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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- Daiya Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style Deluxe Cheeze Sticks
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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
- Organic Valley Mozzarella Stringles
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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
- Galbani String Cheese
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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
- Frigo Swirls Cheese Heads
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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
- Sargento String Cheese Snacks
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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
- Sprouts Market Corner Low-Moisture Part-Skim String Cheese
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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
Best Plant Based
Best Organic
Most Authentic
Best for Kids
Best for Adults
Best of the Best
Other Products We Tried: Ralph’s, Great Value Pepperjack, 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
