Hi everyone,

I've been vegetarian for 12 years but have been recenlty trying to cut out more dairy. I've tried several vegan cheeses vegenaise and , but haven't found any that have actually been good. What do you like?

Cheese

1. Amy's macaroni and cheeze - really oniony, also did not smell good, but was tolerable. I wont try it again though.

2. Vegan Rella - I thought I picked up Follow Your Heart, but I didnt. This has got to be the worst smelling, worst tasting item I can recall ever having in my life.

3. Follow Your Heart Cream Cheese - the texture is good, the taste is ok, but something is still kind of off. Its not bad though Im not exactly in love with it. Best of the bunch so far

4. Daiya - I have the mozzarella to try but havent opened it yet. Have heard good things about it.

Ice Cream

1. Luna and Larrys Coconut Bliss

This stuff is amazing! I will forgo regular ice cream over this any day. I tried the Dark Chocolate one, its very creamy and the coconut makes it taste even better.

2. Tofutti - I like it, though of the bunch I have had, not my absolute favorite

3, So Delicious - pretty good, but more like a watery sorbet and not so creamy.

Mayonaise and butter

I have tried original Vegenaise and Earth Balance - I don't like either of them at all. I could not stand vegenaise. Does anyone have any better recommendations?

Yes, I know how you feel about the vegan cheese!

Instead of veganaise, you could try nayonaise. And as far as ice cream goes, I love most of the Purely Decadent coconut milk ice creams.

You may also want to try the Dr Cow cheeses. They are good, but pricey!

What are you looking for cheese substitutions for, exactly?  I have found that different "types" work better for different things (tacos vs. deli sandwiches).  As far as mayonaise, I can't stand regular mayo, so I have yet to venture into vegan alternatives.

Cheese:

Best on a sandwich:

Galaxy vegan cheese...good, but I don't recommend if you're trying to melt, as it takes forever!

Best melted in pasta (a la macaroni and cheese):

Teese from Chicago SoyDairy (carried by most Whole Foods, but you can google them for a store directory)

Best shredded (i.e. I used in a lot of mexican dishes):

Daiya.  Hands down.

Daiya for sure. I made the best quick and easy pizza and yum. California lavash, pasta sauce on hand, onion, olives, zucchini, fresh basil, and Daiya. Cook about 12-15 min on 350 and enjoy a light, thin crust pizza that is really good!

I'm surprised you didn't like the Original Vegenaise with the blue label and a best taste ribbon on the front. That's my most favorite. Oh well, everyone's taste buds are a little different :-). Maybe you can try Nayonaise like Diane L suggested and always mix thoroughly before using? I saw a recipe on this site where you can make your own mayo.

As far as Daiya it's great melted like the pizza Gabrielle M made or on a taco salad with Boca crumbles and all the fixings. I make cheese crisps on the stove with the Daiya melted on tortillas and it's just like the cheese crisps from when I was a kid.

Maybe you can try Rice Dream ice cream bars if you haven't already.

If you're in the mood for a chip dip you can get Tofutti plain sour cream and mix in a packet or two of a dip seasoning depending on your taste buds.

Smart Balance Organic Buttery Spread doesn't have animal products in it. This could be one to try in place of Earth Balance. If you do get the Smart Balance just double check that it's the Organic. 

I forgot to add...if you like Parmesan cheese you can see the store locator at www.galaxyfoods.com . Now THIS is my favorite Parmesan cheese. It comes in a purple container and bought refrigerated.  

Oh and that Parmesan cheese is called Vegan Grated Topping. Okay I think I wrote enough separate times. Sorry!

I just tried the Daiya mozzarella for the first time yesterday...it is really tasty (almost TOO flavorful, more like a tangy parmesan) but gave me the WORST, erm, digestive issues, I've had since I went vegan!  I would say it was mostly worth it though, since I was really missing pizza and it did the trick on a yummy Rustic Crust.   :)

I'll be honest - I'm not much of a fan of any of the cheese substitutes really.  I've just learned to forego cheese at all.

I am rather surprised you don't like the Earth Balance though.  I think it absolutely tastes just like dairy butter and don't notice a difference at all.  My husband actually likes it more than dairy butter! I'd be interested to know which kind you tried.  The original is fabulous.

Daiya is my new favourite thing, though I'm trying to use it sparingly since it was a little bit of $$ for a small amount. I fell in love with it recently while at a place called Magic Oven here in Toronto. So delicious and the best non-dairy cheese I've had so far.

Thanks for all the feedback! Maybe I will give the earth balance another try - I remember it having an odd taste. I think I have had smart balance before and liked it, good to know it doesnt have animal products.

I do like Tofutti, it just pales in comparison to Coconut Bliss, but that's because Coconut Bliss is so good! Im frankly a little obsessed with it, and I've only had one container - its also sweetened with agave instead of sugar, and they use fair trade ingredients.On taste alone, if I were to choose between Haagen Dazs, Ben and Jerrys and Coconut Bliss, I think the Bliss would win.

I did get the vegenaise with the blue label - I dont remember mixing it when I got it, so maybe that was the issue.

Has anyone else had Vegan Rella and made something with it that actually tastes good? Maybe I need to melt it or something. I dont want to waste it if possible but in its current state its really terrible.

Thanks for the Daiya tips too - it doesnt have instructions on the label and there isnt much to go on from the website, and I wasnt exactly sure if I was supposed to melt it for the same time as regular cheese or not. Is Daiya ok uncooked too, or is it pretty much meant to be melted?

Cheeses are hard. The Daiya is probably the best I've found.

I love the Earth Balance butter ONLY if it is the Organic. My husband (not vegan) also likes it better than butter or Smart Balance. We did try the non-organic. And then there is also one made with olive oil (I think) The only one we like is the organic. ???

just tried Daiya chedder...put on nachos and baked them...cheese melted! Tastes like cheese...yummm!

for ice cream try toffutti cuties. They are half-sized ice cream sandwiches, and I seriously cannot tell the difference! soo yummy