Shredded cheddar cheese is a staple in my fridge. Where would I be without that meltable quesadilla filling? Or chili topping? Or handful eaten as a snack in a pinch? And every shredded cheddar cheese is just as good as the next, right? Wrong! You wouldn’t know it if you just tasted them on their own, but if you tried them side by side, like I did, you would know that some shredded cheddar cheese is just meh compared to the best shredded cheddar cheese.
I tasted 15 different bags of shredded cheddar cheese, including shredded white cheddar cheese, shredded mild cheddar cheese, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and even vegan shredded cheddar cheese. What was I looking for? It’s pretty simple: I wanted shredded cheddar cheese that tasted like really good cheddar cheese, shredded. I wanted tang, creaminess, saltiness. And I wanted clean, uniform shreds—no clumps.
Whether you like it thick cut or fine like doll’s hair, here’s the best shredded cheddar cheese you can buy.
- Violife Cheddar Shreds
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Violife took one of the top spots in our best vegan shredded cheese ranking with their “cheddar” shreds. They are a convincing stand-in, for sure, with a mild tang and a silky texture. They don’t even have a telltale vegan cheese aftertaste. They aren’t as good as the best shredded cheddar cheese but they’re certainly as good as just-okay shredded cheddar cheese, and that’s pretty darn good for a vegan cheese!
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Sargento Mild Cheddar Fine Cut
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If you don’t like the sharp tang of cheddar but do like the savory flavor, opt for Sargento’s shredded mild cheddar cheese. It has a pleasant nuttiness, a pop of saltiness, and a creamy finish. Can’t handle anything sharp? This is your pick for shredded cheddar.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Sargento Creamery Cheddar
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This shredded cheddar cheese is seriously thick cut and extremely creamy. It’s definitely sharper than the Sargento shredded mild cheddar cheese but it’s still not super sharp. Think of it as a thick cut shredded medium cheddar cheese. And definitely think of it the next time you’re making homemade mac and cheese. It’s so creamy, it will melt right away into a luxe cheese sauce.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Kroger Sharp Cheddar
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Kroger brand shredded cheddar won out over Walmart’s Great Value brand shredded cheddar for the title of best store brand. It is medium thick cut with a tasty tang that contrasts with the creaminess of the cheese. It really tastes like a nicely aged cheddar. This would be a great pick for homemade pimento cheese, since it already straddles that line between zingy and buttery—or just a good budget-friendly shredded cheddar cheese in general.
Credit: Merc / Ralphs
- Kraft Finely Shredded Triple Cheddar
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Can’t make up your mind? Have it all with Kraft’s blend of shredded white cheddar, sharp cheddar, and mild cheddar. It’s extremely finely shredded—it practically melts when it touches your tongue, spreading salty, savory flavors across your palate. It’s not very sharp at all—in fact, it’s a better shredded mild cheddar cheese than Kraft’s shredded mild cheddar, which we also tried. It’s gentle but still flavorful and would make a great quesadilla or grilled cheese sandwich.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Farmstyle Shreds
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If you refuse to pull up this list the next time you’re searching for a shredded cheddar cheese, remember this: You really can’t go wrong with Tillamook. Their shredded cheddar cheeses taste like good cheddar cheese, shredded. Even the Tillamook cheese I didn’t include on this list (the medium) is pretty good—it just wasn’t extraordinary. But this one is. It tastes like a block of aged cheddar you’ve shredded into thick shreds. It’s tangy, it has tons of depth of flavor for a shredded cheese—heck, you could just snack on it.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Sargento Sharp Cheddar
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For a finely shredded cheddar cheese, this is so salty and flavorful. It’s very bold and tangy. Compared to our top pick (another finely shredded cheddar), this one is not quite as creamy, though it does have a more deep, cheesy flavor. It’s the perfect baked potato topping. It can stand up to other big flavors like sour cream and bacon, while still melting instantly onto the spud.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Tillamook Sharp White Cheddar Farmstyle Shreds
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These super-thick white cheddar shreds are absolutely perfect (if you are okay with super-thick shreds). It is tangier and sharper than the orange shredded cheddar, and it has an underlying earthiness that gives it depth and richness and complexity. If you are cooking with this shredded white cheddar cheese (fancy mac and cheese, perhaps?), make sure you try a handful of the shreds on their own. They’re so good, you could put them on a cheese board.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Kraft Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar
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Kraft’s shredded sharp cheddar cheese is so finely shredded but it doesn’t clump at all. And it packs a lot of flavor sharp cheddar cheese into those delicate shreds. I can’t think of a better shredded cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top of a hard, gringo-style taco or a bowl of chili or a chili dog or a taco salad or edible confetti. Sometimes, the most popular brand is actually the best brand.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Vegan
Best Mild
Best Creamy
Best Store Brand
Best Medium
Best Sharp
Best Finely Shredded
Best White
Best of the Best
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!