Ultimate Guide to Vegan Cheese Alternatives

This post goes out to Lauren (aka @misslaurenaR) : )

There are so many non-dairy cheeses on the market these days it's crazy - we vegans are so lucky. When I first went vegan there were barely any options, and now I can't keep track of all of them! Each brand is a little different from the rest, so there's a lot of variety based on your palette and dietary preferences. Don't turn away from these if you're not vegan - many of these are fantastic even if you're used to eating "real cheese" all the time!

These are the best vegan cheeses in my opinion, ranked mainly by my favorites to the kinds that I don't know as well. If I've left anything out, let me know!

Daiya: soy-free & gluten-free - if you know anything about me you know I LOVE Daiya! I don't eat it as much as I used to after adapting a low-oil and less processed diet, but it's a treat I look forward to on occasion.

Cashew Cheese (homemade): soy-free & gluten-free - there are endless ways to make your own cashew cheese, just do a recipe search online. The great thing about it is that you can adapt it to pretty much any diet, even if you're eating raw, or low in salt or oil. In fact, you can make cheese out of almost any nuts, including macadamia, almond, hazelnut, and brazil nut.

Food For Lovers: soy-free - this stuff is CRACK! And in all the best ways. It is phenomenal as a dip or on nachos - everyone likes it, vegan or not.

We Can't Say It's Cheese: soy-free & gluten-free - is just as cracky as Food For Lovers - I go insane over this stuff. My favorite is the hickory-smoked cheddar with Mary's Gone Crackers - a whole tub will be gone before I know it. Also great in sandwiches and mac & cheese.

Parma!: organic, raw, soy-free & gluten-free - delicious parmesan alternative - great on salads, soups, and pasta. In fact, super easy to make yourself since it's mainly nutritional yeast and walnuts. Their cayenne chipotle flavor is my fav.

Teese: one word: mozzarella sticks. They are incredible and that's all I can think about when I think of Teese. Their cheese melts really well and the people behind it are really, really nice.

Dr. Cow: organic, raw, soy-free & gluten-free - it has a gourmet texture and taste - creamy and somewhat tangy/sour. Kinda similar to goat cheese. 

Sunergia: vegan blue cheese & feta - enough said. They may be soy based, but I'm willing to ignore that every once in a while to get my fix.

Ste Martaen: soy-free & gluten-free - I like these cheeses because of their flavors: Colby, Smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack. Muenster, & Olive. They're really good on crackers due to their dense texture.

Follow Your Heart: the texture and taste isn't very cheese-like, but it grew on me after being the only decent vegan cheese on the market until Daiya came along. I avoid it now because of soy, but I do like the taste. 

Cheezly: good melted, especially on pizza, though I don't like it as much as Daiya...however, the bacon and gouda styles are pretty exciting options.

Sheese: these cheese is nice on crackers, but it has a bit of a funny soy aftertaste in my opinion. However, I love that there are so many traditional cheese flavors, like smoked cheddar. 

Galaxy Food: makes some decent cheeses, but I'm personally not in love with them. Their rice cheese is gluten & soy free.

Tofutti: is one of the oldest dairy-free brands, but it doesn't seem like they've been working on their recipes because they have that old school soy taste. However their vegan cream cheese and sour cream are great when you need them for recipes (and don't mind some soy).

 There are a few vegan cheeses I haven't tried yet, including Nacheez & Heidi Ho (hazelnut based, soy & gluten-free), but I've heard great things about both and look forward to experiencing them soon.

If you want to try something off this list, be ware - some cheeses say they're milk-free but still have dairy products in them.

Looking for recipes? Head over to Eco-Vegan Food to find dishes like macaroni and cheese