the fermented soy products found in 16th century China!
Today, vegan cheese is actually a collection of many different products made with many different ingredients. These include oil-based cheeses, as well as those made from nuts, seeds, and other whole-food ingredients like carrots and cauliflower.
The nutritional value of plant-based cheeses varies depending on the brand and the cheese in question. For example, a minimally-processed cashew nut-based cheese is going to be more nutritionally beneficial than a heavily-processed oil-based cheese.
However, used in moderation, all vegan cheeses can be part of a healthy, balanced, plant-based diet!
The Best Vegan Cheese Brands
Now that we know what it is, here are some of the different types of vegan cheeses and our favorite vegan cheese brands currently on the market.
Best Cheese Wheels:
Nothing beats a cheese wheel. These versatile wheels can be sliced for sandwiches, used in recipes, or as the perfect centerpiece to any cheeseboard.
There are tons of vegan cheese wheels out there, and the artisanal options from Miyoko’s Creamery, Treeline and Rind tick the right boxes for us – they highlight the best of what vegan cheese brands can offer.
Before you buy your wheel, determine whether the wheel provides a firm or spreadable cheese, as it will make a difference to how you use it.
Check out:
- Miyoko’s Creamery Cheese Wheels (Classic Chive, Sundried Tomato Garlic, Garlic Herb, Sharp English Farmhouse, Smoked English Farmhouse, Aged Herbes de Provence, Winter Truffle, Aged Black Ash)
- Treeline Aged Artisinal Plant-Based Cheese Wheels (Classic, Cracked Pepper)
- Rind (Bleu Cheese, Classic Cambleu, Herbs de Provence, Lapsang, Paprika)
Best Sliced Cheeses:
While cheese wheels may have the ‘wow factor’, vegan cheese slices are the height of practicality.
Deli-style cheese slices are perfect for using in sandwiches (did somebody say, ‘grilled cheese’?!), hot dogs, burgers, and wraps – literally anywhere someone may use a dairy cheese slice.
Parmela Creamery offer slices in four flavors including both Creamy American and Fiery Jack. They melt perfectly, making them ideal for summer BBQs.
Check out:
- Violife (Mozzarella, Smoky Cheddar, Original, Cheddar, Tomato & Basil, Mature Cheddar)
- Miyoko’s Creamery (Farmhouse Cheddar, Pepper Jack, while they also sell the same flavors in sliceable cheese blocks)
- Field Roast Chao Slices (Creamy Original)
- Parmela Creamery (Sharp Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Creamy American, Fiery Jack)
- Treeline (Pepperjack, Cheddar)
- Good Planet Foods (Cheddar, American, Pepper Jack, Smoked Provolone)
Best Shredded Cheeses:
If you are making vegan pizza, then shredded cheese is your greatest ally! You can often grate a block or wheel (see above), although many brands sell pre-grated shreds for convenience.
One of our favorites is Parmela Creamery, who offer a range of cheese shreds, including a sharp cheddar made from whole cashew milk and aged for 60 days for a tangy taste sensation. YUM!
In addition to pizzas, shredded cheese is also often a key ingredient in dishes such as vegan mac n’ cheese, or liberally sprinkled on top of pasta dishes, tacos, and fajitas.
Check out:
- Parmela Creamery (Sharp Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Mozzarella, Fiery Jack)
- Treeline (Mozzarella, Cheddar)
- 365 (Mozzarella, Parmesan)
- Miyoko’s Creamery (Farmhouse Cheddar, Pepper Jack)
- Violife (Tex-Mex, Mature Cheddar, Original, Mozzarella)
- Good Planet Foods (Mozzarella Shreds, Parmesan Shreds, Cheddar Shreds)
Best Spreadable Cheeses:
Spreadable vegan cheese is naturally ideal for bagels, crackers, and breads as a simple but super satisfying snack. It also makes a good dip for crudités (AKA the sophisticated way of saying raw veggies!) or breadsticks.
We are admirers of the spreadable cream cheese range from the excellent Miyoko’s Creamery, offering everything from plain to a festive Cinnamon Raisin flavor. Meanwhile, Kite Hill have a nice range of almond-based cream cheese spreads too.
Don’t forget to check out our own deliciously spreadable vegan cream cheese recipe to make your own healthier version!
Check out:
- Miyoko’s Creamery Cream Cheese (Classic Plain, Everything, Savory Scallion, Fish-Free Lox, Cinnamon Raisin), Miyoko’s Creamery Roadhouse Cheddar (Classic, Garlic Chive)
- Kite Hill Cream Cheese Spread (Plain, Chive, Everything, Garden Veggie), Kite Hill Ricotta
- Treeline Cream Cheese (Plain, Chive & Onion, Strawberry), Treeline Soft French Style (Sea Salt & Pepper, Herb Garlic, Scallion, Chipotle-Serrano), Treeline Goat Cheese (Original, Garlic & Herb, Blueberry)
- Rind (Classic, Herb, Lapsang)
Best Cheese Dips:
Vegan cheese dips are velvety smooth and packed with flavor! They go great with tortilla chips, as well as chopped vegetables, crackers, bread, pretzels, onion rings, fries… anything dunk-able really!
You can also use cheese dips as a quick sauce, especially for Mexican dishes like nachos and enchiladas. We particularly like the two flavors of dairy-free queso from Siete Foods.
If you want to make your own pourable cheese dip, you can check out our vegan nacho cheese recipe!
Check out:
- Good Foods Plant-Based Queso Style Dip
- Siete Foods Cashew Queso (Mild Nacho, Spicy Blanco)
Best Cheese Crumbles:
Finally, cheese crumbles are a must-have for certain dishes. For example, feta-style crumbles are ideal for topping salads and baked potatoes.
Of course, parmesan-style vegan cheese crumbles give a flavor boost to pasta dishes and pizzas. The brand Parma! Vegan Parmesan provides convenient crumble shakers in a range of mouthwatering flavors.
Check out:
- Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast Seasoning
- Parma! Vegan Parmesan (Original, Better Than Bacon, Chipotle Cayenne, Garlicky Green, Garlic Basil, Jalapeño Bacon)
- Nooch It Cashew Grated Cheese
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are tons of companies offering plant-based cheeses. The best vegan cheese brands tend to offer multiple styles and flavors.
For example, it’s no coincidence that you may have noticed brands like Miyoko’s Creamery, Treeline, Parmela Creamery, and Violife popping up in more than one category!
Whether you are slicing, spreading, sprinkling or dipping, it’s safe to say that you don’t have to go cheese-free just because you choose to eat dairy-free.
What is your favorite vegan cheese brand?