The 5 Best Vegan Cheese Slices for Grilled Cheese

Two slices of toasted bread and paired with melted cheese in the middle is an essential part of the American diet and culture. Whether you like to cut your vegan grilled cheese sandwich into fours or dip it in ketchup, we all know that finding the perfect, melty, stretchy, gooey, pull-apart cheese is the secret to success, and while dairy-free cheese is not known for its "meltability," we picked a winner you’ll want to try.

Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of the easiest meals to make, yet there are so many versions of this sandwich, that there are permutations on the recipe that add or subtract decadence. We found the right combination of more taste but using dairy-free cheeses and vegan mayo or plant-based butter on the toast so you can still enjoy this American classic if you're off the dairy.  To find the best cheese, worthy of your favorite Grilled Cheese sandwich, we tested five best-selling non-dairy kinds of cheese and rated them for taste and health, and gave extra points for melt factor, so you can enjoy the foods you love on a vegan diet.

Note that anyone trying to avoid saturated fat won't be well served with any of these cheeses since most of them are still fairly high in sat fat, but instead of from animal sources, these cheeses get theirs from tropical oils such as palm oil and coconut oil. But that is what also gives them their cheese-like texture. The health criteria of the rating here were created by an RD who gave extra points for products that have a whole food as the first ingredient and also credit for having 3 grams of protein per slice.

Oftentimes, as plant-based product experts, we get asked, “what kind of vegan cheese has that stretchy, gooey, pull factor?” To answer this question (which can make or break a grilled cheese sandwich), we enlisted Britt Berlin, a well-known food blogger, also known as @the_bananadiaries, to show you how these five popular vegan cheese brands melt in between the bread on video. The proof is in the pan!

For all the Beet Meters, check out the best vegan products. 

If you love a bold, smoky flavor Violife is the one for you. Violife's texture, consistency, and taste resemble real cheddar cheese and melts better than any of the other slices we tried. It has the most flavor out of all the other brands sampled. This cheese is so dairy-like that you can eat the slices straight out of the fridge, no melting required. Since it is another coconut-based cheese, the coconut flavor comes through a tiny bit and the cheese has some saturated fat content with 4 grams per slice.

If you're avoiding coconut-based products, Parmela is a great choice. Parmela is a cashew-based cheese that has a slightly smoky flavor to it. You don't have to melt this on a grilled cheese to love it. Parmela's Smoky Gouda cheese tastes just as good right out of the fridge. (If you tried it a while back, it's worth another go, since they reformulated and the new version is awesome.) Eat it with crackers or add it to a vegan bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.

Chao is a coconut-based cheese that is made with fermented tofu. It has a milk taste and doesn't have an overwhelming coconut taste like some coconut-based cheeses do. Chao is for anyone who loves a melty, gooey cheese and is so good you can eat it all by itself. The texture is so similar to real cheese and the taste resembles American cheese. It's worth noting that one slice of cheese has 4 grams of saturated fat, which is 20% of your daily intake.

Daiya has a similar consistency as real cheese and reminds us of the single slices we used to eat as kids. Daiya has a bit of a milder taste than the rest making it the perfect pair with a flavorful veggie like garlic and oil spinach or marinated mushrooms. Daiya isn't the most nutritious option as it is made with coconut oil, canola oil, and safflower oil, making it higher in saturated fat.

Miyokos Creamery has the healthiest ingredients we came across. The Farmhouse Cheddar flavor includes oat milk, beans, and coconut oil. Even though the ingredients are "whole foods" it still contains 3.5 grams of sat fat or 18% of your daily value. Miyokos Creamery doesn't melt as well as some but the texture and color are just like dairy cheese. Use it to make a loaded veggie sandwich with portobello mushrooms, spinach and avocado.

Califia Farms Almond Creamer is made with real almonds and coconut cream to give a rich, full-flavored texture and has 2 grams of added sugar. The consistency is so thick it’s more like a heavy cream rather than a creamer substitute. Regardless, it froths up well and is very creamy. The almond taste is noticeable but the creamer isn’t bitter or grainy. You don’t need to use a lot of it; a little goes a long way!

Silk Original Dairy-Free Original Soy Creamer has only 1 gram of added sugar, but sadly it does not froth up well when I heated it due to a thinner, more watery consistency. It didn't combine well with coffee, no matter how much was added. Because of the underwhelming flavor, this was my least favorite.

This Natural Bliss Coconut Milk Creamer/Sweet Cream is the best one I’ve found for both frothing and taste, especially if you miss the consistency and flavor of half-and-half. It’s creamy and has a hint of coconut, but no overwhelming coconut flavor. Note: it is made with pea protein, unlike the other ones, which is probably why it’s thicker. Always check ingredients if you have food allergies because unexpected ingredients such as peas can be hiding in the product, and you would never know by the taste.

So Delicious has been marketing dairy-free frozen desserts, yogurt alternatives, and smooth plant-based beverages for over 30 years. Besides the coconut milk, they also have “Original,” “Snickerdoodle.” “Caramel” and “Creamy Vanilla” flavors. I only sampled the coconut milk flavor. This is the only one in this taste test with 0 grams of added sugar. It has a very rich coconut taste and froths up nicely in coffee like milk. It’s not as thick as some of the others but is a good alternative to ultra-sweet creamers if you want to be careful about your sugar intake. The coconut flavor is powerful but not overwhelming.

Natural Bliss Oat Milk Creamer, Vanilla Natural Flavor, with 4 grams added sugar is similar to Coffee Mate’s Coconut creamer but without the coconut flavor. It’s super-rich and creamy with a hint of oat flavor but not bitter at all. My new favorite! This is the best one I’ve found for frothing and taste especially if you miss the consistency and flavor of half and half. It’s like the real thing as it’s creamy, fluffy and not grainy. Remember to shake it up before putting in your frother. Use a little and be happy with your non-dairy latte!

The Original Oat-Ly Oat Milk Barista Edition contains 4 grams of sugar but its full-flavored taste makes it a rich choice. It doesn’t market itself as a creamer but it does advertise as the choice for the barista community. It’s slightly less frothy than real milk when mixed but the flavor is pleasant, not bitter, and I would choose it again.

Silk Oat Yeah Oat Milk Creamer, the Vanilla One has 4 grams of added sugar and is also at the top of my list. While it’s sweet, it’s also incredibly rich which means you can use less of it in your coffee. It was thick and creamy when frothed and it adds a fluffy cap to your coffee as lattes make with real cream. Note that pea protein is an added ingredient in this creamer as well. This can rival the real thing but choose this one only if you like a strong vanilla aftertaste!

The Silk Almond Creamer Vanilla boasts that it’s “America’s #1 Almond Creamer. But with 4 grams added sugar you may want to use it sparingly. It did taste sweet and was nice and thick, so someone who likes rich creamers will love it. The vanilla aftertaste was pretty strong. And it's a little too syrupy sweet for my taste.

Nutpods is the closest you'll get to the real thing! Tasters immediately gave this dairy-free creamer a 5 out 5. The texture is smooth and mixes with coffee instantly. Unlike soy creamers, this almond and coconut-based creamer doesn't separate once your done stirring. Nut Pods is the most comparable to half and half in the whole list of creamers!

Forager is cashew milk and coconut cream based that mixes for a unique and flavorful taste. The consistency was on the thinner side, and if you're a heavy cream or half-and-half devotee this is probably not the creamer for you, although those who like a lighter flavor will enjoy it.

This creamer is rich, round and doesn't taste too overtly of coconut. You only need a splash to achieve a nice, creamy effect in your coffee, and there's no watered-down consistency, so if you swear by heavy cream or half & half, give this Trader Joe's option a try! At only $1.69 per carton, this product is a steal.

The thickest consistency of the bunch, resembling a heavy cream rather than half and half. Malk has only 5 ingredients, making it super clean and healthy! The almond flavor might be overpowering to those who like less flavor in their creamer. Add the Maple Pecan flavor to your coffee for an even sweeter taste.