Randy Chandler
There are a variety of dairy-free cheese options available in the UK, catering to those who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or simply looking for a plant-based alternative. Dairy-free cheese is often made from plant-based sources such as cashews, almonds, coconut, or oat milk, and aims to replicate the taste, texture, and melt of traditional cheese. Popular brands include Violife, Follow Your Heart, Miyoko's, and Tofutti, which offer a range of cheese styles, including mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, and cream cheese. These products are usually free from common allergens like soy, gluten, and nuts, making them accessible to a wide range of consumers.
Dairy-Free Cheese Options in the UK
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese Type | Mozzarella, Cream Cheese, Parmesan, Goat Cheese, Gouda, Feta, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Smoked Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Ricotta, Burrata |
| Base Ingredient | Cashew, Almond, Coconut, Figs, Balsamic Vinegar, Blueberry, Garlic, Basil |
| Brand | Violife, Sainsbury's, Chao, Miyoko's, Treeline, Tofutti, Follow Your Heart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Daiya Foods, Babybel, Boursin, Misha's |
| Availability | Sainsbury's, Kroger, Winco, Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Aldi, Target, Etsy |
| Features | Lactose-free, Dairy-free, Vegan, Gluten-free, Paleo, Keto-friendly, Nut-free, Soy-free, Preservative-free, Melts well, Creamy |
| Use Cases | Pizza, Pasta, Salads, Sandwiches, Mac and Cheese, Charcuterie Boards, Desserts, Savory Recipes |
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What You'll Learn
Mozzarella
Dairy-free mozzarella is widely available in the UK. It is usually made from plant-based alternatives such as cashew milk, rice starch, or chickpeas.
Miyoko's Creamery Organic Cashew Milk Mozzarella is a popular choice, offering a wetter consistency than most other vegan pizza cheeses. It comes as a shrink-wrapped square, departing from the traditional non-dairy shreds. This brand also offers a vegan pizza mozzarella that is considered a scientific step forward for vegan cheese.
Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds can be used alone on a sourdough base, as its nutty and salty taste stands up to the tang of sourdough. Moocho Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style Shreds are another option that looks and tastes like low-moisture mozzarella, although its texture becomes gluey when cooked.
For those who are lactose intolerant, Galbani Lactose-Free Mozzarella offers the same qualities as their whole milk mozzarella, just without the lactose.
Violife is another brand that offers dairy-free cheese, although it is unclear if they offer a mozzarella product.
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Cheddar
Dairy-free cheddar is a great option for those who are vegan or lactose intolerant. It is usually made from plant-based ingredients and can be used in a variety of dishes, just like regular cheddar.
Sheese Mature Cheddar Style
Sheese is a well-known brand in the vegan cheese space, offering a variety of dairy-free cheese options. Their Mature Cheddar Style block is a great alternative to traditional cheddar. It has a well-balanced flavour with a parmesan-like nuttiness. This cheddar-style cheese can be sliced, melted, or grated and added to sandwiches or winter dishes. It is also award-winning and gluten-free, non-GMO, and full of flavour.
Violife Smoky Cheddar Flavour Slices
Violife is another popular brand of vegan cheese, offering a wide range of dairy-free options. Their Smoky Cheddar Flavour Slices are perfect for those who like a hint of smoke in their cheddar. These slices can be used in sandwiches, grilled cheese, or any dish that calls for sliced cheddar. Violife products are free from dairy, soy, gluten, lactose, nuts, and artificial preservatives.
Sainsbury's Free From Cheddar-Style
Sainsbury's offers a Free From Cheddar-Style cheese that is a perfect all-rounder. It can be grated, melted, sliced, or cut into chunks, making it versatile for various recipes. This cheddar-style cheese is a great option for sandwiches or snacks on the go.
Miyoko's Aged Smokehouse Cheddar
Miyoko's Aged Smokehouse Cheddar is a semi-hard cheese crafted using traditional cheesemonger techniques. It is smoked for over four weeks, resulting in a delicious flavour that pairs well with apricots or sweet jam. This cheddar-style cheese is a great option for those who enjoy a more intense smoky flavour.
M&S Food Plant Kitchen Range
The M&S Food Plant Kitchen Range offers a variety of dairy-free cheese options, including a mature cheddar-style cheese. This cheddar is perfect for those who want a gooey, plant-based cheese toastie or to make a vegan mac and cheese. It can also be spread on bagels or used in any recipe that calls for melted cheddar.
These dairy-free cheddar options provide a great alternative for those who are vegan or lactose intolerant, allowing them to enjoy the flavour and versatility of cheddar cheese in their favourite dishes.
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Goat's cheese
Some people with dairy allergies have reported being able to consume goat's cheese without experiencing any adverse reactions, while others have reported varying levels of intolerance. For example, one person with a dairy allergy reported being able to consume goat's cheese that was not pasteurised with cow protein without any symptoms. Another person with a dairy allergy reported that they could only tolerate limited amounts of goat cheese and did not fare well with goat yoghurt or milk.
There are also dairy-free alternatives to goat's cheese, which are made from bases such as cashew milk, almond milk, or coconut. These dairy-free alternatives are often crafted using cheesemonger techniques and can be melted or shredded, making them suitable for a variety of dishes.
Overall, goat's cheese contains less lactose than cow's cheese, and aged varieties are even lower in lactose, making them a suitable option for some people with lactose intolerance or dairy allergies. However, individual tolerance may vary, and it is always recommended to consult a medical professional for advice.
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Cream cheese
Violife
Violife is one of the leading players in the vegan cheese market. They offer a range of four creamy flavours: Original, Garlic & Herbs, Cheddar Flavour, and Creamy with Hot Peppers. Their products are free from dairy, soy, gluten, lactose, nuts, and artificial preservatives.
Koko
Koko is another brand that uses coconut oil in its dairy-free cream cheese to achieve a consistency similar to regular cream cheese. Their product has been described as whipped and creamy-looking, with a sharp, lactic scent. However, it may have an artificial note to it, and the texture is a little thin.
Bute Island Foods
This company makes their vegan cream cheese, or "Sheese", on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. Their product contains coconut oil and soya protein, among other ingredients, and they offer six cream cheese-style options: Original Spread, Cheddar Style Spread, Chive Spread, Garlic & Herb Spread, Spring Onion & Cracked Black Pepper Spread, and Sweet Chilli Spread.
Tofutti
Tofutti has been making dairy-free products since 1981. Their Better Than Cream Cheese comes in four flavours and a whipped version. You can choose from plain, garlic and herb, herbs and chive, or smoked.
Ocado
Ocado offers a dairy-free cream cheese for £2.50 for 200g. It has a tangy and creamy aroma with a light coconut undertone. It has a creamy flavour with a light sweetness, but it may be too subtle for some.
The Vegan Kind
This vegan cream cheese has a thick texture and a grainy, clotted appearance. It has a lactic tang, but the coconut flavour is too strong and leaves a bitter finish. It costs £1.99 for 150g.
Waitrose
Waitrose offers a dairy-free cream cheese with a light and fresh aroma and a subtle lactic note. It has a creamy taste and gentle acidity, but the flavour is too subtle, and it has a watery texture. It costs £2.25 for 170g.
Tesco
Tesco's dairy-free cream cheese has a smooth texture and a balanced aroma of creaminess and tanginess with a savoury note. However, the acidity is too strong and can be slightly sickly. It costs £2.00 for 225g.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's offers a dairy-free cream cheese for £1.80 for 170g. It has a creamy and zingy scent, with a balanced saltiness. However, it has an off-putting synthetic finish.
Planet Organic
This dairy-free cream cheese is pleasant and slightly tangy, but it is likened more to hummus than cream cheese. It costs £4.40 for 100g.
Follow Your Heart
This brand offers a dairy-free parmesan cheese that is perfect for topping salads and pasta. It has a salty tingle, a texture that complements pasta, and a slight stinky smell, just like real parmesan!
Treeline
Treeline makes dairy-free goat-style cheese from a base of cashews. They offer three flavours: original, blueberry, and garlic and basil. The blueberry flavour was voted the best vegan cheese by USA Today's Reader's Choice Awards.
SriMu
SriMu's dairy-free cheese is woodsy and aromatic, inspired by Camembert but infused with truffles. It can be the star of cheese boards or used in alfredo sauce or risotto.
Field Roast
Field Roast offers a coconut-based, dairy-free cheese that melts perfectly on grilled cheese, burgers, or sandwiches. They also offer a shredded version, great for salads, pizzas, quesadillas, or mac-and-cheese sauce.
Miyoko's
Miyoko's aged smokehouse cheddar is a semi-hard cheese crafted in Sonoma County, California. It is smoked for over four weeks and pairs well with apricots or sweet jam.
While there are many options available for dairy-free cream cheese, it is important to note that some products may have a more subtle flavour or an artificial taste. However, with a variety of brands and flavours to choose from, you can find the perfect dairy-free cream cheese to suit your taste and preferences.
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Parmesan
There are several dairy-free alternatives to Parmesan cheese available in the UK. These alternatives are typically made from plant-based ingredients such as seeds, nuts, or coconut, and they aim to replicate the flavour and texture of traditional Parmesan cheese.
One popular option is Follow Your Heart's grated vegan Parmesan-style cheese. It can be sprinkled on pizzas, pastas, roasted vegetables, and salads, adding a salty flavour and a textural element to the dish. This product is also available in the UK through online retailers.
Another option is to make your own vegan Parmesan cheese at home. Recipes for homemade vegan Parmesan often include seeds such as sunflower seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and hemp seeds, as well as nutritional yeast, salt, and other seasonings. These ingredients are blended together to create a flavourful and textured topping that can be stored in the fridge or freezer for later use.
Vegan Parmesan cheeses and recipes aim to provide a dairy-free alternative to traditional Parmesan, offering a similar taste and texture while sparing animal products and the potential health and environmental concerns associated with them.
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Frequently asked questions
Popular brands of dairy-free cheese in the UK include Violife, Follow Your Heart, Miyoko's, Daiya Foods, and Trader Joe's.
Dairy-free cheese can be purchased at most major supermarkets in the UK, such as Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Waitrose. Additionally, specialty shops and health food stores may offer a wider range of options.
Hard cheeses like cheddar, colby, Swiss, mozzarella, and Monterey Jack are naturally low in lactose due to the cheesemaking process. Other dairy products with low lactose include butter, cream, cream cheese, and lactose-free milk.
Tofutti's "Better Than Cream Cheese" is a popular dairy-free alternative that comes in various flavors, including plain, garlic and herb, herbs and chive, smoked, and whipped plain.
There are several dairy-free cheese options suitable for pizza, including Violife's dairy-free mozzarella, Follow Your Heart's Feta or Smoked Gouda, and Miokos Pourable Mozzarella.
