Vegan Cheese Guide

Adopting a vegan or dairy-free diet requires a lot of compromise. For many years, excluding dairy products was synonymous with giving up cheese dishes completely. However, in recent years, the vegan food craze, food allergy awareness and the emergence of curious omnivores has resulted in the explosion of a very unique market: vegan cheeses.

Discover the "fauxmages", these healthy alternatives that allow you to give up dairy products without compromising the pleasure of eating.

What is a vegan cheese?

Vegan, plant-based or "fauxmage" cheese is a vegan food product made from a combination of ingredients to provide a taste, texture or imitation of dairy cheese.

Basic ingredients may include soy, cashews, almonds, vegetable oils, coconut and starches.

Thanks to different manufacturing processes, "fauxmages" can be made in a variety of shapes to suit different dishes and cooking methods. Some of the shapes found on the market include soft artisan cheeses, sliced fauxmages, blocks and au gratin fauxmages.

Artisanal vegan cheeses

Artisanal vegan cheeses abound on the refrigerator shelves of La Boite à Grains. Many artisans have started making faux cheeses in recent years, and the local industry offers a wide range of vegan artisan cheeses, each more delicious than the last.

The majority are imitations of soft dairy cheeses. Delicious when served with a baguette or crackers, they are the perfect accompaniment to an aperitif or the end of a meal. Some of these artisanal fauxmages can be incorporated into appetizers, sauces, spreads, tapenades or even... vegan cheese fondues!

The world of artisanal fauxmage features products from several North American companies including :

La Frauxmagerie Georgian Bay. This Ontario-based company offers delicious vegan cheeses made with cashews, nutritional yeast and probiotics. Some of the flavours offered by La Frauxmagerie include Botanical Parm (vegan parmesan) and their greatest asset... the fauxmage in "poop!

The Zengarry Fauxmagerie. This emerging Canadian company produces soft vegan cheeses. Among the company's greatest achievements are artisanal garlic and herb fauxmages as well as tomato and basil fauxmagemade from basil grown on the green wall of the plant.

To pay tribute to authentic French manufacturing techniques, the vegan cheese factory Happy Heart Vegan Gourmet specializes in the preparation of delicious fauxmages with authentic flavors. Their selection of fine fauxmages includes Petit Cam (camembert)the Petit Bleuand the Little Ashand the Petit Fuméof Spicy and du ShèvreThis last one reminds the smooth and silky texture of goat cheese.

In the same line of artisanal handmade cheeses, the company Nuts for Cheese company stands out with its fermented cashew nut mock cheeses, offering soft cheeses with the flavour of Blue, Brie, Chipotle Cheddar, Smoked artichoke and herbs as well as the Red crust with turmeric and paprika.

Sliced Vegan Cheese

If there's one thing that makes vegans nostalgic, it's grilled cheese. That famous comfort food that consists of just two ingredients: bread and sliced cheese. Now, with the introduction of sliced plant-based cheeses, it's possible to rediscover the pleasure of vegan grilled cheese.

Thanks to Tofuttia pioneering vegan cheese company that has marketed vegan mozzarella slices. Several flavours of sliced cheese are offered by the company Earth Island. Spice up your sandwiches with the variety of sliced cheese flavours from Smoked Gouda, Pepper jack or opt for the classics: Mozzarella and CheddarThese last two flavors are also offered by the Daiya company, which also offers the slices ofProvolone and the Smoked Gouda.

Vegan block cheeses

Vegan cheese blocks offer the convenience of a brick format. Sliced or grated, vegan cheese blocks are versatile and easy to incorporate into everyday cooking.

Daiya's artisanal vegan cheese blocks are available in the following flavours Havarti, Medium Cheddar, Monterey jack and Smoked Gouda. These faux cheese blocks are great alternatives to dairy cheeses. In addition to being tasty, they are healthily made with tapioca and non-GMO oils.

Vegan cheese for gratin

What could be more comforting than a delicious home-cooked dish baked au gratin? Some vegan cheeses offer the possibility of gratinating dishes without the use of any dairy products.

This is the case with Gusta's au gratin blocks. While the original flavor taste is reminiscent of strong cheddar, the suisso block has a milder Swiss-style taste. The block americano offers an all-purpose taste. These blocks give life and flavor to gratins, pizzas, raclettes, pastas, etc.

For a simple, ready-to-eat alternative, Daiya's vegan cheese shavings are available in Cheddar, Mozzarella and Pepper Jack can enhance any dish with a touch of tasty vegan bliss.

For browning, topping and adding a distinct flavour, Georgian Bay Frauxmagerie and Earth Island offer vegan parmesan cheese. A must-have for your vegan pantry.

Whether it's because of restrictions, food allergies or simply to taste the variety of faux cheeses here, let yourself be tempted and inspired by the range of possibilities that vegan cheeses offer.

Enjoy your discovery!
The team at La Boite à Grains

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Research and writing :

Véronique Cousineau, certified naturopath