Why Is Vegan Cheese Often So Sticky And Gooey

If you're someone who excludes dairy from your diet, you've likely tried a vegan cheese product which means you know the kind of texture we're talking about here. It's not to say that vegan cheese isn't great. In fact, their quality has significantly improved in recent years, emulating the appearance, flavor, and melting capabilities of actual cheese to great effect. 

However, there are still a few noticeable inconsistencies in the texture of some vegan cheeses when melted — the result of multiple ingredients working together to mimic melty cheese. These ingredients include starches, gums, oils, and various types of fats as well as plant-derived proteins. Dairy-based cheeses, on the other hand, melt easier because the components of animal's milk naturally behave that way (after the milk has been turned into cheese, of course). 

While the highly-processed ingredients found in vegan cheeses are certainly drawbacks, most vegans agree that being able to eat a non-dairy cheese product is better than not being able to enjoy the experience of cheese at all. Stickiness tends to be inevitable from the starches and gums, while an awkward gooeyness is bound to happen once vegan cheese is melted because of the oils and fats. On the bright side, some brands are far better than others. If you keep an eye out for certain ingredients in vegan cheeses you don't like, you can use that to help avoid other vegan cheeses with similarly cruddy textures.

If a vegan cheese has an ingredient list that includes fermented ingredients the way dairy cheese does, this could reduce your chances of experiencing unwanted stickiness. Fermented ingredients in vegan cheeses is said to yield the closest emulation of traditional cheese, whether it's melted or not. The most commonly used fermented ingredients in vegan cheese brands include nuts, especially cashews, because they yield a buttery texture. Tofu (which is still poorly understood by the public) is another popular fermented ingredient that makes high quality vegan cheeses. Fermented vegan cheeses produce comparable smells and flavors to actual dairy cheese, compensating for any melting issues with enticing aromas and tastes.

Throughout my years of taste testing various vegan cheeses, I've compiled an arsenal of my go-to brands for whatever use the vegan cheese is being called for. I swear by the brand Field Roast for its Chao Creamery plant-based cheese slices in Creamy Original. This brand's main vegan cheese ingredient is fermented tofu and the slices are great for making the best grilled cheese sandwich of your life since they melt just as good as traditional American cheese does. 

For pizza, if you prefer the look and taste of fresh mozzarella cheese, I'd recommend Miyokos Creamery in Organic Cashew Milk Mozzarella (it's a little more complicated than making cashew milk yourself). This cheese is made from fermented cashews, so it's very smooth when melted. Some brands that provide shredded vegan cheeses don't incorporate fermented ingredients, but I find that the brands Violife, Diaya, and Follow Your Heart provide the best texture.