Do you need to farewell dairy from your life?
Saying goodbye to dairy can be tough. For many people, cheese has long been the flavour staple of beloved dishes. It offers variety, great flavour, and notions of romance and lifestyle.
So, it’s only natural to be asking…can vegan cheese do all this? Can it give me the real-deal melty cheese experience I desire?
In short…yes-ish. Vegan cheese has come a long way with better flavour, texture and melt-factor.
Oh, and what even is vegan cheese?
You can buy vegan cheeses in popular styles, including:
- Shredded mozzarella and cheddar styles
- Cream cheese
- Blocks and slices
- Soft cheeses
- Parmesan-style, and
- Sauces.
In this article you will learn about 5 of the better brands picked for flavour, health and value-for-money.
First though, let’s answer some of your questions.
How is vegan cheese made?
Vegan cheese is entirely plant-based. Many store bought vegan cheeses are made by extracting plant proteins with lactic bacteria.
Once the protein is prepared, oils, emulsifiers and thickeners are added to create a cheese-like texture and firmness.
Then comes the essential ingredient…time. This allows the vegetable protein and bacteria to break down and create flavour. Unlike the animal proteins used in dairy cheeses, those in vegan cheese don’t naturally bond together. This can mean the achieved flavour won’t be as strong in a vegan cheese.
What goes into vegan cheese?
Depending on the brand or recipe there are so many options for creating vegan cheese.
Some common ingredients are:
- soy protein
- solidified vegetable oils (such as coconut oil)
- nutritional yeast
- thickening agar flakes
- nuts (including cashews and almonds)
- tapioca flour
- natural enzymes
- vegetable glycerin
- bacterial cultures
- salt and other seasoning
- lemon juice.
Something to be aware of is that not all vegan cheeses are healthy. Some brands of vegan cheese are highly processed in order to produce the desired texture and flavour.
For healthier options, look for brands using more traditional cheese-making methods to make vegan cheese. This reduces the need for excessive processing. Fermented nut cheeses are particularly good for digestive health containing beneficial bacteria and active enzymes.
Oh, and whilst it might sound complicated – vegan cheese can quite easily be made at home, giving you choice over what goes into it and how it’s made.
Some of the better vegan cheese brands.
What is better? It’s so unique to each person. Here we have put together 5 vegan cheese brands that combine health with flavour and affordability.
1. Green Vie Smoked Gouda
Made with coconut oil.
Free from dairy, soy, lactose and palm oil
And it melts if you want to use it on pasta or other hot dishes.
Ingredients:
Water, Coconut Oil (24%), Modified Starch, Sea Salt, Vegan Flavourings, Colour: Natural beta Carotene, Olive extract, Vitamin B12.
Link to Green Vie
2. Sheese Mature Cheddar Style
Widely available (including from Woolworths in Australia).
Made with coconut oil.
Free from dairy, gluten, lactose and it is kosher.
Meltable.
Ingredients:
Water, Coconut Oil (21%), Modified Potato Starch, Maize Starch, Gluten Free Oat Fibre, Modified Maize Starch, Thickeners (Carrageenan, Guar Gum), Salt, Natural Flavourings, Yeast Extract, Acidity Regulators (Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate), Colour (Carotenes).
Link to Sheese Mature Cheddar
3. Dairy-free Down Under Cashew Parmesan
Made from cashews and yeast flakes.
Free from dairy, gluten, palm oil and GMO free
Ingredients: Raw Cashew (84%), Yeast Flakes, Garlic Salt, Sea Salt.
*A super simple parmesan alternative is nutritional yeast. Simply sprinkle on your meal.
4. Green Vie Vegan Mozzarella
Made with coconut oil.
Free from dairy, soy, lactose and palm oil
Meltable for a great addition to pizza and pasta.
Ingredients: Water, Coconut Oil (24%), Modified Starch, Sea Salt, Vegan Flavourings, Colour: Natural beta Carotene, Olive extract, Vitamin B12
Link to Green Vie
5. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
Whilst it’s not as healthy as the above vegan cheese options, if you need to make a vegan cheesecake or cream cheese frosting, Tofutti is a soy-based cream cheese alternative which passes easily as regular dairy cream cheese.
Made with soy.
Free from dairy, gluten, lactose, and it is GMO-free and Halal.
Ingredients: water, expeller processed natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit and olive), maltodextrin, non-gmo (soy protein, tofu), non-dairy lactic acid, blend of natural gums (locust bean, guar, cellulose and xanthan), organic sugar and salt.
Link to Tofutti
Key Takeaways:
If you’re removing dairy from your diet, there are now a number of vegan cheese alternatives to satisfy your cheese cravings.
When shopping for your next vegan cheese, watch out for unhealthy heavily processed options and instead opt for those with a small and natural ingredient list.
There are also many recipes available online helping you to easily make your own vegan cheese at home.
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