The texture of blue cheese depends on the variety. Some are crumbly, while other types are creamy or soft. Aside from the pungent aroma, the cheese has a sharp and salty flavor, making it a staple for cheese lovers in pasta, cheese boards, salads, sauces, dips, or dressings.
If you are not a fan of blue cheese, ran out of it, or do not have the budget to get some, but the recipe calls for it, you can choose among the best blue cheese substitutes, including the following:
- Queso Fresco
- Feta Cheese
- Aged Cheddar Cheese
- Habanero Cheddar Cheese
- Goat Cheese
- Ranch Dressing
- Monte Enebro
- Bleu d’Auvergne
- Danablu
Keep reading to learn more about how you can add substitutes to retain the dish’s flavors even when you are not using blue cheese.
16 Best Replacement For Blue Cheese
Blue cheese is an acquired taste. It’s either you like it or you don’t, or at least not yet. Aside from the hefty price tag, it has a distinct smell that not many people, including chefs, find appetizing.
However, the fact that it’s popularly used in a variety of recipes around the globe proves that with everything that seems to be so wrong about the cheese, there appear to be more reasons to love it. This cheese made from the pasteurized milk of sheep, goat, or cow was invented by accident.
It was unintentionally left in limestone caves for quite some time, where it ripened and turned into the blue cheese you are familiar with now. Instead of being left in the caves, the milk goes through a curing process with the cultures of a crucial fungus called penicillium roqueforti.
Without further ado, lets look at the full list of replacements you can consider for blue cheese.
Queso Fresco
This soft cheese is pretty common in Mexico and tastes tangy, salty, and bitter. However, the taste is milder than blue cheese, so you would have to add more than what’s required in the recipe.
Quesco Fresco cheese is made from the milk of goat and cow, with vinegar, lemon juice, and rennet. It has a similar flavor to blue cheese crumbles, making it a good substitute for sprinkling. Avoid using the cheese in any recipe with vinegar because it will taste too sour.
In Mexico, people love adding this cheese to recipes like Dominican fried cheese, Colombian arepas, fruit salad, huevos rancheros, tacos, and enchiladas.
Feta Cheese
Feta cheese can be made from sheep’s milk or a combination of sheep’s and goat’s milk. The latter produces a milder flavor, and the one made from sheep’s milk alone tastes a bit tart. It is similar to blue cheese in flavor, minus the molds.
It’s saltier than blue cheese since feta is stored in brine with 8 to 10 percent salinity. Gradually add it when you’re using feta as a substitute for blue cheese. Take note that it is easy to melt and soft.
You can use crumbled feta as a substitute in making sauces, sandwiches, and salads.
Aged Cheddar Cheese
The common cheddar cheese has a smooth and creamy texture and mild flavor. Once it matures, it becomes tangy, sharp, and nutty, making it an ideal substitute for blue cheese.
You can start using the same amount as required when doing the substitution. But you may need to gradually add more since blue cheese has a stronger flavor than aged cheddar.
Habanero Cheddar Cheese
It’s salty, and it makes a good substitute for blue cheese if you want something with an extra spicy kick. Make sure that you add it gradually so your dish won’t end up too spicy for your liking.
Goat Cheese
Goat cheese is also referred to as Chèvre cheese in its country of origin, France. It is made from pure goat’s milk, with higher fatty acids and less protein than cow’s milk.
It has a smooth, creamy, and tangy taste, the reason why many people consider it as the cheaper version of feta but with a bit of tanginess and earthy notes, especially when young. It is also saltier than blue cheese, so add it gradually to the dish when used as a substitute.
You may find goat cheese products in a variety of flavors. But if using it as a blue cheese alternative, make sure that you stick with the plain type.
Ranch Dressing
It’s paleo and vegetarian-friendly. The sauce is made from sour cream, black pepper, salt, onions, buttermilk, and various herbs and spices.
Since this is a dressing, you can only add a little to the recipe, not unless it’s okay to have the dish more syrupy or runny than when you use blue cheese.
The taste is also not the same since the dressing has an underlying tartness, so this may only be a good choice for those who love ranch dressing.
Monte Enebro
If you are a fan of the funky smell of blue cheese, you have found the perfect substitute. The rind of Monte Enebro smells like blue cheese since it is made from the blue mold. However, the inner part tastes creamy and sweet.
Its flavor becomes stronger as it ages and becomes ripe. So if used as a substitute for blue cheese, it is best to look for the mature kind of Monte Enebro.
Bleu d’Auvergne
In English, its name means blue of Auvergne. This type of blue cheese is made from cow’s milk. It’s also an acquired taste, but it will grow on you the more you have it.
It’s prepared differently than blue cheese. It is cultured using Penicillium glaucum, giving it a milder and different taste, which is close to the smoky aroma of roasted hazelnuts.
It has a different texture from blue cheese. If you want to slice it evenly, make sure to use a high-quality cheese slicer.
Danablu
This is another kind of blue cheese. Danablu, short for Danish Blue, is made from cow’s milk and shows streaks of blue veins.
It tastes soft at first, which becomes stronger the more you have it. The cheese has sharp, pungent, and salty flavors.
It has the same color and taste as Roquefort, and makes a nice addition to fruits and salads. It also pairs well with sauces, pasta, soups, seared steak and beef, and dark chocolate.
Maytag
It’s a type of blue cheese whose invention dates back 80 years. It was handcrafted by Frederick L Maytag II in 1941 using cattle’s milk to recreate Roquefort cheese.
It is moist like blue cheese, and manufacturers add mold spores to make it taste and appear closer to blue cheese. It has a fruity and intense flavor, which many use as a cheaper version of blue cheese in sprinkling burgers and salads.
Stilton Cheese
Stilton cheese comes in two types – white and blue. The latter is injected with the blue mold, making it close to impersonating blue cheese. It’s actually hard to differentiate the two, especially when served with champagne or fine wine.
If you have seen Stilton before, you will be amazed at how it looks even from afar. It’s like a crafty work of an artisan. Taste-wise, you can use the blue variant to substitute blue cheese in any recipe.
Roquefort cheese
Roquefort cheese is made from sheep’s milk with a crumbly and moist texture. It dates back more than 100 years since its invention, and the creation process involved mold infestation in caves.
This cheese matures for two to three months, which is faster than any other type of blue cheese. It goes well in any recipe that calls for blue cheese, especially soups, salads, and roasted potatoes.
This cheese has a salty, tangy, and sharp taste. The flavor goes well with erotic and exotic dishes that call for blue cheese.
Gorgonzola Dolce
This is the lighter version of Gorgonzola. The cheese has mold culture injections and is made from cow’s milk. It has a thick texture with light blue veins.
This is an ideal substitute for blue cheese if you want a similar texture but a different taste. Gorgonzola Dolce has sweet undertones and milder flavor.
Gorgonzola
If Gorgonzola Dolce is creamy and soft, this one is sharp and chalky. Its texture is unique since it has the quality of both soft and hard cheese.
It is made from unskimmed cow’s milk, which gives off the comforting and buttery texture of the cheese when it goes inside your mouth. The cheese retains its savory and smokey flavor even when cooked or baked.
It makes the perfect substitute for blue cheese in baked dishes, such as pizza, cookies, and lasagna. It also goes well with pasta, green salad, risotto, or eaten paired with red wine.
The younger version of this cheese has a mild taste, and the matured type has a sharp flavor. Take note of this when shopping for the kinds of Gorgonzola that suit your taste.
The cheese, named after a town in Milan, was granted a PDO product tag by the European Commission in 1996. It means that it can only be exclusively produced in Lombardy and Piedmont, Italy.
Halloumi cheese
Halloumi cheese, which tastes salty, is closer to the flavor and texture of feta cheese but can also be used as a substitute for blue cheese. It can be made with cow’s milk or goat’s milk.
While it has the same levels of saltiness as blue cheese, it lacks the spicy notes that blue cheese is known for. Despite what it is lacking, the saltiness of Halloumi cheese makes it an ideal substitute for blue cheese in many recipes.
Due to its high melting point, you can easily use the cheese in many dishes, including grilling or frying. The downside of the cheese is that, similar to blue cheese, it may come at a high price, depending on where you are.
Cambozola
Cambozola cheese is a type of German cheese that has blue veins and a semi-soft texture. It is made from pasteurized cream and cow’s milk.
It has the melt-in-your-mouth characteristic of creamy, sweet, and sharp flavor. It pairs well with nuts and fruits. It is often used as a substitute for blue cheese on cheese boards. You can also add it to desserts, dressings, pasta, soups, sauces, and salads.