Is Cheese Dairy Free

Is Cheese Dairy Free

Is cheese dairy free, it's a simple question and it has two answers. no it is not and also, yes it is.

We apologise, thats a little confusing, what do we mean by this? Is every cheese available in the world both dairy free and not dairy free.

Table of contents

Is cheese dairy free, it's a simple question and it has two answers. no it is not and also, yes it is.

We apologise, thats a little confusing, what do we mean by this? Is every cheese available in the world both dairy free and not dairy free.

No, that is not what we are saying, here we are saying that some cheeses are dairy free and other options are not dairy free and contain dairy.

How to know if cheese is dairy-free or not?

If a cheese has been made with animal input, such as cows milk, it will be a dairy cheese.

If a cheese has been made without animal-input, such as with plant milks like sunflower seeds, beans or nuts, it is a dairy free cheese.

Here at vegancheese.co we talk mostly about the dairy-free cheeses available, the industry and how to make them and where to buy them.

Below we ellaborate more on this.

 

What Is Dairy Cheese

Cheese from animals, such as cows milk is not dairy free and these are the cheeses you are most likely to encounter on supermarket shelves and most abundant in stores.

Dairy is limited to that of animal products, such as dairy milk, dairy cheese and dairy based yoghurt. Because dairy milk is used to make dairy cheese, it means that cheese made with animals is not dairy free.

If you were to look at the definition of dairy, you would find this: "any foods made from the milk products of animals, or produced in the mammary glands."

To understand how animal based cheese is made and why it is not dairy free, we need to understand how dairy cheese is made.

 

How is Dairy Cheese Made

There are a few simple steps to how dairy cheese is made, first it depends on the type of milk the cheese is made from.

If we use a cow as an example, cows milk is popular with dairy cheese and to create the milk, a female cow needs to be lactating, which means that they are forcibly impregnated either through artificial insemination or with the use of a bull.

A cow needs to be pregnant, go through its 9 month gestation period and produce a baby calf so that it will start to lactate and provide milk for it's newborn calf.

But because humans want to use that milk which is meant for that calf, the calf is immediately (usually within a few hours) removed from the mother so that the cow can be milked and the milk be bottled for human consumption and the creation of dairy cheese.

This milk that we have taken from the calf (the calf has more than likely been killed, especially if it's male and useless to the dairy industry), and used to make dairy cheese is what makes dairy cheeses you see in supermarkets, markets, cheese mongers and stores around the world.

 

What is Dairy Free Cheese

But cheese can be also dairy free, when it is not made from an animal, instead, when it is made from plants or is lab-grown.

The great thing is that there are alternatives, plant based milks can be used, lab-grown cheese is being made and vegan cheese is 100% dairy free because it is made without the input of animals.

But things are changing and more and more people are demanding dairy-free cheese due to a number of factors.

Ethical reasons are the primary motive for swapping out dairy cheese for plant-based vegan cheese.

Vegan cheese is better for the environment than dairy cheese and milk.

And some change to a whole food plant based diet to improve their health and stop eating dairy products.

 

Are You Lactose Intolerant

One of the reasons you may be looking for dairy free cheese is because you are lactose intolerant.

If this is so and dairy cheese is affecting how you feel in a negative way, you have so many other options that are created and made peacefully with plants.

Instead of dairy milk, which contains the lactose that you may be having issues with, dairy-free cheeses are made with soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk and many other plant based milk options.

Where to Find Dairy Free Cheeses

Now you know that most supermarket and shop sold cheeses are made with dairy, you can find and select the cheeses that are not made with dairy and this is where we can help.

We have been building the largest database of dairy free cheese on the internet here at vegan cheese. Currently there are almost 2000 dairy free cheeses to find on the web tool, just head on over, select the country you live in and see what options you have.

You will find that most countries have at least a few hundred dairy-free cheeses for you to explore! So if you are looking for dairy-free cheese you definitely don't have to go without.

List of Dairy Free Cheeses

Below we have shared a list of 20 dairy free cheeses from our database with you, on each page refresh you will get shown entirely new vegan cheeses.

They are taken from the biggest database of dairy-free cheeses anywhere online that we have created to help you find new favourites.

Title Rating Family
BioCheese Cheddar Flavour Vegan Cheese Block
Average: 7 (2 votes)
BioCheese Cheddar Flavour Vegan Cheese Block cheddar
Ser Comiente Keso tipo Gruyere Queso Vegano
Average: 8.8 (5 votes)
Ser Comiente Keso tipo Gruyere Queso Vegano swiss, cheddar
Noshing Havarti Chipotle & Jalapeno Vegan Cheese
Average: 9.3 (26 votes)
Noshing Havarti Chipotle & Jalapeno Vegan Cheese peppery, havarti
Fauxmagerie Zengarry Sundried Tomato & Basil Vegan Cheese
Average: 10 (3 votes)
Fauxmagerie Zengarry Sundried Tomato & Basil Vegan Cheese herb
Nut Cheese Mozzarella No Azeite
Average: 9 (3 votes)
Nut Cheese Mozzarella No Azeite mozzarella, herb
Wendy's Vegan Kitchen Spicy Cheddar Vegan Cheese
Average: 1.3 (4 votes)
Wendy's Vegan Kitchen Spicy Cheddar Vegan Cheese peppery, cultured, cheddar
The Vegan Dairy Chilli Chives Vegan Cheese
Average: 10 (4 votes)
The Vegan Dairy Chilli Chives Vegan Cheese peppery, spiced, herb, cultured, chilli
VBites Smokey Cheezly Vegan Cheese Slices
Average: 7 (1 vote)
VBites Smokey Cheezly Vegan Cheese Slices smoked
Cultured Kindness Brie with Herbs de Provence Vegan Cheese
Average: 8.6 (5 votes)
Cultured Kindness Brie with Herbs de Provence Vegan Cheese herb, cultured, brie
Merekete Camembert Vegan Cheese
Average: 7 (2 votes)
Merekete Camembert Vegan Cheese camembert
Fauxmaggio Garlic & Herb Cultured Tree Nut Cheese Spread
Average: 7 (2 votes)
Fauxmaggio Garlic & Herb Cultured Tree Nut Cheese Spread herb, cultured
Chalk Farm Bloomy Rind Camembert Vegan Cheese
Average: 7 (2 votes)
Chalk Farm Bloomy Rind Camembert Vegan Cheese camembert, cultured
Sheese Creamy Spring Onion and Cracked Black Pepper Vegan Cheese Spread
Average: 8.7 (6 votes)
Sheese Creamy Spring Onion and Cracked Black Pepper Vegan Cheese Spread peppery, herb
Mouse's Favourite Original Creamy Cashew Artisan Vegan Cheese
Average: 7 (3 votes)
Mouse's Favourite Original Creamy Cashew Artisan Vegan Cheese plain, cultured
Soyana SOYANANDA Fresh Vegan Cream Cheese Spread
Average: 9 (9 votes)
Soyana SOYANANDA Fresh Vegan Cream Cheese Spread plain, cultured
Mouse's Favourite Smoky Creamy Cashew Artisan Vegan Cheese
Average: 9 (3 votes)
Mouse's Favourite Smoky Creamy Cashew Artisan Vegan Cheese smoked, cultured
Spread Em Kitchen Cashew Cream Cheeze Original
Average: 7 (2 votes)
Spread Em Kitchen Cashew Cream Cheeze Original plain, cultured
Damona Pickled Red Onion and Dill Cream Cheese
Average: 7 (1 vote)
Damona Pickled Red Onion and Dill Cream Cheese herb
Fermaggio Flowers Bio Formaggio Vegano
Average: 9 (3 votes)
Fermaggio Flowers Bio Formaggio Vegano floral
Vegnature La Buchette Original Soft Vegan Cheese
Average: 7 (2 votes)
Vegnature La Buchette Original Soft Vegan Cheese cultured, no goats

Add new comment

Discover Other Vegan Cheeses

Thinking of going vegan but finding it hard to quit dairy cheese?

We have the biggest database of vegan cheeses anywhere online at our discovery app

Go check it out as we're sure you can find a new favorite or first vegan cheese that you love!