Miyoko's Creamery won because it does something no other brand on this list does: actual fermentation. Founder Miyoko Schinner applies traditional European cheesemaking techniques to organic cashew milk, and the result is a mozzarella with tanginess and depth that coconut-oil competitors can't replicate. VegOut Magazine put 15 vegan cheeses through a blind taste test, and Miyoko's was the unanimous #1 pick across the entire panel, including non-vegan tasters. The panel specifically noted a 'tanginess that genuinely surprised' them.
VegNews backed that up with two awards: Cheese of the Year for the Pourable Mozzarella (which bubbles and browns like dairy mozzarella under a broiler) and Best Artisanal Cheese for the broader creamery line. These aren't editorial picks; Cheese of the Year is consumer-voted.
The fresh mozzarella format works for pizza, caprese, pasta, and baked dishes. It melts well, slices cleanly, and holds its shape cold. Tasting Table praised the 'soft, sliceable texture' in their 16-brand ranking. For anyone who cares about how their food is made, the organic certification and cultured process matter too.
The price is real: $8.49 for 8 oz compared to $5.99 for Violife. You're paying for fermentation, organic cashews, and a product that took days to culture instead of hours to extrude.
What It Won't Do
Distribution is Miyoko's biggest problem. You'll find it at Whole Foods and Sprouts, but good luck at Walmart or your local Kroger. The cashew base also rules out anyone with tree nut allergies, which is a meaningful chunk of the plant-based market. And because it's a real fermented product, the shelf life is shorter than coconut-oil alternatives that can sit for weeks.
Violife Mature Cheddar is the only vegan cheese that placed in the top 3 of every single source we consulted. Sporked gave it a perfect 10/10 and named it Best for Burgers. VegNews readers voted it Best Staple Cheese. It won Best Shreds three consecutive years. VegOut's blind panel ranked it #2. Tasting Table put it at #3 of 16 brands.
That kind of consensus across independent reviewers, consumer votes, and blind tests is rare in any product category. The Sporked reviewer captured it well: 'The creaminess lingers. And creamy is hard to achieve with a vegan cheese!'
At $5.99 for 10 slices, it's $2.50 cheaper than Miyoko's per package and available at every major grocery chain in the US. You can walk into a Walmart, Target, Kroger, Whole Foods, Albertsons, or Publix and find it. That matters when you're buying cheese weekly, not as an occasional treat.
The mature cheddar profile is versatile enough for sandwiches, burgers, quesadillas, grilled cheese, and even cold snacking. It melts well under the broiler, getting 'gooey and stretchy' per VegOut. It's the safe recommendation for someone trying vegan cheese for the first time.
What It Won't Do
Violife is a coconut-oil-and-starch product, and you can tell. Eaten cold straight from the package, the texture is waxy and somewhat plasticky. It needs heat to shine. The flavor is good cheddar, but it's one-dimensional compared to the tangy complexity of fermented options. Tasting Table also flagged the price as high relative to other coconut-oil competitors, though $5.99 is still well below artisanal brands.
Who Should Buy Which
Miyoko's Creamery Fresh Vegan Mozzarella
Real fermentation, real flavor, no dairy
- You care about fermentation and traditional cheesemaking techniques applied to plant-based ingredients
- You're hosting mixed vegan/non-vegan gatherings and want cheese that genuinely surprises dairy eaters
- You have access to Whole Foods, Sprouts, or specialty grocers for regular shopping
- You prioritize organic certification and clean ingredient lists over price
- You mainly use cheese for pizza, pasta, and cooked dishes where mozzarella is the right format
Violife Mature Cheddar Slices
The reliable everyday cheddar that melts, stretches, and satisfies
- You want a dependable everyday vegan cheese for sandwiches, burgers, and quick meals
- You shop at mainstream groceries (Walmart, Target, Kroger) and need something consistently in stock
- You're new to vegan cheese and want the safest first pick with the broadest appeal
- Budget matters, and you're buying cheese every week, not as an occasional splurge
- You need a cheddar-style cheese that works across the widest range of applications