Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The 9 Best Vegan Cheese Brands to Buy in 2022

Lauren Paige Richeson
By

Living a plant-based lifestyle has never been easier than it is today. From beet burgers that bleed to tofu shrimp you swore could swim, there’s a vegan replacement for everything from milk to meat. Science has shown that taking the leap from beef to the leaf can have major health benefits for both your body and the world. From reducing cholesterol to cleaning up your carbon footprint, there are plenty of reasons to pivot to plants.

Related Guides

Related Videos

For those who may not be ready to go all the way from omnivore but are still a little veg-curious, plant-based cheeses are a sharp start to dip your toes into a dairy-free diet. While companies have been churning out lactose-free alternatives like never before, not all these “cheeses” make the cut. Finding a vegan option that you can spread, stretch, dip, or shred may sound hard to believe but the proof is in the plant-based Parmesan.

So whether you’re a seasoned vegan or simply ditching dairy, we’re here to offer a bit of gouda advice with the nine greatest of the grate vegan cheeses for your plate.

Related

Siete Dairy-Free Cashew Queso

From texture to taste, this vegan queso will have you questioning everything about real cheese. Made entirely from cashews and available in both Nacho and Blanco fundido flavors, this jaw-dropping dip is a thing of dairy-free dreams.

Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta

Add a special layer to your lasagna with this vegan ricotta even Garfield would approve of. Kite Hill’s almond milk recipe is just as fluffy and silky as the original and even has that signature salty ricotta taste.

Miyoko’s Creamery Aged English Smoked Farmhouse Artisan Vegan Cheese

Your charcuterie board just got more interesting with this artisanal vegan wheel. Known for its classy cashew cheeses, Miyoko’s version of Aged English Cheddar has a smooth spread and intense smoky taste that is bound to be a conversation starter.

Buy Now

Violife Just Like Parmesan Wedge

Italy and dairy-free don’t often go hand in hand but Violife is as close to Parma it comes. With the traditional nutty flavor and signature flaky shred, this plant-based Parmesan will even have your Nonna scratching her head.

Daiya Cheddar & Alfredo Cheeze Sauce

A long-time favorite in the dairy-free cheese game, Daiya has done it again, creating the creamiest, cheesiest lactose-free Alfredo and Cheddar sauces the vegan community has seen. The uses are endless, from pouring on pasta or covering veggies to almost drinking with a straw.

Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

This plant-based spread lives up to its name; all the reviews proclaim real cream cheese pales in comparison to this vegan version. Available in four delicious flavors, Tofutti’s is cheese lover-tested and bagel-approved.

Field Roast Chao Creamy Slices

Field Roast is the perfect topping for beet burgers, grilled sandwiches, or wherever you need a slice. The unique blend of coconut oil and fermented tofu makes it one of the most delicious vegan cheeses on the shelves.

Good Planet Mozzarella Cheese Shreds

Good Planet’s cheeses give you that stretchy, stringy, mozzarella feel with all the benefits of a milk-free lifestyle. Whether you’re sprinkling on pizza or stuffing a quesadilla this cheese is top for its minimal ingredients but maximum meltability.

365 Everyday Value, Plant-Based Smoked Gouda

Whole Foods has entered the cheese chat with its affordable and almost too gouda to be true plant-based slices. While it may not make the top of the texture list, the flavor is a hit and the price point makes it even more appetizing.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
The best tequilas you can buy for less than $20
These wallet-friendly tequilas taste much more expensive than they are
best tequilas under 20 espolon tequila

Tequila can start a party. It also can end one very quickly. Your focus should stay on those that can star at any gathering. A solid tequila doesn't have to break the bank, either. Also, keep this in mind when looking for quality tequila, affordable or not: Make sure it's 100% agave. Those headache-inducing tequilas of your past were more than likely only part agave -- they just need to be 51%. The additional sugar in those was likely your culprit.

All tequila hails from the Mexican state of Jalisco. All start as Blue Weber Agave and take a wonderful ride to reach their final destination on a drinker's palate. This Mexican spirit has a beautiful, rich history. The excellence of this well-made spirit can be witnessed even in inexpensive versions -- neat or mixed into a tasty margarita.

Read more
Egg nutrition: Should you eat the whole egg or stick to egg whites?
Are eggs good for you?
White eggs in an egg carton.

There's probably no food product that science has gone back and forth on more than the egg. We know it's delicious. We know it makes a great breakfast food, whether you're scrambling up eggs, perfecting that omelet, or eating them hard-boiled (and that's just scratching the surface of egg-related recipes. But should you eat the whole egg, or just the egg white?

Decades ago, when housewives made gigantic stacks of pancakes for the family every weekday morning (at least, that's what TV told us happened) it was an absolute given that you ate both the egg white and the egg yolk. But then people began worrying about their high saturated fat and cholesterol content — and thus began the debate about egg nutrition, and whether it was healthier to eat the whole egg or just the egg white. Which is it? Here's what you need to know.
Are eggs good for you?

Read more
Is erythritol harmful? What a dietitian says new data means for your Keto diet
Erythritol is common in many keto foods - what does that mean for your health?
erythritol in keto diet advice

While sugar substitutes have been around for more than a century, they didn't really become mainstream here in the United States until around the mid-70s. According to Carolyn De La Pena, professor of American Studies at UC Davis and author of Empty Pleasures: The Story of Artificial Sweeteners from Saccharin to Splenda, between 1975 and 1984, Americans increased their consumption of artificial sweeteners by 150 percent. This timeline makes sense when you take into account that the late seventies coincided with the start of our crazed diet culture and the revolving door of fad diets.
One such diet that doesn't seem to be going anywhere, however, is the Keto diet. Still hugely popular among Americans trying to shed a few pounds, Keto focuses heavily on limited or no carbohydrates. Because sugar contains carbohydrates, followers of Keto have turned to artificial sweeteners to satisfy those late-night cravings - sweeteners that, more often than not, contain erythritol. Erythritol in particular has become hugely popular because it's much better for baking than other sugar substitutes, has less of an artificial flavor, and will keep the eater in Ketosis, which is key for losing weight on the Keto diet.
A new study has made waves recently because its findings indicate there's a link between erythritol and higher rates of heart attack and stroke (though the study did note that only an association was found — not causation. So should you be worried?
We asked Dan LeMoine, RD, the award-winning author of Fear No Food and the Clinical Director at Phoenix-based Re:vitalize Nutrition, what he had to say about erythritol, including its benefits and potential health risks. "Artificial sweeteners are still sweeteners. While many are non-nutritive or zero-calorie, we tend to view them similarly as we do regular sweeteners or sugars — moderation is key. While many have amazing implications on weight loss – being low to no-calorie options and having little impact on blood sugar, some have their downside," he says.

While some of that sugar substitution has been good for waistlines and health issues that come from obesity, it seems to be causing more and more concern when it comes to other potential health issues. "For example," says LeMoine, "some research indicates the popular sweeteners stevia may have negative effects on the gut microbiome. And the recent study showing correlation between the sugar alcohol, erythritol, and heart attack and stroke."

Read more