Babybel Cheese: What It Is, What the Wax Is and the US Flavors

Peel the wax off and eat the smooth round inside; the US lineup now runs from Original and Reduced Fat to Gouda, White Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella varieties.

Bel is the French dairy group, founded in 1865, that also makes The Laughing Cow, but the two are different cheeses. A Laughing Cow wedge is a processed cheese; Babybel is a natural one, and the difference shows on the label.

Babybel cheese at a glance

Here is Babybel cheese at a glance, based on Bel's US product page for the Original.

What Babybel cheese is made of

Babybel cheese is made from pasteurized cultured milk, salt and microbial enzymes, which is the entire ingredient list on the Original's label. The milk is pasteurized cow's milk, and Bel's Canadian FAQ says only microbial enzymes are used, so no animal rennet goes into it. Nothing on the list is an emulsifying salt, the ingredient that marks processed cheese.

For scale, USDA's Edam row works out to about 71 calories, 5.7 g of fat, 5 g of protein and 195 mg of sodium in 20 g. Babybel's label lands close on calories and fat and runs lower in sodium and protein. Bel does not call it Edam, but Edam is the other famous red-waxed round, and the Edam guide covers it.

What the Babybel wax is made of

The Babybel wax is a blend of paraffin and microcrystalline waxes with coloring, according to Bel's Canadian FAQ, and the group's own Babybel page describes the same blend with a natural dye.

Bel says the wax poses no health risk if a child swallows a bit by accident, but it is packaging, not food. Peel it off, throw it away, and eat only the cheese.

Babybel flavors sold in the US

Babybel flavors sold in the US include the Original, Reduced Fat and Pro versions, four named varieties and two plant-based snacks, according to Bel's US product lineup.

The Original, Gouda, White Cheddar and Monterey Jack share one three-ingredient list and 70 calories, so the label gives little reason to choose between them on nutrition; choose by taste. Bel describes Gouda as creamy, nutty and slightly sweet, White Cheddar as a punch of cheddar flavor, Monterey Jack as mild and smooth, and Mozzarella as rich and creamy. Reduced Fat, Pro and Mozzarella start from part-skim or reduced-fat milk, which is where their 50 to 60 calories come from, and Bel says Reduced Fat has 40 percent less fat than the Original.

The two Plant-Based snacks, Original and Fiery Hot, are listed apart from the cheeses, so read the pack if you want dairy cheese. Bel also sells 18-count and 26-count variety packs.

How to use Babybel cheese

Use Babybel cheese cold and unwrapped as a snack with apple slices, grapes, crackers or cured meat, and pack it for lunch next to an ice pack on warm days. Bel's own product pages suggest crackers, pretzels, fruit and nuts, which suits a mild, creamy cheese.

Because the round is a mild, smooth cheese, it also cooks. Slice it into a quesadilla or onto a sandwich, or bread the unwrapped rounds, freeze them for an hour and air fry them at 400°F (200°C) for 5 to 7 minutes; the air-fryer cheese guide has the coating steps. On a snack board, count two or three rounds per person to land near the 1 to 2 ounces the cheese per person guide suggests for an appetizer.

What most Babybel advice gets wrong

Most Babybel advice gets three things wrong, starting with how long the wax lets a round sit out.

Babybel is not shelf-stable

Babybel is not shelf-stable: Bel's Canadian FAQ says a round can stay at room temperature, 68°F (20°C), for several hours, such as in a lunchbox. That is a window, not a storage method, so keep the bag in the fridge and add an ice pack when the day is warm.

Babybel rounds are a choking hazard for toddlers

Babybel rounds are a choking hazard for toddlers, which is why Bel's US site tells parents to cut them into bite-size pieces for children under 4. The American Academy of Pediatrics lists chunks of cheese among the foods to avoid or modify and advises pieces no larger than half an inch; the best cheeses for kids covers ages and shapes.

Babybel and string cheese are not the same snack

Babybel and string cheese are not the same snack: Babybel is a round of natural cheese in a wax coat, while string cheese is mozzarella stretched into sticks that peel. Per ounce, the Original's label works out to about 99 calories, against 84 for USDA's part-skim string cheese row.

Questions about Babybel cheese

These are the questions about Babybel cheese that come up most.

Can you eat the wax on Babybel?

You should not eat the wax on Babybel, although Bel says it poses no health risk if swallowed by accident. It is a paraffin and microcrystalline blend made to be peeled off.

What kind of cheese is Babybel?

Babybel is a mild, natural cheese, not a processed one, and the Original is made from pasteurized cultured milk, salt and microbial enzymes.

Is Babybel lactose-free?

Babybel shows 0 g of sugars on its US label, and Bel's Canadian FAQ says its lactose is eliminated during draining and fermentation. The label still says Contains: Milk, so a milk allergy rules it out, and the lactose in cheese guide compares other cheeses.

Is Babybel made without animal rennet?

Babybel is made without animal rennet: its US label lists microbial enzymes, and Bel's Canadian FAQ says only microbial enzymes are used.

How many calories are in a Babybel?

A Babybel Original has 70 calories in its 20 g piece, while the Reduced Fat and Pro versions have 50 and the Mozzarella variety has 60.

Your next Babybel cheese

For your next Babybel cheese, start with the Original, peel the wax away and taste it beside the Reduced Fat to see whether the 20 calories you save are worth the change. Then try one named variety, and keep the bag cold until it goes in the lunchbox.