Vegan Cheese Substitutes: The Best Swap for Every Kind of Cheese

The best vegan cheese substitute depends on the job the cheese is doing: melting, grating, spreading, or crumbling. Reach for a coconut oil block or shred when you need melt, a cultured nut cheese when you need flavor and spreadability, and nutritional yeast or cashew cream when you want a pantry fix. Below is the swap we use in our kitchen for every common dairy cheese.

Over the past year we have worked through most of the vegan cheese brands sold in US supermarkets, cooking for a table that includes one vegan and one lactose intolerant guest. This guide is the short version of what we learned.

Quick reference: the right vegan swap for each cheese

Cheddar

Cheddar does two different jobs, and no single vegan cheese handles both. For slicing onto sandwiches and crackers, Violife Epic Mature Cheddar Block is our pick: it is sharp, slices cleanly, and holds its shape on a board. For grilled cheese, nachos, and mac and cheese, Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds melt more evenly, although they need a minute longer under heat than dairy.

Both are coconut oil based and nut-free, which makes them safe choices for allergy households. Our full notes on the range are in the Violife cheese review.

Mozzarella

Mozzarella is about melt and stretch, so look at shreds rather than blocks. Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds are the reliable pizza choice, and So Delicious Mozzarella Style Shreds (coconut milk based) run a little creamier. Neither browns much on its own, so spray a little oil on top before the pie goes in.

For a fresh mozzarella feel on a caprese salad, no shred works, so use a scoop of cashew cream with basil and olive oil instead. We compared melt, stretch, and browning across brands in our guide to vegan cheese that actually melts.

Parmesan

Parmesan is the easiest cheese to replace, because its job is mostly salt and umami. Violife Just Like Parmesan Wedge grates well over pasta, and Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Parmesan Shreds are handy for salads and garlic bread.

The pantry version is even simpler: blend nutritional yeast with toasted cashews or hemp seeds, a pinch of garlic powder, and salt. It keeps in a jar for weeks and costs a fraction of the wedge.

Cream cheese

This is where nut-based cheeses pull ahead. Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread (cultured almond milk) has a real tang and spreads like the dairy version, and Miyoko's Creamery Cream Cheese (cultured cashew) tastes even closer, at a higher price. Daiya Plain Cream Cheeze Style Spread is the nut-free and soy-free option, softer and a little sweeter.

All three work in no-bake cheesecake and frosting, with Daiya needing extra chilling time. We tested each on bagels and in cheesecake in our roundup of the best vegan cream cheese brands.

Feta

Feta needs to crumble and taste briny, and Violife Just Like Feta Block does both surprisingly well. It crumbles over salads, holds its shape in a baked feta pasta, and has the salty edge that shreds lack.

Homemade tofu feta is the cheapest swap: press firm tofu, cube it, and marinate it overnight in lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and a spoon of white miso. On a Greek salad it does the job.

Ricotta

Kite Hill Ricotta (almond milk) is the one store-bought ricotta we would put in lasagna without hesitation. It is soft, mildly sweet, and bakes without weeping.

Tofu ricotta takes about five minutes: crumble a block of firm tofu with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, nutritional yeast, and fresh basil. Most guests do not notice the swap in stuffed shells.

Soft cheeses: brie, Boursin, and the cheese board

For a cheese board, Treeline Classic French-Style Soft Cheese (aged cashew) is the closest thing to a young brie or fresh goat cheese we have found. It is soft, tangy, and spreads on a cracker without crumbling.

Boursin Dairy-Free Garlic and Herbs is a straight swap for the original and a good gateway product for skeptical guests. Babybel Plant-Based Cheese Rounds cover the lunchbox snack niche. Cashew cream blended with white miso and garlic can stand in for any of these.

American slices

American cheese exists to melt, and vegan slices are the strongest category on the shelf. Chao Creamery Creamy Original Slices (fermented tofu base) have the best melt and stretch we have tested and are our burger pick. Follow Your Heart American Style Slices and Pepper Jack Style Slices are the nut-free coconut oil alternatives.

For grilled sandwiches with a smoky note, Violife Just Like Provolone Slices and Good Planet Smoked Gouda Slices both melt cleanly.

Pantry swaps that need no special shopping

• Nutritional yeast: the classic cheesy flavor. Stir it into sauces, sprinkle it on popcorn, or blend it into any of the swaps below.
• Cashew cream: soak raw cashews, then blend with water, lemon juice, and salt. Add nutritional yeast and mustard for a cheddar-style sauce, or white miso for a soft cheese.
• Tofu ricotta: crumbled firm tofu with lemon, olive oil, salt, and herbs. Covers ricotta, cottage cheese, and stuffed pasta.
• Miso: a spoon of white miso adds the aged, savory depth most vegan cheeses miss.
• Tahini sauce: tahini whisked with lemon, garlic, and water replaces cheese on roasted vegetables and grain bowls.

A food processor makes the nut-based swaps much smoother; our sister site has picks at superkitchentools.com.

What vegan cheese is made of, and why it matters

Almost every vegan cheese is built on one of four bases, and the base predicts how it behaves under heat and on the tongue.

• Coconut oil (Violife, Daiya, So Delicious, most shreds and slices): melts well, mild flavor, nut-free. Browns poorly without a little added oil.
• Nuts (Miyoko's, Kite Hill, Treeline): cashew or almond, usually cultured. Best flavor, softer texture, higher price. Melts into a sauce rather than a stretch.
• Tofu (Chao slices): fermented soy base with exceptional melt and stretch and a mild flavor.
• Starch (tapioca or potato, many budget shreds): cheap and stretchy, but thin in flavor.

The practical rule: coconut and starch bases for anything that goes under heat, nut bases for anything eaten cold or spread. For a brand-by-brand breakdown, our cheese alternatives page covers every product in this guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best all-around vegan cheese substitute?

There is no single best one, because vegan cheeses are built for specific jobs. For melting, a coconut oil based shred or slice such as Daiya or Violife is the safest choice. For spreading, a cultured nut cheese such as Kite Hill or Miyoko's tastes far closer to dairy.

Which vegan cheese melts best?

Chao Creamy Original Slices have the best melt and stretch we have tested, followed by Daiya shreds and Violife blocks. Coconut oil based cheeses melt but do not brown much, so a light spray of oil on top helps on pizza.

Is nutritional yeast a cheese substitute?

Nutritional yeast is a flavor substitute rather than a texture substitute. It gives sauces, popcorn, and pasta a savory, cheesy taste but does not melt or spread on its own. Blend it with cashews or tofu to build a full replacement.

What can I use instead of cheese if I have a nut allergy?

Violife, Daiya, Follow Your Heart, Chao, So Delicious, Good Planet, and Babybel plant-based are all nut-free. For homemade swaps, use tofu ricotta or tahini sauce instead of cashew cream.

Can I make vegan cheese at home?

Yes, and the simple versions take minutes. Cashew cream, tofu ricotta, and a nutritional yeast parmesan blend need only a blender or a fork. Meltable homemade cheeses usually need agar or tapioca starch, so for pizza night most people buy shreds.

Bottom line

Match the vegan cheese to the job, not to the name on the dairy package. Coconut oil blocks and shreds handle melting, cultured nut cheeses handle spreading and boards, and nutritional yeast plus cashews or tofu covers most pantry emergencies. Our vegan cheese alternatives page has the full list of products we have reviewed, with notes on melt, flavor, and where to buy.