Dairy-Free Delights: Exploring Non-Dairy Cheeses

Dairy-free cheese is a rapidly improving food product, with more and more people turning to diets free of milk-based products. Dairy-free cheese is made from a variety of base ingredients, including coconut, cashew milk, almond milk, and soy. These cheeses are perfect for those who are lactose intolerant or vegan, and can be used on pizza, in salads, and on sandwiches. Some popular brands that sell dairy-free cheese include Violife, Follow Your Heart, Miyoko's Creamery, Daiya, and Kite Hill.

Dairy-free cheese for pizza

Dairy-free cheese has come a long way in the past decade, and there are now many delicious options for those who are vegan, lactose intolerant, or simply looking for a healthier alternative. Here is a guide to dairy-free cheese for pizza, including some of the best products on the market and tips on how to use them.

Miyoko's Creamery

Miyoko's Creamery is a well-known brand in the dairy-free cheese space, and they offer a few different options for pizza. Their Liquid Vegan Pizza Mozzarella is unique because it comes in a pourable form, so there is no need to melt it. This cheese has a mild, unobtrusive flavour and harmonises well with pizza sauce and bread. However, it falls short in texture and has no stretch, so it is recommended to use it alongside other toppings. Miyoko's also offers an Organic Cashew Milk Mozzarella, which comes in a block form and can be grated or sliced. This cheese most closely resembles Italian mozzarella, making it perfect for a gourmet pizza. It melts nicely and browns, but has minimal stretch and a light mouthfeel.

Follow Your Heart

Follow Your Heart's Vegan Shredded Mozzarella is a good option for those looking for a "junk food" pizza. It has a dense texture and a greasy finish, reminiscent of "mall pizza". It also has a bit of stretch, making it the closest to dairy cheese in terms of mouthfeel. However, the texture is a bit goopy and pasty, and it can stick to teeth.

Violife

Violife's Just Like Mozzarella Shreds is a popular dairy-free cheese option that melts well and has a mild flavour similar to regular pizza cheese. However, the shape of the shreds is still visible after melting, and the cheese can look a bit plasticky. It has a bit of an artificial "vegan cheese" flavour, but it's not as pronounced as some other brands. Violife's dairy-free cheese is also free from soy, gluten, nuts, and preservatives.

Daiya

Daiya's Mozzarella Style Shreds melt well and have a tiny bit of stretch. However, the shreds are thinner and more visible on the pizza. This cheese has a goopy texture and can be a bit greasy. It has a distinct artificial vegan cheese flavour, but the new oat-cream-based formula is said to be an improvement.

Other Options

In addition to the brands mentioned above, there are several other dairy-free cheese options on the market that may be worth trying. These include 365 Plant-Based Mozzarella-Style Cheese, So Delicious Mozzarella Style Shreds, Moocho Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style Shreds, Field Roast's Original Chao Cheese, Treeline Cheesemakers' Vegan Goat-Style Cashew Cheese, and Kite Hill's Almond Milk Ricotta.

Tips for Using Dairy-Free Cheese on Pizza

When using dairy-free cheese on pizza, it is important to note that the cheese may not behave in the same way as dairy cheese. Some cheeses, such as Miyoko's Liquid Mozzarella, should be used sparingly and in a thin layer to ensure they solidify in the oven. For block cheeses like Miyoko's Organic Cashew Milk Mozzarella, freezing the block before grating can help improve the texture. It is also recommended to bake pizzas with dairy-free cheese at a higher temperature (around 550°F or 290°C) to ensure proper melting.

Dairy-free cheese for sandwiches

Dairy-free cheese is usually made from plant-based milk, such as coconut, cashew, almond, or oat milk. There are also dairy-free cheese options made from fermented cashews or other nuts, and some that are soy-based.

Dairy-free cheese can be purchased in blocks, slices, shreds, or as a spread, and is suitable for sandwiches, grilled cheese, pizzas, and burgers. Some dairy-free cheese options include:

• Violife's Smoked Gouda: These round slices are free from soy, gluten, nuts, and preservatives. They are suitable for sandwiches and can be purchased at Walmart.
• Field Roast's Original Chao Cheese: This coconut-based dairy-free cheese is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches. It comes in slices that melt well and can also be purchased in a shredded version for salads, pizzas, quesadillas, or mac-and-cheese sauce.
• Follow Your Heart's Dairy-Free Mozzarella: This mozzarella-style cheese is suitable for pizzas and lasagna. It also comes in a variety of other flavors, such as gouda.
• Daiya's Mozzarella Shreds: These shreds are made from an oat cream blend and are suitable for homemade pizzas, saucy pastas, or hot subs.
• Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese: This brand has been making dairy-free products since 1981 and offers cream cheese in four flavors and a whipped version.
• Kite Hill's Almond Milk Ricotta: This dairy-free ricotta can be used in desserts or savory recipes like stuffed shells and ravioli.
• Follow Your Heart's Dairy-Free Parmesan: This dairy-free parmesan cheese can be used as a topper for salads and pasta to add extra flavor.
• Miyoko's Creamery Aged Smokehouse Cheddar: This semi-hard cheese is crafted using organic-culture cashew milk and cheesemonger techniques in Sonoma County, California. It pairs well with apricots or sweet jam.

In addition to these options, there are also several other brands of dairy-free cheese available, such as Treeline Cheesemakers, SriMu, Nuts For Cheese, and Simple Truth.

Dairy-free cheese for charcuterie boards

Creating a charcuterie board that is both vegan and dairy-free is easier than ever, with a wide range of delicious options to choose from. Whether you are vegan, lactose intolerant, or simply looking to consume fewer milk-based products, there is a dairy-free cheese to suit your needs.

One popular option for charcuterie boards is Miyoko's Creamery. Their Aged Smokehouse Cheddar, made from organic cashew milk, is a semi-hard cheese crafted using traditional cheesemonger techniques in Sonoma County, California. Smoked for over four weeks, this cheese is a showstopper and pairs well with apricots or sweet jam. Miyoko's also offers a variety of other cheeses, including a Smoked English Farmhouse Cheese, a spreadable cheese with a strong smoky flavour, and a Cashew Milk Mozzarella that is mild and creamy.

Another great option for charcuterie boards is Violife Foods, which offers a range of dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, and nut-free cheeses. Their Smoked Gouda slices are perfect for sandwiches, while their dairy-free mozzarella is a favourite for pizza nights. Violife's Parmesan cheese is also a good choice, as it closely resembles the real thing in terms of texture and appearance, although some may find the flavour too sour and funky.

Follow Your Heart is another popular brand, with their Smoked Gouda slices and Dairy-Free Parmesan being highlighted as excellent options for charcuterie boards. Their Dairy-Free Parmesan adds a little extra flavour to salads and pasta, while their Smoked Gouda provides a firm slice that resembles dairy-based gouda.

For those looking for a unique option to impress their friends, Darë Vegan Cheese's Balsamic Fig Plant-Based Wedge is a great choice. This cheese has a sweet and sour flavour from dried figs and balsamic vinegar, which beautifully complements the fresh fruits and nuts on a plant-based charcuterie board.

Other brands worth considering for your charcuterie board include Field Roast, with their Original Chao Cheese, a coconut-based dairy-free cheese perfect for grilled cheese, and Tofutti, with their Better Than Cream Cheese, which comes in a variety of flavours including plain, garlic and herb, and smoked.

Dairy-free cheese for pasta

Dairy-free cheese is usually made from a base of nuts, oils, soy, and various starches, and there are now many options available that are perfect for sprinkling on pasta or melting into a sauce.

Some of the best dairy-free cheeses for pasta include:

• Violife's mozzarella is rated highly for its meltability and is free from soy, gluten, lactose, nuts, and preservatives. It has a weird smell in the bag, but this doesn't affect the taste.
• Miyoko's Fresh Vegan Mozzarella is soft and melts beautifully into pasta and casseroles. It has a short list of organic ingredients and is also soy and gluten-free.
• Follow Your Heart's dairy-free cheddar is a popular choice for those in the know. It's versatile and can be used in hot and cold dishes. The brand is also environmentally friendly, with its palm oil sustainably sourced.
• Violife's Just Like Parmesan Block is another highly-rated option from this brand. It's a good source of vitamin B12 and is suitable for those with nut allergies. It grates well and melts easily.
• Daiya's Mozzarella Shreds are a good option for pasta dishes, as they melt and stretch. They are also free from the eight most common food allergens.
• Kite Hill's Almond Milk Ricotta is a whole30-approved dairy-free ricotta that can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes. It's a good option for stuffed shells or to dollop on noodles.
• Tofutti's Better Than Cheese Ricotta is a tofu-based option that melts well when cooked. It's kosher and Halal certified, as well as gluten-free and made with non-GMO ingredients.
• Babybel's Plant-Based Cheese Alternative is a snack-sized disc that is soy-free, dairy-free, and lactose-free. It has a smooth and creamy texture, although it is milder in flavour than the original Babybel.

Dairy-free cheese for melting

Dairy-free cheese has come a long way in the last decade, and there are now many delicious options that melt, grate, and taste just like real cheese.

Miyoko's Creamery

Miyoko's Creamery uses organic cashew milk to create its dairy-free cheeses. Its Aged Smokehouse Cheddar is a semi-hard cheese crafted using cheesemonger techniques in Sonoma County, California. It is a showstopper on any charcuterie board and pairs well with apricots or a sweet jam. Miyoko's also makes a liquid mozzarella that cooks up beautifully and is perfect for pizza night.

Violife Foods

Violife Foods makes dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, nut-free, and preservative-free cheeses. Its dairy-free mozzarella is very creamy and melts the most similarly to traditional mozzarella. It has a weird smell in the bag, but this does not affect the taste. Violife also makes a smoked gouda that is great for sandwiches and is better for the environment and animals.

Follow Your Heart

Follow Your Heart's dairy-free cheeses melt very well and taste good. The brand makes mozzarella, American slices, and gouda, all of which are great for grilled cheese. Its parmesan cheese is also a great topper for salads and pasta.

Field Roast

Field Roast's Original Chao Cheese is a coconut-based dairy-free cheese that is perfect for grilled cheese and tomato soup. The creamy cheese slices melt perfectly and are a delicious complement to any plant-based burger or sandwich. The brand also sells a shredded version that is great for salads, pizzas, quesadillas, or mac and cheese.

Daiya Foods

Daiya's oat milk-based mozzarella shreds are a great option for homemade pizzas, saucy pastas, or hot subs. The cheese melts and stretches, and is also one of the more allergen-friendly options since it is free of the eight most common food allergens. Daiya's Swiss-style cheese slices are also a good option, though they take a while to melt.

Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's sells cashew-based mozzarella that is not very creamy and has a strange flavor and aftertaste. The brand's almond-based mozzarella is also not completely dairy-free, as it is only 99% lactose-free.

Whole Foods 365

Whole Foods' 365 brand dairy-free mozzarella and cheddar cheeses are currently the only store-bought brand that is Whole30 compatible. However, they do not melt well and are not creamy.

So Delicious

So Delicious's dairy-free cheese has a terrible melt and is not creamy.

Other Options

Other options for dairy-free cheese that melts well include Babybel's Plant-Based Cheese Alternative, Kite Hill's Almond Milk Cream Cheese Spread, Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese, and Treeline Cheesemakers' Vegan Goat-Style Cashew Cheese.

Frequently asked questions