There are a lot of vegan and non dairy cheeses out there, but the best vegan cheese? The best non dairy cheese? Only a few brands can achieve that kind of greatness (or should I say grateness—little cheese joke for you). We tasted some of the top brands to find the best vegan cheeses on the market.
How we tasted the vegan cheese
We tried these vegan cheeses plain, we tried some on crackers, and we did some melt tests as well. As a mix of vegan cheese newbies (me) and regular consumers of vegan cheese (Sporked’sJordan Myrick), we came at the category with both trepidation and excitement. And we all came out of it with a newfound respect for the fake cheese arts.
What we looked for in the best vegan cheeses
While we primarily looked for vegan cheese that tastes like dairy cheese, and we did award points for vegan cheeses that accurately mimicked specific types of dairy cheese, we also looked for vegan cheeses that delivered on a cheese “vibe.” Field Roast Chao Slices, for example, don’t taste like any type of dairy cheese I’ve ever had. But they do melt into creamy, gooey, deliciousness that makes for a great grilled “cheese” sandwich.
What’s new in this ranking
After our most recent vegan cheese taste test, we added a vegan pepper jack, vegan queso, vegan ricotta, and an incredible vegan brie that you really have to try if you have the means. We also removed the Trader Joe’s vegan feta as it appears to have been discontinued.
Here’s the best vegan cheese on the market right now.
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- Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack
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This vegan pepper jack cheese is actually spicy. Like, really spicy. There’s some decent pepper flavor in the mix and the base cheese is nicely creamy. I wish the cheese itself had a bit more flavor, but if you’re looking for vegan cheese that’s spicy, this is the best vegan cheese we tried.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Violife Parmesan
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This is not the best vegan cheese to eat on its own but it is absolutely ideal for grating over pasta or roasted veggies or anything that could use a sprinkling of umami. While we loved Trader Joe’s vegan parmesan shreds in our best vegan shredded cheese taste test, this is the best vegan parmesan cheese for fresh grated cheese. It even has that funky tang that real parmesan has—which makes it great in small amounts but too intense as a nibble.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Daiya Cheddar Style Slices
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These vegan cheese slices have more flavor than your traditional American cheese but less flavor than a clothbound cheddar—aka, the best vegan cheese for a grilled cheese. They melt into a stretchy semi-good, which doesn’t sound great as I type it, but is exactly what I’m looking for in a grilled cheese sandwich. Sure, you can eat these slices on their own—they have a nice, almost smoky flavor and creamy texture—but it’s almost like these slices were engineered for grilled cheese sandwiches, so you’d be missing out if you didn’t try.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Target
- Babybel Plant-Based
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How can you tell the difference between this new plant-based Babybel and the original Babybel? The wax is green instead of red. Other than that, it’s a pretty close copy. It’s a touch firmer than the classic Babybel with a slightly smoky flavor. “It tastes like fake butter but I like that,” Jordan said. “If you can’t eat cheese, you’ll be stoked,” said Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart. It’s the best vegan cheese for straight up snacking.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Credo Medium Cashew Queso
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We tried Credo’s cashew queso and oat milk queso, and the vegan queso made with cashews was much better. It’s creamy and zesty with great spice and actual chunks of pepper in the mix. If you weren’t looking at the label, I’m not sure you’d realize this was vegan queso. It’s the perfect texture for dipping and drizzling over nachos or tacos. If you can’t do nuts, go ahead and give the oat milk queso a try, but if you can handle cashews, this is the best vegan queso for the job.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Kite Hill Whipped Ricotta
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This vegan ricotta might look like slightly watery hummus, but don’t let that deter you. It’s creamy and savory with a touch of tang on the finish. Does it taste exactly like ricotta? Not necessarily, but it is good and it would be good in recipes that call for ricotta. Personally, I’d like this vegan cheese spread on toast and sprinkled with big, flaky salt and fresh ground pepper, or stuffed into some big pasta shells and baked.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Field Roast Chao Slices
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According to Jordan, these slices “melt like a dream.” A coconut-based product, it also includes fermented tofu for a touch of that cheesy, funky taste. Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo says it’s the best melting vegan cheese plant-based burgers and meatball subs, and I would add that it would be a fine choice for actual meat-based versions of those sandwiches too. If you’re avoiding lactose for whatever reason, these slices are the creamy, silky, melty toppers you’ve been looking for. I’m only docking them half a spork because I wouldn’t necessarily eat them on their own.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Boursin Dairy-Free Garlic & Herbs
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This tastes like regular Boursin. So, if you like Boursin or you’re missing Boursin, then this is the best vegan cheese for you because…it’s a dairy-free dupe for dairy-full Boursin. The Sporked team absolutely loved it when we tasted it. It’s so garlicky and so herby and so spreadable. “I’m really happy for them,” Jordan commented. We’re proud of you, Boursin.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Violife Mature Cheddar
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I was so impressed by this “cheddar.” Though it’s not quite as sharp as a traditional dairy cheddar, it has a lovely mild cheddar flavor. And the texture—ooo wee. The creaminess lingers. And creamy is hard to achieve with a vegan cheese! This is the best vegan cheddar cheese for a plant-based cheeseburger, for sure. It’s so close to being number one on this list. The only reason it isn’t is because I would still prefer to snack on the top fauxmage, while this one is best as a topping.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Rebel Cheese Brie
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I know this is a splurge, but it’s the best vegan cheese I’ve ever had because it actually, seriously, really tastes like cheese! This cave aged vegan cheese truly tastes like brie—albeit not quite as creamy as a traditional dairy-based brie. It even has a touch of funkiness. And, most impressively, the thin rind is right on the money. If you truly want to have a cheesy experience without actual cheese, this is the best vegan cheese to buy and worth the price.
Credit: Liv Averett / Rebel Cheese
- Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda
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This vegan cheese is extraordinary and an argument that there should be more smoked faux cheeses. The smoky flavor is key here. It covers up any obviously non-cheese flavors and is the star of the show—which is exactly how it is in real smoked gouda. The smoked flavor is powerful but not overwhelming, and it doesn’t taste overly fake. The texture is also smooth and creamy—not grainy at all like some vegan cheeses—probably due to the coconut oil base. It would be great on a sandwich or, honestly, for snacking. I really have to examine my self identity because I never thought I would recommend snacking on vegan cheese—and certainly never thought I would be craving it. But I would absolutely scarf down a slice of this one right now. It is, hands down, the best tasting vegan cheese.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Albertsons
Best Spicy Vegan Cheese
Best for Grating
Best for Grilled Cheese
Best for Snacking
Best Vegan Queso
Best Vegan Ricotta
Best for Melting
Best Spreadable
Best for Burgers
Best Vegan Brie
Best of the Best
Other vegan cheeses we tried: Violife Smoked Gouda Round Slices, Nuts for Cheese Super Blue, Violife Smoked Provolone Slices, Treeline Dairy Free Goat Style, Nuts for Cheese Unbrielievable, Good Plant Smoked Gouda, Daiya Cheeze Sticks Mozzarella Style, Chao Spicy Original, Treeline Cheesemakers Non-Dairy Cashew Pimento Cheese, Credo Medium Oatmilk Queso, Good Planet Pepper Jack, 365 Plant-Based Cheddar-Style, 365 Plant-Based Smoked Gouda-Style
