FOOD NEWS
14 Vegan Cheese Brands, Ranked Worst to Best
BY SARA KLIMEK
14. Go Veggie
Go Veggie's cheddar-style shreds are made with modified potato starch, which doesn’t spread well, and has very plastic-like characteristics.
It lacks any recognition of cheese flavor and doesn’t melt well, even when melted in the microwave. At $4.29 (as of December 2022), it’s not worth the money.
13. Tofutti
Tofutti's dairy-free American cheese slices are made with Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified palm oil, maltodextrin, and tofu.
Rather than melting, this cheese liquefies into a tiny oily puddle. The cheese's flavor hardly resembles classic American cheese.
12. Daiya
Daiya’s cheddar-style shreds are made with tapioca starch, coconut oil, and chickpea protein. On its own, it tastes plasticky, brittle, grainy, and unpleasant.
The cheese gets very globby when being melted down and doesn't spread evenly over dishes with melted cheese, like nachos. Its poor texture puts it toward the bottom of this list.
11. Babybel
Babybel’s plant-based snacking cheese is made with modified food starch, coconut oil, and calcium citrate. The inside resembled almost the exact flavor of cream cheese.
There is a subtle tangy aftertaste that makes it feel like eating a ball of mozzarella, and the texture is a bit like biting into a piece of clay, which is a little disturbing.
10. Laughing Cow
The Laughing Cow’s spreadable cheese alternative is made with almond milk and fortified with vitamin B12. These wedges also include coconut milk for creaminess.
While the original variety lacks some flavor and tastes a bit gelatinous, the garlic and herb flavor is more impressive. However, the texture leaves much to be desired.