A snack mixed with cheesy goodness is one of the snacks guaranteed to make us elbow-deep in the bottom of our bags as we sit on our sofas, watching plant-based cooking videos on YouTube. A chip, puff or cracker is never enough to satisfy. For those who love crunchy, crunchy and salty nosh, this one is for you. Here are 27 vegan cheesy snacks to satisfy your cravings.
What does vegan cheese taste like?
While most cheesy snacks on the shelves rely on dairy ingredients to get that signature flavor, vegan cheese-flavored snacks are a little different. Instead of animal ingredients, plant-based cheesy snacks often use ingredients like nutritional yeast, real vegan cheese, or alternative milks to achieve that addictive cheesiness, and trust us, they’re just as delicious. Seriously, you can’t put the packet down.
The best vegan cheesy crackers
Cheese – This is one of the most iconic snack foods. Thankfully, there are a few options for vegan versions of those irresistible crackers.
from the ground
1 From Ground Up Crackers
They may look and taste like your basic vegan cheese square crackers, but they’re unique in that they contain veggies. Cauliflower-based crackers come in cheddar and nacho cheese flavors, and butternut squash-based crackers are mixed with vegan Parmesan. We promise – what you’ll taste is cheesy goodness.
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365 by Whole Foods
2 Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Vegan Cheddar Flavor Almond & Sunflower Seed Flour Crackers by 365
A cross between a Cheez-it and a wheat thin, these big, crunchy vegetarian snacks appeal to those with gluten sensitivity. Gluten-free or not, we always have a box of these crackers in our Instacart.
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Green moustache
3 Green mustache crackers
There are many reasons we love these gluten-free and organic crackers—they’re shaped like mustaches. Other factors include the company’s commitment to sustainability. Green Mustache upcycles unsold crackers into farm animal feed so nothing goes to waste. Cheddarish, Spicy and Parmesan Rosemary flavors are all vegetarian.
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4 Fair and Square
Take a bite. What do you taste? Cheddar flavor, yes. A hint of sea salt? You bet. What you won’t taste is the green banana flour, but that’s the first ingredient. Mind blown.
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Get back to nature
5 Go back to nature’s plant-based snacks
These gluten-free square crackers pack lots of vegan cheddar flavor. With a name like Cheddalicious, we’d expect nothing less.
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Hooks
6 Simple True Ancient Grain Vegan White Cheddar Rice Crackers
In 2020, Kroger’s Simple Truth better-for-you range launched 50 new plant-based foods. These vegan white cheddar rice crackers were one of those accessible and delicious new launches Nice to know that wherever there is a Kroger store, Cheesy Vegan Snacks are nearby.
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Eat every body
7 Every body eats cheese-less slim
Chicago-based Every Body Eats’ cheese-less thins are deliciously cheesy and indulgent, and they’re made with just eight ingredients, including brown rice flour, garlic, white pepper and sea salt. They’re so good, they were named one of Whole Foods’ best-selling cheese snacks in the Midwest last year.
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Best Vegan Cheesy Potato Chips
Nothing says “welcome to my abode, friend” like a bowl of chips. From nacho cheese-flavored Doritos analogs to puffed chips, here are 10 types of cheesy vegan chips you can find at the store:
from the ground
8 Cauliflower Nacho Tortilla Chips from the ground up
What’s better than dipping tortilla chips in vegan queso? A nacho-flavored tortilla chip dipped in a vat of vegan queso. Win the party with a few bags of these cheesy vegan chips.
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Beanfields
9 Beanfields Chips
Made with a blend of black and navy beans, these cheesy vegan chips pack in four grams of plant-based protein per serving. Not bad for an admirable taste! Flavors include Nacho, Spicy Queso, Cheddar and Cheddar & Sour Cream.
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Ka-pop
10Ka-Pop Dairy-Free Popped Chips
Remember rice cakes? These crunchy, gluten-free snacks have a similar texture, but the similarities stop there. Ka-Pop’s Popped Chips are made with sorghum flour and are much tastier than the humble rice cake. Cheesy options include cheddar and sour cream and onion.
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Hippias
11Hippeas Organic Chickpea Snacks
We will never use regular tortilla chips for homemade nachos again. These chickpea flour-based jalapeño vegan cheddar tortilla chips are the only acceptable option when it comes to game day (aka nacho season).
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Plant snacks
12 Plant snacks cassava chips
Sure, the standard cheddar flavor of these vegan snacks is great, but Plant Snacks is the only vegan chip we’ve seen with beet and vegan goat cheese flavors. Vegan cheese board dreams are made of these.
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What up food
13 Que Pasa Foods Nacho Tortilla Chips
Falling under Nature’s Way Corporation, these vegan nacho-infused tortilla chips are perfectly spicy, cheesy, and ultimately addictive. Bring on the chunky salsa and guac.
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enjoy life
14 Enjoy Life Lentil Chips
Enjoy Life’s vegan mini chocolate morsels and chocolate baking blocks first entered our radar, but over the years, we’ve fully embraced the delicious side of this allergen-friendly vegan company. We are in love with every taste of these cheesy vegan snacks.
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seven
15Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips
This allergen-friendly company may be knocking off its vegan queso, but it also makes cheesy vegan chips for dipping. Try the Nacho, Ranch or Fuego if you dare!
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The best vegetarian cheese puffs
Reminiscent of Cheetos Puffs or Cheese Doodles, these little snacks are perfect for the lunch box.
Peatos
16Peatos
We don’t have to tell you which iconic snack food Pitos wants to replicate. These cheesy vegan puffs come piping hot and somewhat confusingly no cheese. The latter are actually cheesy—they’re just made without dairy. These Crispy Cheese Curls won Best New Product in 2022 We are definitely addicted
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from the ground
17 Ground up cheddar from cauliflower stalks
Like the crackers from this vegan snacking company, these cheesy puffs contain cauliflower. Unlike your average puff, these “stems” have a hole just below the center for extra light and airy bites.
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Excellent food
18 Outstanding Food Puffs
We have no idea how something so light and crisp can carry such bold flavors. It’s easy to get to the bottom of the bag with these white cheddar-spiked vegan puffs.
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LesserEvil
19LesserEvil Paleo Puffs
You don’t often mix paleo and vegan, but LesserEvil combines the best of both food philosophies to create a deliciously cheesy vegan snack. “No Cheese” Cheeseness Paleo Puffs are USDA-certified organic, kosher, vegan and paleo-approved. Note: Avoid the very similar looking No Cheese Power Curls. Although they are dairy-free, they do contain egg whites.
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hope pops
20 Asha Pops Lily Seed Puffs
Puffed water lily seeds may not seem too tempting at first, but a handful of vegan cheese flavored puffs will suddenly change your view of what is delicious. Bonus: Each 100-calorie serving contains five grams of protein. Not bad for a small seed.
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Hippias
21 Hippeas puffs
Chickpeas seem to do it all—from aquafaba to these delicious puffs, their versatility expands the galaxy beyond hummus and falafel. These light and crispy snacks come packed with slightly spicy nacho vibes and umami vegan white cheddar.
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spudsy
22 Spudsy Sweet Potato Puffs
The adorable sweet potato mascot enticed us to give these vegetarian snacks a try, but the taste and texture kept us buying more. Since discovering this brand, we’ve tried three cheesy puff varieties, including vegan cheddar and vegan sour cream and onion.
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Earth balance
23 Earth Balance Puffs
Earth Balance has nailed vegan dairy. From its buttery sticks to these vegan aged white cheddar puffs, we wonder what dairy-based foods it will tackle next.
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Vegan Rob’s
24 Vegan Rob’s Puffs
Vegan Rob’s makes a medley of tantalizingly good vegan chips, crisps and puffs. We stumbled upon cheddar puffs and flaming dragon puffs that reminded us of a certain dish often referred to as a walking, talking cheetah with sunglasses.
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Rhythm Superfoods
25 Rhythm Superfoods Chips
Kale has never tasted so good. Rhythm Superfoods turns this leafy green into crunchy, cheesy kale chips in Zesty Nacho and Cool Ranch flavors.
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Best Vegan Cheese Popcorn
Popcorn – everyone’s food. Like one of those canned options filled with three different popcorn flavors, they’re temptingly cheesy.
lesser evil
26 LesserEvil Popcorn
You can sprinkle nutritional yeast on your popcorn, or you can let LesserEvil do the work. “No Cheese” Cheeseness Organic Popcorn is perfect straight from the bag.
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skinny pop
27 Skinny Pop Popcorn
There are very few foods that you can eat in three and a half cups that equal only 150 calories. This snack may be low in calories, but it’s high in vegan cheesy flavor. Choose the Yellow Bag white cheddar variety, as the brand also makes a dairy-based aged white cheddar flavor.
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Bjorn Korn
28 Bjorn Korn
This vegan popcorn is as delicious as it is delicious. Seasoned simply with sea salt and nutritional yeast, it achieves a cheesy flavor without additives, colors or ingredients we can’t pronounce.
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To know more about vegan snacks, read:
Tanya Flink is a digital editor for VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the vegan lifestyle, and only recommend products that we believe make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may contain shopping links where we may receive a small commission. This in no way affects the editorial integrity of VegNews.