The 5 Best String Cheeses Will Transport You Back to Elementary School

The best string cheese is firm, cheesy, and a little salty. To bite it or to pull it apart: That is the real question. Or do you bite and then peel, like I do? And are you team firm string cheese or team soft string cheese? I guess there are actually a lot of questions to ask when purchasing string cheese.

Luckily, over the course of two separate taste tests, the Sporked team tasted a whole slew of string cheeses to find the best string cheese in the dairy section. Regardless of what your tube-shaped dairy product preferences are, we’re confident you’ll find the best string cheese brand right here on this list.

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best string cheese

Best Plant Based

Daiya Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style Deluxe Cheeze Sticks

I cannot believe these taste good, but they do! They are actually cheesy. They’re salty. They don’t have a weird, upsetting texture like some other Daiya products. If I didn’t consume dairy, I would be thrilled to get one of these in my lunchbox. Even if you’re just looking to cut down on dairy a little, grab a bag of these the next time you’re at the grocery store. They really are one of the best cheese sticks out there, even if they aren’t actually made of cheese.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

best cheese stick brand

Best Organic

Organic Valley Mozzarella Stringles

Granola parents: This is the string cheese for you. Organic Valley’s Mozzarella Stringles are perfect for anyone who loves the classic taste of string cheese but wants to feel like they’re getting a healthier version. Is it actually healthier? Hard to say. But they are organic and that counts for something! They’re mild, toothsome, and creamy. They lost two sporks, however, because of the name. Everyone present during our taste test cringed when I announced these are called “stringles” and I can’t disagree.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

best string cheese

Most Authentic

Galbani String Cheese

I gave Galbani String Cheese the title of “most authentic.” What does that mean, you might ask? Well, string cheese is not “authentic” to any particular place, but these just feel Italian. The packaging gives off imported-from-Rome vibes, and the cheese itself tastes like cheese shop mozzarella. You could obviously devour these in their intended string form, but you could also chop them up and toss them into an antipasto salad or on a quick tortilla pizza. We love a versatile product, and Galbani makes the best string cheese for a bunch of uses.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

best cheese sticks

Best for Kids

Frigo Swirls Cheese Heads

Frigo Swirls Cheese Heads are just plain fun. They’re called “cheese heads” because the mascot is a little string cheese with wild, cheese strand hair. How cute is that? Even though these cheese sticks contain two types of cheese—mozzarella and cheddar—the flavor is still mild enough for people who are used to straight-up mozzarella. My only complaint is that these aren’t swirled as the name would imply; they’re more like a cheese duo spooning each other in plastic wrapping. Still, they’re the best string cheese if you want something just a little bit different.

Credit: Merc / Vons

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

best string cheese

Best Fancy

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese Flagship Cheese Stick

Beecher’s cheese sticks are worthy of a cheese board, but they also make the perfect on-the-go fancy snack. Pair these with some dried fruit, candied nuts, and/or cured meat to make the best adult Lunchables. Once you try Beecher’s, you might not be able to eat normal cheese sticks again. There’s not any “string,” but they’re definitely one of the best cheese sticks out there.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

best string cheese

Best Cheddar

Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese Sticks

If cheddar cheese is your vibe, these medium cheddar cheese sticks from Tillamook are great. They taste like someone took a rectangular chunk out of a big wheel of cheddar cheese. Unlike other cheese sticks, which can be a little plastic-y tasting (and I mean that in the most wonderful way), these are giving full cheese. they’re flavorful enough for an adult but not too sharp for a more mild child’s palate. Buy these!

Related: It Doesn’t Get Better Than the 7 Best Cheddars

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

best string cheese

Best for Adults

Sargento String Cheese Snacks

We all agreed that Sargento String Cheese Snacks are the most adult version of string cheese. First of all, the packaging reads as very mature, with its dark colors and mildly baroque energy. The flavor also feels more adult because it’s a little tangy, like a nice aged cheese. You could even add these to a cheese board during your next wine night—I’m not kidding! If that doesn’t sell you, maybe this will: Andjelina, a self-proclaimed string cheese expert, liked this the most of the string cheeses we tried.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

best string cheese

Best Pepper Jack

Sargento Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks

If you’re looking for cheese sticks that will give you a real punch of flavor, these Sargento Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks are the ones to buy. They are filled with bits of peppers and perfect for the spice-loving snacker in your life (me). These are my cheese sticks of choice and definitely one of the best string cheeses on the market.

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

best string cheese brand

Best of the Best

Sprouts Market Corner Low-Moisture Part-Skim String Cheese

Selfishly, I brought this bag of Sprouts Market Corner string cheese home with me after the tasting because it’s the best string cheese out there. I couldn’t stop snacking on it. When it comes to texture, it was the perfect balance of waxy and pliable. Even though it’s part-skim, the flavor is full fat. While these felt delightfully nostalgic, they also felt mature and organic. I couldn’t find fault with these cheese sticks, and that’s why I’m giving them a perfect 10/10. This string cheese is the Mary Lou Retton of the string cheese world.

Related: Best Shredded Mozzarella: Top Your Pizza with These 6 Cheeses

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Products We Tried: Ralph’s, Great Value Pepperjack, Sargento Extra Sharp, Great Value Mozzarella, Frigo Original, Kraft, Kroger, Kroger Twists, Simple Truth Mozzarella, Horizon, 365, Happy Farms, Lucerne, O Organics, Good & Gather, Polly-O, Trader Joe’s

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About the Author

Jordan Myrick

Jordan is an L.A.-based writer and comedian who believes all food should come with extra sauce. When they're not writing for Sporked, Jordan is at the movies or sharing an order of french fries with their elderly chihuahua.

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  • Oh no! How could you not rank regular kraft string cheese #1. Perfect texture perfect saltiness

    Reply
  • The Galbani colby jack is my absolute favorite! Should have been on your list!

    Reply