Learn how to make the PERFECT vegan grilled cheese with a deliciously creamy dairy-free vegan cheddar cheese spread. Hot, toasty, melty, and so flavorful. Just 2 ingredients and 10 minutes are all you need.
Who doesn’t remember a rainy day with tomato soup and toasty bread that was filled with savory melty cheese? Those were the days. I think this combination is actually the number one kid cuisine in the world.
The grilled cheese sandwich is a classic comfort food that’s loved by people of all ages. But what if you’re following a plant-based or vegan diet? No worries! With the right ingredients, you can still enjoy a healthy, delicious, and satisfying vegan grilled cheese that’s every bit as good and taste just like the original. Here’s how to make it.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
- It’s completely oil-free and WFPB
- All the flavor and texture of a traditional grilled cheese
- Crispy, salty, cheesy, and melty
- So comforting
- Simple, quick, and delicious!
What is the best cheese for making a vegan grilled cheese?
Well, it’s not vegan store-bought cheeses. They’re not healthy, loaded with oil and processed ingredients, and don’t melt that great anyway.
My vegan cheddar cheese is best for making a vegan grilled cheese sandwich. Why? Because it’s healthy, uses whole food ingredients, and there’s nothing to melt. It spreads on the bread so nicely and easily as you toast your bread.
Then, once you bite into it you get all that melty, stretch goodness you would from regular cheese. You’re welcome.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Bread: 2 slices of your favorite hearty vegan bread. I prefer sourdough bread, but you could also use whole wheat bread or even rye.
- Vegan Cheese: this recipe is made with my Best Vegan Cheddar Cheese Spread.
How do you make a vegan grilled cheese sandwich?
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot go ahead and toast your bread (about 1 minute per side). This is not necessary but it does give the bread a good crunch, inside and out, before you actually make the sandwich. And, you don’t need to use vegan butter or oil. The bread will crisp up just fine in a good nonstick pan.
- After toasting the bread remove it from the pan and spread 2-3 Tablespoons of the vegan cheddar cheese on one slice of bread. Place the second slice of bread on top and cook until the bread is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. I like to press down on the sandwich with a spatula occasionally to help the cheese heat through and the bread to crisp a little more. Keep an eye on the bread making sure it doesn’t burn.
- Once the sandwich is golden brown, remove it from the heat and serve immediately.
Now, it’s time to enjoy your delicious and comforting vegan grilled cheese sandwich!
Can I use gluten-free bread?
Yes, absolutely. But, be sure and read the label and make sure it is actually vegan. Some gluten-free bread recipes use eggs and oil as a binder.
Additions and Substitutions
- You can add other ingredients like avocado, tomatoes, peppers, caramelized onions, or even healthy greens, like spinach, to make it even more flavorful and nutritious.
- If you like savory flavors sprinkle on a little garlic powder, onion powder, basil, or oregano. Pure delight.
- Try using a different vegan cheese recipe. My Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe makes a sensational sandwich. Or, you could go crazy and use both together. Just sayin’…
- Both my vegan cheddar cheese and vegan mozzarella use raw cashews as a base. So, if you can’t have nuts or want to cut back on the fat there is another option. Whip up a batch of fat-free vegan cheese sauce, add ¼ cup of tapioca flour (same as tapioca starch), and then stir over medium heat. It should thicken up quite nicely.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this sandwich all by itself as an afternoon or after-school snack. But, you can pair it with several dishes and have a complete meal.
- Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
More Vegan Sandwich Recipes
- Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich
- Best Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwich (Jackfruit)
- TTLA Sandwich (Tempeh, Tomato, Lettuce, & Avocado)
As you can see, making a vegan grilled cheese is just as easy as making a traditional grilled cheese sandwich, but with a few tweaks. With the right ingredients, you can still enjoy a delicious, comforting, and cheesy sandwich, without any of the animal products.
Give this sandwich a try and let me know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it down below, and don't forget to tag a photo #shaneandsimple on Instagram.
How To Make The Perfect Vegan Grilled Cheese
Learn how to make the PERFECT vegan grilled cheese with a deliciously creamy dairy-free vegan cheddar cheese spread. Hot, toasty, melty, and so flavorful. Just 2 ingredients and 10 minutes are all you need.
- Prep Time: 4 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 Sandwich 1x
- Category: Vegan Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 slices of your favorite whole grain hearty vegan bread. I prefer sourdough bread, but you could also use whole wheat bread or rye.
- 2–3 tablespoon of Vegan Cheddar Cheese spread
- NOTE: you could also use my vegan mozzarella cheese for a different flavor if you choose
- Optional seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano
Optional Additions
- avocado
- sliced tomatoes
- caramelized onions
- peppers
- spinach
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Once the pan is hot go ahead and toast your bread (about 1 minute per side). This is not necessary but it does give the bread a good crunch, inside and out, before you actually make the sandwich. And, you don’t need to use vegan butter or oil. The bread will crisp up just fine in a good nonstick pan.
- After toasting the bread remove it from the pan and spread 2-3 Tablespoons of the vegan cheddar cheese on one slice of bread. Place the second slice of bread on top and cook until the bread is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. I like to press down on the sandwich with a spatula occasionally to help the cheese heat through and the bread crisp up a little more. Keep an eye on the bread making sure it doesn’t burn.
- Once the sandwich is golden brown, remove it from the heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- Make the cheddar cheese spread ahead of time and keep it in the fridge so it’s ready to go.
- Cooking time is assuming the vegan cheddar cheese is already prepared.
- You can add other ingredients like avocado, tomatoes, peppers, caramelized onions, or even healthy greens, like spinach, to make it even more flavorful and nutritious.
- If you like savory flavors sprinkle on a little garlic powder, onion powder, basil, or oregano. Pure delight.
- Try using a different vegan cheese recipe. My Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe makes a sensational sandwich. Or, you could go crazy and use both together.
- Both my vegan cheddar cheese and vegan mozzarella use raw cashews as a base. So, if you can’t have nuts or want to cut back on the fat there is another option. Whip up a batch of fat-free vegan cheese sauce, add ¼ cup of tapioca flour (same as tapioca starch), and then stir over medium heat. It should thicken up quite nicely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Sandwich
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 7.7
- Sodium: 469.7
- Fat: 9.9
- Carbohydrates: 54.3
- Fiber: 8.6
- Protein: 18
Made the grilled cheese and a simple white bean soup. Delicious. With the leftover cheese spread, I put it back in the blender and blended with about half cup almond milk and half cup veggie broth. Removed from blender into a saucepan and added a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas. Heated for 4 to 5 minutes to heat the chickpeas. Served over baked sweet potato and cooked cauliflower and broccoli. It was fantastic.
Wow, sounds amazing!
I haven’t found a vegan grilled cheese recipe that I would want to repeat, until now. Yours is even better than traditional. The cheese sauce is delicious and the way you toast the bread, genius. I also love that it is oil free; who would have guessed? We ate it with salad but I can’t wait to pair it with tomato soup. Thank you for sharing your talent and ideas with vegan cooking, proving it can be so good.
I’m making this for dinner tonight with your corn chowder. It’s cold in NC. Can I air fry the sandwhich and what temperature? I was thinking 350 for 10 minutes. Love your recipes!
Making this with your French fries! Doesn’t get much better than this.
Learn how to make the PERFECT vegan grilled cheese with a deliciously creamy dairy-free vegan cheddar cheese spread. Hot, toasty, melty, and so flavorful. Just 2 ingredients and 10 minutes are all you need.