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If you’re trying to go vegan, but struggling to let go of cheese, check out this list of delicious vegan alternatives to dairy cheese. You can find a variety of vegan cheese brands that make slices, shreds, and more!
Why Don’t Vegans Eat Cheese?
Vegans don’t consume anything that contains animal products or animal derived ingredients. This includes meat, eggs, dairy, honey and anything that comes from an animal.
Cheese is typically made from cow’s milk or other types of animal milk. Because of this, vegans don’t eat your typical dairy-cheese, but luckily there are many vegan alternatives!
To learn more about what it means to be vegan, check out this post on how to go vegan for beginners.
What is Vegan Cheese Made Of?
There are many different ways to make vegan cheese. Store-bought vegan cheese is often quite processed, but I like to have it on occasion.
Here are some common ingredients used to make vegan cheese:
- Soy
- Oils (coconut oil is common)
- Starches (potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, etc.)
- Cashews
- Plant-based milk
There are so many vegan cheeses to choose from. Some are gluten-free, some are soy free, and if you prefer to stick to a whole-foods plant-based diet, there are even some oil-free store-bought vegan cheeses. Treeline cheese is a great choice if you are avoiding oils.
Types of Vegan Cheese Alternatives
There is a vegan alternative for pretty much everything these days, and cheese is no exception! You can find vegan cheese in various forms, including:
- Shreds in various flavors
- Slices in various flavors
- Blocks in various flavors
- Parmesan
- Cream cheese in various flavors
- Ricotta
- Feta
Some vegan cheese tastes similar to dairy cheese, while others don’t really at all. But even the ones that have their own unique taste are often delicious!
The best way to figure out what you like is just to try some different brands. If you don’t like the first one you try, don’t rule out all vegan cheese! Just try another one. I’m sure you’ll find something you like!
Tip for trying vegan cheese: Keep an open mind and don’t expect it to be exactly like dairy cheese. Some vegan cheese is incredibly similar to dairy cheese, but it will never taste the same and it won’t melt the same either.
Below, you will find a list of vegan cheese along with facts and opinions about the different brands and flavors. I have listed calories, fat, carbs, protein, and sodium content for a specific flavor for each brand, to give you an idea of the nutritional information of the various brands.
Brands do re-formulate products sometimes, so check a brand’s official website to confirm ingredients and additional information on any products you are interested in!
Vegan Cheese Slices
Field Roast Chao Slices
Winner for tasting the most like dairy cheese
Field Roast makes several vegan meat and cheese alternatives. Their Chao range includes vegan cheese slices, shreds, blocks, and mac and cheese.
Their vegan cheese slices are made with a base of coconut oil and fermented tofu. Rest assured, although Field Roast calls all of these slices “coconut-based,” I find that they do not taste like coconut at all!
Each package comes with 10 slices, and they come in the following flavors:
- Creamy Original
- Tomato Cayenne
- Smoked Original
- Spicy Original
- Garden Herb
The Creamy Original Chao Slices are my favorite of all the vegan cheese alternatives that I have tried. To me, these slices taste the most like real cheese.
Nutrition Facts for Chao Creamy Original Slices
Per 1 slice:
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 4.5g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 180mg
Do they melt? These slices melt quite well. They are great for a grilled cheese sandwich!
Check the store locator on the Field Roast website to find Chao slices near you.
Daiya Slices
Daiya is a very well known vegan cheese company that produces various flavors of slices, shreds, and blocks. They also make mac and cheese, pizza, salad dressings and more!
Daiya slices taste pretty good, but they definitely don’t remind me of real cheese. I enjoy them, but they may not be the best for someone who is trying to go vegan and is looking for a cheese substitute that satisfies their love of real cheese. I also think that these slices taste better melted in a grilled cheese than raw.
All of the Daiya slices are free of soy, peanuts, and gluten. They are made with a base of potato starch and coconut oil.
Daiya Cheese Slices come in the following flavors:
- American Style
- Smoked Gouda Style
- Mozzarella Style
- Cheddar Style
- Swiss Style
- Provolone Style
Nutrition Facts for Daiya Cheddar Style Slices
Per 1 slice:
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Sodium: 170 mg
Do they melt? Daiya slices have a pretty decent melt, so they are great for grilled cheese sandwiches or burgers.
Use the Daiya store locator to find Daiya slices near you.
Miyoko’s Creamery Slices
Miyoko’s makes several vegan cheeses, including slices, shreds, blocks, mozzarella, and cheese wheels.
Their cheese wheels seem to be very popular, but here I will discuss their slices.
Miyoko’s makes vegan cheese slices in two flavors:
- Farmhouse Cheddar
- Pepper Jack
Both of these slices are made with oat milk, navy beans, garbanzo beans and more. They are free of gluten and soy.
The Pepper Jack flavor is beyond delicious! The Cheddar is pretty good too, but don’t expect it to taste like a dairy cheddar cheese.
Nutrition Facts for Miyoko’s Pepper Jack Slices
Per 1 slice:
- Calories: 70
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 270mg
Do they melt? These slices are not great at melting, but fine for those who aren’t expecting super melty, stretchy vegan cheese.
Use the Miyoko's store locator to find these vegan slices near you.
Follow Your Heart/Earth Island Slices
Follow Your Heart (called Earth Island in Canada) produces a variety of vegan foods, from dips and spreads, to yogurts, cheese, and more!
Their vegan cheese slices are made with a base of coconut oil, potato starch, and corn starch. They are also all gluten-free.
Follow Your Heart slices come in the following flavors:
- Smoked Gouda
- American
- Provolone
- Pepper Jack
- Medium Cheddar
- Mozzarella
- Garden Herb
The smoked gouda is a very popular flavor. It’s reminiscent of a dairy-based smoked gouda that is packed with flavor!
Nutrition Facts for Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda Slices
Per 1 slice:
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 4.5g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 180mg
Do they melt? These slices melt really well. They are perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich.
Use the Follow Your Heart store locator to find these slices near you.
Violife Slices
Violife makes plenty of delicious vegan cheeses. They make shreds, slices, blocks, a parmesan style wedge, vegan cream cheeses, and more.
I find that their slices taste really similar to Chao slices, so Violife is one of my favorites! Similar to the Chao slices, these ones are also made with a base of coconut oil and starch, but they taste nothing like coconut.
Violife slices currently come in the following flavors:
- Original Flavor
- Mozzarella Flavor
- Cheddar Flavor
- Slices with Herbs
- Slices with Tomato & Basil
- Smoked Flavor
- Mature Cheddar Flavor
- Smoky Cheddar Flavor
Nutrition Facts for Violife Original Slices
Per 1 slice:
- Calories: 57
- Fat: 4.6g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Protein: 0
- Sodium: 184mg
Do they melt? These slices have a decent melt, but of course not as great as real cheese.
Use the Violife store locator to find these slices at a store near you.
Vegan Cheese Shreds
Field Roast Chao Shreds
The Chao vegan shreds are good, but definitely not as good as the slices. They are still a great option if you want a shredded cheese though!
Just like the Chao slices, these shreds are made with a base of coconut oil and fermented tofu, along with starches. But also like the slices, this shredded vegan cheese doesn’t taste like coconut at all!
Flavors:
- Creamy Original
- Mexican Style Blend
Nutritional Facts for Chao Creamy Original Shreds
Per 1 oz.:
- Calories: 80
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 260mg
Do they melt? This shredded vegan cheese melts alright, but there are better options for melting on pizza or nachos. You may like it better when used in a salad or on tacos.
Use the Field Roast store locator to find Chao shreds at a store near you.
Daiya Cutting Board Collection Shreds
Daiya shreds come in an Original blend, and their newer Cutting Board Collection.
The Original Mozzarella Style and Original Cheddar Style shreds are alright, but most people agree that they are not as good as the Cutting Board Collection.
Daiya Cutting Board Collection shreds come in the following flavors:
- Mexican 4 Cheeze Style
- Cheddar Style
- Mozzarella Style
- Pepperjack Style
- Cheddar & Mozza Style Blend
All of the Daiya cheese shreds are vegan and free of gluten, soy, and peanuts. They are made with tapioca starch, coconut oil, chickpea protein, and more.
The Mozzarella Style Shreds are probably the most popular of the Daiya shreds because they are great on pizza!
Nutrition Facts for the Mozzarella Cutting Board Collection Shreds
Per ¼ cup:
- Calories: 80
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 230mg
Do they melt? These Daiya shreds melt really well, but they get more oily than other vegan shreds. They are great for pizza, quesadillas, or macaroni and cheese.
Use the Daiya store locator to find these shreds at a store near you.
Miyoko’s Creamery Shreds
Miyoko’s shreds come in the same 2 flavors as their slices:
- Farmhouse Cheddar
- Pepper Jack
These shreds are made with creamy oat milk, navy beans, garbanzo beans, coconut milk, fava bean protein, and more. They are free of gluten and soy.
These shreds are great in salads and tacos, and they can also be melted.
Nutrition Facts for Miyoko’s Cheddar Shreds
Per ¼ cup:
- Calories: 70
- Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Protein: 3g
- Sodium: 260mg
Do they melt? The melt isn’t super great for these shreds, but if you’re okay with that you can use them on pizza and quesadillas and they will still be delicious.
Use the Miyoko’s store locator to find these shreds at a store near you.
Follow Your Heart/ Earth Island Shreds
Follow Your Heart makes several vegan cheese products, including shreds, slices, blocks, and some more specialty cheeses.
Their shreds have a bit of a powdery texture, but I think they taste great.
These shreds are made with a base of oil, potato starch, and corn starch. All of the flavors are soy-free and gluten-free.
Follow Your Heart Shreds come in the following flavors:
- Cheddar (Regular and Finely Shredded)
- Mozzarella (Regular and Finely Shredded)
- Italian Blend
- Fiesta Blend
As you can see, the cheddar and mozzarella come in a finely shredded version. The original shreds are quite wide, so I do prefer the finely shredded. I also find they melt a bit better.
Nutrition Facts for Follow Your Heart Finely Shredded Mozzarella
Per 1 oz.:
- Calories: 80
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 280mg
Do they melt? Like most vegan cheeses, these shreds don’t melt like regular cheese, but they melt well enough.
Use the Follow Your Heart store locator to find these shreds at a store near you.
Violife Shreds
Violife shreds currently come in a variety of flavors, including mozzarella, cheddar, and colby jack. Flavors available will depend on the country you are in.
These shreds are cut fairly thin, and just like Violife slices, these shreds are made with a base of coconut oil and starches.
The colby jack shreds are a popular flavor. They are great on nachos or tacos!
Nutrition Facts for Violife Colby Jack Shreds
Per ¼ cup:
- Calories: 85
- Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 250 mg
Do they melt? These shreds melt really well in pasta so they are great for macaroni and cheese. I find they don’t melt as well on pizza, but if that doesn’t bother you, they still taste great on a pizza.
Check the Violife store locator to find these shreds near you.
365 by Whole Foods Market Plant-Based Shreds
Whole Foods Market has their own plant-based cheese products! They have some slices as well, but here I will be discussing their vegan shredded cheese.
The 365 Brand makes two vegan cheese shreds:
- Plant-Based Cheddar
- Plant-Based Mozzarella
These shreds are fairly long and are made with coconut oil and starches. They contain wheat so they are not gluten-free.
Nutrition Facts for 365 Mozzarella Shreds
Per ¼ cup:
- Calories: 80
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 220mg
Do they melt? Unfortunately these shreds don’t melt very well, but they have a great taste. Try them in salads or tacos.
Find these shreds at Whole Foods or order them online on Amazon here.
Other Vegan Cheeses
Treeline Artisanal Cheese Wheels
Winner for healthiest store-bought vegan cheese
Treeline is a company that produces entirely vegan cheeses. This brand is great for those who want a healthier vegan cheese option, as they don’t add any oils or gums to their products.
They make their cheese with Brazilian cashew nuts and culture them with a probiotic culture. All of their cheese is also gluten-free!
Because this cheese is very natural, it does not contain additives that allow it to stretch like a dairy cheese does. The cheese does however soften when heated.
These artisanal cheeses come in a wheel shape that can be sliced, making them perfect for crackers. They can also be grated and put on pasta, salad, and more!
Treeline artisanal cheese comes in 2 varieties: Classic and Cracked Pepper.
Nutrition Facts for Treeline Cracked Pepper Artisanal Cheese Wheel
Per 1 oz.:
- Calories: 140
- Fat:11 g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Sodium: 140mg
Treeline also makes a variety of vegan soft French-style cheeses and cream cheese.
Find Treeline cheese using their store locator.
Kite Hill Ricotta
Kite Hill is a vegan company that makes entirely plant-based yogurts, dips, butter, cream cheese and more.
Their vegan ricotta is a great alternative to a dairy ricotta cheese. It is made with almond milk and is free of oil, gluten, and soy.
Use this vegan ricotta as you would any other ricotta, such as in lasagna, in a salad, on pizza, and more!
Nutrition Facts for Kite Hill Ricotta
Per ¼ cup:
- Calories: 140
- Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Sodium: 230 mg
Use the Kite Hill store locator to find their ricotta cheese in a store near you.
Violife Just Like Feta Block
Violife’s vegan feta cheese is made with a base of coconut oil and potato starch. It is free of soy, gluten, and preservatives.
Try this delicious vegan feta on pasta, in a Greek salad, or any other way you enjoy a traditional feta cheese.
Nutrition Facts for Violife Feta Block
Per 30g:
- Calories: 90
- Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 200mg
Use the Violife store locator to find their feta block at a store near you.
Follow Your Heart Feta Crumbles
Follow Your Heart Feta Crumbles are great in salads, pasta, pizza, and more!
They are made with coconut oil and starches, and are free of gluten and soy.
Nutrition Facts For Follow Your Heart Feta
Per 1 oz.:
- Calories: 80
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 270mg
Use the Follow Your Heart store locator to find their feta crumbles at a store near you.
Nuts for Cheese Wedges
Nuts for Cheese makes vegan cheese wedges from cultured organic cashews. Their cheese are free of fillers, gums, soy, and gluten!
This company also states that they only use certified organic ingredients.
These vegan cheese wedges are great as a spread on crackers, and they can be shredded too! To make this easier, place the cheese in the freezer for about 10 minutes before shredding.
Nuts for Cheese is so versatile, this vegan cheese can also be melted. Stir it into pasta for a delicious dish!
Nuts for Cheese currently comes in 6 flavors:
- Smoky Artichoke and Herb
- Un-Brie-Lievable
- Chipotle Cheddar
- Red Rind
- Super Blue
- Black Garlic
Nutrition Facts for the Chipotle Cheddar Wedge
Per ½ wedge (30g):
- Calories: 120
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Protein: 3g
- Sodium: 220mg
Use the Nuts for Cheese store locator to find their cheese wedges at a store near you.
I hope you find a vegan cheese that you love!
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