Is Feta Cheese Vegan? 8 Vegan Feta Cheese Brands & Recipe

No. Feta Cheese is not vegan. It is made using sheep or goat milk and rennet. Traditional Feta cheese, originating from Greece, is never vegan. It is protected under the designation of origin in European Union and 25 other countries.

However, outside the EU and these countries, you will see many varieties of feta cheese. Some of them may be vegan if they are made with plant-based milk and non-animal rennet.

Is Traditional Feta Cheese Vegetarian?

No. Traditional Feta cheese is not vegetarian. It is made with rennet. Rennet is an animal-derived product obtained from the stomach of unweaned sheep or goats.

Feta Cheese Ingredients and what makes it Non-Vegan

A look at traditional Feta cheese ingredients will help you better understand why it is not vegan.

Milk: Feta cheese is made using whole sheep milk or a blend of sheep and goat milk. Milk is vegetarian, but it is off-limits for vegans.

Rennet: Rennet is an animal-derived product. Vegans don’t eat anything obtained from animals. Some vegetarians may eat products containing rennet, but it depends on personal beliefs and how strictly they follow vegetarianism.

Salt: Both vegans and vegetarians are okay with salt.

Bacteria Culture: Depends on the source from which bacteria is coming.

Is Vegan Feta Cheese Available?

Yes. Vegan feta cheese is common. You can also make vegan feta cheese at home using tofu, nutritional yeast, miso, coconut oil, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. Some recipes may call for a few other ingredients.

Here is a list of famous vegan Feta cheese brands (PETA certified) you can buy from supermarkets and online.

VIOLIFE Just Like Feta 

It is 100% vegan and vegetarian. The cheese tastes just like traditional feta cheese. The best part; it comes from a vegan brand. The vegan alternative ticks all the boxes for dairy-free eaters.

Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Feta Crumbles

Looking for gluten-free and 100% vegan, dairy-free feta crumbles? Follow your heart’s dairy-free crumbles are an excellent vegan substitute for feta cheese. These crumbles are best for salad seasoning.

Big Mountain Foods Fava Feta

It is known for its soy-free tofu and whole-foods vegan meals. Its vegan feta cheese is an excellent alternative to traditional non-vegan feta.

Daiya Feta Style Block

You can have Daiya vegan feta cheese in crumbled, cubed, or sliced variants. It is a perfect ingredient in salads and pasta. Some people even BBQ it.

Kourellas Vegan White Greek Type Cheese

Looking for flavors in vegan feta? Here is your best bet. It offers 5 flavors; classic, tomato & oregano, olives & chili, peppers & garlic, and smoked.

Trader Joe’s Vegan Feta Cheese Alternative

Trader Joe’s vegan feta is creamier than other vegan feta cheese. It is submerged in a sea-salt brine to add more flavor. It goes great with cherry tomatoes, herbs, and olive oil to make a creamy pasta sauce.

Virgin Cheese Organic Artisan Feta Cheese

It goes well with a glass of red wine. You can stuff it in olives or enjoy it with your favorite crackers.

Cheeze & Thank You Herbed Feta Artisanal Vegan Cheeze

Here is the spice kick you have been looking in vegan feta cheese. It comes with garlic, onion, basil, oregano, red pepper, and black pepper. You can have it with garlic bread topping or use it in your next vegan recipe for an extra flavor kick.

Vegan Feta Cheese Recipe

Vegan Feta Cheese Recipe

Andy Nevers

This vegan feta tastes Amazing. It is made using simple ingredients and prepared only in 25 minutes. Its savory, salty and original-like flavor takes your vegan recipes to a whole new level.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Sides

Cuisine Greek

Servings 10 Servings

Calories 102 kcal

Equipment

• Blender
• Saucepan
• Loaf pan (8 x 4)
• Non-stick spray
• Kitchen Scale (Optional)

Ingredients

  

• 8 ounces firm tofu (226g)
• 1 cup raw cashews (150g)
• water
• 1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
• 5 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tbsp. agar agar powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried dill

Instructions

 

• Take your blender and add raw cashews, tofu, ¼ cup water, white vinegar, yeast, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, and onion powder. Blend it well; the resulting mixture will be thick. Set it aside.
• Spray your 8 x 4 loaf pan by spraying it with non-stick spray. Set it aside too.
• Add one cup of water and agar agar powder to the saucepan and bring it to a boil while stirring constantly. Let it boil for exactly 1 minute while stirring it continuously. You can set a timer on your phone or watch.
• Pour the agar/water mix into the blender quickly as it starts to set up. Blend without wasting time and quickly pour this into your prepared loaf pan. This step must be done quickly as wasting time can toughen agar agar powder.
• Smoothen the cheese with a spatula and refrigerate it to solidify.
• Once the feta is set, loosen the side with a knife and tip it out on a wooden board.
• Cut into slices or cubes, or blocks.
• Add cubes in a bowl and spread dried oregano and dill. Close the lid and rotate the bowl so feta cubes get evenly covered with these ingredients.
• Your feta is now ready; serve it with snacks or enjoy it as it is.
• You can store feta in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it if you can’t finish it in a week.

Video

Notes

You can soak the cashews overnight at room temperature to make them soft. It makes grinding easy. You don’t need to do this if you have a high-speed blender.

You can use almonds instead of cashews in this recipe.

You can also use agar agar flakes instead of agar powder; just increase the quantity 3 times when using agar flakes.

You can store the cheese in the freezer for up to 3 months.

The nutritional information given below is approximately calculated. It will change depending on the quality and quantity of ingredients.

• Fat: 7g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 3g
• Sugar: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 6g
• Protein: 5g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sodium: 586mg
• Potassium: 137mg
• Calcium: 42mg
• Iron: 1mg
• Vitamin A: 5IU
• Vitamin C: 3mg

Keyword Vegan Feta Cheese

What other varieties of Cheese are Vegan?

• Cheddar Cheese: Authentic cheddar cheese is not vegan. It is made with cow milk, animal rennet, salt, and bacteria culture. The good news is that you can make vegan cheddar cheese at home or buy it readymade.
• Ricotta: Ricotta cheese may or may not be vegan. It depends on the ingredients and how the cheese is made. Traditional Ricotta is never vegan. You must always check the ingredients on the packing if you are buying a vegan-labeled cheese from the store.
• Parmesan: Authentic parmesan cheese is not vegan. It is made using cow milk and animal rennet. Both are non-vegan ingredients.
• Grana Padano: No. Grana Padano is not vegan or vegetarian. Grana Padano contains milk and animal rennet. Neither vegans nor vegetarians can eat it.
• Mozzarella: Mozzarella cheese is not vegan. It is also made using animal milk and rennet. Hence, vegans and vegetarians cannot eat it.
• Goat Cheese: No. Goat cheese is not vegan because it is made using goat milk. However, it can also be made with 100% vegan ingredients. Check out a quick recipe here.
• Cream Cheese: No. Most cream cheese varieties are not vegan because it is made using animal-derived ingredients. You may see vegan cream cheese in stores; don’t forget to check the ingredients and labels before buying.
• Cottage Cheese: Most cottage cheese is not vegan. A few brands make vegan cottage cheese; always check the ingredients before buying.