Cheese-Plate Vegan Cheeses

This cheese came with a gorgeous thin blue-black rind, which would make it a true stunner on a cheese plate. The flavor wowed us as well: Its layers of “earthy, funky, punchy, peppery” complexity aligned with what we expected from a good blue cheese, and it featured a “balanced” yet “sharp,” “superbright,” and even “bracing” tang. Some tasters also detected a pleasant brininess on the finish as well as subtle herby notes. Satisfying and ultrasmooth, its “especially creamy” texture melted in the mouth. One taster declared that they would happily “eat the entire thing on a knife by itself.”

Available for purchase at: veganessentials.com

Covered in "mottled" greenish-blue streaks made by spirulina, this "tie-dyed" cheese somewhat mimicked the look of dairy-based blue cheese, though this coloration didn’t continue past the surface. A little drier and lighter in texture than other cheeses in the lineup, the cheese had a “moldable” quality to it that some tasters compared to “Play-Doh.” Its flavor was complex: both sweet and savory, with “earthy,” “funky” notes, though one taster thought it leaned “too heavily on the moldy aspect” of blue cheese. Tasters also caught notes of citrus, sage, and seaweed (likely from the spirulina) as well as a prominent cashew aftertaste.

Available for purchase at: reinevegancuisine.com/wheretobuy

Tasters loved this bloomy-rinded cheese, which they found “stunningly close to a real, ready-to-melt Brie.” When we cut into the wheel, the firm rind bulged just as we would expect from a dairy Brie. This cheese had the shortest ingredient list in the lineup; the flavor—which tasters variously called “nutty,” “mushroomy,” “savory,” “truffle-y,” “nuanced,” and “umami”—is all from the careful fermentation and aging process. One taster summed it up: “Delicious. I’m superimpressed. Really, really good.”

Available for purchase at: julesfoods.net

The cracked peppercorns speckling the top of this Brie-style cheese gave it instant visual appeal. The sparing use of the peppercorns—they were sprinkled on top rather than incorporated throughout the block—ensured that the pops of spice and crunch they added were subtle enough not to distract from the cheese itself. Its “lush” texture and mild but “crowd-pleasing,” “balanced,” “lemony” flavor won a lot of praise from tasters. While it’s marketed as a Brie-style cheese, some tasters thought that its smooth, creamy texture more closely resembled that of cream cheese.

Available for purchase at: veganessentials.com

The tartness of this Brie-style cheese divided tasters. Some loved its "big tang," but others thought it "dominated" the experience, overpowering its subtle "fruity," "buttery" flavors and notes of “coconut.” It was also on the saltier side, which further intensified its flavor. It earned “high marks for texture,” which was “smooth,” “spreadable,” and “creamy,” if slightly wet, though tasters found the texture more reminiscent of cream cheese than of Brie.

Available for purchase at: veganessentials.com

Despite an ingredient list full of boldly flavored elements, this “straightforward” cheese had “almost no flavor”—it was “mildly tangy” and “one-note” and tasted “a little like nutritional yeast” and cashews. Its texture was off-putting, like “elastic,” “very wet” “uncooked flour dough” that “broke up into pieces on the tongue rather than melting.” As one taster said, “It’s not going to stand on its own on a cracker.”

Tasters panned this cheese’s “pasty,” “damp,” “tofu-like” texture, which was “grainy,” as if the cashew base hadn’t been pulverized sufficiently. It rippled and crumbled when cut despite the presence of binding agents in its ingredient list. The cashew base was less easily detected than in some other cheeses, but it lacked “tang,” and its strong “oniony,” “garlicky” notes (onion powder is listed among the cheese’s ingredients) lingered unpleasantly. These flavor and texture issues made for a product that struck tasters as “odd” considering it was marketed as a Brie-style cheese.

This soft, spreadable cheese was the favorite of several tasters. Extremely creamy and smooth, the “airy,” nearly “whipped” consistency makes the cheese a perfect candidate for smearing on a cracker. The cheese had nice complexity, starting out relatively mild with “good tang” and finishing with a lightly spicy, “lingering” bite from the pepper. Although some noted that the “peppercorn carried the day,” it wasn’t overwhelming; overall, the flavor was balanced, “rich,” and “unique.”

Available for purchase at: treelinecheese.com

From one of the most well-known vegan cheese manufacturers, this "tangy," "rich," "salty," and "very savory" product reminded some tasters of "a good cream cheese." And like cream cheese, it was dense, smooth, and spreadable, with a "melt-in-the-mouth" texture that tasters felt would be "absolutely perfect on a bagel" or a sandwich. Tasters especially loved the "bold" chive flavor, though a few noticed a "slightly fishy" aftertaste.



Available for purchase at: miyokos.com, Whole Foods, and others