16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (2024)

Appetizers | Dips, Sauces, and Condiments | Snacks | Vegan Basics | | Vegan Recipes

ByKarissa

Oh, cheese! It can be difficult to give it up when going vegan. However, there are so many options out there now…including vegan cheese recipes you can make right at home.

16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (1)

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“I could go vegan…but I’d miss cheese!”

I have heard that phrase so much, and I have also been guilty of saying it! Cheese is one of those things that is really tough to replicate without using animal products.

And we are so used to cheese on everything. Cream cheese on bagels, parmesan on pasta, nacho cheese dip with our chips, sliced cheese on all the sandwiches, and so much more. Cheese is everywhere.

Store-bought dairy-free/vegan cheese can be a total hit or miss. I’ve tried so, so many types from every different brand I could find. And about 75% of them are either absolute misses or just underwhelming.

However, I have found some totally delicious vegan cheese at the store!

Store-Bought Cheese Recommendations:

  • GoVeggie Cream Cheese
  • Kite Hill Mozzarella
  • VioLife Shredded Mozzarella
  • VioLife Shredded Cheddar
  • Follow Your Heart Sliced Gouda
  • Follow Your Heart Sliced American
  • Follow Your Heart Shredded Parmesan
  • Miyoko’s Garlic Herb Cheese Wheel
  • Field Roast Chao Slices

But don’t stop there! While store-bought vegan cheese has come a long way, I also recommend making your own at home. They are often easy to make, healthier, and totally customizable to your flavorful preferences!

For example, I’ve tried a few store-bought vegan cheese dips but none of them compare to my homemade queso!

Vegan Cheese Recipes

Delicious, vegan cheese recipes you can make right at home.

Vegan Queso

4.75 from 20 votes

This white vegan queso is made in a blender in just minutes!

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (2)

Vegan Nacho Cheese

4.77 from 42 votes

Healthy nacho cheese?! Yup! This recipe is so flavorful and perfect to dip in chips in or drizzle onto tacos.

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (3)

Vegan Cream Cheese

5 from 12 votes

Homemade vegan cream cheese is SO simple to make. This version is made with cashews.

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (4)

Vegan Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Ball

4.89 from 9 votes

This cheeseball is always a hit, especially around the holidays!

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (5)

Easy Cheesy Vegan Parmesan

4.19 from 22 votes

Homemade, shakeable vegan parmesan cheese made from simple ingredients like cashews and nutritional yeast.

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (6)

Vegan Feta Cheese

This easy vegan feta cheese substitute is made using tofu. Add to a charcuterie board, smear on toast, or toss into your favorite salad!

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (7)

All-Purpose Cheese Sauce

4.86 from 106 votes

The best vegan cheese sauce made in 5 minutes with just 8 ingredients. This easy sauce is great as a dip and as a pasta sauce.

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (8)

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

4.25 from 4 votes

Easy vegan ricotta made with soaked cashews and a block of tofu.

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (9)

Vegan Beer Cheese Dip

4.93 from 27 votes

Creamy, mouth-watering, and super flavorful vegan beer cheese dip…made in 10 minutes! Enjoy this dairy-free dip as a snack or appetizer.

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (10)

Vegan Pepper Jack Cheese

This perfect vegan pepper jack cheese is creamy and spicy and perfect for sandwiches, quesadillas, cheese and crackers, and charcuterie boards. You’ll love how quick and easy it is to make your own vegan cheese! (aplantifulpath.com)

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (11)

Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella

Ooey gooey vegan mozzarella you can put on pizza or dip chips in! (itdoesnttastelikechicken.com)

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (12)

Vegan Cheddar Cheese

Serve this stunning jalapeno cheddar cheese ball to your family & friends and they'll be amazed! (mydarlingvegan.com)

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (13)

Jalapeño Cashew Cheese Spread

This spicy vegan cheese spread makes for a great appetizer or to add flavor to sandwiches! (cadryskitchen.com)

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (14)

Smoked Paprika Basil Goat Cheese

Yup, you can even make vegan goat cheese! (wellvegan.com)

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (15)

Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing

This creamy tangy vegan blue cheese dressing is made with tofu and cashews. Use as a salad dressing, dip for or topping. (veggiefunkitchen.com)

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (16)

Extra Mature Vegan Cheddar

Missing that sharp cheddar taste? Try this recipe! (yumsome.com)

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16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (17)

16 Homemade Vegan Cheese Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is it OK to eat vegan cheese everyday? ›

Much like regular cheese, vegan cheeses can have a place at the table as part of a healthy diet — but they shouldn't be relied on as a sole source of nutrition. Too much of any single food could be unhealthy, especially if it's replacing other vital nutrients or food groups.

What are three dominant ingredients in vegan cheese? ›

As vegan blog Wag Free Food notes, coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut cream are popular ingredients to make vegan cheese. The high-fat content of coconut makes it easier to create a creamy, decadent, cheese-like product.

How long does homemade vegan cheese last in the fridge? ›

How to store homemade vegan cheese? Once set, the leftovers can be kept, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it, in an airtight freezer-safe container, for up to 3 months.

Which vegan cheese gives the meltiest cheese pull? ›

Violife Epic Mature Cheddar Flavour Vegan Cheese

With a whopping 10 out of 10, the Violife Epic Mature Cheddar Flavour is one of the best rated vegan cheeses when melting is considered. If you're looking for a stronger tasting cheddar to melt, this is for you.

Is vegan cheese actually healthier? ›

Vegan cheeses are typically lower in fat, protein and calcium than regular cheese and are likely gluten-free. Because vegan cheese is a processed food, it tends to be higher in sodium, so check your labels.

Is vegan cheese good for gut health? ›

Vegan cheeses with probiotics can offer several potential benefits, including: Improved digestion: The probiotics in vegan cheeses can help improve digestive function and promote healthy gut flora, reducing symptoms of bloating, gas, and constipation.

Is mayonnaise vegan? ›

Is mayo vegan? Due to the presence of egg yolk, mayo typically isn't vegan friendly. This means that a lot of commonly-found mayo is not suitable for those on a plant-based diet. However, as more people are experimenting with plant-based diets, several brands have launched a vegan mayo to reflect the growing market.

Can vegans eat eggs? ›

A vegan diet includes only plant foods—fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds. People who follow a vegan diet don't eat any animal foods, including dairy, eggs, and honey. About 3% of Americans follow a vegan diet.

Is Parmesan cheese is vegan? ›

“Calf stomachs are ground and then soaked in an enzyme extraction solution,” which makes the end products not vegetarian by most standards. While all cheeses labeled Parmigiano-Reggiano definitely contain animal-derived rennet, Parmesan can go either way.

Why are cashews used in vegan cheese? ›

Nuts were a game-changer for vegan cheese because they provide a lot of fat: 100 grams of cashews have 44 grams of fat, versus 6.4 grams of fat in the same amount of soybeans. This allows for richer flavor and texture that gets closer to imitating animal milk dairy.

Can you freeze homemade vegan cheese? ›

Fear not, you can save them for later by putting the vegan cheeses in to your freezer. We have had fantastic results with freezing most of the vegan cheeses we have tried over the years and never had one come out bad after freezing. They're texture has remained the same after defrosting and none have been ruined.

What's the best vegan cheese for melting? ›

The Best Vegan Cheeses for Melting, Sprinkling, and Snacking
  • Best Shredded Cheese: Violife. ...
  • Best Cheese Slices: Field Roast Vegan Chao. ...
  • Best Snacking Cheese: Vegan Babybel. ...
  • Best Cream Cheese: Kite Hill. ...
  • Best Vegan Cheese Subscription: Rebel Cheese Club. ...
  • Best Fancy Cheese: Miyoko's Creamery.
May 18, 2022

What is the slang for vegan cheese? ›

Cheeze is also often use to refer to vegan cheese, or a cheese-like substance made without dairy. Vegan food substitutes often use alternative spellings to help consumers differentiate products from their meat- or dairy-based originals.

What vegan cheese actually tastes like cheese? ›

Parmela Shreds

Parmela nailed it (don't ask us how). These cashew-based shreds not only taste like cheese, but they also melt perfectly. Varieties include Mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Fiery Jack.

What milk is vegan? ›

Vegan milks are made from a wide assortment of beans, nuts, seeds, and grains. The most popular varieties are soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk. Other popular brands are made from coconuts, peas, cashews, hazelnuts, or rice.

Is too much vegan cheese bad for you? ›

Plant-based cheese is almost 10% saltier than regular cheddar and equally high in saturated fat, despite its perceived “health halo”, Action on Salt has warned. The organisation found that plant-based cheeses have the highest salt levels, containing an average of 1.91g per 100g.

Is vegan cheese too processed? ›

Most vegan cheeses are processed: Some plant-based cheeses are highly processed, which means they contain preservatives, color additives and sodium. If you do opt for vegan cheese, browse the brands that boast simple, straightforward ingredients.

Does vegan cheese raise cholesterol? ›

Unlike traditional cheeses, vegan cheeses contain no cholesterol. They are an excellent option if you want to appreciate the great taste of cheese without causing your cholesterol levels to rise! And even better, plant-based cheeses are known for their high content of phytosterols (or plant sterols).

Is vegan cheese an ultra processed food? ›

But there are also less obvious food and drink that are classified as UPFs, including ready-made sauces and dips, pre-made meals, and many plant-based substitutes for animal products, like vegan cheese and plant-based meat substitutes.

References

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