Have you adopted a plant-based diet or given up on dairy and find that you’re longing for cheese?
We’ve got good news – there are delicious substitutes! And we’re here to share about what they are and how to use them.
Store-Bought vs Homemade Vegan Cheeses
Store-bought vegan cheeses are convenient, especially when you don’t have access to kitchen equipment such as a blender or food processor. But unfortunately, many have unrecognizable ingredient lists, are expensive, and some even taste inedible.
We prefer making homemade vegan cheeses with real, whole-food-based ingredients that you likely have stocked right now. Homemade vegan cheeses are customizable, packed with flavor, relatively inexpensive, and surprisingly simple to make!
Review of Store-Bought Vegan Cheeses
Though our preference is for homemade, there are certainly times when store-bought products come in handy! And it seems that as product availability has been increasing, quality has gotten better as well.
Field Roast Chao Vegan Slices
- Would we recommend? Yes.
- Cheese in slice form that keeps its shape and smells almost exactly like cheddar. Wow. It tastes like an aged white cheddar with a nice buttery flavor.
- It melts and bubbles like real cheese! It is even slightly stringy in a good way.
- Overall thoughts: It smells and tastes just like cheese. Plus, it melts! It would be ideal for sandwiches and grilled cheese.
Treeline Herb Garlic French Style Cheese
- Would we recommend? Yes.
- It is soft and spreadable similar to cream cheese. Definitely tastes like a soft cheese with noticeable herb and garlic flavor.
- Overall thoughts: Impressive ingredients and a really pleasant flavor and texture. It would be really nice as a spread or as a soft cheese on a cheese platter.
Miyokos Double Cream Garlic Herb
- Would we recommend? Yes, if Treeline wasn’t available.
- Smells cheesy, garlicky, and herby.
- Texture is soft and spreadable- almost like cold butter. Stronger herb flavor and saltier than Treeline- otherwise similar.
- Suggested uses include wine pairings, cheese boards, picnics, and sandwiches.
- Overall thoughts: Enjoyable taste and texture and perfect for cheese boards. Similar, though inferior, to Treeline.
VioLife Feta
- Would we recommend? Yes.
- Comes packed in some liquid (similar to tofu).
- The texture is similar to feta, but more of a goat cheese texture. Very white color.
- It is not as salty as real feta and the texture is not as crumbly.
- Overall thoughts: The convenience is nice and the ingredients appear decent quality. For a store-bought vegan feta, it is pretty good.
Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta
- Would we recommend? Yes, if homemade is not an option.
- It has a mousse-like texture and subtle tanginess.
- The flavor is not amazing on its own, but it is really good when prepared with Italian dishes. It would also work well in a sauce.
- Overall thoughts: A convenient option for lasagnas and other Italian dishes. But in our opinion, it is overpriced and we prefer our homemade macadamia nut cheese as a ricotta substitute.
VioLife Parmesan
- Would we recommend? No.
- The color is a light golden yellow, appearing similar to a block of parmesan.
- It smells like a mixture between buttered popcorn and parmesan. It slices similar to parmesan in that the texture is firm and slightly crumbly. It grates and looks just like real parmesan cheese.
- The flavor is good, but not great. It has a fake butter taste when eaten on its own, however, we would guess that it would be better used atop pasta and pizza. We would not recommend it on its own (such as on a cheese board).
- We found that when heated in the oven it browns, but does not melt.
- Overall thoughts: While promising, the flavor is underwhelming and it tastes very strongly of fake buttered popcorn.
Miyokos Mozzarella
- Would we recommend? No.
- The color is an off-white and the texture is somewhat similar to mozzarella- though not as strecthy.
- The flavor is not great. it is reminiscent of cheese, but we would not have guessed it was mozzarella.
- The package suggests that it melts, but in our experience it just gets foamy and greasy and there is not a stringy quality at all.
- Overall thoughts: It might work okay in raw dishes, but we were not impressed by the flavor or its melt-ability.
Homemade Vegan Cheeses
We’ve found that nut-based cheeses (especially those made with cashews) most closely resemble their dairy-based counterparts. We’ve had success creating vegan parmesan cheese, ricotta, cheese wheels, queso, and even mozzarella!
Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Our most frequently used vegan cheese is parmesan. We like to keep a batch in the fridge where it keeps for 3-4 weeks (or longer).
We have three recipes for vegan parmesan cheese, depending on your dietary preferences.
All of these are delicious on top of pastas, pizza, and anywhere you’d usually use grated parmesan cheese. We also enjoy them on roasted vegetables, chilaquiles, breadsticks, gratins, lasagna, risotto, eggplant parmesan, scalloped potatoes, mushrooms, or added to pesto, vegan meatballs or arancini. Or for a Mexican-flair, try our shakeable Mexican cheese.
The possibilities are endless!
Vegan Ricotta
We’ve found that macadamia nuts, almonds, and tofu are all options for making delicious vegan ricotta cheese. Lemon adds a tangy element, while nuts mimic the richness of ricotta.
Find our vegan ricotta recipes here:
- Our macadamia nut cheese
- Our almond ricotta
- Our tofu ricotta
Ricotta is excellent in zucchini lasagna and stuffed shells or atop our spaghetti squash bake, eggplant pizzas, socca pizza, egg-free frittata, and salads (for example: A, B, and C).
Vegan Cheese Wheels
Cheese wheels are perfect for parties. Cashews work well as they yield a rich flavor and soft, creamy texture.
Here are three flavor variations:
Enjoy them with your favorite crackers, sliced vegetables, or tortilla chips. Or dollop on top of soups. Add it to salads, pastas, and everything in between – you can’t go wrong.
Vegan Queso
The satisfaction of dipping a chip into queso is difficult to replicate. We find that cashews work best for achieving the creamy texture necessary for vegan queso, but we also have a sneaky vegetable-based queso recipe!
Here are our vegan queso recipes:
- 5-Minute Vegan Cashew Queso
- Roasted Jalapeño Vegan Queso (7 ingredients!)
- Cashew-Less Vegan Queso (made with eggplant!)
Besides diving into a bowl of queso with tortilla chips, we enjoy it on tacos, collard green burritos, and nachos. Or try it in our Butternut Squash Bowl with Jalapeño Queso, Vegan 7-Layer Mexican Dip, or Black Bean Plantain Enchilada Bake!
Vegan Mozzarella
Melty cheeses are the most challenging to make dairy-free or vegan. But our cashew-based attempt comes about as close as it gets!
We love it on top of poutine and pizza, as it gets all melty, browned, and gooey. But you could also add it to tomatoes, sandwiches, pasta dishes like baked lasagna, Caprese salads, and so much more!
If you try any of these recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you came up with. Cheers, friends!
And be sure to check out our Guide To Making Dairy-Free Milk as well!
Ned says
Hi Dana,
I’ve been wondering… since a fat source is one of the foundational aspects of making any cheese, could a cheese be made from avocado? It’s a heck of a lot easier to get avocados from my garden than it is nuts and requires a lot less water per amount of fruit. Can a cultured cheese be made from avocado? Would it be good? Thanks for all the cool work you share with us!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Ned, we don’t think it would work well because it would be prone to browning. Let us know if you do some experimenting though!
María says
Hi, Ibe tried make some homemade non cheeses but.. how do I deal with making it last a bit longer? Do supermarket vegan cheeses have some kind of preservative ingredient? Is it the sealed package only? How do they do it?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
You can add more lemon, which acts as a preservative. Otherwise, yes it generally goes through a preserving process OR has preserving ingredients in it.
Papy says
Have you tried Nuts for Cheese? Their Un-Brie-Lievable and Red Rind are my absolute favourite! The Cheddar Chipotle also make a great Queso!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We haven’t! Thanks for sharing!
Neel Olsson says
I love Violife parmesan cheese. It shouldn’t be heated. Why do you need to melt it? Do you normally melt real parmesan? Just top on the pasta, it is just perfect.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We tried it both heated and unheated, but unfortunately didn’t enjoy it. We’re so glad you enjoy it though! Thanks for sharing!
AJ says
Appreciate this review! Been searching for something like this. Recognize everyone has different tastes but thought I’d share my view on the *Miyokos garlic herb cheese and the *Violofe feta as I’ve just purchased it wanting to test it out.
Miyokos garlic herb cheese Wheel : don’t like this flavor or the tanginess/bite it has at the end. It starts off nice, I like the texture, great and healthy ingredients but has a strange tangy flavor that gives it a bite at the end – not quite sure what it is or how to properly explain it. I don’t prefer this taste and would not purchase again – however if you wanna try it out, wait for a sale and give it a go! Love supporting companies with great ingredients and care of the environment.
Violife feta – I actually like the flavor but as a cream cheese and not feta. As the review states, it doesn’t crumble like animal feta and very white in color but the taste in my opinion is close to cows cream cheese. I would use this as a vegan ‘cream cheese’ spread for pizzas or bagels instead of feta.
Thank you again for this review.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you found it helpful! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Wendy McMinn says
What would you use to sprinkle on top of dishes that’s not Parmesan. Is there a shredded mozzarella that you can recommend?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Wendy, we haven’t found a good shredded mozzarella. Cashew parmesan is our go-to! Best of luck in your search!
Elizabeth says
Go Veggie Mozzarella shreds are actually pretty decent. I can’t have cows milk at all so I was forced to go dairy free. This stuff is really really close.
Christin Badinghaus says
I personally love daiya’s vegan mozzarella shreds. they are perfect for when I occasionally want to enjoy pizza! It melts really well and gets nice and stringy and has a great taste for a vegan cheese.
Ellie Simon says
Is there a recipe or brand you would recommend for good vegan feta? I’m really trying to go entirely plant-based for ethical reasons, but this Middle Eastern girl needs her fix!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
You can check out our Guide to Vegan Cheese here! Otherwise, we have some homemade on our testing list so stay tuned!
Arella Tomlinson says
I tasted the BEST vegan feta at a farmers market in Joshua Tree!
Destiny DeVooght says
I recently moved into a place with a nice kitchen, and with all this newfound free time I’ve been cooking a ton! I want so bad to make vegan versions of pantry pastas on the fly, like cacio et Pepe or something similar but I can’t find a cheese that grates in and will melt to create a creamy sauce! Smashed white beans just aren’t doing it for me! Help!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Destiny, we haven’t found one that grates well either. But for a creamy sauce, we’d recommend a cashew-based or almond milk-based sauce.
Lorraine says
Definitely 5 stars!!
I just made the macadamia ricotta and it was sooo delicious, I was eating it straight out of the food processor. My husband just started a plant based diet and is pretty picky. I used it for the zucchini lasagna and he loved it so much. Thank you!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Lorraine! Thanks for sharing!
Shannon Watkins says
Being a huge dairy cheese lover, I have resisted vegan cheese for a long time. Because I’ve loved so many recipes from your site, I thought I’d put my cashews to good use & give it a try. I made the Vegan Parmesan and love it! My husband even thought it was the real thing! The first night I used it to bread fish and last night I breaded eggplant before frying it up and making eggplant parmesan. Great for a gluten free diet. Thanks for another easy to make and delicious recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! Thanks so much for sharing, Shannon!
Dawn miner says
Eggplant Parmesan is something I’ve missed. I’ll try it this way. Thanks!
Susy says
I guess everything depends on everyone’s taste. I make wonderful ricotta using Eden Organic Unsweetened soy milk. Although I haven’t had cow’s milk ricotta in years the texture and flavor…you won’t believe how similar to cow’s milk is! It’s cheaper than Kate Hill brand. I like Miyoko’s mozzarella but not the cream cheeses. There is a new vegan cheese in the stores where I live called Pamela Creamery. Shredded mozzarella is pretty decent.
Valerie Bloom says
Thank you for the lovely recipes. I can’t wait to try these cheeses. We’re just catching up here in England, so the choices are not great and/or very expensive . Would you have a recipe for homemade cream cheese? I use Violife in my lemon cheesecake and with my smoked salmon, but I’d like to make my own if possible.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I don’t currently! But will add it to our list!
Deborah says
Here is a great recipe for cream cheese if you are okay with soy (tofu). https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/recipes/2018/09/04/everything-bagels-and-herb-garlic-tofu-cream-cheese/
Valerie Bloom says
Thank you, Deborah! This looks fabulous for my smoked salmon. I’ll have to see if it can be modified for the cheesecake.
Carolyn says
Which of your cheese recipes would you recommend to make scalloped potatoes ? I attempted a cashew and nutritional yeast cheese sauce but it turned a brown colour as it cooked so wasn’t visually appealing.
Thanks
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Carolyn, you can find our recipe for scalloped potatoes here: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-scalloped-potatoes/. Hope that helps!
Emily says
Wonderful! Thanks for creating this.
Rosemary says
I’m actually fairly fond of Miyoko’s mozz. It doesn’t taste like plastic like so many vegan cheeses I’ve experienced, and sometimes it melts very nicely, although I haven’t figured out yet exactly what the right conditions for that are. In things like poblanos rellenos the flavor melds with the other ingredients in a lovely way. However, I’m even more fond of their SMOKED mozz! Delish with apples, on salads, with crackers….I’m also a big fan of the Violife feta. Not crumbly, but creamy, I find the flavor surprisingly convincing! (Note: I have found different dairy fetas to have different degrees of both saltiness and crumbliness.) My challenge with many vegan cheeses is that I avoid nutritional yeast, which you include in many of your “cheesy” recipes. If any of your homemade vegan cheese recipes do not include that, I would be happy to be directed to which ones those are.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Good to know! Thanks for sharing, Rosemary. We’ll have to try the smoked mozzarella!
nicole says
Thanks for the review. Agreed with the comment above! Their motz was a game changer for me. I really appreciated the clean and simple ingredients. It melts well for me, nachos, pizza etc.
Rosemary says
The clean ingredients were exactly why I initially chose to try Mikiyos’s mozz. Not all of their products are as clean, in my opinion, but I’m grateful to have found this one that works for me.
Jacq King Schiller says
You can leave out nutritional yeast and sub with a little bit of miso paste for a cheesy flavor.
Rosemary says
Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, soy is on my “do not eat” list as well.
Jacqui says
Hi, thanks for the list and review, ive recently adooted a plant based diet. Please can you tell me where to get these?
Thanks!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
These were all found at our local grocery store!
Kristin says
I was surprised to see you didn’t like Miyoko’s very much! I love their sundried tomato wheel and thought the mozzarella is pretty good! I will say, however, that Vtopia restaurant in NW PDX makes the best vegan mozzarella I’ve tried and all of their other cheeses are pretty amazing–you must try it if you have not! Their mac n cheese is also the best vegan mac ever!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Ooh, good to know! We’ll have to try it, Kristin!
Denise says
Sheese is pretty good too…
I believe Pizza Pizza uses Violife vegan mozzarella (can’t seem to find a place to buy it in Toronto other than on the pizza) and it’s pretty good. Melts nicely.
Chris says
Sobeys with other vegan items.
Denise says
Really?! Score! Thanks!
Denise says
Thanks! I’ll take a look for it.
Jill says
This guide is so helpful!! Thank you!! What about Mac and cheese? Do you recommend going homemade or using one of the Store bought ones? I’ve made homemade vegan Mac and cheese before but really want to get cheesy comfort food flavor next time. Maybe chao cheese?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I think the Chao Cheese would work well, but of course we haven’t tested it. My go-to method is still this Mac n Cheese Recipe! Nutritional yeast + arrowroot starch = stringy cheesy magic!
Christa says
What do you think of Violife in general? I like the cheddar slices and the mozzarella shreds.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
From what we tried of theirs it wasn’t our favorite. The ingredients seem OK. But the flavor and texture were a miss, especially on the Parmesan. The feta, however, was pretty good!
Ana says
Love your reviews! I do have to say, you should give miyoko’s SMOKED mozzarella and other kite hill products a try :) I’ve tried sooo many vegan cheeses, but miyoko’s smoked mozzarella and kite hill’s cream cheeses are staples (my favorite is the jalapeño and the chive). The ricotta is ok, and like you said good when mixed with something else.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
OK! Good to know!
Coba says
Wow kinda shocked about the mozzarella! Used it this year for a vegan red white and blue caprese salad (with blueberries) and thought it was great. Did not try melting it though but as is/raw I enjoyed it. This list is great btw! I’ve made some of your cashew cheese balls that you’ve shared and I’m sold! Also raw vegan cheesecakes with a cashew cream are out of this world!!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Coba! It didn’t do it for us, but so glad you’re enjoying it!
Kate says
Can you turn this into a booklet with all the recipes? I’d pay for that (so I wouldn’t have 15 sheets of loose paper with all these great recipes and reviews!)
Kate
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
haha thanks, Kate! We haven’t thought of that!
Marceil says
Thank you so much for this review!
I just wanted to share with the community that Erin Ireland..Vegan blogger/bakery owner posted an incredible recipe on her site: itstodiefor.ca for tofu feta and it’s seriously the best I’ve ever had! Definitely recommend giving it a try!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing! Erin’s feta looks legit!
Erika says
My favorite vegan cheese is Heidi Ho Black Lava – the taste and texture is amazingly similar to goat cheese. So bummed that my local co-op doesn’t carry it any longer. I’ll have to try your mozzarella recipe! Most of the mozz emulators I’ve tried are so bad I’d rather just eat cheese-less pizza.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
My favorite cheese on pizza is actually this 5-Minute Macadamia Nut Cheese (you can see it pictured on this pizza). Topped with vegan parm it’s a total dream!
We haven’t tried Heidi Ho Black Lava but it even sounds amazing!
Vikki says
I haven’t tried the Violife Parmesan but I use the cheddar and mozzarella shreds quite often for pizza. The taste is good and they melt well since they’re coconut-based. Follow Your Heart smoked Gouda slices are delicious.
Kaili Sasiene says
This is amazing! Thank you so much! What is the first cheese wheel pictured in the guide? Looks amazing!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
This one!
Estee says
I use Chao and follow your heart slices for grilled cheese. Both hit all points for us. Thanks for the list!
Anne says
Thanks for the recipes (and reviews!). I’ve tried all of the store-bought ones that you mentioned and some are definitely better than others! As far as Miyoko’s goes, I like the “cream cheese” style varieties. The other brand I’ve been liking is Parmela Creamery. Will definitely be trying some of your recipes!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Ah yes! Their cream cheese is good, too!
Kate says
The Violife cheddar is pretty good! Very similar taste to the Follow your heart brand. Non-GMO and decent ingredients. I agree that Daiya is absolutely awful. I’m excited to try the Field Roast brand! Love that you shared this for those considering cutting dairy.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks, Kate! Glad you enjoyed it!
Bev says
I love your vegan parm (made with cashews and nutritional yeast)! I enjoy it on everything and often eat it straight up. ;) Thank you for all of your brilliant recipes. ?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
xoxo!
Hayley says
This is so helpful!! Have you tried making any vegan cheese fondue recipes?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I haven’t YET. But am totally adding it to our list!
Liz L. says
Would agree that Myokos butter is absolutely phenomenal. Try making Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce with it – you wouldn’t know it wasn’t butter.
Sami says
I agree, the Miyokos garlic herb wheel was underwhelming. However, her Smoked English Farmhouse, Sharp English Farmhouse, Herb de Provence, and evening Winter Truffle wheels are soooooo good! I’m always surprised to see the garlic herb one readily available in grocery stores, but the much better flavors are super hard to find! The ingredients on all the cheese wheels are pretty clean though, which is good. Will have to try the Treeline and Chao next. Thanks for the guide!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Ooh, good to know! We’ll try those other flavors!
Jen says
Thank you for sharing! Just tried sheese strong cheddar shreds tonight and we much preferred them over the Daiya cheddar shreds!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful!
Kate says
Many of your recipes instruct a lengthy soaking of cashews prior to blending them. Is there a reason that you prefer that method over boiling them? Is it a nutritional concern? Thanks!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I wouldn’t recommend boiling. But what you can do is quick soak in VERY hot water for 30 minutes – then drain! It makes them easier to digest and softens them so they blend easier.
Barb says
Treeline‘s Serrano Pepper is my favorite from the line. I want to try Chao now for a grilled cheese sandwich! Thanks for the review.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Oh yeah – it’s amazing! Perfect for that!
Helen says
I am Greek and very serious about my feta and your review of the Violife feta is spot on! I’ve tried adding salt flakes on top when I serve it, which brings the flavor closer to that of dairy feta
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
How great! Thanks for sharing, Helen!
Jonnie Lyn says
Just tried trader Joe’s vegan queso (cashews and veggies)… It is awesome.
Natascha Clark says
I have not made any of them but find this article extremely useful.
Many thanks
Kenzy says
I love your probiotic cashew cheese and sour cream with all my heart. They keep getting better every time I make them and have practically memorized the cashew cheese recipe by heart! I’m not a huge vegan cheese fan so this is the perfect substitute. My family also loves your alternatives as well and they aren’t even vegan. Thank you so much for creating these wonderful recipes!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
So wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Kenzy!
Bernadette says
I live in Vancouver and the best cheese I’ve had is from Blue Heron. Its a must-try – clean ingredients, superb taste!
I also love The Cultured Nut and BlackSheep Cheeze :) There are others in the vegan store that I go to that are equally great. Forgot the names :)
Thank you for review and cheese recipes!
Thank you for the review!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Locally made cheeses will always be fresher and often taste better! So glad you’ve found some you like!
Chelsea says
Interesting…I cannot believe the rating of Miyoko’s mozzarella! My vegan friends and I have had nothing but positive experiences with it. Melts well on pizza when grated or just in a sauce on the stovetop. Best vegan mozz I’ve tasted. I hope others are not deterred from trying it!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Interesting! It didn’t do it for us. But so glad you’re digging it!
Teri K says
Thank you for this guide. Since adopting a plant-based diet, finding the right cheese substitute has been a challenge. I need to try and make my own.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
xo!
Sabrina says
I found this article so helpful. I am the only vegan in a family of five so store bought vegan items are very convenient. I’ve been so afraid to try the cheeses because they are expensive and the ones I have tried were so gross, I’d rather go without.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing! Hope it’s helpful ;D
Kim says
They all look wonderful! Just wondering though…..who would make insulting comments about cheese?
Linsey says
Thanks for this roundup!! I’ve been afraid to try any store bought vegan cheese but you might have given me the push I needed! I love field roast products so I’m def going to start there!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
xo!
Smash says
My main qualm with “substitutes” is that they may be decent stand ins for texture and flavor they don’t necessarily stand in well for nutrients, often lacking protein and other things diary products do have, making the substitute product just more processed foods. Reviews often neglect to mention that difference which I find incredibly important when trying to choose healthy options. Would it be possible to add in that info next time? Thanks so much!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for the thoughts! This is one of the main reasons why we prefer making our own from whole food ingredients :D
Alexa says
The challenging thing I find with store bought vegan cheeses is the digestibility, which wasn’t really covered here. Some, although I can’t speak for the ones mentioned here, are really hard to digest and can lead to gas, bloating and other digestive upsets that are really hard to tolerate… Daiya for example destroys my guts.
Don’t usually have that problem with the homemade ones though and I get that it is likely hard to test “will my stomach explode violently” as a feature here haha.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Good point, Alexa! That’s why we usually just stick with our homemade cheeses made with real, whole food ingredients. We also don’t handle soy too well, which is also in a lot of store-bought vegan products.
Alexa says
very savvy! Soy definitely rages my belly.
Thanks for these recipes btw, tried the jalepeno queso last week and it was a SLAM DUNK. We’ve already made it twice now. Finally I’m not lamenting not being able to digest dairy. Great recipe.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Giovonne says
This is all really helpful! I’ve had my eye on some of these products but just haven’t wanted to be disappointed. I’ve actually had really good luck with the Miyokos mozzarella melting in a pasta dish. When I drain the pasta, I leave some of the pasta water, and then stir in chunks of the mozzarella. It creates a super creamy mac-and-cheese like sauce. I’ve also made pasta with their sundried tomato and garlic cheese with some peas and arugula. That one is smokier, but it also melts when stirred into pasta with some pasta water.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
That’s great! Thanks for sharing!
Molly says
Thanks for the guide! I’ve been trying various recipes for vegan cheese with mixed results. I will keep at it though. Just wondering why no Daiya products were considered.
Love your blog!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
xo! We don’t love the ingredients of Daiya, nor the taste.
Arijeta says
What ingredients you don’t like specifically? I really like their artisan cheeses
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I don’t love the natural flavors and canola oil. Haven’t tried their artisan cheese!
Madison says
This is great! Also, Follow Your Heart cheeses are top-notch.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Ah! Will have to try.
Alysia says
Yes Yes yes Follow your Heart makes the BEST BEST vegan cheese! So addicting, so good! I wondered why they weren’t listed too!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Ah! We’ve tried those in the past and enjoyed them, but they weren’t at our local grocery store!
James Campbell says
You need to try “it’s nut okay” cheese.
Best artisan cheese you can get from the store
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
OK! We’ll add it to our list.
Sam says
Where can you buy this in the US?
tracy says
Thanks for the review it is spot on from my personal experience. I just tried the violife parmesan and it is just as you described and I won’t buy it again. I use your classic vegan parmesan recipe and it is delicious. I would be even harsher with Miyoko’s Mozzarella, it was just horrible, but her butter is very good. Do you have a recommendation for a homemade cheese fondue? I really appreciate your work, I enjoy so many of your recipes. Thank you
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Oh yes, Myoko’s mozzarella is kind of terrible, but the butter is amazing! If I was doing fondue, I’d probably make a cheese sauce from scratch – thanks for the suggestion! I’ll add it to our list!
Christina Perucci says
I really like the Miyokos smoked mozzarella! If only we could get the Forager folks to make cheese!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
OK! I’ve gotta try the smoked then!