Andy Montoya
The development of plant-based cheese has come a long way, with many varieties now available, from shredded and sliced to soft and creamy. However, one issue that remains is the ability of plant-based cheese to melt. Traditional cheese contains casein, a protein found in animal milk, which gives it its melting properties. Without casein, vegan cheese often fails to achieve the same stretchiness and ooze as its dairy-based counterparts. While some plant-based cheeses have improved in this area, with some even stretching and bubbling like real cheese, the melting capability remains a challenge for producers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Melting ability | Most plant-based cheese does not melt like real cheese due to the lack of casein, a protein found in milk that enables cheese to melt. However, some brands like Daiya, Follow Your Heart, MozzaRisella, VioLife, and Applewood offer plant-based cheese that melts decently. |
| Taste | The taste of plant-based cheese has improved over time, but it may still differ from real cheese. |
| Texture | Plant-based cheese may have a different texture than real cheese, and it may not stretch or bubble like dairy cheese. |
| Ingredients | Plant-based cheese is typically made from plant proteins, oils, thickeners, and other ingredients like coconut oil, potato and corn starch, and natural flavors. |
| Availability | Plant-based cheese is widely available in various styles, such as shredded, sliced, and spreadable options, and can be found in grocery stores and online. |
| Nutritional profile | Plant-based cheese may not be a good source of calcium, but some brands fortify their products with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12 and calcium. |
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What You'll Learn
Why doesn't plant-based cheese melt?
Plant-based cheese has come a long way, with brands like Babybel, Violife, and Field Roast making the best shredded, sliced, and snacking options. However, one of the hardest things to replicate in a plant-based option is melted cheese.
The reason for this is that vegan cheese lacks casein, a protein found in animal milk that causes regular dairy cheese to melt. Casein has a complicated molecular structure, and within the casein balls, scientists are unsure how they behave or aggregate or what their actual shape or form is. This makes the consistency of cheese difficult to replicate in a non-dairy fashion.
Some companies are trying to tackle this problem. For example, Those Vegan Cowboys are offering a bounty of 2.5 million euros for a fungal strain that creates casein. However, Dr. Inja Radman, a scientist and cheese researcher, has said that "mimicking casein or replacing casein with a plant-based protein is extremely, extremely challenging, or nearly impossible."
Despite these challenges, some vegan cheeses on the market today do melt. For example, Daiya's Mozzarella Style Shreds melt, ooze, bubble, and stretch just like genuine mozzarella cheese. Applewood's vegan cheese also melts beautifully and is fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium. VioLife's vegan Prosociano wedge is perfect for grating on pasta dishes and risotto, and their Epic Mature Cheddar is a great option for a pasta bake. Follow Your Heart's dairy-free Gouda is ideal for an indulgent toastie, and MozzaRisella slices with basil are perfect for topping vegan pizzas.
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Plant-based cheeses that do melt
While it is challenging to replicate the melting quality of dairy cheese in plant-based cheese, some options do melt. The protein casein, found only in animal milk, is responsible for the meltiness of regular cheese. Its complicated molecular structure makes it nearly impossible to replicate in plant-based proteins.
However, some plant-based cheeses that do melt include:
- Mozzarella-style shreds from Daiya that melt, ooze, bubble, and stretch like real mozzarella cheese.
- Smoked Gouda from Follow Your Heart, made with coconut oil, modified potato and corn starches, and other natural ingredients.
- Mozzarella from Miyoko's, made with cashew milk.
- VioLife's Epic Mature Cheddar and Prosociano wedge are great for grating and melting into pasta dishes and risottos.
- Applewood's smoky vegan cheese, which is also free from gluten and soy.
- MozzaRisella slices with basil, perfect for vegan pizzas.
- Babybel, Violife, and Field Roast also offer vegan cheese that melts.
- Kite Hill makes a vegan cream cheese with almonds as the base, which is light and fluffy.
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How is plant-based cheese made?
Vegan cheese, or plant-based cheese, is a product that mimics the properties of cheese, including its texture, flavour, and to some extent, its melting ability. It is made without using any animal-based ingredients. The process of making vegan cheese is similar to that of dairy cheese, but it starts with plant-based milk, such as soy or nut milk. A bacterial culture is added to separate the proteins in the milk, and it is often supplemented with oils, emulsifiers, and thickeners to achieve a cheese-like texture.
The first modern dairy-free cheese alternatives were invented in the late 1800s by John Harvey Kellogg, who created Nuttolene, a product made from nuts that resembled cream cheese. In the 20th century, dairy-free alternatives became more widely available, thanks to the efforts of Li Yu-Ying, who brought soy-based products from East to West and established a soy "dairy" near Paris, producing fermented tofu "cheese".
Today, vegan cheese is made with a variety of plant-based ingredients, including nuts, such as cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, pistachios, and macadamia nuts, which provide a creamy texture. Soy milk is also a common base for vegan cheese, and tofu is considered a form of vegan cheese as it is made by curdling soy milk and pressing the curds into blocks.
Some vegan cheeses are made with coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature due to its high concentration of saturated fat. Cashews can be blended into a paste and then fermented before other ingredients are added to achieve the desired texture and flavour. Other ingredients used in vegan cheese include filtered water, modified potato and corn starches, potato starch, sea salt, olive extract, beta carotene for colour, tapioca flour, expeller-pressed non-GMO canola and/or safflower oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavours, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, and citric acid.
While vegan cheese has improved in terms of taste and complexity, replicating the melting ability of dairy cheese has proven challenging due to the absence of casein, a protein found in cow's milk that causes it to melt and stretch. However, some vegan cheese brands, like Daiya, claim that their mozzarella-style shreds melt, ooze, bubble, and stretch like genuine mozzarella cheese.
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Plant-based cheese ingredients
While vegan cheese has become a staple in grocery stores, it is often criticised for its inability to melt, stretch, brown, or bubble. This is due to the absence of casein, a protein found only in animal milk, which is responsible for the melting of dairy cheese.
However, some vegan cheese varieties do melt, such as the Follow Your Heart and Daiya brands, which use ingredients like coconut oil, potato and corn starch, pea protein, vegan natural flavours, vegetable glycerin, and xanthan gum. Some recipes for homemade vegan cheese that melts include ingredients such as cashews, coconut oil, salt, garlic, and olive brine.
The process of making vegan cheese typically involves separating plant proteins from bacteria and adding ingredients like oils and thickeners to achieve the desired consistency. The mixture is then left to ferment, allowing the vegetable protein and bacteria to break down and form unique flavours similar to traditional cheese.
To create a vegan cheese that melts, specific ingredients and techniques are employed. For example, a recipe for a vegan cheese that melts includes Yukon Gold and sweet potatoes, cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and water. The potatoes and cashews provide an oozy, creamy texture, while the sweet potato adds colour and a touch of sweetness. Nutritional yeast imparts a nutty, savoury flavour, and apple cider vinegar contributes a tangy finish.
Some recipes also incorporate additional ingredients to enhance the melting capability and flavour of the vegan cheese. For instance, roasted red peppers and jalapenos can be added after blending for extra flavour, and high-speed blenders are recommended for a smoother consistency.
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Plant-based cheese brands
While vegan cheese has become a staple in grocery stores, it has been difficult to replicate the melting quality of traditional cheese. This is because vegan cheese lacks casein, the protein that causes regular cheese to melt. However, there are some brands that offer vegan cheese that melts.
Follow Your Heart offers a Smoked Gouda Cheese that can be found at Walmart. It is made with ingredients like filtered water, coconut oil, modified potato and corn starches, potato starch, sea salt, and olive extract.
Daiya offers Mozzarella Style Shreds that melt, ooze, bubble, and stretch like real cheese. Their shreds, blocks, and slices are made with an oat cream blend, making them tastier and more meltable.
Applewood's vegan cheese is said to "melt beautifully" and is smooth and creamy. It is also free from gluten and soy and is fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium.
Miyoko's is a high-end brand that makes plant-based butter and vegan artisan cheese wheels. They also offer a cashew-based squeezable cream cheese in a variety of flavors, including Scallion and Truffle Rosemary.
Misha's is a cashew-, almond-, and shallot-based cheese that is smooth and easy to spread, making it perfect for a cheese board or dip. It comes in a variety of flavors, including J.O.I. (jalapeno, oregano, and thyme).
Violife is a European brand that has been around since the 1990s and has recently expanded to the US.
Good Planet Foods offers dairy-free slices, shreds, wedges, cubes, and blocks for various occasions, from snacking to charcuterie boards.
Moocho offers dairy-free shreds in flavors like Fiesta Blend, mozzarella, and cheddar, which are perfect for lasagna, enchiladas, nachos, and pizza.
Parmela transforms cashews into cultured vegan cheeses, such as Sharp Cheddar shreds, that can be melted on plant-based patties or sprinkled on sandwiches.
Other brands worth mentioning include The Laughing Cow, which offers spreadable cheese alternatives in original and garlic and herb flavors, and Kite Hill, which uses an almond milk base for its cream cheese, which comes in flavors like strawberry, garden veggie, and chive.
Additionally, Babybel released plant-based snacking cheese in 2022, made with modified food starch, coconut oil, and calcium citrate.
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Frequently asked questions
Most vegan cheeses don't melt, stretch, brown or bubble like regular cheese. However, some brands such as Daiya, Follow Your Heart, MozzaRisella, and VioLife produce vegan cheese that melts wonderfully.
Regular cheese is made from dairy and contains casein, a type of protein found in milk that enables cheese to melt. Since vegan cheese doesn't contain casein, it tends to break down without the stretchy ooze that makes dairy-based cheese appealing.
Some of the ingredients used in plant-based cheese that melts include filtered water, coconut oil, modified potato and corn starches, potato starch, sea salt, olive extract, beta carotene, tapioca flour, non-GMO canola and/or safflower oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavors, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, and citric acid.
Some examples of plant-based cheese that melts include MozzaRisella slices with basil, VioLife’s Epic Mature Cheddar, Applewood smokey vegan cheese, Daiya’s Mozzarella Style Shreds, and Follow Your Heart’s dairy-free Gouda.
