Updated: 26th March 2021
Vegan Cheese – No Dairy, All Taste!
If you thought switching to a vegan lifestyle = giving up cheese forever; think again!
There was a time when coming across some seriously good vegan cheese was rarer than finding fair trade diamonds. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. Singapore is now home to numerous brands of plant-based cheese, both homegrown and International. These come in different forms, flavours and styles to suit different palates, occasions, recipes and requirements. Walk through your neighbourhood supermarket today and you may just stumble across your favourite kind in one of their aisles. Or just head on over to an online specialty store and you’ll be spoilt for choice for commercial slices and blocks and even artisanal cheeses. Whether you want to make them a part of a cheese platter or use them as an ingredient in various recipes and dishes – homemade burgers, pizzas, pastas etc. – these taste just as good (if not better) as dairy cheese and they come without the guilt!
Please know that this is not an exhaustive list of vegan cheeses available in Singapore. The supply and availability of certain imported cheeses is erratic and these may be available at different stores at different times.
And if you’re looking for more, we’ve also got you covered with Vegan Yogurts / Dairy Free Yogurts in Singapore and Vegan Cakes & Desserts in Singapore.
ARTISAN VEGAN CHEESE AVAILABLE IN SINGAPORE
Let’s start with the crème de la crème of vegan cheeses – the artisanal soft cheeses that are often touted as the “vegan makers” because of how many disbelievers they have converted. 4 of our most favourite brands of artisan cheeses available in Singapore, are all cashew based. While Yeti and Nut Culture are manufactured here in sunny Singapore, Miyoko’s, Nutty Bay and Botanical cuisine come in from down under and are handmade in Australia. Together they make for a lethal cheese platter that will be the envy of anyone who isn’t invited!
Yeti
“It’s not cheese, it’s 4MY”. As evident from this slogan, Yeti is a cashew-based Camembert style fromage that takes its name seriously! Well-known for its buttery heart, it comes with a natural and edible bloomy white rind characteristic of the camembert family. Approved by the strictest of cheese connoisseurs and loved by everyone who has had the chance to try it, the Yeti camembert is also organic, sustainably produced and 100% homegrown. The perfect accompaniment to a freshly baked baguette, Yeti by 4My is also red wine’s best friend. One serving quantity of Yeti weighs 200 grams and is priced at S$18.
Buy Yeti here at Nourish
Nut Culture
The folks at Nut Culture believe that our bodies should be fueled with the best that nature has to offer. To that end, all Nut Culture products are made using wholesome natural ingredients that are sourced from organic and sustainable suppliers. All products are dairy-free, gluten-free sugar-free and oil free. So up your salad game, stir nut culture into a creamy and rich pasta sauce, impress your friends with an exceptional cheese board with some fruits and crackers or simply eat it as is! Flavours on offer are Smoked Paprika vegan cheese wheel and Garlic and Herb vegan Cheese wheel, both at S$15 for 140gm.
Buy Nut Culture here at Nourish
Miyoko’s Creamery
Miyoko’s Creamery is one of the pioneers in applying actual cheesemaking techniques to develop realistic flavours that mimic dairy cheese. “No udders compare” and we couldn’t agree more! Besides their fantastic cheeses, we love their compassion centric marketing and mission to revolutionize the dairy industry. All of the brand’s cheeses including the mozzarella, cheese wheels, cream cheeses etc. are made from cultured cashews and they’ve got something for everyone. Singapore is yet to have the full range of Miyoko’s cheeses, but for a start, Miyoko’s Creamery Fresh Vegan Artisanal Mozzarella is now available in Singapore and costs S$22.95 for 227g.
Nutty Bay
At Nutty Bay they believe in “Let food be thy medicine” and insist on using locally grown organic produce to sustainably make all their cheeses. Not only are the Nutty Bay cashew cheeses absolutely delicious, they are probiotic and come with many additional nutritional benefits. The creamy cheeses come in flavours like Tomato & Basil, Chives and Shallots and even a Mushroom flavour! We love that they’re not packaged in plastic and you can get your hands on these umami 270g glass jars for S$18.98.
Botanical Cuisine
Vegan. Check. Handmade. Check. Organic. Check. Raw. Check.
Sustainably produced using ethically sourced premium ingredients, Botanical Cuisine cheeses are also fermented to enhance your gut biome. All of the brand’s cheeses are made in small batches with minimal processing at low temperature ensuring maximum nutrient retention. Their New Yorker Macadamia Cheese 295g (S$21) and Persian style Macadamia Feta 295g (S$21) are absolute favourites.
VEGAN CHEESE SLICES & SHREDS AVAILABLE IN SINGAPORE
Violife
Violife is an award-winning vegan brand that specializes in providing alternatives to all varieties of commercial cheese products. Think slices, cream cheese, shreds and more. All the cheeses are produced using coconut oil and are even fortified with Vitamin B12. In Singapore you can find a range of their cheeses including slices, blocks, shreds and cream cheese. Their slices make for a great grilled cheese and the shreds melt beautifully, but our favourite has to be the sharp cheddar block that tastes so good just on it’s own. Modestly priced, The Epic Mature Block Cheddar Flavour can be bought at t S$9.90 per 200g while the Mozzarella Flavour Grated Shreds costs S$8.95 per 200g.
Buy Violife here at Nourish
Herbyvore Pea Paneer
Pea Paneer is a sustainable plant-based paneer created by Herbyvore Foods. It is a vegan cheese that substitutes paneer (cottage cheese) used in Indian cooking and can even be used to replace feta and halloumi used in Western cuisine. The paneer is locally manufactured in Singapore, and the peas are sourced from Canada. Pea Paneer has a versatile usage in various types of dishes as well as cuisines to not only enhance the tastes but also to complement other flavors. A 220g pack of Pea Paneer/Fresh Cottage Cheese is priced at S$9.00.
Buy Herbyvore here at Nourish
Sheese
Sheese Vegan Cheese has been around for almost 30 years and a couple of years ago it made it’s way to Singapore. The 21 cheeses in the Sheese range are award winning, certified Vegan, and most are Kosher too! Made sans any hydrogenated vegetable fat, the Sheese cheeses are made ethically in an animal-free factory on the island of Bute in Scotland. Given the wide range of flavours and styles you can be sure to find the Sheese you need for any purpose or recipe! The Sheese Vegan Garlic and Herbs Creamy Spread is priced at S$8.00.
Daiya
Dedicated to making eating diary-free a wonderful experience, Daiya is not just dairy free but free of the 7 main allergens including soy and peanuts. Gooey cheeses to lip smacking yoghurts, there is everything that you might want to dig into. Their awesome range includes Shreds, Slices, Blocks and Cream Cheese. Daiya is one of the most widely available vegan cheese in Singapore, so top up your veggie pizza with Daiya’s Mozzarella Style Shreds, or fix yourself a veggie sandwich with a Cheddar Style Slice. For those who love a good cream cheese style spread, there is Plain, Strawberry, Chive & Onion and Garden Vegetable to pick from – these can’t be found here all the time but one or the other flavours occasionally shows face in some supermarkets. You can buy the Daiya Swiss Style slices at S$12.98.
Follow Your Heart
For non-dairy cheeses you just cannot get enough of, Follow Your Heart is a great bet. Having started with vegan cheeses in 2003 when they came up with the first melting vegan cheese, the American brand now offers a wonderful range of flavours and styles, some of them available here. Follow Your Heart also makes Vegenaise – a heart-healthy, vegan spread that apparently tastes better than mayonnaise. Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative Shredded Cheddar can be bought at S$10.90.
Emborg
The Danish company that has been offering dairy and other products since 1947, now offers dairy-free versions of some of its popular cheese. The Emborg Original Plant-Based Slices (200g) are priced at S$8.95.
Nush
There’s quite a story behind this British brand, in that it was founded by ex-police officers Bethany and Paul Eaton. Bethany and Paul created Nush out of a desire to do dairy-free differently; to produce a range of ethical, dairy-free products and destroy the myth that dairy-free has to be bland and boring! As far as we can tell, Nush is the only almond-based cheese currently available in Singapore. Every pot of Nush is made with their home-made almond milk ensuring that it contains a very high percentage of almonds. The Nush Vegan Almond Cheese Style Dairy Free Spread Natural is priced at S$8.95.
MyLife Bio
MyLife Bio really hit the nail on the head when they came up with the tagline – “less dairy, more life”. Bio Cheese is an award winning Australian vegan cheese made with non-GMO, sustainably sourced, premium ingredients like non-hydrogenated coconut oil. You’ll find all your usual suspects here – flavoured slices, blocks and shreds that can be easily applied in different ways. These cheeses taste great and are easy on your pocket too! You can buy Bio Cheese Pizza Shreds (200g) at S$10.95.
There are also other brands of vegan cheese available in Singapore include Chao and Kolios. These can be found in some online wholesale stores as well as some specialty and organic supermarkets.
Vegetarian Cheese – Animal Rennet Free
If you’re vegetarian and eat dairy cheese, you probably know that several of the cheeses are not actually vegetarian as they contain animal rennet, a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals used to curdle the casein in milk to make cheese. So, we say just switch to the vegan options above – they’re healthier, cleaner, more ethical and environmentally friendlier.
But for when you do need to opt for dairy cheese, there are some cheese brands that do not use animal rennet, depending instead on rennet from vegetarian and/or synthetic sources. We do not have an exhaustive list of vegetarian Cheeses available in Singapore as of now, but you can check out Amul, Go, Bega, and Cowhead.
So, if like us, you’re a cheese-lover too but have been shying away because of animal-rennet or dairy, you can now have cheese to your heart’s content. And if you know of any brands that we haven’t listed here, please do comment on the article to let us know, so we can include them in.
At EatRoamLive, we promote and facilitate a healthier, ethical and environmentally friendly veg way of life. ERL is a Media & Events platform connecting veg-friendly restaurants and brands with vegetarian and vegan consumers or those who are consciously looking to make their plates greener. Be it food, travel fashion or skincare, we help you discover brands and experiences that are ethical, sustainable, cruelty-free and simply fabulous.
