The Vegan Feta Taste Test: Our Favorite Brands and Recipes

If you’re on TikTok, you’re likely familiar with feta cheese pasta. But if you don’t get the connection, let us catch you up. A few years ago, a simple, oven-baked recipe featuring feta cheese and tomatoes went viral on the social media app. At the time, it boosted sales of the cheese globally, and since then, demand hasn’t slowed down. To date, #bakedfetapasta has exceeded a whopping 204 million views. Most of the TikTok videos use traditional feta, which is predominantly made from sheep’s milk, but it is possible to buy (or make) a dairy-free version, too.

While the amount of vegan feta products on the market isn’t quite at the level of mozzarella or cheddar alternatives yet, a number of vegan brands offer dairy-free feta versions. We’ve included where to buy this vegan cheese below. But if you can’t get a hold of storebought vegan feta, you could also make it yourself. Read on to find some of our top go-to recipes.

Jump to the FETA brands

But first, let’s find out more about what feta cheese is, as well as how you can use it in a range of dishes—beyond the TikTok-famous pasta.

Daiya

Is feta cheese vegan?

Feta, which originates from Greece, may be new to some of the Gen-Zers on TikTok, but it’s actually one of the oldest cheeses in the world. One of the first recorded mentions was in 1494, but food historians believe the crumbly, salty cheese is derived from an 8,000-year-old recipe. 

Because feta cheese is traditionally made with sheep’s milk, or sometimes a combination of sheep and goat’s milk (and now, some versions are occasionally made with cow’s milk), it is not vegan.

RELATED: We Tried Them All! 22 Dairy-Free Cheese Brands for Cheese Lovers

That said, some who avoid dairy choose to make an exception for feta cheese. This may be because they prefer the taste, but for many, this may have more to do with lactose. It’s estimated that up to 50 million Americans suffer with lactose intolerance, which means they can’t break down the lactose in cow’s milk. But feta is much lower in lactose, making it slightly easier to digest.

However, it’s worth noting that, just like regular cow’s milk, goat and sheep’s milk products are associated with animal cruelty.

Where to buy vegan feta cheese

If you love the taste of feta but don’t love animal cruelty, you can buy vegan feta cheese. It isn’t quite as popular as other dairy-free alternatives yet, but things could be about to change. 

Violife

As demand rises for the conventional version (the market is set to hit $19 billion by 2030), it’s likely that more vegan brands will launch their own versions. After all, the dairy alternatives market is soaring, too. By 2034, it’s expected to hit a value of $36 billion.

But if you’re craving vegan feta cheese now, good news: you already have options. 

Jump to the FETA recipes

Vegan feta cheese brands

Here are some of the best vegan feta products on the market and where to buy them. 

Follow Your Heart

1 Follow Your Heart

Vegan brand Follow Your Heart offers Dairy-Free Feta Cheese Crumbles that can easily be subbed into any of your favorite recipes. Made with coconut oil, they are soy-free and gluten-free. Use atop pizza, salads, flatbreads, pastas, and more for added flavor. 
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Violife

2 Violife

As a Greek brand, it’s unsurprising that Violife is already on board the vegan feta cheese train. Its coconut oil-based feta cheese crumbles just like its dairy counterpart, plus it’s nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and fortified with B12. 
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Good Planet Foods

3Good Planet Foods

Good Planet Foods’ Greek-Style Feta is made from a base of olive oil to achieve the signature taste and melt of dairy feta. The brand takes it up a notch, adding briny olives and garden-fresh oregano to its cheese for a unique, flavorful experience. 
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Plant Ahead

4Plant Ahead

When it comes to vegan cheese, Plant Ahead doesn’t skimp on options. The brand’s offerings include parmesan wedges, cheddar slices, blue cheese blocks, mini mozzarella balls, and of course, feta. Currently, Plant Ahead’s feta is available in two formats: Feta-Style Block and Feta-Style Cubes. Reach for the block for pasta night and go for the cubes when crafting salads or pizza. 

Sheese

5
Sheese

Scottish brand Sheese offers a handful of vegan cheese options, from cheddar blocks to mozzarella shreds. Its Greek Style block mimics feta, with a white appearance and slightly crumbly texture. The vegan cheese is so close to the real thing, it has even been nominated for awards and placed Bronze in Ireland’s Free From Awards. 

How to use vegan feta cheese

Just like regular feta, vegan feta cheese can be used in a number of recipes. You can sprinkle it on a salad, crumble it over a soup, add it to a grazing board alongside olives or sundried tomatoes, pop it on a pizza, or use it to stuff a pepper. The options are endless. If you’re craving pasta, but want something a little less TikTok, you could try this recipe for Vegan Angel Hair Pasta With Lemon, Kale, and Feta.

How to make vegan feta cheese

If you fancy the challenge of making your own vegan feta cheese from home, there are a few options available to you. Most of the recipes online call for tofu, because it closely mimics feta in appearance, but you could also try different nuts, which will help you nail the texture. Or if you want something allergen-free, you could give chickpea flour a whirl. Whatever your preference, here are five different recipes to choose from. 

Vegan feta cheese recipes 

Give these vegan feta recipes a go.

Ed Tatton

1 Vegan Feta Cheese With Macadamia

Macadamia nuts and a high-speed blender are the two key components of this recipe for ultra-realistic vegan feta cheese. Without the latter, you’ll struggle to get the desired effect. But if your blender isn’t quite as powerful, you don’t have to give up. Just keep blending for longer until the texture is ultra smooth and creamy. 
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Nora Cooks

2 Vegan Feta Cheese With Cashews

Nail that tangy, briny taste with this vegan feta cheese recipe from Nora Cooks, which relies on a cashew cream base and combines it with ingredients like lemon juice and vinegar. It’s easy to make and quick too, as the prep takes just 10 minutes. You don’t even need to remember to soak your cashews first.
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The Hidden Veggies

3 Vegan Feta Cheese With Tofu

Appearance-wise, you can’t get better than tofu when it comes to making vegan feta cheese. The two ingredients look practically identical. But to pack in the flavor, this recipe from The Hidden Veggies calls for nutritional yeast, oregano, and garlic powder, as well as apple cider vinegar for acidity.
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Yup, It’s Vegan

4 Vegan Feta Cheese With Almond

This recipe from Yup, It’s Vegan is a little more labor-intensive, but trust us, it’s worth it. You have to remove the skins from almonds, which means soaking them in hot water before blending them with all of the ingredients. But after that, you just bake it in the oven. How long you leave it in there depends on the texture you’re craving. If you want creamy, give it less time.
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Power Hungry

5 Vegan Feta Cheese With Chickpea Flour

Many vegan cheese recipes rely on nuts, which can be tricky for those with nut allergies. But with dairy-free feta, no one has to miss out, because, as this recipe from Power Hungry demonstrates, you can also make a delicious alternative with chickpea flour.
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