Everybody loves cheese. Most of the cheese made comes from cow and goat milk, while others come from sheep milk. However, the most widely used is goat milk.
Goat cheese is versatile and can be used in spreads, on pizza, sandwiches, soups, salads, and added to meals. They can be expensive, so you might consider using a substitute.
Here are some alternatives to consider:
- Fromage Blanc
- Blue Cheese
- Gruyere Cheese
- Emmental
- Feta Cheese
- Ricotta Cheese
- Parmesan
- Cashew Cheese
- Cotija
Do not worry if you are still unable to find anything suitable from the list above. There are tonnes of best substitutes for goat cheese.
But first, let’s look at why this cheese is so common and popular.
24 Goat Cheese Best Substitutes
In the simplest form, goat cheese is made by allowing raw milk to naturally curdle, and then draining and pressing the curds. Other techniques use an acid (such as vinegar or lemon juice) or rennet to coagulate the milk.[Source]
The two critical traits of goat cheese are flavor and texture. Fresh goat cheese has a creamy, soft consistency and sweet, tart, and earthy taste.
As the goat cheese matures, its tartness turns citrus-like, and its earthiness deepens. Aged goat cheese has a hard texture, bordering on crumbly and with a strong odor. A firmer texture and a furry rind develop as the goat cheese ages.
Some of the best cheese substitutes includes Fromage Blanc and blue cheese. It has similar features to goat cheese concerning aroma, consistency, and taste.
The best goat cheese substitutes replicate taste, flavor, and texture and here is the full comprehensive list that you can consider.
Fromage Blanc
Fromage Blanc is a spreadable, fresh cheese native to the south of Belgium and north of France. It has a white, soft, creamy texture and a tangy, milky, smooth, citrusy flavor.
Fromage is made from cow milk aged only for a few weeks. Fromage works well with quiches, frittatas, baked goods, and casseroles.
Blue Cheese
The name of this cheese describes its appearance. Blue cheese is made from cow milk, but sheep and goat milk may also be used. The bluish spots on the cheese are due to the cultured mold Penicillium.
It can be hard or soft and crumbly, but squishier and creamier than goat cheese. It gives off a strong odor that intensifies, as the cheese gets older.
Blue cheese is a perfect combination of candied nuts, apples, pears, and dried fruits mixed in salads. An excellent topping on pizza and past. Blue cheese is a fantastic addition to sauces and dips.
Gruyere Cheese
Gruyere Cheese belongs to the hard cheese category despite its smooth-melting texture. Gruyère is cow milk cured for at least 6 months or longer. It is one of the 2 cheese types used to make fondue.
Gruyere cheese has a light, yellow color and a creamy, rich, tangy, slightly nutty, and salty taste. It has the same aroma as goat cheese.
It is common to use it in sandwiches and cheese platters. Some may also use it as an ingredient in French onion soup and Croque monsieur.
Emmental
Emmental is also a Swiss cheese similar to Gruyère but semi-hard. It is the other ingredient used in fondue.
Emmental has a salty and flavorful, mild taste. Its texture is chewy, firm, and fatty; and is most often used on cooked dishes.
Feta Cheese
Feta cheese is made from sheep or goat milk and brine-cured for 4 to 6 months. It has a strong, salty, tangy taste. The texture is rich, soft, and has a crumbly consistency.
Due to its crumbly consistency, Feta cheese is best used in salads or shredded on top of pizza or flatbreads. You can also use it as an ingredient for dips or as an appetizer.
Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta Cheese is made from leftover whey of sheep milk from other cheese produced.
Ricotta Cheese is white in color and low in fat. It has a sweet, tangy, and milky flavor but has a firmer consistency than goat cheese.
Other than desserts, you can also use Ricotta on pizza, cheesecake, pasta, and cookies.
Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan is another hard cheese made from cow milk with a characteristically robust, nutty flavor, but at the same time, bitter, salty, and sweet. The color of parmesan may range from light to darker yellow with a grainy, crumbly texture.
Parmesan cheese is a frequent ingredient in baking and cooking. You can eat parmesan directly, sprinkled over baked goods, or used to cook cakes and hot dishes.
Cashew Cheese
Cashew cheese is a blend of cashews, vinegar, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, seasonings, and coconut oil. The mixture is fermented for a couple of days, then molded into a log before refrigerating.
The result is a soft, tangy cheese that you can slice for sandwiches. It is not recommended if you have an allergy to nuts.
Cotija Cheese
If texture and consistency are what you are after, Cotija cheese is nowhere near goat cheese. This cheese native to Mexico is crumbly and solid hard.
But if the taste is your preference, Cotija is bold, tangy, and salty. It is great to use on tacos, salads, and soups.
Manchego Cheese
Manchego cheese has a similar taste to goat cheese. The flavor depends on the length of its aging time. Fresh Manchego aged for 2 weeks has a grassy, mild, and milky flavor with a soft texture.
After 6 months of aging, it has a nutty, mild taste and a firmer but slightly crumbly texture. After a year, it turns into a deep, tangy, zesty flavor and crumbly.
It goes best with tapas or pairs well with olives, figs, sun-dried tomatoes, or nuts.
Halloumi Cheese
Halloumi is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk, but sometimes, a combination of sheep and goat milk. It is not an ideal substitute for goat cheese if you want a similar texture.
Halloumi is a semi-hard, chewy consistency that remains firm after heating. It has a tangy, briny, and salty taste like goat cheese. It works best with vegetables and salads.
Queso Añejo
Queso Añejo has a dry, crumbly, and hard consistency, but packs a punch considering its aroma. This cheese is salty and is rolled on paprika, which adds to its sharp bite.
It goes well with enchiladas and tacos, or crumbled on top of cooked dishes.
Labneh
Labneh is made from strained fermented milk or plain yogurt. Straining takes several hours until all moisture is gone, leaving a thick consistency similar to whipped cream cheese.
Labneh has a tangy flavor and thick consistency similar to whipped cream cheese. It is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine.
Labneh is a perfect substitute for goat cheese when used as a spread.
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is the best substitute if you are after the texture more than the taste. It is smooth, spreadable, and creamy, similar to goat cheese.
However, cream cheese has more fat than goat cheese. This makes it buttery and rich. The taste and flavor are mild, fresh, and sweet. It is best used in bread, bagels, dips, and baked goods.
Mascarpone Cheese
Mascarpone cheese is similar to cream cheese in both taste and texture. However, it has 2 times more fat than regular cream cheese.
Mascarpone has a silky, smooth, creamy, and ivory-colored consistency, but is not as sticky as goat cheese. It is best used for desserts and savory dishes because of its sweet taste.
Boursin
Boursin is creamy, soft, and spreadable but a little crumbly. If you want a replacement for goat cheese with the same texture, this is another good choice. What makes the taste of this creamy cheese distinct is the fresh herb mixed with it.
Boursin is an excellent accompaniment for your crackers and vegetables. You can also add it to your salad, chicken, and pasta recipes.
Cottage Cheese
To make cottage cheese, acidify raw milk to separate the whey from the curds. Rinse the curds, and then add salt. Since it results in a lumpy consistency, blend it in a food processor.
Refrigerate the mixture to solidify and replicate the texture and consistency of goat cheese.
Paneer Cheese
Panner is native to India with a similar consistency to aged goat cheese. However, it is very dense and chewy. It also has a fresh, bright, milky flavor like fresh goat cheese. Used in many Indian dishes, and maybe fried or grilled. Its dense texture helps absorb the taste of all spices in any food.
Greek Yogurt
Greek Yogurt is often mistaken for Labneh, but they are not the same. Labneh has a thicker consistency than yogurt.
Yogurt has the same texture and consistency as goat cheese with a mild tangy taste. It is a healthy option if you want fewer calories. It is best used for desserts, dips, and sauces.
Queso Fresco
Queso fresco is similar to aged goat cheese in consistency and texture. It is moist and creamy, but slightly crumbly. It has a mild, tangy flavor, but tastes fresh and creamy.
Queso fresco easily crumbles and is often used on top of dishes like tacos and enchiladas.
Camembert
Camembert has a buttery, creamy, runny, and earthy texture. It develops a bloomy and soft but edible rind, which cheese lovers consider a delicacy.
You can describe its flavor as eggy, nutty, milky, grassy, and fruity. You can use it on pastries and baked goods.
Farmer’s Cheese
Farmer cheese is cow milk made into cheese from farms.
Some farms use either goat or sheep milk to make this fresh cheese. It is a soft, creamy cheese that you can consume as soon as it is made and dried.
Manouri
Manouri is produced using leftover whey derived from the production of feta.
The texture of Manouri is comparable to feta cheese but creamier. Manouri has a clean, milky, slightly nutty flavor with citrus undertones. The taste is similar to a fresh, low-tang yogurt.
Manouri is perfect for pastries, salads, crumbled-over pasta, or as cheese dessert.
Cheese Tofu
Yes, you can make cheese using tofu. Cheese Tofu is the best alternative to goat cheese if you are vegan, lactose intolerant, or allergic to nuts (you can use nuts to make cheese).
To get the texture to become firm, use refined coconut oil to emulsify the tofu (use silken tofu). Blend in a food processor.
To get the goat cheese flavor and taste, use fermented spices like mustard, miso paste, vinegar, paprika powder, lemon juice, and yeast for a nutty taste.
Best used as a dip, cream cheese, pasta sauce, pizza topping, and baked goods.
