Vegan vs Dairy Cheese: What's the Difference?

That difference drives the rest. Vegan cheese is the only choice on a dairy-free diet, but most store-bought versions have less protein and, unless fortified, less calcium than dairy cheese, and many carry a lot of saturated fat.

Vegan vs dairy cheese at a glance

This vegan vs dairy cheese table compares USDA's cheddar entry with one widely sold vegan cheddar-style shred, using the maker's label.

The vegan column is one product, not an average. Other brands differ, so read the panel on the pack.

What vegan cheese is made of

What vegan cheese is made of depends on the style. A 2022 review in Nutrients by Craig, Mangels and Brothers analyzed 245 non-dairy cheese alternatives from 35 brands and sorted them by main ingredient: coconut oil in 106 products (43 percent), cashews and coconut in 61 (25 percent), cashews in 35 (14 percent), oats in 16, almonds in 7, soy in 6, palm fruit oil in 5 and other blends in 9.

The shreds and slices on a supermarket shelf lean on coconut oil and starch, which carry the melt but not the nutrition. The label above shows the pattern: water, modified food starch and coconut oil come first, with calcium citrate added. Cashew-based wheels, often cultured and aged briefly, are usually found in natural food stores and cheese shops. Dairy cheese, by contrast, is milk, cultures, rennet and salt.

How vegan cheese tastes and melts

How vegan cheese tastes and melts varies more than dairy cheese does, since each brand is a different recipe. Dairy cheese gets its flavor from fermentation and aging, which is why it ranges from mild to sharp to funky. Cultured nut cheeses borrow that idea and can taste tangy and rich. Shreds and slices made from coconut oil and starch taste milder and often more salty or sweet.

Melt follows the formula. Starch and coconut oil can be tuned to soften and stretch, so shreds made for pizza and slices made for burgers melt convincingly, while a cashew wheel will soften but not stretch. Dairy cheese melts by its type, as the melting cheese ranking shows, with young mozzarella and cheddar melting best. For vegan options by use, the best vegan cheeses guide ranks what is available.

Vegan vs dairy cheese nutrition

Vegan vs dairy cheese nutrition differs most in protein: USDA lists 6.5 grams per ounce for cheddar, while the Follow Your Heart cheddar-style shreds list 1 gram. The Craig review found only 3 percent of the 245 products had 5 grams or more per serving, and 75 percent had 2.5 grams or less.

Calcium follows fortification. Just 19 percent of the products were fortified, and only 12 of the 35 brands fortified any. When it is added, the amount can approach dairy: the shreds above have 131 milligrams per ounce against cheddar's 201. Saturated fat is the other watch point. Almost 60 percent of the products had 4 grams or more per serving, and the shreds above list 5 grams. Sodium was mixed, with 15 percent low at 115 milligrams or less per serving and 32 percent above 230.

Cashew-based products did best in the review, with more protein and less sodium and saturated fat than coconut oil types. Neither group is automatically healthier, so compare labels. Our vegan cheese nutrition and is vegan cheese healthy pages go deeper, and calcium in cheese lists dairy figures. This page is general information, not medical advice.

Which to buy: vegan or dairy cheese

Which to buy, vegan or dairy cheese, depends on your diet and the job:

• Vegan or dairy-free diet: vegan cheese, and pick a calcium-fortified one if it is a daily food.
• Protein and calcium without a supplement: dairy cheese, where both are built in.
• Pizza and burgers: shreds or slices made for melting, whether vegan or dairy.
• Cheese boards: aged dairy for depth, or a cultured cashew cheese for a plant-based board.
• Lactose avoidance without avoiding dairy: some aged dairy cheeses are low in lactose, as the lactose guide explains.
• A swap: vegan shreds replace dairy shreds one for one, and the substitute finder lists other matches.

What most vegan vs dairy cheese advice gets wrong

Most vegan vs dairy cheese advice repeats three bits of shorthand: that vegan cheese is automatically healthier, that it is all processed starch, and that it never melts.

Plant-based is not the same as lower in saturated fat. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, and the review found almost 60 percent of products had 4 grams or more per serving.

Not all vegan cheese is starch and oil. Cashew and almond cheeses are the exception, and they scored best on protein in the review. They cost more and usually come as spreads or wheels.

Melt depends on the recipe. Some vegan shreds stretch, and some do not, so a product named for pizza or grilled cheese is a better bet than a nut spread.

Questions about vegan vs dairy cheese

These are quick answers to common questions about vegan vs dairy cheese.

What is the difference between vegan and dairy cheese?

Dairy cheese is made from animal milk, while vegan cheese is made from plants such as coconut oil, starch, cashews or almonds. They differ in flavor, melt and nutrition as well.

Does vegan cheese have as much protein as dairy cheese?

Vegan cheese usually has less protein than dairy cheese. USDA lists 6.5 grams of protein per ounce for cheddar, and in a 2022 review only 3 percent of 245 plant cheeses had 5 grams or more per serving.

Is vegan cheese healthier than dairy cheese?

Not automatically. Many vegan cheeses are high in saturated fat from coconut oil and low in protein, though cashew-based ones do better. Compare Nutrition Facts panels.

Does vegan cheese have calcium?

Only some vegan cheese has calcium. In the 2022 review, 19 percent of products were calcium fortified, so check the label for calcium and its percent daily value.

Does vegan cheese melt like real cheese?

Some vegan cheese melts like real cheese, especially shreds and slices built for melting with starch and coconut oil. Nut-based cheeses soften but do not stretch.

Choosing between vegan and dairy cheese

Choosing between vegan and dairy cheese is easiest at the shelf: put two labels side by side and compare protein, calcium and saturated fat per ounce. If you are going dairy-free, start with the shreds for cooking and a cashew cheese for the board.