The Best Dairy Free Cheese (and the WORST)
Find out my favorite DAIRY FREE Cheese options. These are (in my opinion) the best dairy free cheeses out there. I’m also going to share 2 of my least favorite at the end. So keep reading to find out!
Obviously this is just an opinion piece, if you have a favorite vegan cheese that I didn’t share OR if you disagree with my opinions, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
It’s also worth noting, I’m in the United States. If you are in a different country help some people out and share your 3 favorites in the comments.
Please note, this blog post does contain Amazon affiliate links (meaning I earn a small commission anytime you use my links, at no extra cost to you). However, I always urge you to find the best price. If Amazon has the best price, go for it! But if you can find a better price at your local grocer, do it!
What is Dairy Free Cheese?
Yes, dairy free cheese or vegan cheese is a thing. Actually, to my surprise, the first vegan cheeses were created in the 1980s. Apparently the reason they weren’t as well-known then is because they just weren’t that great.
Thankfully now and days, dairy free cheese is an amazing thing. They’re usually made from nuts, coconut, soy, and lots of gums and fillers. They aren’t always the most nutritious thing, but they can add a nice creamy texture to your favorite vegan or dairy free meals. That is if you can find the right ones. And hopefully, this list will help you navigate some of the dairy free cheeses available.
10 Favorite Dairy Free Cheeses
This list is not exactly in a particular order. That’s because I appreciate a lot of these cheeses for different reasons. I will put my “favorite” or ones I use the most near the top, but honestly, a lot of them would just be on the same level.
Also, it’s worth noting (since everyone likes to nit-pick on the internet) I do like some other dairy free cheeses besides what’s on this list. This is not a be-all-end-all list of dairy free cheeses. It’s just a simple list of my 10 favorites to hopefully give you some ideas. If you have other favorites that didn’t make my list please share them in the comment section.
1. Just like Feta Block from VioLife
I LOVE this dairy free feta. It is SO incredibly creamy. And the ingredients are actually pretty clean, with the main ingredient being coconut oil. Honestly, when I do buy this I usually just eat chunks of it until it’s gone. But it’s also great on crackers, crumbled on salads, or in any recipe that calls for feta.
2. Follow Your Heart Provolone Style Cheese Slices
I normally don’t love the taste and texture of dairy free cheeses when they are NOT melted, but this one is still great. Making it a great sliced cheese for sandwiches, to chop on salads, or just munch on with crackers.
3. Creamy American Slices from Parmela Creamery
This small company has really stolen my heart. They are a bit more expensive but well worth the treat. I honestly love all of the cheeses I’ve tried of theirs, but I recently tried the dairy free American slices and they are amazing. Raw or melted, they are delish. If you miss that classic taste of American Cheese, you need to pick up some of this dairy free cheese from Parmela.
4. Just like Parmesan by VioLife
This dairy free parmesan cheese is amazing. Not only does it impressively LOOK just like parmesan and shred just like parmesan, but it tastes like it too. It has such a yummy salty taste and goes great finely grated on salads, soups, pasta, and more.
5. Garlicky Green Vegan Parmesan from Parma
Ok, this one isn’t exactly like cheese. But it’s SO good! I love all the dairy free parmesan shakers from Parma. They add such a great cheese-like flavor to any salad, cooked veggies, or any meal. My favorite one is the Garlicky Green.
6. Dairy Free Parmesan by Follow Your Heart
Let’s just keep the Parmesan theme going with one more favorite of mine. I don’t love this one raw so if you want something on your salad number 4 or 5 is much better. But this one has an incredible taste when melted into pasta, meatballs, bread, and more.
7. Vegan Chao Creamy Original Slices
I normally try to stay away from soy because it bothers my stomach. So personally I don’t have this one often. But I tried it once and it’s amazing raw and cooked. I also love that I can buy it at Walmart for a great price. And Ibotta frequently has rebate coupons for it!
8. Just Like Cheddar Shreds by VioLife
VioLife also makes some amazing shreds. Their dairy free cheddar shreds are especially delicious and are perfect for any recipe that calls for cheese.
9. Parmela Creamery Plant-Based Mozzarella Shreds
Again, Parmela is a bit pricey, but these vegan cheese shreds are amazing. Oddly enough I like these better raw then melted. I think VioLife shreds taste better melted, while this would be better on top of salad or eaten as a snack.
10. Daiya Cutting Board Cheddar + Mozzarella Shreds
I have a love-hate relationship with Daiya, but their cutting board line of shredded dairy free cheese is actually pretty darn good. This is an amazing shredded cheese for any cooked recipe that calls for cheese.
2 Worst Dairy Free Cheeses
Ok real quick let’s just slam my least favorite dairy free cheeses up here. Obviously this is just an opinion, let’s not get hurt feelings over vegan cheese. If you disagree I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. We all have different tastes and that’s ok.
1. Most Daiya Cheeses
There. I said it. Apart from the newer cutting board line, Daiya cheese is just not that good. Part of my heart still loves Daiya because it was really the first dairy free cheese I experienced. And at the time, I loved it. But since then so many other brands set the bar way higher. Honestly, I think Daiya should just ditch their original line and replace it with the cutting board line. What do you think?
2. Follow Your Heart Shredded Cheese
How can a brand make slices SO well but really fall short in the shreds? Unfortunately, that’s the case with FYH. Their shreds kind of just taste like chalky play dough and they don’t melt very well either.
Don’t Miss My Most Recent Blog Posts
If you’re new to Eat or Drink, WELCOME! Below you’ll find my 5 most recent blog posts.
I’m Emily, and this is my food and lifestyle blog. You’ll find recipes for special diets and allergies, tips for tight budgets, friendly inspiration from a fellow mom and wife, and so much more.
Sign up for the newsletter and follow on Instagram so you never miss a thing.
- Free Printable Bible Coloring Pages With Scripture For Kids
- Fruit of the Spirit Lesson for Kids with free printables
- Our favorite Preschool Materials for Homeschooling
- Lemon Berry Gluten-Free Trifle
- 20 Easy Gluten-Free Meals for Summer
