I seriously liked the Cheddar-Style Dips from this company, but I LOVED these spreads. The We Can't Say It's Cheese Cheddar-Style Spreads upped the ante in terms of taste, texture, and performance in my book. While the dips could be likened to sour cream in texture, the spreads rivaled cream cheese in their smooth and thick consistency. Of course, the flavor was quite different … not quite achieving cheese, but heavily cheddar inspired to help address the cheese void in the dairy-free diet. Oh, and did I mention - it comes in two flavors, Original and Hickory Smoked. The Hickory Smoked had a unique bacon-esque flavor that really did work.

I have never been a big fan of hard cheese, dairy-free or not, but rather lean toward sauces and spreads for both taste and texture. And for that, this product is perfect. It spreads easily for a thick and creamy topping and melts beautifully when placed in a saucepan or even spread atop a potato and broiled (sorry, I haven’t tested it as a pizza spread or in lasagna yet!). Here are some of the ways I “indulged” with this nutritious spread …

Cheesy Vegan Hand Rolls

This one was a bit unique and you could easily substitute rice, but I was on a veggie kick that day. I shredded/grated some cauliflower and sautéed it until “al dente.” I then combined the cauliflower bits with some of the cheesy spread and a wee bit of salt to season (I did find that a touch of salt was needed at times when using this spread in recipes). From there I spread some of the cauliflower mixture on one side of a nori sheet, added avocado slices and carrot shreds, and rolled them up hand roll style. Some wasabi and soy was all I needed to call these a light and yummy lunch.

Hickory Smoked Mac n “Cheese”

Both my husband and I loved this. I simply melted the cheese spread with a wee bit of milk alternative and combined it with the cooked macaroni noodles, some freshly cooked bacon pieces (use vegan “bacon” if you like), and sautéed chard to round out the meal. Quick, easy, and delicious!

Twice Baked Cheddar Potatoes

Using up those bacon pieces (again, use vegan / vegetarian “bacon” if you prefer), I baked two potatoes, scooped out the insides and mashed them with some of the cheddar spread, a little milk alternative, and green onions. I then smeared some more of the cheddar spread on top, and sprinkled with some smoked paprika and the bacon bits. After a quick broil in the oven, the “cheese” bubbled and browned.

Cheesy Spaghetti or Italian Pasta

I purchased some Muir Glen Organic Pasta sauces for an awesome price with coupons when they were on sale, but little did I know how sweet those sauces would be. We don’t mind a touch of sweetener to cut the acidity in tomato sauce, but both my husband and I found them a notch too sweet. The fix? I added large dollops of the Cheddar-Style Spread (original) to our spaghetti sauce as it cooked. It quickly melted in and the resultant sauce was delicious! Even better – the next time I used the Muir Glen I used Italian sausage (a vegan/vegetarian version could easily be used), loads of mushrooms, and added dollops of the Hickory Smoked Cheddar-Style Spread to the sauce. I was sure my husband would think I was insane blending these flavors, but he proclaimed the pasta one of the best he had ever tasted. I concurred, it was marvelous … and gone far too quickly.

Multi-Purpose "Cheese" Sauce

Excellent atop veggies and so easy to make - simply melt with small amount of milk alternative to reach desired consistency and pour. Need I say more?

Though I don’t have a picture, I also used this as a simple spread (both the original and the hickory smoked) atop plain brown rice cakes for an easy-anytime snack that was surprisingly good - A nice savory change from my usual sweet-nut butter addiction.

We all have different taste buds, particularly when it comes to dairy-free “cheeses,” but Wayfare’s “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” Cheddar-Style Spread was definitely our favorite (myself and my husband’s) cheese alternative to date. I really hope it makes its way onto many grocer (refrigerated) shelves soon!

Free-From Note: I have heard rumor that Wayfare Foods is working on sourcing certified gluten-free oats to make their “cheeses” a good option for many gluten-free consumers too.

Health Note: This spread is relatively low in fat thanks to its oat and bean base, making for a nice guilt-free snack when you do polish off most of the tub!

This is a third party review by Alisa Fleming, author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide & Cookbook. For more information on this product, visit the Wayfare Foods Website.

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