Whether from necessity or choice, people are choosing vegan food options more often than ever. Many more high-quality vegan products such as cheeses are hitting the market in the last couple of years. 

Green Goddess Fromagerie is one such example. Based in Guelph, this small women-owned vegan fromagerie won Best in Show at the Planted Expo hosted recently in Toronto. Their products are available at their Guelph boutique as well as select grocery stores including Longos and Healthy Planet. The founders recently announced plans to expand into Western Canada. You can find where Green Goddess vegan cheeses are available near you by using the Green Goddess store finder.

Their vegan cheeses are cultured with the same probiotics that are found in dairy-based cheeses, which helps them taste closer to the real thing. Many vegan cheeses are made up of starches and oils, but these ones are made from cashews—or, in other words, actual food. (The only downside is they’re not school safe since they’re made from nuts.)

I was recently forced to give up dairy products in addition to not being able to eat gluten. This is a common progression for people living with Celiac disease as it advances. I adored cheese and have been looking for a substitute since giving it up, and these vegan cheeses from Green Goddess are the closest thing I’ve found. 

At roughly $15 on average, the vegan cheese balls below are not budget solutions. But they make fabulous treats for people who can’t or choose not to eat dairy products. If you have a vegan or dairy-free person in your life, whipping out some of these at a party is the ultimate love language. 

Green Goddess Fromagerie Everything but the Bagel Vegan Cheese Ball

This cheddar-style vegan cheese is covered in garlic, parsley, and sesame seeds. The cheese is a brilliant orange colour and is smooth and genuinely creamy. It’s similar in texture to a cream cheese when spread at room temperature. As someone who was able to eat cheese until recently, I find the cheddar flavour here is actually convincing. It’s the closest to the real thing I’ve had since having to give up dairy products. 

Green Goddess Fromagerie Thyme for Wine Vegan Cheese Ball

The interior of this vegan cheese ball is styled after a goat cheese. It contains red wine, which adds some tannin and infuses some genuine tang. It’s also a great match with the thyme on the outside, which adds just enough herb flavour to balance the sharper flavours of the vegan chèvre. Like Everything but the Bagel, the cashew cheese spreads beautifully and has a properly creamy texture. This is a great complement to the cheddar-style balls. It offers a different enough flavour profile to provide some variety on a vegan cheese board.

Green Goddess Fromagerie Rosemary and Sharp Cheddar Vegan Cheese Ball

In this vegan cheese, the cheddar flavour is even more pronounced. That’s important so that it can balance against the rosemary it’s covered with, which is also strong on its own. You’ll need to love rosemary to enjoy this one, but if you do then you’ll be thrilled with it. If I only needed one vegan cheese ball, I would choose one of the other two because their flavours are a little more crowd-pleasing. But put all three of these together on a vegan cheese platter, and you’ve got one spectacular vegan spread for parties.

Some of these products were provided for review by the producer.