Vegan Smoked Gouda Wheels Are Coming to a Store Near You

GOOD PLANeT Foods is tackling vegan cheese from a new angle, adapting traditional dairy cheese favorites into plant-based products. The eco-friendly vegan brand just debuted two new vegan cheese wheels: Real Smoked Cheddar and a Real Smoked Gouda flavor, aiming to cater to a broad customer base by introducing a smoked gouda, a flavor rarely seen among rival vegan cheese companies

Following the initial launch of its cheese wheels, the Washington-based company announced that its Smoked Cheddar and Gouda products will be available at 500 additional stores across the United States. GOOD PLANeT revealed that a significant amount of the expansion is due to the company’s new relationship with grocery chain Giant.

After this expansion, the vegan cheese wheels can now be found at 1,200 stores nationwide. Customers will be able to purchase these innovative dairy-free products at Sprouts, Wegmans, Albertsons, Safewats, Jewel-Oscos, and other retailers across the entire United States. Both cheese wheels will be available at a suggested retail price of $5.99 per 7-ounce wheel.

The coconut oil-based cheeses join a growing selection of exciting vegan dairy products that include shreds, slices, and wedges. GOOD PLANeT notes that the vegan wheels are naturally smoked with real applewood chips.

"We are committed to growing the plant-based cheese segment in 2022, and part of doing this is to continue to raise the bar for what consumers can expect from plant-based shreds and slices," GOOD PLANeT co-CEO Bart Adlam said.  "We are bringing this to market just after getting a fantastic response to the recent launch of our Plant-Based Snackable Wedges and just before we launch even more innovation, so we're excited to take our brand and segment to the next level this year."

GOOD PLANeT celebrated the new year with a companywide rebranding campaign that redesigned its packaging to catch the eye of consumers. Alongside its retail expansion, the company decided to feature images of its cheese alternatives melting on the front page with the aim of enticing non-vegan and vegans to try this new plant-based cheese. GOOD PLANeT boasts that its new plant-based cheese recipe best replicates the melting ability of traditional cheese products while also mirroring a smooth, cheesy flavor.

The company will also market with the environment in mind. Experts say that the plant-based trend is capturing those with sustainability in mind, claiming that more consumers in 2022 will purchase items with eco-friendly promises. The company expects to see rapid growth as it expands its distribution and prioritizes environmental marketing.

"We can all contribute to a better environment and climate in the future by eating more plant-based foods like GOOD PLANeT. Production of our cheeses requires a fraction of the land and water and produces a fraction of methane compared to that of dairy cheeses," Founder and CEO of GOOD PLANeT David Israel said. "All our products have sustainability in mind, and we are pushing to do more towards this goal.”

“For example, our cardboard carton for our new Snackable Cheese Wedges uses 90 percent post-consumer material and is recyclable, making it a good choice for the environment in various aspects. We are continuing to adapt our products to make them the most PLANeT-Friendly they can be, and this will always be a priority."

Beyond the retail space, GOOD PLANeT is doing everything to bring its vegan cheese to customers all over the country. The company just announced a partnership with burger chain Fuddruckers. With nearly 100 locations across 25 states, Fuddruckers will be serving vegan cheese on its menus for the first time. The two companies will begin testing the dairy-free burger topping at locations in Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, and Texas before expanding nationally.

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.