The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Cheese! – One Green Planet

The coolest thing about plant-based cheese is that you can get creative with what you make it out of. Cashews, coconut milk, soy, macadamia, walnuts, potatoes, or whatever you feel like! Whether you want cream cheese, a really melty cheese, or something to put on bread — we’ve got it all covered for you in the ultimate guide to vegan cheese!

For those looking to transition to eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  – with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy and strong!

1. Homemade Bagel and Cream Cheese Recipes to Make for Breakfast!

Who doesn’t love a good bagel and cream cheese? There’s something about the simplicity of it. Creamy, savory goodness (or sweet if you’re into that) all conveniently wrapped in a delicious, chewy bagel. Celebrate this classic breakfast staple with us and the Food Monster App! Here are some Homemade Bagel and Cream Cheese Recipes to Make for Breakfast!

2. Get Cheesy With These 15 Vegan Cheese Recipes

Cheese lovers, rejoice! Why? Because it’s National Cheese Lover’s Day! What better way to celebrate than with some of the most delicious, creamy, tangy cheeses you will ever taste. Enjoy all of your favorite cheeses, but without the dairy by making these plant-based recipes from the Food Monster App. Now, Get Cheesy With These 15 Vegan Cheese Recipes for #NationalCheeseLover’sDay!

3. Your Guide on How to Successfully Cook With Vegan Cheese Shreds

We’ll come out and say it: if you haven’t ever tried cooking with vegan cheese shreds before and picked up a random variety at the store expecting it to mimic its traditional counterpart, you might run the risk of being disappointed. We’re not saying that vegan cheese shreds aren’t just as melty, utilitarian, and ultimately delicious as the real stuff — they are! But vegan cheese shreds need to be treated as an ingredient in their own right to be used successfully. Here’s Your Guide on How to Successfully Cook With Vegan Cheese Shreds.

4. The Secrets to Making Vegan Cheese Taste Authentic, Tips From Bloggers

When it comes to easing away from meat and dairy and adding more plant-based foods to your diet, one of the biggest problems lies with how to recreate the foods you’re most familiar with. Meat tends to be the easiest to replace, thanks to dozens of store-bought options that can stand in for almost any variety, from chicken to beef. It’s also easy to make your own meat substitute and capture the flavor you know and love. Cheese, however, tends to be a different story. Check out The Secrets to Making Vegan Cheese Taste Authentic, According to Bloggers.

5. The Fall Vegetable That Doubles as Cheese in a Vegan Mac and Cheese

Oh, vegan mac and cheese, how can we best describe how you make us feel inside? If we were to pick our favorite food group, it would likely be vegan mac and cheese. It’s like giving yourself a hug. There’s just nothing that comes close to the warm, cozy feeling you get when you sit down to a plate of paste enveloped in creamy, cheesy sauce — even when that sauce doesn’t contain any dairy. Or, we should say, especially when that sauce has no dairy because when it comes to making vegan mac, there are a lot of ways you can get the job done. Learn more about The Fall Vegetable That Will Forever Change Your Opinion on Vegan Mac and Cheese. 

6. These Ingredients Will Take Your Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese to the Next Level

If you’ve ever gone to a fancy vegan restaurant and tasted their version of vegan cheese — whether it was an artisan plant-based cheese board or a warm and gooey bowl of vegan mac and cheese — then you know that dairy-free cheese can be dynamic and come with a serious depth and complexity of flavor that outstrips the traditional stuff by miles. These Ingredients Will Take Your Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese to the Next Level.

7. Oil-Free, Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese That’s Even Better Than the Boxed Stuff!

Mac and cheese might be the epitome of comfort food. Many of us have fond memories of eating a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for dinner (did anyone else love it when the pasta was made out of Scooby Doo shapes?). Unfortunately, with boxed mac and cheese comes a host of ingredients that aren’t so good for you. On top of the bright orange cheese powder that contains a hormone-disrupting chemical, it is also made with dairy, which has been linked to health issues ranging from inflammation to increased risk of cancer. Thankfully, getting your vegan mac and cheese fix is easier than ever before, thanks to a variety of store-bought options. Here’s an Oil-Free, Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese That’s Even Better Than the Boxed Stuff!

8. Sunflower Seeds: The Secret Budget-Friendly Answer to All Your Vegan Cheese-Making Needs

It seems as if we have entered what we like to refer to as the Vegan Cheese Renaissance. What does that mean? Essentially, vegan cheese has gotten so good, it is now practically indistinguishable from the real thing. Step into a shop like Riverdel,  an all-vegan cheese shop located just a few blocks away from Brooklyn Museum in NYC, and you’ll find an entire refrigerated section full of vegan cheeses that are counterparts to classic cheeses like mozzarella, Parmesan, and more. Not only that, Making vegan cheese at home is also becoming more common. Sunflower Seeds: The Secret Budget-Friendly Answer to All Your Vegan Cheese-Making Needs.

9. 5 Things You Never Thought You Could Make With Zucchini; One of Them is Cheese!

For those of us who love cooking with fresh vegetables, a trip to the farmers market is a recipe for trouble — delicious, plant-based trouble. When we find ourselves surrounded by an abundance of affordable, fresh produce, it’s too easy to walk away with a (reusable) bag-full of more than a week’s worth of produce. In summer, the lovely green summer squash otherwise known as zucchini is often the culprit in our “oops, I bought too much” farmers market trips. If this has ever happened to you, then you know that as soon as you return home, you’ve entered into a race against the clock to use your zucchini before it starts to go bad. Here are 5 Things You Never Thought You Could Make With Zucchini; One of Them is Cheese!

10. 10 Reinvented Mac and Cheese Recipes

Mac and cheese, need we say more? Like two star-crossed lovers, they work perfectly together to form a dish that many people have come to appreciate and find comfort in. However, as awesome as it is, we can take this popular dish to a whole different level. Thinking outside the bowl (literally) we found some recipes on the Food Monster App. Grab your fork (or use your hands) and dig into these recipes! Check out 10 Reinvented Mac and Cheese Recipes!

11. How to Make Every Ingredient In A Vegan Grilled Cheese From Scratch

Is there really anything better than a super filling and delicious sandwich packed with satisfying ingredients? Didn’t think so! We want to make tomorrow’s lunch easy for you, and are giving you 15 vegan grilled cheese recipes on how to make the perfect sandwich! Doughy bread, gooey ‘cheese’, and savory plant-based bacon gives you a combination of amazing flavors, and also can be found on our Food Monster App! You can thank us later after reading about How to Make Every Ingredient In A Vegan Grilled Cheese From Scratch.

12. 15 Crowd-Pleasing Potato-Based Cheese Recipes

Vegan cheese can be made using nuts like cashews, macadamias, and almonds. You can also make tasty vegan cheeses using ingredients like tofu, tapioca, pumpkin, butternut squash! In this post, we’re featuring plant-based cheeses that are made using a potato base! Potatoes make for a great substitute in cheese recipes because they create for a creamy, rich base with a flavor that is easily manipulated using other ingredients! Try one of these 15 potato-based cheese recipes thanks to the Food Monster App. You need these 15 Crowd-Pleasing Potato-Based Cheese Recipes in your life!

13. These 15 Vegan Cheese Recipes Will Make You Quit Dairy Forever

Ask anyone what they think the hardest food to give up is and chances are, the answer will be cheese. And we get it. Whether you’re digging into a big bowl of creamy mac and cheese or wining and dining with artisanal cheese and whole grain, gluten-free crackers, we all have a special place in our heart for cheesy goodness. That’s probably why cheese has its own holiday on June 4th — National Cheese Day. But today, instead of grabbing that block of sharp cheddar and box of crackers, why not ditch the dairy and try something new? These 15 Vegan Cheese Recipes Will Make You Quit Dairy Forever!

14. Choose the Perfect Homemade Dairy-Free Cheese Recipes for Your Dishes

Remember when people thought that living dairy-free meant giving up cheese? Not anymore! There are so many ways to enjoy dairy-free cheese, it’s absolutely incredible. We can buy vegan cheeses that spread, slice, grate, and most importantly, melt. Check out Vegan Cheeses are Better Than Ever: Try These 11 Brands to see which are the best vegan cheeses on the market. It’s also easy to make your own dairy-free cheese at home. You don’t need any complicated equipment or ingredients to do it either. Take a look at these 20 Amazing Vegan Cheeses You Can Make at Home. Here’s how to Choose the Perfect Homemade Dairy-Free Cheese Recipes for Your Dishes.

15. 20 Amazing Vegan Cheeses You Can Make at Home

At One Green Planet, we are celebrating the cheesy goodness that is vegan cheese. If you’ve been thinking about eating a plant-based diet but think you can’t live without cheese, we are here to tell you that you don’t have to. You can have the smooth, creamy, spreadable cheeses that are perfect for hors d’ouvres and snacks like these Vegan Cream Cheese Filled Tomatoes with Spices and Green Onions and these Baked Jalapeno Poppers. You can have the ooey-gooey, stretchy, melty cheeses for Holy Three Cheese Pizza, Vegan Mozzarella Sticks and Southwestern Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. You can have the rich, decadent Spicy Cheese Sauce that you love to pour over veggies or use to make Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Take a look at these 20 Amazing Vegan Cheeses You Can Make at Home!

16. This Avocado-Packed Vegan Green Goddess Sandwich Elevates Grilled Cheese Into Heaven

Now, we’re not ones to use hyperbole, but grilled cheese sandwiches just happen to be one of mankind’s greatest inventions. Nothing comes close to comfort food perfection quite like stretchy, melty cheese wedged between two buttery, pan-fried slices of bread — except maybe when it’s paired with some tomato soup. If you’re cutting back on dairy, you might think that means a tragic end to the love story between you and grilled cheese. We’re here to tell you that it’s not. Not only is vegan cheese better than ever, but you can now find multiple varieties in just about any grocery store. And unlike the vegan cheeses of the past, it actually tastes good. So, get out there and find your perfect vegan cheese. But before you get grilling, we have a suggestion on how to make it: add avocado and dairy-free pesto. Trust us, This Avocado-Packed Vegan Green Goddess Sandwich Elevates Grilled Cheese Into Heaven!

17. Cheat on Cheese With This Cashew Mozzerella That Melts Like the Real Thing

Cheese. When cutting back on processed animal foods, quitting cheese is often the hurdle that most people struggle with. We’ve all heard (or said) “But I could never give up cheese” before, and we understand why it’s so difficult. Who would ever want to ditch mac and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese, calzones, and other wonderfully cheesy creations? But here’s the thing: even if you decide to cut back on dairy, you don’t have to break up with cheese. It also doesn’t mean that you have to opt for less-than-stellar store-bought vegan cheese options. “Cheese” shreds that turn into an oily mess when we try to make vegan pizza? Pfft! No, thank you. Cheat on Cheese With This Cashew Mozzarella That Melts Like the Real Thing!

18. 20 Vegan Cheeses That Will Knock Your Socks Off

Are you still eating dairy? If you are, it’s time to catch up because the latest, greatest vegan cheeses are dairy-free and delicious. That’s right, all the best cheese recipes are plant-based, so why don’t we celebrate with cheeses that can be made right at home? We can make smooth, creamy spreadable cheeses, ooey-gooey, stretchy, melty cheeses and rich, decadent cheese sauces, all without a drop of dairy. Just look at these 20 Vegan Cheeses That Will Knock Your Socks Off!

19. 15 Dairy-Free and Nut-Free Cheeses You Can Make at Home … Yes, It’s Possible!

When you are eating plant-based foods and you also have a nut allergy, finding a cheese that’s nut-free and dairy-free might seem like a bit of a challenge. Most vegan cheeses, including vegan cheese sauces, are made from a base of nuts, usually cashews or almonds. Check out these 15 Dairy-Free and Nut-Free Cheeses You Can Make at Home … Yes, It’s Possible!

20. 20 Vegan Recipes That Prove You Don’t Need Cheese to Enjoy Italian Cuisine

Anyone who has ever lived in New York City or visited during September knows about the Feast of San Gennaro, the most famous and longest-running annual festival held in Little Italy. This year, the 90^th Annual Feast of San Gennaro will take place from Thursday, September 15^ththrough Sunday, September 25^th. The feast celebrates the Patron Saint of Naples and has been taking place since 1926, when newly arrived immigrants from Naples settled in lower Manhattan and continued the tradition. Dig into these 20 Vegan Recipes That Prove You Don’t Need Cheese to Enjoy Italian Cuisine!

More Recommended Resources

Curious about more resources on dairy and cheese? Read below:

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

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