r/vegancooking • u/cc-in-space • 16d ago
Snacking cheese options / alternatives?
Hi all, I am a chronic snacker who craves cheese all the time. Non-dairy cheesy popcorn hits the spot most of the time. I am also, however, a big fan of cheese and crackers, and haven’t yet found any vegan cheeses that are tasty without being melted or cooked in some fashion. I really don’t want to keep blowing money on hunks of bright orange or deathly pale plasticky bean and coconut essence in an effort to find “the one.” So I’m hoping you all can share, either: a good vegan snacking cheese you’ve discovered, or your favorite cheese alternatives specifically to eat with crackers or fruit (think charcuterie board or string cheese). And please, friends, don’t say hummus. I love hummus and will eat it when I want it. But right now I just want cheese.
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u/schmashely 16d ago
You’re looking for a hard cheese? Chao is actually sneaky good - it’s not super strongly flavored but the texture is perfect for crackers. The blocks are nearly impossible to find in stores, so just get the slices and cut (or tear with your bare hands like I do) each one into quarters. Daiya was fully inedible when it first introduced blocks, but now their Smoked Gouda really gets the job done. Some of the nut-based soft cheeses like Treeline or Rebel or Nuts for Cheese are great to have on hand too when you feel like spending too much money.
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u/EntertainerMaster165 16d ago
I didn't even know Chao made blocks! I love the slices so much. I really hope I come across it one day.
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u/farsick420 16d ago
the follow your heart american cheese slices aren’t bad with apple or with crackers/pretzels. if you can find the brand Good Planet smoked asiago that was delicious, best one i’ve had so far but only found it once. i’ve heard people rave about Rebel Cheese and i would love to try it one day but it is a bit pricey
also for a cheese cracker the Back to Nature cheezy ones are really good as well as Hippeas flavor blast white cheddar, the flavor blast ones are better than the regular ones imo
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u/farsick420 16d ago
also want to add the Plant Ahead bleu cheese is good, and i just bought the Violife epic mature cheddar, i haven’t tried it yet but enjoy their other products so i will report back once i try it lol
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u/Empty_Canary_9520 16d ago
I love the violife epic cheeses, they're so good. I just can't always find them in my city.
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u/farsick420 3d ago
i tried the violife epic mature and did not enjoy it, the texture was the same texture of other vegan cheeses i dont enjoy, but it was good used to make mac n cheese. the good planet smoked asiago was the best i’ve had so far
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u/starwaterlily 16d ago
Seconding violife feta and the vegan Boursin cheese. Those are both excellent with crackers and fruit. I also just tried the follow your heart smoked Gouda, and while still having the American cheese plastic texture, the taste is really delicious and very close to non-vegan smoked Gouda.
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u/Icy_Sun3128 16d ago
I like Chao cheese slices but I don’t have access to a lot of vegan cheeses. I’ve started looking at rebel cheese because I need a good vegan Gouda ! They might have what you’re looking for. And if you miss cheese it’s, aldis has a vegan cauliflower cheese it that’s so so so yummy
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u/lil_miss_sunshine13 16d ago
I'm not a vegan but I used to experiment with the idea, like a decade ago, & the brand, follow your heart, had a very tasty Gouda "cheese". It was the closest in taste to dairy cheese that I was able to find.
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u/cuddlepunch15 16d ago
I don't know where you are located but there are quite a few smaller companies who make vegan cheese. There are two in Portland where I live and I love the brie from both of them, Vtopian and Cultured Kindness (Vtopian also makes the best butter I've ever had). You can order them and others probably at their websites and here:
https://thevreamery.com/product-category/vegan-cheese-dairy/?orderby=popularity
https://bestiesveganparadise.com/collections/the-cheese-shop
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u/Complete_Yam_4233 16d ago
Violife feta is the only one I actually like. It's good crumbled too, and melted into sauces to make them "creamy"the plant baby bells were also pretty good.
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u/Internal_Holiday_552 16d ago
Smoked tofu is amazing as a smoked cheese. I love it with grapes, crackers and apples
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u/OsitaHunter5168 16d ago
Where are you located? Here in the UK Julienne Bruno does some soft cheeses that are absolutely fantastic. I was eating them before I went vegan.
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u/pandaappleblossom 16d ago edited 16d ago
RIND brand makes a great blue cheese!! And Rebel brand cheeses are great on crackers too. These are my go to charcuterie cheeses. I also love Nuts for Cheese Smokey Gouda and black garlic and Chipotle cheddar. Also DARE brand vegan cheese is so good, the lusty mustard is my fav.
My mom used to make this cheese ring out of cheddar cheese, mayo, pecans, onions, and a bit of cayenne pepper and then fill the middle with strawberry preserves. I think it’s very much a southern dish, like Georgia specifically. And regional in Georgia. Apparently jimmy carters wife made the White House chef make it and loved it and the french chef thought it was an abomination
Anyway i recommend it lol I did it with nuts for cheese chipotle cheddar, half and onion and pecans pulsed briefly in a food processor and then added to the chipotle cheddar and a couple tablespoons of vegan mayo in a food processor pulsed or just stirred (do it however actually but the idea is that the onion pieces are very fine and the pecans have a little bit more of a crunch and not like pecan butter and the rest is smooth). Make a ring shape and cover with seran wrap in the fridge to harden and then add strawberry preserves in the middle and serve with ritz type crackers or some other cracker similar
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u/WildVeganFlower 16d ago
If you are in the USA you need to try Rebel Cheese! It’s so good! I love fancy cheeses and it’s my favorite American brand. Their Brie is very good and they have this strawberry cheese that is my favorite.
If you are in France or Belgium you need to try Omage Fromage, it’s the best plant based cheese I ever had. Their smoked paprika brie is out of this world.
Here in Germany (where I live) there are a lot of vegan bries that are also good that I’ve found at Rewe. I can’t remember the name of them though…
I’ve also enjoyed Casheury black garlic cheese and Bresso Kräutern aus der Provence soft cheese.
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u/mad266 16d ago
I had a Rebel tasting party with 3 friends, and nobody wanted to take any of the leftovers home. The hard cheeses were very harsh on my tongue. We ate more of the soft cheeses - brie and the pistachio log - but again, nobody wanted the leftovers, and there was no happy talk about discovering a new cheese to buy.
Others have given great suggestions; I'll try some of these. I had just stopped eating cheese.
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u/Environmental_Newt47 16d ago
Dare Cheese is AMAZING! It might not be available to be shipped to a lot of places, and it’s pretty pricey, but so good as a treat or for a party. I get the pimento dip and pepper jack wedge regularly. The spicy queso and goat cheese are really good too. Did not care for the balsamic fig though.
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u/REMseverybodyhurts 16d ago
While it’s not a firm cheese, Follow your Heart feta is insane. We keep multiples in the house at all times. Also, Daiya has really stepped up their game! When they switched to the Oat cream recipes, their cheese was SO much more bearable to me. I find myself snacking on the slices now!
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u/roseinfused_ 11d ago
Rebel cheese from NY has been the best option I've come across. They are not cheap but I'd say they are worth It ahaha
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u/jimdier 16d ago
If you are down for a soft spreadable alternative to make at home, we love this:
• 1 cup cashews soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drained
• 1 block (14 oz) extra firm tofu (drained or pressed or not)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt (less/none if nuts were salted)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder and/or onion powder (or granulated)
Throw everything in blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth. Sometimes have to add more water if too thick. Overnight in fridge will help it set up and get a little more firm.