The BEST Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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Stack of vegan grilled cheese sandwiches

After not being thrilled with the vegan cheese selections at the store, we set out to make our own, specifically cheddar! Cheddar is a classic flavor that’s so versatile, vibrant in color, and delicious on things like grilled cheese, mac ‘n’ cheese, and more (swoon). And after cracking the code on vegan cheddar cheese, it was time to make a grilled cheese sandwich!

Thick slices of sourdough are buttered and spread with a generous layer of vegan cheddar cheese then grilled until toasty and golden brown. The result? A crispy, buttery, salty, cheesy, melty, incredibly flavorful, comforting vegan grilled cheese sandwich that’s made with wholesome ingredients. Let us show you how it’s done!

Sourdough bread, vegan butter, and vegan cheddar cheese

How to Make a Vegan Grilled Cheese

It all starts with the cheese! And this, friends, tastes like the real deal! Plus, no unrecognizable ingredients required.

Our vegan cheddar recipe is made with a base of cashews and carrots. Then it’s blended up with tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and spices. Finally, it’s gently heated into a spreadable sauce.

Spreading vegan cheddar cheese onto sourdough bread

With the cheese ready, just 1 pan and 15 minutes stand between you and this sandwich! Butter the bread, spread on the cheese, and cook it in a skillet until golden brown, crispy, and with warm melty cheese in the middle.

Using a wooden spoon to flip a vegan grilled cheese in a cast iron pan

We hope you LOVE this vegan grilled cheese! It’s:

Crispy
Salty
Cheesy
Melty
Comforting
Quick & Easy
& SO delicious!

It’s the perfect lunch or dinner when craving something satisfying yet simple. And the homemade cheese keeps well in the fridge or freezer, shortening the time between craving and comfort! It’s especially delicious paired with a bowl of soup, such as our Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup, Creamy Asparagus and Pea Soup, 1-Pot Everyday Lentil Soup, or Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.

Picking up a slice of our vegan grilled cheese sandwich

More Vegan Sandwich Recipes

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Close up shot of the melty cheddar cheese in our vegan grilled cheese sandwich

The BEST Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The BEST Vegan Grilled Cheese sandwich made with toasty, buttered sourdough bread and our mega flavorful vegan grilled cheese spread. Just 3 ingredients required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Stack of vegan grilled cheese sandwiches
4.84 from 12 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 1 (Sandwich)
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? No

Ingredients

  • 2 large slices vegan bread of your choice (sturdy bread is better for crunch / flavor — we prefer sourdough // gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 Tbsp vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s with a hint of salt // use more or less depending on size of bread)
  • 4-5 Tbsp Vegan Cheddar Cheese (spread // or sub comparable amount of store-bought cheddar cheese slices or shreds)

Instructions

  • Heat a medium cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  • In the meantime, butter both sides of your bread.
  • Once skillet is hot, add your bread and lightly toast both sides (~1-2 minutes) — this develops flavor and crunch on both sides of the sandwich.
  • Remove bread from the pan and spread a semi-thick layer of vegan cheddar cheese on one side of both slices of bread. Then fold the slices together to make a sandwich (cheese in the center).
  • Return sandwich to the skillet and continue cooking over medium heat, flipping a couple times until both sides are nice and golden brown and crispy, and the cheese appears melty and gooey (~5-8 more minutes — lowering heat as needed if browning too quickly).
  • Enjoy hot. Slice in half for serving if desired. Best when fresh. Pairs beautifully with soup!

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with sourdough bread.

Nutrition (1 of 1 servings)

Serving: 1 sandwich Calories: 468 Carbohydrates: 58.8 g Protein: 15.2 g Fat: 20 g Saturated Fat: 9.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 4.5 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 831 mg Potassium: 368 mg Fiber: 4.1 g Sugar: 5.8 g Vitamin A: 2588 IU Vitamin C: 1 mg Calcium: 62.2 mg Iron: 4.8 mg

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My Rating:




  1. Margaret says

    I have not made this, but wonder if my usual way of making “grilled cheeze“ would work with this recipe? I toast my bread in a toaster, since I prefer not to use oil, add cheeze, then heat in the microwave.

  2. Verna Smith says

    Why not call it a Cashew and Carrot Sandwich (for what it is) instead of a Cheese sandwich? Just wondering. The idea of eating an “artificial” sandwich takes some getting use to (for me).

  3. Bonnie says

    This is very similar to the recipe I use. Instead of butter, I use vegan mayo, which is mostly oil, on both sides of the bread.

    Toast one side of mayo covered bread slices, flip the bread, spread a small squeeze of mustard, place the cheese slices (some thin tomato slices nice too), top with the other bread slice, and continue to simmer and flip assembled sandwich until crusty/melty. I find the vegan mayo gives a bit of a tart flavor and less salt than butter, and it seems to crust a little sooner with less darkening.

  4. Christien Anderson says

    Can this recipe be frozen? How does it turn out if frozen? Made it today 11/10 added oregano

  5. Nikki says

    Um, wow! This recipe was such a comforting treat (paired with the garlicky tomato soup!)!

    I would never have guessed it was so easy to make a delish vegan cheese that beats all the store brands!

    Per other comments, I added a little extra salt & garlic powder to the cheese. It also took a little longer to thicken than the recipe stated (more like 4-5 minutes).

    Thank you!!

  6. Marie says

    Awesome! Love the double tasting of the bread – delicious. Ingredients for cheese sauce are perfectly balanced (although I did add a little extra salt). Tastes like a restaurant made it :P

    • Shonda says

      This was so good. Even my “real” cheese loving family raved about this grilled cheese. I added a bit more garlic and salt. It was very tasty (even better than regular grilled cheese). It’s going in my plant based recipe book!!

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Whoop! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review, Shonda! xo

  7. Christine says

    I have been on a cheese kick since finding your Pure Gold Cheese recipe…..I know thats not what its called….but it should be haha. So far I have made the cheese, the mac n cheese, and now the grilled cheese. Im kind of a picky eater….I dont like most vegan/plant based meals I try…..And I have been vegan since i was 13… a long time….lets just say thats a lot of unhappy meals…….till now…..I usuallly dread meal time…..but i have been looking forward to my meals since finding your recipes…..I never had a grilled cheese that you grill both sides of the bread…..it is pure genius….so much more crispy and delicious. Thank you for another great recipe, :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Woohoo! We love to hear this. So glad you enjoy the cheese, Christine! Thanks for the kind review! xo

  8. Emily says

    This cheese is so stretchy, I haven’t been able to find a vegan cheese recipe that is both stretchy and tastes delicious. Like always minimalist baker nailed this cheese recipe and I’m so happy I got to try it. Will definitely be trying more of her cheese recipes.

  9. Jennie says

    One of my life goals is to eventually be dairy free. It isn’t great for my stomach but for me the texture and flavor is so hard to replicate. I’ve found vegan butter that works and I love your vegan parm, but everything else is elusive. I tried the cheddar cheese for this sandwich a few days ago and because I eat dairy regularly it didn’t quite work as a cheese replacement. However, I haven’t given up on it and I made this sandwich today–the sandwich was quite good! I’m going to keep fiddling with the cheese to see if I can get it to work for me long term. Thanks for the recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the feedback, Jennie! We’re glad you enjoyed this sandwich!

  10. Amy says

    Vegan comfort food game changer. Our homemade gf bread is a bit fragile so we toasted the slices in a toaster first but otherwise went step by step through the recipe to perfection.

    The only problem is not wanting these sandwiches at every meal. Thank you for changing lunch forever :)

  11. Alex says

    I have tried to make vegan grilled cheese several times and always failed. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. So gooey and delicious! I will be making this all the time. :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Alex. Thanks so much for the lovely review!

  12. Julie caldwll says

    Hi Minimalist Baker. Have been cooking with you for many years now. Any chance you might build an ad free app? Or even one that has adds , but the way the games or You tubes do – a quick 15-30 second ad then on to the cooking? Thank you. I love your recipes.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Julie! Thanks for the request. We were in the process of building an app last year and decided to go another direction with it. Our website now has 1000+ recipes now and trying to transfer them over to an app (with all of the technical details, ratings, comments, etc.) is no small feat. However, we hope to add some features to the mobile site soon to make it feel more like an app – stay tuned!

      • The Vegan Goddess says

        I love your website the way that it is. It’s already perfect.

        I hope you don’t add ads because this is classier and ads slow sites down.

  13. Aline Bessa says

    If you have the chance to buy sour tapioca starch in a Brazilian grocery store (it should be easy to find it online, too), also known as “Polvilho Azedo”, please do use it. It is fermented tapioca starch, and its flavor notes are super cheesy!