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Vegan Cheese, Please!

A common response you probably get when you say that you’re vegan is, “But what about cheese?!” What some people don’t realize, though, is that vegans do eat cheese—just not the kind made of milk stolen from cows (or from any other animal).

Cows and other animals who are used for dairy foods suffer a lot. For example, many cows in the dairy industry are dehorned—their sensitive horns are burned off without any pain relief—and calves are taken away from their mothers, meaning that families who love and care for each other are broken apart.

So instead, we eat cheese made from vegan foods like soy and nuts. To make finding dairy-free cheese options super-simple for you, we’ve listed a ton below that we think you’ll love.

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Shreds

Shreds are great to add to yummy foods like pizza.

  • Violife: Cheddar and Mozzarella (Find it.)
  • 365 Everyday Value: Mozzarella (Find it.)
  • Daiya: Classic Blend, Mozzarella, Pepperjack, and Cheddar (Find it.)
  • Follow Your Heart: Mozzarella, Fiesta Blend, Pizzeria Blend, and Cheddar (Find it.)
  • SO Delicious: Mozzarella, Cheddar Jack, and Cheddar (Find it.)
  • Trader Joe’s: Mozzarella (Find it.)

Blocks and Wedges

You don’t have to wait until mealtime to enjoy these. Just pop some bite-size chunks in your mouth as a snack!

  • Bute Island Foods: Blue, Garlic & Chives, Edam, Gouda, Medium Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Red Leicester, Mozzarella, Smoked German, and Strong Cheddar (Find it.)
  • Daiya: Medium Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Jalapeño Havarti, and Smoked Gouda (Find it.)
  • Miyoko’s Kitchen: Rustic Alpine, Sharp English Farmhouse, Smoked English Farmhouse, and Herbes de Provence (Find it.)
  • MozzaRisella: Classic, Smoked, and Cheddar (Find it.)
  • Ste Martaen: Colby, Muenster, Pepper Jack, Olive, and Smoked Gouda (Find it.)
  • Treeline: Classic and Cracked Pepper (Find it.)
  • Violife: Original, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Organic Original, Organic Cheddar, Organic Mozzarella, Herb, Tomato & Basil, Smoked, Mature Cheddar, Hot Peppers, Pizza, Greek White, Mediterranean, Cranberry, Prosociano, and Blu (Find it.)

Slices

Want to have the best grilled cheese around? Give these a try!

  • 365 Everyday Value: Cheddar, Smoked (Find it.)
  • Daiya: American, Mozzarella, Smoked Gouda, Cheddar, Swiss, and Provolone (Find it.)
  • Field Roast Chao Slices: Creamy Original, Garden Herb, and Tomato Cayenne (Find it.)
  • Follow Your Heart: American, Smoked Gouda, Medium Cheddar, Provolone, Pepper Jack, Mozzarella, and Garden Herb (Find it.)
  • Tofutti: American and Mozzarella (Find it.)
  • Violife: Original, Organic Original, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Herbs, Organic Herbs, Tomato & Basil, Smoked, Organic Smoked, Mature Cheddar, Pizza, and Hot Peppers (Find it.)

‘Cream Cheese’

The only thing these are missing is a bagel. Now the question is, which flavor should you choose?

  • Daiya: Chive & Onion, Plain, Garden Vegetable, and Strawberry (Find it.)
  • Dr-Cow: Plain (Find it.)
  • Follow Your Heart: Plain (Find it.)
  • GO Veggie: Chive & Garlic, Classic Plain, and Strawberry (Find it.)
  • Heidi Ho Ne Chèvre(goat cheese substitute): Black Lava, Blueberry, and Pure (Find it.)
  • Kite Hill: Everything, Jalapeño, Strawberry, Plain, Chive (Find it.)
  • MozzaRisella: Spreadable Classic, Alternative Blue, and Cremoso (Find it.)
  • Tofutti: Garlic & Herb, Herbs & Chives, Plain, and Whipped Plain (Find it.)
  • Trader Joe’s: Plain
  • Violife: Orginal, Herbs, Hot Peppers, Tzatziki, Tomato & Basil (Find it.)
  • WayFare Foods: Original and Onion Chive (Find it.)
  • Miyoko’s Kitchen: Plainly Classic, Sensational Scallion, and Un-Lox Your Dreams (Find it.)

Soft ‘Cheeses’

These taste best when spread on your fave vegan crackers.

  • Kite Hill: Original, Soft Ripened, and Truffle, Dill & Chive (Find it.)
  • Treeline: Herb-Garlic, Scallion, Chipotle-Serrano Pepper, and Green Peppercorn (Find it.)
  • Miyoko’s Kitchen: Spicy Revolution, Biergarten Garlic Chive, and Cheers to Cheddah (Find it.)

Parmesan

Sprinkle some vegan Parm on spaghetti, a hot sub, or even mac ‘n’ cheese!

  • Follow Your Heart: Parmesan (Find it.)
  • Violife: Just Like Parmesan Wedge (Find it.)
  • GO Veggie: Parmesan Grated Topping (Find it.) Note: Make sure you get the dairy-free version, as the other kind contains milk.
  • Parma!: Chipotle Cayenne, Garlicky Green, and Original (Find it.)
  • The Vegetarian Express: Parma Zaan Sprinkles (Find it.)

Nacho ‘Cheese’

Do these even need an introduction? Put them on tortilla chips for the best vegan nachos ever.

  • Follow Your Heart: Nacho (Find it.)
  • Siete: Spicy Blanco and Mild Nacho (Find it.)
  • Trader Joe’s: Cashew Fiesta Dip
  • Heidi Ho: Creamy Chia Cheeze, Smoky Chia Cheeze, and Spicy! Chia Cheeze (Find it.)
  • NACHEEZ: Mild, Medium, and Spicy (Find it.)
  • WayFareFoods: Nacho Cheddar and Jalapeño Cheddar (Find it.)

Ricotta Style

This is the best cheese to use for vegan lasagna.

Cheese Sticks

For a super-easy on-the-go snack, try Daiya’s Deluxe Cheeze Sticks in mozzarella and cheddar flavors. (Find it.)

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We hope you’ve gotten some great ideas on how to use a variety of vegan cheeses! Still can’t get enough? Find out what some of the best boxed vegan mac ‘n’ cheese products are: