The first time you try a good 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 vegan cheese at home might sound daunting, but it’s surprisingly easy and the results can rival anything made commercially. Just scroll near the end of this page to see our list of cookbooks specifically devoted to vegan cheese recipes.
The Evolution of Vegan Cheese
If the last time you last tried vegan cheese was ages ago, you owe it to yourself to try the newest offerings. The first non-dairy cheese brands on the market deserved their bad reputation. They were usually made from highly processed ingredients, and many brands wouldn’t even melt properly.
That’s all changed as companies have stepped up their game. Many have switched to premium ingredients such as nut milks that carry rich and satisfying flavors. They’ve also taken their products to the next level by innovating production methods that deliver the satisfying texture and flavors of real cheese. Now that the market is crowded with superb plant-based cheese brands, inferior products 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 pre-shredded varieties perfect for pizza and casseroles. You can even buy a vegan grated Parmesan-style cheese, which is the ideal dairy-free spaghetti topping.
Vegan Cheese Brands (Based in North America, distribution varies):
- Daiya Foods (Shreds, Slices, Blocks, and Cream Cheese)
- Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese
- Field Roast Chao Slices
- Follow Your Heart
- Go Veggie! Foods (not all products are vegan)
- Kite-Hill Artisan Vegan Cheese
- Miyoko’s Creamery
- Parma! Vegan Parmesan
- Parmela Creamery
- Punk Rawk Labs
- So Delicious Dairy-Free Shreds
- Chicago Vegan Foods: Teese
- Three Girls Vegan Creamery
- Treeline Treenut Cheese
- Vromage
European Dairy-Free Cheese Brands (Distribution Varies)
- Bute Island Sheese (Scotland)
- I Am Nut OK (UK)
- Serotonina (Poland)
- Tyne Chease (UK)
- Violife (Internationally Distributed)
Vegan Cheese Cookbooks
While the products we just looked at will keep you going for quite a while, you’ll have vastly more options if you make your own cheese. Take a look at all these exciting cookbooks:
- This Cheese is Nuts!, by Julie Piatt
- The Cheesy Vegan, by John Schlimm
- The Non-Dairy Evolution Cookbook, by Skye Michael Conroy
- The Art of Plant-Based Cheesemaking, by Karen McAthy
- The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, by Jo Stepaniak
Moving Towards Dairy-Free Living
Most people switching to vegan cheese also want to cut down or eliminate their consumption of dairy products. If that’s the way you’re headed, you’ll get a great deal out of reading our Dairy-Free Eating Guide. It’s crammed with all sorts of helpful tips and expert guidance. You will also want to check out our Vegan Alternatives page, since it links to top vegan replacements for every sort of dairy product.
Finally, I can’t send you on your way without offering a recipe. So here’s 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.