Vegan Cheese 101: A Complete Guide

Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore, you may be wondering whether vegan cheese is worth a try.

“Vegan cheese has come a long, long way in the last five years, and the products are only getting better, more wholesome, and more flavor-forward,” says Gena Hamshaw, RDN, who practices in New York City and is the founder of the Full Helping, a blog dedicated to plant-based recipes and vegan cooking.

“Giving up dairy-based cheese is often a big barrier for people who want to try a vegan diet,” Hamshaw says.

If you’re on the fence, maybe learning what vegan cheese is made of, how it’s made, and what its possible health benefits are will pique your curiosity.

Vegan cheese is a plant-based product that resembles dairy cheese but doesn’t use any ingredients that come from animals.

Dairy-based cheese may include such animal-derived products as casein, whey, lactose, rennet, gelatin, and certain forms of lactic acid — in addition to milk and cream, says Hamshaw. Vegan cheese contains none of those.

• Plant-based oils, such as coconut oil and olive oil
• Nuts and seeds, including cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds
• Plant-based milks like soy milk, coconut milk, and cashew milk
• Tofu
• Starches and thickeners such as tapioca, potato starch, xanthan gum, and agar
• Pea or bean protein
• Flavorings, including nutritional yeast, herbs and spices, and vegetables
• Fermentation agents: These are similar to the enzymes used in traditional cheesemaking and help to coagulate the plant-based milk.

“Nuts and seeds, particularly cashews, can be a good base thanks to their creamy texture,” says Hamshaw.

Another ingredient she likes when making homemade plant-based cheese is tofu. “Pureed firm tofu matches the texture of cream cheese,” she says.

Culturing This process is similar to the production of dairy cheese, which involves fermentation. In this process, plant-based milk undergoes fermentation with bacteria or yeast, generating lactic acid, which forms curd. The curds are then pressed to eliminate excess liquid, creating a solid cheese.

Blending Various plant-based ingredients, such as nuts, seeds, or tofu, are blended to create a creamy texture. The mixture is then flavored with herbs, spices, or nutritional yeast to enhance its flavor.

Cooking Plant-based milks are heated with starch or agar, which act as thickeners. The mixture is then cooled, resulting in a solid cheese.

People who tend to gravitate toward vegan cheese may do so for a variety of personal and environmental reasons.

“Typically, folks choose vegan cheese because they’re avoiding animal ingredients because of personal ethics. But a growing number of consumers are choosing vegan cheese because they believe it to be healthier than dairy-based cheese, and for its lesser environmental impact,” says Taylor Wolfram, RDN, who specializes in vegan nutrition in Chicago.

Health benefits of vegan cheese depend largely on which ingredients a specific one contains and what health issues you’re trying to address. Here are some ingredients commonly used in vegan cheese and their potential benefits.

• Nuts A diet rich in nuts may improve blood lipid profiles.

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• Seeds Seeds, including pumpkin and sesame seeds, contain antioxidants, which are thought to play a role in heart disease and cancer prevention.

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• Tofu A higher intake of isoflavones, which are found in soybeans, and tofu, specifically, are associated with a lowered risk of coronary heart disease.

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Vegan cheese could also be beneficial for people with lactose intolerance, since it doesn’t contain lactose.

Why You Need to Read the Label

Regardless of the ingredients you’re looking for or looking to avoid, it’s important to read the nutrition label on the cheese you’re buying, rather than assuming that the “vegan” label makes it healthier.

You’ll also want to check the ingredients list for any additives such as artificial colorings, dyes, sweeteners, or flavorings. If it’s not something you’d use in your kitchen, it’s probably not something you want in your vegan cheese.

It’s also important to make sure the sodium content per serving aligns with your daily goal. The recommended sodium limit is 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day or less depending on your age and potential health concerns, according to the 2020–2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. As a rule of thumb, look for items that have about the same number listed for calories and sodium; that’s to say, if a serving contains 200 calories, it should have no more than about 200 mg of sodium.

Vegan cheeses are sold year-round, though they may not be widely available in all supermarkets. Check product websites for a list of stores that carry their cheeses.

Selection

Here are some of Hawshaw’s and Wolfram’s favorite vegan cheeses:

• Good Planet Olive Oil Cheese
• Treeline Cashew Cheese
• Parmela Creamery Sharp Cheddar
• Madly Hadley Cashew Parmesan
• Violife Just Like Feta
• Kite Hill Plain Cream Cheese
• Follow Your Heart Dairy Free Feta Crumbles
• Daiya Shreds

Storage

Vegan cheese, like dairy-based cheese, should be wrapped or put in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator. Check “use by” dates to gauge how long the cheese is likely to remain fresh. Since ingredients vary, it’s best to check product websites or read package labels for guidance on how best to store a particular cheese.

Vegan cheeses come in the same forms as dairy cheeses — in blocks, shreds, slices, crumbles, and wheels — and can be used in cooking and baking, as well as eaten raw, says Hamshaw.

“Essentially, most of the dishes that you might make with dairy-based commercial cheese shreds could be made with a vegan nondairy alternative,” she says.

“Vegan cheeses that melt can be melted on top of baked pasta dishes or lasagna, used in vegan grilled cheese, or used in quesadillas. Nut-based, spreadable cheese is great for crackers or toast. Vegan cheese wheels or blocks can be served to guests as hors d'oeuvres. Almond-based ricotta is lovely in stuffed shells or manicotti. I love adding vegan feta to grain salads.”

People with food allergies may be allergic to ingredients commonly found in vegan cheeses, particularly nuts and seeds and soy products. As with any other food, always check the list of ingredients before eating it if you have allergies.

• Vegan cheese is plant-based cheese that contains no animal-derived ingredients.
• Common ingredients in vegan cheese include nuts and seeds, soy products, coconut oil, herbs, and spices.
• Vegan cheese comes in the same forms as dairy cheeses, including blocks, slices, shreds, and spreadable varieties. In general, these cheeses can be used in recipes that call for dairy cheese.