A friend who’s been dabbling in dairy-free was enamored by the fancy vegan cheeses sold at our local natural food store. So we decided to do a tasting! I gathered my fabulous crew of taste-testers to help uncover the best dairy-free charcuterie board cheeses. Our selection included a full range of artisan nut cheeses and a couple nut-free options.
Best Dairy-Free Charcuterie Board Cheeses (Taste Test!)
Allergen Notes: All items listed below are dairy-free by ingredients. But ingredients are subject to change at any time, and all products are at some degree of risk for allergen cross contamination, whether they have a “may contain” statement or not. Always read the label before consuming any food, and make sure you are familiar with this may contain information. Only you can decide what is safe for your needs.
We’ve ranked them in order, with our top pick first. But there really were several winners among this bunch of dairy-free artisanal cheeses. Because charcuterie boards are usually varied, we aimed for a mix of textures, including soft vegan cheeses and firm sliceable options. The flavors we reviewed also depended on local availability. Most of these brands sell their full range online, but we stuck with the options you could pick up anytime in store. I’ll start with a quick list of category favorites, and then move onto the details.
- Best Overall: Nuts for Cheese
- Best Taste: Rebel Cheese
- Best Creamy Texture: UmYum Cheese
- Best Nut-Free Option: Boursin Dairy-Free
Nuts for Cheese (where to buy)
These soft, creamy wedges won’t be fooling any cheese addicts. But everyone agreed this cashew cheese product is delicious, and fills the cheese void on dairy-free charcuterie boards nicely. The overall flavor is bold, rich, and perfectly salty, while the texture is mildly reminiscent of hummus.
Pros:
- Bold taste appeals to both dairy-free and dairy consumers
- Fermented for more depth and flavor balance
- Nice spreadable consistency
- Simple, real food ingredients
- Available in several varieties
- Certified organic
Cons:
- Begins to get quite melty around 75ºF, so must be kept cool
- Not as smooth and creamy as some other brands
Varieties: Black Garlic, Un-Brie-Lievable, Sharp Cheddar, Artichoke & Herb, Smoky Gouda Style, Super Blue, Chipotle Cheddar Style
Black Garlic Ingredients: cashews*, coconut oil*, quinoa rejuvelac (water, quinoa*), water, nutritional yeast, sea salt, chickpea miso (rice*, chickpeas*, sea salt, water, koji spores), garlic powder* , black garlic powder*, porcini mushrooms*, activated charcoal. *organic contains: cashew, coconut
Rebel Cheese (where to buy)
They offer a full range of vegan firm cheeses, soft cheeses, and cave-aged cheeses. Their brie is an award-winner, but we only had access to a couple firm cheeses. We chose the Smoky Cheddar, which was full-flavored and satisfying. It didn’t receive perfect marks due to the crumbly texture, but we still ranked it as one of the best dairy-free charcuterie cheeses.
Pros: (firm varieties)
- Stays firm at warmer temperatures
- Cultured for good depth and flavor balance
- Overall taste is bold, but well liked by dairy-free and dairy consumers
- Available in several soft and firm varieties
Cons: (firm varieties)
- Crumbly when cut
- Slightly dry texture
Varieties: Smoked Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Gruyere, Parmesan, Colby Jack firm cheeses; Cave-Aged Bri, Tomato Herb Fromage, Honee Pistachio Chevre, Balsamic Fig & Walnut Fromage, Truffle Brie, Truffle Chevre, Everything Fromage, Ash Chevre soft cheeses
Smoked Cheddar Ingredients: water, white rice flour, coconut oil*, mellow white miso*, nutritional yeast, cashews*, tamari soy sauce, fine salt, umeboshi vinegar, lactic acid, white vinegar, tomato paste, red bell pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, annatto, mustard powder. *organic ingredient
Boursin Dairy-Free (where to buy)
This spreadable cheese was the hands-down winner for smooth creaminess. One taster said it was “buttery” while two others likened it to whipped cream cheese. The bold garlic and herb flavor was pretty close to the original (according to the dairy consumers) and was a very solid “like” for most of our tasters.
Pros:
- It’s very smooth and creamy
- Good spreadable consistency
- Not a bad dupe for the Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin
- Mainstream brand, can be easier to find
- Nut-free and allergy-friendly ingredients
Cons:
- Texture suffers a little as it sits at room temperature
- More processed ingredients
- Garlic and herb flavor a little strong for some tastes
Dairy-Free Ingredients: water, coconut oil, modified food starch, potato starch, dried garlic, salt, pea protein, sugar, potato protein, lactic acid, fruit extract, dried parsley, natural flavor, dried chives, white pepper.
UmYum Cheese (where to buy)
This artisanal cashew cheese is quite creamy, but the underlying flavor is more milky than cheesy, relying heavily on the outer seasonings for flavor. That said, our two dairy cheese addicts gave it high marks (and most others generally liked it), especially as a cream cheese type alternative.
Pros:
- The cheese itself is very mild and cohesive in flavor (no overpowering ingredients)
- Outer seasonings are generous and quite bold
- Consistency is very creamy
- Cultured with clean, simple ingredients
- They offer a camembert, complete with bloomy rind
- Canadian brand sold in the U.S. and Canada
Cons:
- Aside from outer seasonings, flavor is too mild for some
- Begins to get a little melty around 75ºF, so it’s best if kept cool
Varieties: Monroe Camembert, Coffee & Chutney, Za’atar & Spices, Chutney & Saffron
Za’atar & Spices Ingredients: organic cashew nuts, purified water, organic coconut oil, organic za’atar (organic toasted sesame seeds, sea salt, organic thyme, organic sumac berries, organic oregano, organic spices), himalayan pink salt, lactic acid, bacterial culture.
Treeline Cashew Cheese (where to buy)
We could only get their “Goat Cheese” locally, which does have a stronger, more sour flavor. The dairy consumers in our group said it’s a pretty good copycat, we just didn’t have any goat cheese fans on hand. But we have done taste-tests with their other cultured cashew cheeses (firm and soft), and they are all quite delicious. This brand is still one of our top picks.
Pros:
- Rich and creamy
- Cultured for good depth and flavor balance
- Simple, real food ingredients
- Firmness and consistency held up at room temperature
- Best value dairy-free artisan cheeses
- Available in several soft and aged firm varieties
- Certified kosher parve
Cons:
- Goat cheese style isn’t to everyone’s tastes
- Texture is a touch powdery in the aftertaste
- Limited options in store
Varieties: Herb Garlic, Creamy Scallion, Pimento, Goat-Style, Blueberry Goat-Style, Garlic & Basil Goat-Style soft cheeses; Smoked Gouda, Cheddar, Cracked Pepper, Classic aged cheeses
Goat-Style Garlic & Basil: cashews, filtered water, sea salt, natural flavor, cultured brown rice, lactic acid, garlic, basil, parsley, cultures.
The Vegan Cheese Shoppe (where to buy)
The combination of cashews and macadamia nuts in this Hawaiian cheese line creates a light sweetness that doesn’t marry well with the savory herbs. The thicker texture also didn’t work for any of our tasters. Our dairy cheese connoisseurs said “not even close” when it came to the “brie” title.
Pros:
- Holds up well at warmer temperatures
- Made with simple, clean, and several local ingredients
- Texture is quite smooth
Cons:
- Too much sweetness, which doesn’t meld with savory ingredients
- Mouthfeel is a bit dry, heavy, and pasty
- Not cultured, so lacks the fermented umami
Varieties: Classic “Brie,” Black Truffle “Brie,” Herbed “Brie,” Maui Onion “Brie,” Creamy “Cheddar”
Herbed Macadamia Nut “Brie” Ingredients: hawaiian macadamia nuts, cashews, purified water, lemon juice, organic herb blend (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage), hawaiian sea salt.
Good Planet Olive Oil Cheese (where to buy)
There are several other brands of cheese alternative blocks, but the fancier impression of Good Planet’s Olive Oil blocks (and cubes) seemed charcuterie-worthy. Plus, I really wanted to recommend another allergy-friendly option. Unfortunately, this brand was loved by none and disliked by most of our group. We tried the Greek-Style Feta, which tasted heavily like kalamata olives. This was obviously a plus for the olive fans and a definite no for the olive haters. But it lost all of us with the texture. It was firm, not crumbly like feta, and had that rubbery mouthfeel that plagues many top allergen-free cheese alternatives.
Pros:
- Tastes like kalamata olives – good flavor for olive fans
- Nut-free and allergy-friendly ingredients
- Sliceable and firm to hold
- Holds up well at warmer room temperatures
Cons:
- Texture is a bit rubbery
- Flavor is strongly olives, not cheese
- Doesn’t crumble or taste remotely like feta
- Ingredients are on the processed side
Varieties: Mexican-Style Monterey Jack and Greek-Style Feta blocks; Smoked Gouda, Sharp Cheddar, Spicy Monterey Jack, and Tuscan Herb Mozzarella cubes.
Greek-Style Feta Ingredients: filtered water, food starch – modified (tapioca and potato), olive oil*, kalamata olives (kalamata olives, water, salt, sunflower oil, extra virgin olive oil, lactic acid, calcium chloride), faba protein, sea salt, natural flavors (vegan sources), potato protein, spices, oregano, tomato powder, dehydrated vegetables (garlic, onions), maltodextrin, yeast extract
More Brands to Consider
We weren’t able to get these dairy-free charcuterie board cheeses for our taste test, but they might be available in your local area.
- Darë Vegan Cheese – Their cheeky brand name is actually pronounced “dair-y.” They’re sold at Whole Foods and in various natural food stores, but you can order the full range of their cashew cheese wedges and spreads on their website.
- The Uncreamery – They still mostly sell online, but can be found in a smattering of specialty stores. They make cashew brie wheels and almond block cheeses in gourmet flavors.
7 Homemade Dairy-Free Cheeses for Charcuterie Boards
Here are a few delicious artisan-style recipes that you can make at home:
- Dairy-Free Goat Cheese Alternative Recipe
- Boursin-Style Dairy-Free Cheese Spread Recipe
- Dairy-Free Yogurt Cheese Recipe
- Sharp Cheddar Vegan Cheese Recipe
- Dairy-Free Pimento Cheese Recipe
- Horseradish Vegan Cheese Recipe
- Dairy-Free Brie or Camembert Recipe
