Food & Drink

I Tried 18 Vegan Cheeses To Find the Best-and the Winner Won by a Landslide

By Korin Miller Parade - Food and Drink Stories

Updated July 9, 2026 9:18 AM

I have a love-hate relationship with cheese. While it's undeniably tasty and a great source of calcium, I usually end up with a stomachache when I eat more than a little at a time. I also have a child with a dairy intolerance, which has made me take a closer look at vegan cheeses lately.

In case you're not familiar with them, vegan cheeses are essentially any kind of cheese that's not made from dairy. These are typically plant-based cheeses made from things like nuts, soy or vegetable oils.

While early versions of vegan cheese were borderline gross, this food category has come a long way over the past few years. You have a huge range to choose from, whether you're interested in different brands or types of cheese. You can whip up a lasagna using entirely vegan options, and you can find several spreadable versions to smear over bagels or crackers. There's even vegan feta.

Because my family's relationship with dairy doesn't seem to be getting any better, I decided to test out some of the most popular vegan cheeses out there. While some were unimpressive, I was shocked at how good others were. Even my chef-husband started using some of the options without realizing they were dairy-free. Here's what I learned in my quest to find the best vegan cheeses.

What To Look for When Shopping for Vegan Cheeses

Vegan cheeses can be a helpful tool for people who can't tolerate dairy, but there are a few things to consider. "Not all vegan cheeses are created equal, so it's worth taking a quick look at the nutrition facts and ingredient list," Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers, tells Parade. "I recommend choosing options made with ingredients like nuts, soy or legumes that provide some protein."

Calcium fortification is a "bonus," especially if you don't eat dairy, Cording says. And, if you're watching your saturated fat intake, she suggests keeping in mind that some varieties made with coconut oil can be higher in this ingredient than people expect.

"That said, if vegan cheese is just an occasional item, it matters less than if it's something you'll eat very regularly," she explains.

How I Tested the Vegan Cheeses

There's a surprisingly wide variety of vegan cheeses out there, which can get overwhelming fast. To help me narrow down the field, I read vegan message boards and comments from vegan cheese fans to see which brands and types consistently came up. From there, I hunted down the most popular options.

Each vegan cheese was tested in a round together, and then separately. I also used the cheeses as they were intended, so sliced cheeses went in sandwiches and wraps, while shredded cheeses were melted into different dishes.

Because I have a dairy-intolerance child, I recruited him to see what he thought of these cheeses, too. Overall, I can confidently say that there's a lot to work with when it comes to vegan cheeses. But some stood out as being better-sometimes way better-than others. Here's what I learned.

18 Popular Vegan Cheeses, Ranked From Worst To Best

There were no vegan cheeses that were gross or inedible during testing. But, like "regular" cheese, some vegan cheeses are better than others-and some were straight-up delicious.

18. Daiya Mozzarella Shreds

Daiya gets props for the realistic look and feel of its Mozzarella shreds. Made with the brand's special oat cream blend, the mozzarella melts easily and blends well into other dishes. But it doesn't taste like mozzarella on its own, and it has a noticeable scent that doesn't smell like cheese.

17. Daiya Mexican Blend Shreds

Daiya's Mexican Blend Shreds are also made with the brand's oat cream. The shreds look like regular cheese and melt well. They also don't stick together in the package. But they don't have much of a flavor at all. These shreds work well in dishes, like quesadillas and tacos. But they're not tasty when you eat them on their own.

16. Violife Just Like Colby Jack Shreds

While Violife compares these to Colby Jack cheese, the shreds have a strong processed American cheese flavor. (They're made with coconut oil, along with potato and corn starches, which could be why.) However, they melt easily and can be gooey, making them a good choice for something like mac 'n cheese.

15. Good Planet Foods Cheddar Olive Oil Cheese Shreds

Good Planet's Cheddar Olive Oil Cheese Shreds don't have a strong cheddar flavor, but they're the tastiest of the shredded cheese bunch. These shreds tastes the closest to cheese as any of the shreds. These shreds melt quickly and easily, making them a good choice for quesadillas and toppings, like on omelettes.

14. Parmela Creamery Plant-Based Sharp Cheddar

If you like Kraft American Cheese, you'll dig Parmela Creamery's Plant-Based Sharp Cheddar. Made from cashew milk, it looks like real cheese and the slices separate easily from each other-a perk when you're using individual slices for sandwiches. The "aged cheddar" flavor claims seem like a stretch, but it's a solid choice for a mild cheese you can put on a sandwich.

13. Daiya Mozzarella Sticks

While Daiya's Mozzarella Sticks taste better than shreds, it still doesn't have a strong mozzarella flavor. These cheese sticks have unique taste, and are dense, but they still have a creamy consistency. The flavor grows on you over time, too.

12. Treeline Fresh-Style Cashew Cheese Herb Garlic

Treeline uses cashew milk in its French-Style Cashew Cheese Herb Garlic, giving this a creamy, spreadable consistency. It has a strong herby garlic taste that works well on things like sandwiches and wraps. It's also delicious when spread over crackers. But that herb garlic flavor is a little polarizing, and it may be too much for some.

11. Chao Creamery Creamy Original Slices

Want something for grilled cheese and other sandwiches? The Chao Creamery Creamy Original Slices are the perfect substitute for American cheese. It melts well and has an airy texture, too. The slices pull apart nicely, allowing you to truly have one slice at a time.

10. Babybel Plant-Based Snack Original

We keep regular Babybels in my house, which made me naturally curious about the plant-based version. If you like Babybels, be prepared for a different look and feel. This cheese has a slight greenish color and a strong nutty flavor. Like regular Babybels, these little cheeses come in their own wax casing. It just doesn't taste like standard Babybel cheese.

9. Kite Hill Dairy-Free Plain Cream Cheese

Kite Hill's Plain Cream Cheese is spreadable and glides on easily. It's definitely a spread, but it has a tofu-like look at first. It also forms water on top (you can either dump it out or stir it in). This doesn't taste like regular cream cheese, per se-it has a sweeter flavor-but it's still tasty.

8. Good Planet Foods Pepper Jack Plant-Based Cheese Wedges

Good Planet Foods Pepper Jack Plant-Based Cheese Wedges are thin slices you can easily layer on top of crackers. It has a spiciness that kicks in after a few seconds that's fun, although you wouldn't confuse this with standard pepper jack in a blind taste test. It definitely has a nutty flavor that's not very cheesy, but the overall taste is great.

7. Violife Just Like Shaved Parmesan

You'll initially taste potato when you bite into Violife Just Like Shaved Parmesan, but the aftertaste is Parmesan. The more you eat, the more Parmesan flavor you'll get. The shreds are nice and thick, making them great for tossing into salads and soups. I would just recommend having this with other foods, not on its own.

6. Kite Hill Ricotta Alternative Made with Almond Milk

Yup, plant-based ricotta exists. The Kite Hill Ricotta Alternative Made with Almond Milk actually tastes like ricotta with a nutty aftertaste. Mixed into lasagna, you can't tell that this is a plant-based cheese. The consistency is spot-on and easy to spread over layers of noodles.

5. Violife 100% Dairy Free Just Like Smoked Gouda Round Slices

The Violife 100% Dairy Free Just Like Smoked Gouda Round Slices have a deliciously smoky flavor that's all gouda. This is a very savory and smoky cheese that tastes like the real thing. The slices pull apart easily, allowing you to pick out just one when you need it. This slice melts easily, too.

4. Boursin Dairy Free Garlic and Herbs

Boursin is known for its creamy spreads, and the brand's Dairy Free Garlic and Herbs is no exception. This spread has a strong garlic flavor and is so good, you'll want to keep eating it. The taste is almost like hummus, but it has cheesy undertones. It's excellent on nearly everything.

3. Treeline Cheesemakers French-Style Cashew Cheese Caramelized Onion

The Treeline Cheesemakers French-Style Cashew Cheese Caramelized Onion is an excellent spreadable cheese with an unforgettable flavor. The caramelized onion perfectly complements the cashew cheese, creating a slightly smoky taste. It's tasty on bread, crackers, eggs and more.

2. Follow Your Heart Dairy Free Cheese Feta Style Crumbles

The Follow Your Heart Dairy Free Cheese Feta Style Crumbles tastes just like regular feta. In in a blind taste test, you'd struggle to tell the difference. The feta crumbles look like the real thing, too. My family has been using this in a range of dishes, including beet salad and omelettes.

1. The Laughing Cow Almond Spreadable Cheese Alternative Garlic & Herb

The Laughing Cow Almond Spreadable Cheese Alternative Garlic & Herb stands on its own. These individually-packaged wedges have a delicate garlic and herb flavor that's not overpowering and blends in well with nearly everything. The cheese spreads easily, too, making it a versatile snack or accessory to sandwiches and crackers.

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Source:

Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers

This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 8:06 AM.