The 13 Best Vegan Cheese Brands, Ranked
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If you ask a vegetarian if they would ever go vegan, they might say they've thought about it but could never give up cheese. There is something addicting about cheese, and life without is unfathomable for many. But some people choose to not eat cheese, for ethical reasons, to support animal rights, for sustainability, for their health, or more.
Fortunately, if you don't eat dairy, you don't have to settle for an empty burger or give up nachos altogether. The number of vegans in the U.S. has been growing, from 1% of the population in 2014 to almost 6% in 2017, according to self-reported data (via Vegan Bits), and the vegan cheese market is growing right along with it. Plant-based cheese has come a long way since it first hit the market, and every year there are more and more dairy-free cheese brands and flavors to choose from. While many types of vegan cheese don't exactly taste like cheese, some get pretty darn close. Once known as flavorless cardboard, these days, vegan cheese can melt and add texture and delicious flavor to level up any meal. Let's explore some of our favorite brands.
13. Daiya
As a vegan, if there is a particular type of food that you miss, Daiya has got you covered. Daiya dairy-free products have been on the market for a while since the brand's first appearance to the public at the Natural Products Expo West in 2009. It's grown a lot since then and currently offers a wide variety of plant-based foods, including gluten-free and regular pizza, mac and cheese, cheesecake, salad dressings, and cream cheese. Daiya also has vegan cheese in different styles: shreds, slices, blocks, sticks, and sauce.
Even though Daiya set the stage for a lot of other vegan cheese brands, it's on the bottom of the list for a few reasons. While the cheese does taste close to the real thing, it gets mixed reviews. We've found the texture of the melted cheese on pizza to be overwhelming — it stretches like real cheese, but it tends to be a bit gummy, sticky, and chewy. And while Daiya claims that its cheese melts, results seem to vary.
According to one Amazon review, "It melts great but the flavor is overpowering." Another customer reported that the cheese just turned into a pool of liquid when they tried to melt it. Another reviewer notes that Daiya has updated its cheese recipe and Amazon doesn't carry the most recent version, so maybe the melt factor has been improved — however, one user said the new recipe tastes like plastic, so it's hard to be sure.
12. 365 by Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market store brand 365 offers a variety of different cheese types, including cheddar, mozzarella, and gouda, available both sliced or shredded. The 365 by Whole Foods Market dairy-free cheddar slices contain pretty simple ingredients: filtered water, coconut oil, modified potato starch, modified tapioca starch, sea salt, olive extract, and natural flavors, as well as paprika extract and beta carotene for coloring. While this vegan cheese has good flavor, the "natural flavors" contain wheat, which means this product is not gluten-free. This is pretty disappointing to people who eat vegan and gluten-free.
According to one Amazon reviewer: "As someone who is vegan with celiac I find it frustrating that this contains gluten." Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes digestive issues when wheat is consumed. It's common for people with celiac disease to also have lactose intolerance. The fact that 365 by Whole Foods Market is not inclusive to all folks with restrictive diets puts this product lower on the list of best vegan cheeses.
11. Tofutti
The Tofutti brand is one of the first dairy-free cheeses, hitting the market way back in 1981. Tofutti not only offers vegan cheese but also dairy-free sour cream, dips, and frozen desserts. The brand has three different vegan cheeses: Better Than Cream Cheese, Better Than Ricotta Cheese, and American Slices. As the name implies, Tofutti-brand vegan cheese contains soy, which is a downside for anyone on a soy-free diet — however, it is gluten-free. The original recipes contained hydrogenated oils, but Tofutti has since cleaned up the ingredient list to contain only non-hydrogenated oil.
Even though we want to like this vegan cheese, it unfortunately misses the mark. Users on Go Dairy Free only give it 3.1 stars out of 5. Customers describe it as "okay" and "very acceptable," which is a tad bit shy of delicious. Some reviewers of the vegan cream cheese say it tastes remarkably like the real thing, while others say it has a chemical, doughy, unnatural texture. You'll have to taste it to decide for yourself.
10. Vitalite
Vitalite offers a few different types of vegan cheese products, including a spread to mimic cream cheese, grated Parmesan, as well as cheddar and mozzarella shreds and slices. This cheese has a lot of good things going for it — it's made from coconut oil and potato and corn starch, among other ingredients — so it's free of gluten and soy. But it lacks flavor and doesn't have the best texture. Plus, if you try to melt it, it sort of turns into an ooey-gooey, sticky mess.
One customer said that they think it tastes best when melted: "I love it on pizza. Yes it's sticky when melted, but I love that! It tasted amazing." But another shared, "Don't buy this if you like cheese. Very bland with a nasty aftertaste. Texture rubbery, then slimy when melted. Really unpleasant." In fact, multiple reviewers have compared the texture to rubber, and many said that it was tasteless (via Tesco). These vegan cheeses will do in a pinch, but they're not the best out there.
9. Follow Your Heart
Follow Your Heart is a solid vegan cheese food brand that provides a huge variety of cheese types, from the basics of shreds and slices to more novelty kinds like Parmesan, bleu cheese, and feta — even a mozzarella block. The brand's different types of vegan cheese offerings received decent reviews on Moms Meet and Influenster, with people raving about taste, melt factor, texture, and more. However, one mom did note, "Kids all liked these but a few of the Mom's did not like the taste."
We find the taste to be hit or miss — especially the grated Parmesan cheese. We think the flavor's quite lackluster, which is a stereotype vegan cheese is trying hard to break free of. Follow Your Heart's Cheddar cheese block also got pretty bad reviews on Amazon, only scoring a 2.9 out of 5 stars all around. The next time you go to the store and need vegan cheese, buy this brand if it's the only thing on the shelf, but if there are other options, opt for those instead.
8. The Laughing Cow
The Laughing Cow was founded in France in 1921 and has been a staple cheese brand in many households. Its parent company, Bel Brands, is also responsible for BabyBel, the classic tiny cheese wheels wrapped in red wax.
At the end of 2022, The Laughing Cow released two new dairy-free flavors — Original and Garlic & Herb — available at Whole Foods Market. Each cheese pack comes with pre-wrapped wedges of vegan cheese that are just as creamy and spreadable as the original dairy versions. The ingredients are quite simple: almond milk, coconut oil, sunflower oil, pea protein, and natural seasonings. The vegan cheese is also fortified with vitamin B12, which is a nutrient commonly lacking in plant-based diets. This cheese ends up in the middle of our ranking because while the taste and texture are great, if you're hoping for it to be comparable to the original version, you might be disappointed.
7. So Delicious
So Delicious is a plant-based brand with a large line of dairy-free goods, including alternative milks, creamers, ice cream, yogurts, and cheese. The company's vegan cheese selection includes the best of all worlds: shreds, slices, and cream cheese spreads. So Delicious vegan cheeses are gluten-, soy-, and dairy-free; the base is just coconut oil and starches, though if you are allergic to coconut or potatoes, you're out of luck. We love that this brand offers both shredded cheese for things like tacos and DIY pizza but also slices for sandwiches, burgers, and more. We also appreciate that So Delicious allows customers to review its products directly on its website, offering full transparency about its merchandise.
And according to customer reviews, not only can they not believe it's not real cheese, but it scores high in the melting category. It's really hard to find a plant-based cheese that melts well, but if you're looking for a vegan cheese to make the perfectly creamy, melty grilled cheese sandwich, look no further. As with everything, they get mixed reviews, but every product on So Delicious' website averages at least 4 out of 5 stars.
6. Siete
Siete foods is a Mexican-American family company that was created as a result of one of the family members, Veronica, being diagnosed with autoimmune conditions. Due to Veronica's dietary restrictions, her whole family of seven — which is "siete" in Spanish — switched to an anti-inflammatory diet and began making their own kitchen staples with Mexican influence. The company began by selling grain-free tortillas but now also sells chips, taco shells, desserts, sauces, and more. Siete's dairy-free Cashew Queso sauce is a vegan alternative to the classic nacho sauce.
We think Siete does a great job at mimicking the look and texture that you would expect with the nostalgic nachos you would get at the fair as a kid. The flavor wasn't immediately delicious but really grew on us, and now we can confidently say that we keep going back for more. According to one Amazon customer, the "flavor and texture are great. My household has a mix of vegans and non vegan and there are no complaints from either about this product." A couple others say the texture is more gritty and not as smooth as iconic nacho cheese. So it's not perfect, but it's close to it. Plus, not many other companies out there offer a plant-based cheesy sauce like this one.
5. Kite Hill
Kite Hill has many plant-based food offerings, from yogurt, sour cream, and butter alternatives to cream cheese and spreadable cheeses. The cream cheese is available in Plain, Strawberry, Garden Veggie, Everything, and Chive varieties. The brand also has two soft spreadable cheese flavors: Caramelized Onion and Garlic and Herb. All of the brand's vegan cheeses are made with an almond milk base, which means they are soy- and gluten-free.
Kite Hill's production process is slightly different than other typical vegan cheese brands. Instead of using blended nuts as the base, like Siete, Kite Hill cultures almond milk using enzymes, which is similar to the creation of regular cheese. Traditionally, enzymes are added to dairy milk to thicken, and the resulting curds are collected to further process into cheese. Kite Hill mimics this technique, which the company claims gives its plant-based cheese a more convincing taste and texture. We agree.
The flavors are mouthwatering, and the texture is pretty close to dairy-based cream cheese. Amazon customers agree, with many sharing that it tastes like the real thing and is one of their favorite vegan cheeses. The number-one complaint is that it molds pretty quickly — but is that such a bad thing? Kite Hill's products contain no artificial flavors or preservatives, which is a good thing in our eyes. Plus, you might eat it so fast it won't even have a chance to go bad.
4. Miyoko's Creamery
Miyoko's Creamery is closer to the top of the list because it tastes so good that both vegans and cheese lovers will eat it, and that's saying a lot. A downside of alternate dairy and meat products is that they try too hard to copy the real thing, which is not only difficult to do but also not exactly what many vegans or vegetarians are looking for. Instead of going that route, Miyoko's Creamery has simply created tasty products that stand out in their own category and happen to be dairy-free. The company chose its niche and nailed it. Even cheese-lover Julia Pugachevsky of Insider says Miyoko's consistently blows her away.
The brand's offerings include vegan butter that will really make you say, "I can't believe it's not butter," as well as plant-based mozzarella, cream cheese, and gorgeous artisanal cheese wheels that come in eight delectable flavors. Miyoko's vegan cheeses are also cultured, similar to Kite Hill's, but the company uses cashews as the base. The culturing process makes the texture and flavor of this cheese to die for. And it's gluten- and soy-free, too.
3. Field Roast
It's hard to get vegan cheese texture just right, but Field Roast, a Seattle-based company created by a chef in 1997, does. Field Roast makes plant-based meats and cheeses inspired by charcuterie boards and Buddhist vegetarian diets. The company's Chao Creamery vegan cheeses come in shreds, slices, and blocks, with savory flavors like Tomato Cayenne, Smoked, and Spicy. The base of the vegan cheese is coconut oil and fermented tofu, which means they aren't soy-free, but they are gluten-free and non-GMO.
Chao cheese is marketed as creamy — and it's no lie. The texture is rich, and this cheese melts so perfectly, we've never had an issue with it. It's our go-to vegan cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich and any other meal that is better with cheese. And many Target reviewers say this is their favorite of all the vegan cheeses. In fact, one person shared, "I have eaten a lot of vegan cheese over 20 years and this is the only sliced variety I buy regularly."
2. Violife
Violife is one of our all-time favorite vegan cheese brands, for a lot of reasons. First, the company offers a wide variety of different types of cheese, from the basic shreds and slices to blocks of Parmesan and feta — which are both epically delicious, by the way. It's extremely hard to find tasty vegan Parmesan or feta cheese, but Violife has come to save the day in that arena. Your vegan pasta sauce no longer has to remain Parmesan-less, and your vegan pasta salad can finally level up with some mouth-watering feta. The brand also offers a variety of flavors beyond the classics, like mozzarella and smoked varieties.
Violife's vegan cheese base is made from coconut oil and food starch, meaning it's gluten- and soy-free — a bonus for those with food allergies. Vitamin B12 is also added in as an ingredient. Violife's products taste similar to real cheese and melt great, and the texture is stretchy, not gummy. We really can't find anything wrong with this cheese. The company's website is full of reviews from happy customers, with one reviewer saying, "Violife has seriously changed the vegan cheese game! Super yummy, super melty. And best of all it's soy free!! It's so hard to find a vegan cheese that doesn't contain tons of fillers."
1. Treeline
If you're going to a potluck or picnic in the park and don't know everyone's dietary restrictions, bring Treeline plant-based cheese. Trust us, just do it. Everyone will thank you, including yourself. Treeline offers a lot of different types of vegan cheese products, including bleu cheese, cheese wheels, vegan goat-style cheese, and cream cheese. But our favorite has to be the soft French-style cheese. The rich texture is perfectly creamy, and the cheese works well as a spread or a dip. It's a great addition on a vegan charcuterie board, crackers, bread, fruit — you name it.
Treeline's mission is to create good-tasting food that's good for you, and it's doing it well. The company's vegan cheese is made from fermented cashews, which is what gives it that tasty flavor and authentic texture. Every product on Treeline's website has almost 5-star ratings and rave reviews, including this happy customer: "I had searched what seemed like forever to find non-dairy, plant based cheese that tasted good. I have tried everything out there. As soon as I discovered Treeline, my search was complete! The cheese is extremely fresh and extremely flavorful! Food is fun again now that I discovered Treeline!" We couldn't agree more.