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

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.

Recommended Videos

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

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
Lauren Paige Richeson
Lauren Paige Richeson
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Lauren Paige Richeson is an author and artist specializing in written, visual, and edible content. She wrote about Food…
The 7 best vegan wines to add your rack
Each of these delicious wines are completely vegan
Red wine being poured into glass

When most people think about the vegan diet, they’re usually well aware that vegans can’t eat animal products like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. You may even know that some vegans also avoid honey because the commercial honey production process can be harmful to the health of the bees. But did you know that many wines are also not vegan?
Although the basic ingredients in wine are vegan by nature -- as grape juice and yeast are not animal products -- the actual process is to produce and bottle wine often involves the use of animal ingredients called fining agents. Essentially, unless a batch of wine is allowed to sit for quite a long time, it will contain sediment from the grapes. Because it’s in the best interest of commercial wineries to bottle the wine as soon as it’s ready to free up the barrel, the wine often doesn’t have as long to settle.

Therefore, to hasten the process, winemakers often use fining agents, which are sticky substances that adhere to particulates in the wine, so they can then be filtered out. The final filtering process does remove nearly all of the fining agents, but the agents are not only animal products themselves (such as isinglass from fish bladders, gelatin from hooves, casein, and albumin from egg whites), but are also usually produced by industries that exploit animals.
Fortunately, there are several great winemakers that use vegan fining agents or give the wine ample time to settle, negating the need for fining agents altogether. Keep reading for the best vegan wines and make your next pour a vegan wine you can feel good about enjoying.

Read more
The 5 best sports drink brands that aren’t Gatorade
Thirsty for a sports drink that isn't Gatorade? Here are the best brands to rehydrate with
Bodyarmor SuperDrink in a cooler

A good sports drink is more than just a colorful bottle of liquid. The best of them offer fairly healthy means to a more hydrated end, often throwing in replenishing ingredients like potassium in the mix. Gatorade and Powerade jump to mind, of course, but there are equally good and decidedly healthier options out there.

These drinks can help you recover, putting back in what you sweat out during that lengthy bike ride, jog, or workout. And while something like Pedialyte might just be the most effective option (as a good hangover cure, too), we should be able to enjoy what we're drinking. You deserve solid flavors and a reasonable amount of vitamins to get your engine humming again.

Read more
These are the 9 best alkaline water options to drink this summer
Choose one of these as your go-to for quenching your thirst
A carefree young man drinks water from a bottle while going for a hike up a mountain

Summer is quickly approaching, and staying hydrated is more important than ever. If you're still just dipping your toe into the pool of alkaline water, it's time to jump on in. Whether you plan on spending the hot summer days hitting the gym, climbing mountains, or lounging poolside, consuming alkaline water is going to be beneficial to you. It's said to have several more health benefits than regular bottled water, which we'll cover at the end — so stick around.

The main selling point of alkaline water is its higher pH. This is said to improve your body function and result in better overall hydration. Additionally, the ionized water is said by some to also lower acidity levels in the body, which can prevent disease and offer an array of other health benefits. Even if you don't live in one of the hottest places on earth, you'd be wise to hydrate properly. Here's the rundown of the best alkaline water you can find online.

Read more