Vegan cheese has come a long way since I first became vegan in 2004. Back then, there were maybe two vegan cheese brands and two other plant-based cheese brands that were not fully vegan because they had casein in them. So annoying!
Now there are so many vegan cheese shops and companies, with new ones popping up all the time. Here in Thailand, there are lots of local small vegan cheese businesses, including an artisan vegan cheese company that makes elaborate vegan cheese platters!
Depending on where you are in the world, you might be overwhelmed with cheese choices. As fun as it is to just buy every vegan cheese brand you see, it can get really expensive. Here are the most delicious vegan cheese brands out there right now. Most of these are available internationally, but some are only available in select countries. I’ll indicate which ones in the description.
1. Violife
I just tried Violife for the first time a few days ago since it just arrived in Thailand. It immediately made its way to #1 on my list. It melts quickly and tastes amazing. I like that it’s soy-free since I have a soy allergy. It’s also nut-free, but I’m personally cool with nuts. I tried the “Grated Mozzarella Flavor.” It’s perfect for quesadillas, pizza, tacos, and burritos. I also think it would be delicious in chile relleno (Mexican stuffed peppers.) I need to make that soon!
As the name suggests, Dairy-Free Down Under is an Australian brand. They’ve branched out internationally, so you might see this cheese in your neck of the woods. Their cheddar cheese slices are my favorite. It tastes great raw and works well with crackers, sandwiches, and cheese plates. The cheddar slices and shreds are soy-free but not nut free. Their mozzarella shred slices contain soy. Dairy-free Down Under cheese melts but not as quickly as Vitalife. You won’t burn your food trying to melt the cheese, but give it an extra minute.
Follow your Heart may not be the very first vegan cheese to have ever existed, but it’s the first cheese brand I tasted, and it’s still extremely good even one hundred years later with so much competition now! Their mozzarella and cheddar cheese melt well and have the perfect texture.
All of their products are soy-free. Follow Your Heart mozzarella is a classic but they have a lot of great flavors like smoked gouda, pepper jack, parmesan, and garden herb. Whatever recipe you’re making that calls for cheese or can be enhanced with cheese, you cannot go wrong with Follow Your Heart!
It’s also very important to point out that Follow Your Heart makes the best vegan mayo that you will ever have in your life! I know mayo is not cheese, but you still need to know this information because Vegenaise is so good, you’ll want to eat it straight from the jar, but don’t do that, put it on pasta salad, or in burgers, wraps, and sandwiches instead.
When Miyoko’s Creamery arrived in the vegan food scene, it really upped the vegan cheese game. People stopped assuming that all vegan cheese tastes like plastic and finally respected the art of vegan cheese-making.
Miyoko not only invented artisan cheese, but she helped promote veganism in huge mainstream platforms like ABC News, CBS News, Forbes, Bloomberg, and the New York Times! Because of Miyoko, there are vegan artisan cheese shops all over the world, including here in Thailand.
If you want to see real food porn, check out her selection of organic, cashew milk, artisan, cheese wheels. I love the Aged Herb de Province Cashew Milk Cheese and Double Cream Garlic Herb Cashew Milk Cheese, but any cheese you buy from Miyoko will send you to pure vegan bliss. Miyoko’s cheese contains nuts.
When I tried Daiya cheese for the first time, I thought it tasted like burnt rubber, but that’s because I tried the original recipe. They changed their recipe a few years ago and greatly improved it, so now their cheese tastes delicious.
Daiya’s Swiss Style Cheese Slices are perfect for sandwiches and taste great both uncooked and melted. Daiya’s Mozzarella shreds are perfect for pizza or any dish that calls for mozzarella. All the cheese I have tried from Daiya melts well and has a good, gooey texture. Their cheese does not contain soy or nuts.
This is another old-school vegan food company that still makes great food that stands the test of time. Tofutti is famous for having the best vegan cream cheese. I’ve used Tofutti cream cheese on bagels, crackers, and sandwiches, and to make amazing vegan cheesecakes They have different cream cheese flavors which are all great, but I think the plain one is the best. It does contain soy, though.
It also must be mentioned that Tofutti also makes incredible vegan ice cream sandwiches called Tofutti Cuties which is the most adorable name ever. They don’t sell their ice cream overseas, unfortunately. Tofutti Cuties are so good that even though I haven’t had one in over 13 years, I still crave them and have emailed Tofutti several times to send some Cuties to Thailand. (They say they can’t!)
7. Field Roast
Field Roast is a vegan meat and cheese company that is only available in the U.S. and Canada for now. Field Roast has the best vegan cheese for sauces and dips. Their cheese has a very sharp and bold taste that’s perfect for mac and cheese or nachos. Try their Original Chao Block and their Chao Queso dip. The only downside is their cheese contains soy.
8. Treeline
Treeline is only available in the U.S. They have a great selection of artisan cheese and flavored cheese including vegan goat cheese made with cashew nuts, not from goats! All of their products are soy-free but contain nuts. Their Dairy-Free Cracked Pepper Aged Artisanal cheese is perfect for a cheese board, on sandwiches, and on salads. I also like their Dairy-Free Chive & Onion Cream Cheese.
I had to give the UK some love on this list. I haven’t tried Ilchester vegan cheese yet, but my UK friends say they have the best vegan cheddar cheese. It melts really well and has the perfect gooey texture for grilled cheese sandwiches, enchiladas, and any dish that needs cheddar cheese. It looks like they only have one flavor of cheese but it seems to be really good and is also soy-free and nut-free.
So Delicious has been around for a long time. They have a huge range of delicious ice cream flavors, but they also have yummy vegan cheese. Their creamy original cream cheese is very good and perfect as a spread or dip. I also recommend their Cheddar Style Shreds which melt well and go great in mac and cheese and on tacos. Their cheese does not contain soy or nuts. Unfortunately, So Delicious is only available in the U.S.
11. Honestly Tasty
Honestly Tasty is a plant-based cheese company that is only available in the UK. They have some delicious vegan cheese that has all the sharpness and boldness of animal-based cheese but without cruelty. Try their award-winning Blue cheese, which looks like a work of art. Their Shamembert cheese is also really popular. If you like strong cheeses and are in the UK, then try Honestly Tasty. Their cheese is soy-free but contains nuts.
12. Vromage
Vromage claims to make the best vegan cheese in the world and that just might be true! Even though they’re based in the U.S., they ship internationally! You can’t go wrong with any of their cheeses but you should try their Picorino with ash, truffle cream, and ricotta cheese. Their cheese does not contain soy but does contain nuts.
If all of these delicious cheese brands had been available when I was a kid, I would have become a vegan much earlier! What’s your favorite vegan cheese brand?
