The Supreme Guide to the Top 15 Best Vegan Cheeses of 2023

If you’re like many people, you might think, “I could never go vegan because I could never give up cheese!” Or if you’re already vegan, you’ve probably heard this a time or two. Well, as it turns out – shifting to a plant-based diet doesn’t mean giving up cheese!

Crafting the best vegan cheeses is an essential part of the plant-based movement. The easier it is to eat vegan, the more people will partake. This is an essential first step, as once people are consuming less dairy cheese, they’re often able to hear the reasons why vegans don’t eat cheese with more openness.

Luckily, many companies have been tackling this challenge with gusto for years. Plant-based brands have recreated every kind of cheese imaginable. And in 2023, sales of vegan cheeses are skyrocketing. 

Maybe you’re interested in giving plant-based cheeses a try for the first time. Or maybe you’re looking for the best vegan cheeses to impress your non-vegan friends and family. Either way, you want to know what the best vegan cheeses out there really are. We’ve got you covered. Read on!

Table of Contents

1. Best Vegan Bleu Cheese
2. Best Vegan Brie
3. Best Vegan Cheddar Cheese
4. Best Vegan Cream Cheeses
5. Best Vegan Feta
6. Best Vegan Goat Cheeses
7. Best Vegan Gouda
8. Best Vegan Parmesan (Shredded, Wedges and Ground)
9. Best Vegan Mozzarella (Shredded and Fresh)
10. Best Vegan Pepper Jack
11. Best Vegan Provolone
12. Best Vegan Pimento
13. Best Vegan Ricotta
14. Best Vegan Swiss
15. Best Vegan Queso

FAQ

1. What is vegan cheese made of?
2. Does any vegan cheese taste like cheese?
3. Is vegan cheese healthier than dairy cheese?
4. Is it OK to eat vegan cheese everyday?
5. What is the best cheese substitute for vegans?

Best Vegan Bleu Cheese

Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Bleu Cheese Crumbles

Photo Credit: Follow Your Heart

Tangy and flavorful, these crumbles are ideal as a salad topping or mixing into a creamy vegan pasta sauce. Find here on GTFO It’s Vegan.

Reine Royal Vegan Cuisine Fauxgonzola Cheese

Photo Credit: Reine Vegan Cuisine

Tart and rich, this plant-based gorgonzola is aged and marbled with nutritious blue green spirulina. Cultured cashews and blue-green spirulina create this fancy vegan gorgonzola cheese. Pairs especially well with pears. Purchase on VeganCheese.co here or on the company site here!

Best Vegan Brie

Future of Cheese Vegan Brie

Photo Credit: Future of Cheese

“Absurdly spot on!” praised one reviewer. This ripened vegan brie boasts a velvety smooth texture, a mild flavor and a delicate, ripe rind. Perfect served room temperature on a warm baguette or topped with fruit jam or fresh figs. After selling out within 24 hours of its pre-sale launch, it went on to win Best Vegan Brie of 2022. Made with raw cashews, water, salt, bacterial culture and microbial enzymes. Find it on Good Rebel Vegan here.

Rebel Cheese Truffle Brie

Our classic, cave-aged and decadent brie with a layer of rich, umami truffle through the center. Contains cashews and coconut.

The Uncreamery Classic Brie & Truffle Brie

Photo Credit: The Uncreamery

From San Francisco’s first plant-based creamery! The Uncreamery’s Classic Brie and Truffle Brie offer all the goodness of brie without the airy! Rich, creamy flavor and authentic texture. Made with water, coconut oil, cashews, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, chickpea miso, and aloe extract primarily.

Best Vegan Cheddar Cheese

Good Planet Foods Cheddar

Photo Credit: Good Planet Foods
Good Planet’s cheese have a reputation for melting great and tasting just like dairy cheese. Available as shredded, slices and cheese wheels. You can find them at some Wegmans, Walmart and Sprouts, but double check using their Store Locator. You can also find them online at Vegan Essentials.

Free From Mature Cheddar

Photo Credit: ASDA

This vegan cheddar is highly rated for its meltability and sharp flavor profile. Made from water, coconut oil, modified potato starch, corn starch, oat fiber, and several other ingredients. Grilled cheese, anyone? If you’re in the UK, you can find it here on ASDA.com.

Violife Cheddar Cheese (Slices)

Photo Credit: Violife

Admittedly one of the more difficult styles of cheese to recreate. Pleasantly surprised customers have described Violife cheddar slices as having “amazing flavor and meltability,” “melts really nicely” with a very similar flavor to dairy cheese. Find it here on Walmart.com. Violife also makes an Epic Smoked Cheddar Block, which you can find here on Instacart.

Violife Cheddar Cheese (Shreds)

Photo Credit: Violife

Fans report it tastes and melts just like dairy cheddar cheese shreds. Made with water, coconut oil, potato and corn starch, salt, cheddar flavor, olive extra, paprika extract, beta carotene, vitamin B12 and powdered cellulose. Find here on Amazon.

Interested in giving homemade plant-based cheddar cheese a try? You can even make your own vegan cheddar cheese wheel with this highly rated recipe. It uses raw cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, tahini, soy sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, and red bell pepper. Then, season with smoked paprika, dijon, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and onion powder. A key ingredient for texture is agar agar powder. 

Best Vegan Cream Cheeses

Treeline Cream Cheese

Photo Credit: Deli Market News

Treeline Cheese produces artisan cheeses, including soft French-style, cream cheese, aged cheese, “goat” cheeses, slices, shreds and even rind cheese. Their plain cream cheese is made from cashews, oil and cultures. It even retains its original texture if you freeze and thaw it. You can choose from Plain, Chive & Onion or Strawberry flavors. With a smooth, tangy texture, this dairy-free cream cheese is a winner!

Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese

Photo Credit: Kite Hill

Smooth and creamy, tangy and savory. Great for spreading on bagels and toast or dipping with veggies. Find at Target here or Instacart here!

Violife Strawberry Cream Cheese

Photo Credit: Violife

For sweet cream cheese fans, the coconut base pairs perfectly with the strawberry flavor. Smear on a blueberry bagel for a delicious breakfast or snack! Find on Walmart here.

Best Vegan Feta

Follow Your Heart Vegan Feta

Sprinkle on your next vegan Spanakopita or Mediterranean salad. Made with water, coconut oil, potato starch, sea salt and natural flavors. Interested in making your own? Try this Baked Almond Feta.

Best Vegan Goat Cheeses

Blueberry Vanilla Chèvre

Photo Credit: Rebel Cheese

Whole blueberries and blueberry jam complement this decadent, creamy and tangy dessert cheese. Delightful for cheesecake lovers. Contains cashew and coconut. Rebel Cheese also offers an earthy Honee Pistachio goat cheese with a sweet and salty coating.

Cinnamon & Cognac Gjetost

Photo Credit: Rebel Cheese

According to the Rebel Cheese website, “Traditionally a Norwegian goat cheese that is subtly sweet, topped with dark cocoa and cinnamon, this cheese has a flavor/texture profile that is reminiscent of a dense cheesecake. It pairs well with darker/port wines and of course liqueurs, sipping whiskeys, and well, just about anything! Contains cashew, almond, soy, and coconut.”

Three Girls Creamery

Photo Credit: Three Girls Creamery

Creamy, tangy and delicious, this vegan goat cheese is aesthetically striking with edible flowers. Order online at Three Girls Creamery here or find it at Whole Foods.

Best Vegan Gouda

Daiya Smoked Gouda Slices

Photo Credit: Daiya

For a good-a grilled cheese, cook your panini on high heat for the most melty goodness. These smoky slices melt to create a perfect gooey texture on crusty bread. Available here through Instacart.

The Uncreamery Smoked Gouda

Photo Credit: The Uncreamery

Cravable, unique and melts niceless. Intense savory flavor and semi-soft texture.

Best Vegan Mozzarella

Never Better Foods Mozzarella

Photo Credit: Never Better Foods

Rebel Cheese Mozzarella

Photo Credit: Rebel Cheese

The perfect classic cultured mozzarella ready for melting, grating, or slicing. The smooth mouthfeel makes it perfect to be enjoyed cold as in a sub or Caprese salad or melted for pizza and pasta. Contains coconut, cashews, and soy.

365 Mozzarella Non-Dairy Shreds

Photo Credit: 365 Whole Foods Market

Many happy customers have been impressed with the texture and flavor of this brand. Works well to create a very cheesy, gooey and satisfying homemade pizza. Some reviewers say it needs a little extra time to melt. Find on Amazon here.

Miyoko’s Mozzarella

Photo Credit: Miyoko’s Creamery

Just what you needed for Caprese Salads and pizza toppings. Also comes in a Smoked flavor and Liquid Mozzarella for pizza. Shop on Miyoko’s site here!

Or, try making homemade vegan mozzarella with water, agar powder, tapioca starch, soy yogurt, sea salt, coconut oil and stabilizers. 

Best Vegan Pepper Jack

Rebel Cheese Pepper Jack

Photo Credit: Rebel Cheese

A firm cheese perfect for slicing or grating over enchiladas or tacos, a sharp yet creamy cheese with spicy notes of jalapeños and chilis! Contains cashew, almond, coconut, soy, onion. Order here.

The Uncreamery Pepper Jack

Photo Credit: The Uncreamery

Made with tricolor jalapenos or ghost pepper to add a burst of flavor to sandwiches, quesadillas and more. Spicy, creamy and works well for shredding. Customers rave about this one!

Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack

Photo Credit: Follow Your Heart

Add a zesty kick to your favorite dishes with these vegan pepper jack slices, featuring red bell peppers and jalapeno. Melt in quesadillas or use them to spice up sandwiches. What’s more, nutritionally, these knock it out of the park. Use their store locator to find them in a store near you.

Best Vegan Pimento Cheese

Rebel Cheese Pimento Cheese

Photo Credit: Rebel Cheese

Made using a vegan cream cheese base with some plant-based mayo and shredded vegan Cheddar. A perfect sharp and creamy spread for sandwiches or crackers.

Making your own is easy, too! With this 5 star recipe, you simply blend soaked raw cashews, cooked rice, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, rice vinegar, hot sauce, pimentos and garlic and onion powder. For a smoky version, add liquid smoke and smoked paprika. 

Best Vegan Provolone Cheese

Violife Just Like Smoked Provolone Slices

 

Photo Credit: Violife

With a bold, smoky flavor, these Violife Smoked Provolone slices capture the texture, consistency and taste of dairy cheese. In addition to melting well, it’s so flavorful you can eat the slices straight out of the fridge. As a coconut-based cheese, the coconut flavor peeks through a bit, but reviewers love it on grilled cheese, crackers or with red wine. Find at Walmart here or Amazon here. 

Best Vegan Goat Cheeses

Treeline Vegan Goat Cheese

Photo Credit: GoDairyFree.org

Recreates the flavor of a very strong goat cheese perfectly. It achieves a creamy and almost crumbly texture without being dry, and melts on the tongue. It has a great depth of flavor for those who enjoy strong, tangy goat cheese. Enjoy on crackers, salads, pizza, bagels and more.

Ingredients include cashews, water, sea salt, natural flavor, cultured brown rice, lactic acid, live cultures. (Plus garlic powder, dried basil and dried parsley in the Garlic & Basil Flavor and dried blueberries, sugar and sunflower oil in the Blueberry flavor).

Find at Walmart or Whole Foods. 

VegNature Goat Cheese

Photo Credit: VegNature

Made from fermented cashews, this highly-rated vegan goat cheese is available in six flavors, including: Garlic & Leeks, Herbes de Provence & Onions, Original, Nuts & Cranberries, Tomatoes & Basil, and Three Peppers & Chives. Support the business by ordering online here!

Best Vegan Parmesan

Many people are unaware that dairy-based parmesan is not even vegetarian, let alone vegan! Parmesan, along with some other cheeses like gorgonzola, pecorino romano, camembert, gruyere, and manchego are made from rennet. Rennet is an enzyme from the stomachs of calves. So, even your vegetarian friends may be interested in swapping those out for some delicious vegan parmesan.

Follow Your Heart Shredded Parmesan

Photo Credit: Follow Your Heart

Made primarily of water, palm fruit oil, potato starch, canola oil, natural flavors and vegetable glycerin, this dairy-free brand is spot on with this creation. Purchase here.

Rebel Cheese Parmesan

Firm, nutty, and salty, this plant-based parm contains cashew, coconut, soy, garlic, and onion.

Never Better Foods Shredded Parmesan

This brand knew that in order to appeal to the flexitarian market, they’d have to truly match the texture, flavor and meltability of dairy cheese. According to the CEO, these cheeses melt better than other vegan brands. While they currently are only in food service in universities, hospitals and restaurants, consumers and vegan restaurants can buy retail online at neverbetterfoods.com.

Best Vegan Parmesan Wedge

Violife Parmesan Wedge

Photo Credit: Violife

Happy customers have described it as having a strong nutty taste and tantalizing authentic aroma. It also grates easily and melts into pasta. Made with water, potato and rice starch, coconut oil, sea salt, rice protein, “parmezan” flavor, olive extract and vitamin B12. 

Best Ground Parmesan

Uprise Foods Nooch It!

Photo Credit: UpriseFoods.com

Perfect on pasta, popcorn, salad and veggies. Also available on Amazon here. 

If you’re looking for a homemade version, try this simple 4-ingredient vegan parmesan made with cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and salt. Another option is a recipe that features brazil nuts, pine nuts and hemp seeds, instead.

Best Vegan Ricotta

Kite Hill Ricotta

Photo Credit: Kite Hill

Reviews praise the texture and taste as being “spot on.” Customers describe it as having a “slight tanginess,” which makes it a nice addition to savory dishes as well as desserts. Works well for eating on toast, as a “yogurt” based with fruit, in ravioli, or topped on pizza. Kite Hill has even made a non-dairy ready-to-eat Spinach Ravioli. 

As pre-made vegan ricotta can be a little pricey, you might consider this realistic and delicious recipe: garlic hummus and tofu vegan ricotta! Even the most passionate lasagna lovers are won over with this incredible ricotta replica. Plus, it’s a whole-food plant-based recipe that is totally satisfying and healthy.

Best Vegan Queso

Siete Cashew Queso (Original, Blanco, Mild & Spicy)

Photo Credit: Amazon

“Better than the dairy version!” rave reviews. Thick and creamy with a slight salsa kick, this vegan queso comes in mild and spicy in the original flavor and queso blanco.

So popular that it’s often out of stock on Amazon and Walmart.com. You may be able to snag some from Safeway. Or, use this Siete store locator to find a store that stocks it near you.

Homemade Vegan Queso

An easy homemade version like this Minimalist Baker recipe uses raw cashews, garlic, nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder and harissa. The result is a creamy, cheesy vegan queso that is perfect for nachos, burrito bowls, tacos and more. 

If you prefer the queso blanco style, use this simple recipe. Rich cashew cream, potato, coconut milk, jalapenos and nutritional yeast blend together with traditional Mexican spices to create the perfect white cheese queso. 

Local vegan cheese brands

Keep in mind that in our list of best vegan cheeses, we focused on brands with national reach. But, there are MANY other delicious vegan cheeses crafted at small, local shops around the country and world. Check out Vkind’s HUGE search database to find local vegan cheese options near you!