In 2022, the classic line of Daiya Shreds was officially retired. The company is now focusing all of their cheesy energies on the Daiya Cutting Board Shreds.
Not to be confused with the newer Daiya Cutting Board Shreds, the classic line of Daiya Shreds has been around for many, many years. It’s been reformulated on several occasions, but still comes in two traditional flavors that can be found in many grocers.
Dairy-free cheese is a very particular thing. Many tasters will covet a certain alternative while others may loathe it. But love them or hate them, it’s hard to deny the mainstay popularity of Daiya Shreds dairy-free cheese alternatives over the years.
Daiya Shreds are the Classic Dairy-Free Cheese Alternatives
As one of the few top allergen-free alternatives, the Daiya Shreds received our top pizza-performing rank. Also, it does add easy, cheesy appeal to many recipes. It whisks into sauces and despite its rather staunch appearance, it actually melts atop many dishes with relative ease. You can see how Daiya Shreds melt in my “Irish Nachos” photo below.
But let us know what you think of them. Leave your own rating and review below! It helps others make an informed purchasing decision.
Mozzarella Style
Ingredients: filtered water, tapioca flour, expeller pressed non-GMO canola and/or safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavours, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (vegan, for flavour), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral).
Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 90 calories, 6g fat, 7g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein.*
Cheddar Style
Ingredients: filtered water, tapioca flour, expeller pressed non-GMO canola and/or safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegan natural flavours, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, yeast extract, citric acid (vegan, for flavour), annatto (for colour), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral).
Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 90 calories, 6g fat, 7g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein.*
More Allergen Notes
The following information is from Daiya Foods:
We have our own dedicated production facility except for Daiya pizzas, Cheezy Mac, Cheezecakes and dairy-free Dressings to eliminate any chances for cross-contamination. Our pizzas, Cheezy Mac, Cheezecakes and dairy-free Dressings are manufactured in another facility where we have an allergen program in place to prevent any cross contamination with dairy ingredients.
Discontinued Flavors
The Pepperjack and Classic Blend (mozzarella-cheddar combo) of Daiya Shreds were discontinued. However, they do offer a Monterey Jack variety of the Daiya Cutting Board Shreds.
More Facts on Daiya Shreds
- Price: $4.99 per 8-ounce bag
- Availability: Daiya Shreds are sold at major grocers, like Whole Foods, Safeway, and Walmart, in the U.S. and Canada.
- Certifications: Daiya Shreds are Certified Kosher Parve and Certified Vegan. The have been going through Non-GMO verification and do use only non-GMO ingredients.
- Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Daiya Shreds are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- For More Product Information: Visit the Daiya Foods website at daiyafoods.com.
*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy.
Melts good
Melted good but it gives me a stomach problems. Not sure why, but tried several times with same result. I had better luck with VioLife
pretty gross
tried the mozzarella on pizza, disgusting taste, I would rate it a 0 based on that alone
absolutely DISGUSTANG
I wish I could give it 0 stars. Tastes like you’re eating chalky chemicals. I don’t trust anyone who likes This brand.
Good Non-Dairy Option
For those who don’t have the option of eating real cheese, this is the best alternative I’ve found. People looking for any non-dairy options to taste exactly like real cheese are unrealistic. Either way, it’s solid.
Not cheese.
I give them one star for the idea. The final product is not only far from tasting like cheese but tastes so bad and smells so bad that just a pinch of it in a meal would ruin it for me. I must say i know people who doesn’t mind the taste or smell. But for me , this is not edible and should not be considered food.
grossest thing I have ever eaten
I thought my least favorite food was olives, until I encountered Daiya “cheese”. literally makes me nauseous when I eat it. it’s not better melted.
Bad before expiry
Not sure why? But my cheese went moldy way before my expiry date? Not happy to throw almost whole pkg away
Response from Go Dairy Free
You should contact the company. They are usually happy to make it right.
One of the better options
We did a taste test with these Daiya shreds, Follow Your Heart shreds, and Go Veggie shreds atop pizza. This was the hands down winner, even with our resident dairy cheese eater. We’ve found that it melts pretty well, both atop and in dishes. The cheddar is definitely more pronounced in flavor than the mozza, which we thought was pretty mellow. I’m still a bigger fan of their cutting board shreds, but these aren’t bad.
I'm a fan
I tried the mozzarella in a grilled vegetable panini and atop a cheesy squash casserole and on pizza. I was kind of eh, about it with the panini. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but I wasn’t blown away by it. But on the squash casserole…I LOVED it! It is extremely creamy and melts really well. I don’t think it has a ton of flavor, but I guess mozzarella cheese isn’t loaded with flavor either. That’s what makes it a great addition to dishes where you are looking for creamy gooeyness, but don’t want to mask the flavors of your dish. Honestly, the problem with most dairy free cheeses are the messed up flavors, so the mild flavor of Daiya is perfect in my book. Finally, I tried it on a buckwheat flat bread pizza with roasted red pepper spread, the Mozzarella Style, and a pepper/onion mix. Ok, they win…I am sold. This stuff is really amazing on pizza and even stringy like real cheese.
Just not good
It’s just too strong a flavor. If I do use this, I have to use a quarter of tbs amount.
19 Comments
Thanks for your review. After being dragged kicking and screaming to a vegan Mexican restaurant recently, I (with much chagrin) fell in love with vegan cooking. I wanted to try and replicate a dish I had at the restaurant, so on your review I picked up some Pepper Jack Daiya shreds. I love the stuff! I like how it melts and stays melted. Best if all is how it kind of sticks to your teeth like real cheese does. I didn’t mind the mild taste, as I brought a lot of flavor into the dish.
That’s great! I’m so glad it worked out well for you Joshua and happy I could help.
Yuck, I am not sure why everyone loves this stuff. My husband is allergic to dairy but after trying Daiya slices and shreds, we are both begging for real cheese. The cheddar slices tasted so awfully fake, but they did have a slight melty consistency that looked good. They were edible but I definitely won’t buy them again. The pepperjack shreds completely ruined the tacos I put them on. I wasn’t expecting them to taste like real cheese but I at least hoped they would be palatable. Pretty disappointed and if this is the best option I am feeling discouraged.
These two options are more popular ->
https://www.godairyfree.org/product-reviews/field-roast-vegan-chao-cheese-slices
https://www.godairyfree.org/product-reviews/follow-your-heart-cheese-alternative (NOT the vegan gourmet line)
Very tasty I was skeptical I didn’t think it would taste that good but it’s very very good and I recommend this to anybody who needs a dairy alternative
Thanks for sharing this Rebecca!
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I had to go dairy-free because I’m allergic to casein. Daiya shreds do not melt. I’ve tried it and it does not melt. It releases an oil and oily flavour and that’s it. It tastes horrible. I had to scrape it off my pizza. Maybe it’s the Daiya in Canada that’s so gross? I don’t know. Daiya slices for grilled cheese on the other hand is amazing!
They have new shreds coming out Yasmeen that do melt! You can see the details on all of the new products here -> http://www.godairyfree.org/news/daiya-grilled-cheese-bagel – the new shreds will be a completely separate line, called “Cutting Board Shreds”. They should start hitting shelves within a few months.
Would be good if you would leave a comment on what stores carry this.
That would be far beyond the scope of what I can cover! They have a store locator here (sold at thousands of stores) – http://daiyafoods.com/find-us/where-to-buy/
Since going dairy-free, my kids have really missed pizza. We’re going to have to try the Daiya shreds on a homemade (gluten free) pizza. Thank you.
This is my go to cheese for everything. It melts to stringy and is easily available where I live and the other brands are harder to find
Perfect for pizza! Melts well and tastes delicious. I can hardly tell it’s not real cheese. Even my non-vegan boyfriend couldn’t tell the difference. I highly recommend this product.
This is my go to cheese for EVERYTHING. Since removing dairy from my diet, I have missed cheese. Now that I’ve found Daiya, my life is changed for the better! 🙂
Love this stuff!
So glad it’s filling the void for you Jen!
We have been using Daiya dairy alternatives for a few years now and they were a life-saver when we first needed to ditch gluten and dairy! My son has a VERY selective palette and his meals of choice were dominated by pizza, mac and cheese and nachos – hmmm….can you see an issue? Anyway, Daiya products offered us the opportunity to make delicious alternatives and therefore survive moving to a new dietary lifestyle! We have used most of the shreds, wedges and spreads and enjoyed them immensely.
That does sound like a clue 🙂 I’m glad you have found some alternatives that work so well for you and your son.
Thanks for the great review. I absolutely love Daiya Vegan Cheese Alternative. I’ve tried several brands but this one is my favorite. I also love how it’s soy free since I can’t have soy and so many other brands have soy in them. It also melts really well. My favorite flavor is the pepper jack. Mozzarella is the most versatile and can be used in so many dishes from pizza to lasagna.