Chao Vegan Cheese Slices Make the Cut with Five Flavors

Sometimes food manufacturers get it right on the first try. And Field Roast is one of those success stories with their Chao Creamery division. Chao Vegan Cheese Slices launched about five years ago, and quickly became one of the most popular dairy-free cheese alternatives.

Chao hasn’t had to change a thing about their vegan slices formula or packaging – well, except for selling bulk quantities. Early in 2020, they launched Costco packs in the Midwest, Southwest, Texas, and Ontario, Canada regions.

But we had all been waiting for them to expand their product line, and that day has finally arrived. Chao Vegan Cheese Slices now come in five flavors, with Spicy Original and Smoked Original melting into the mix.

Chao Vegan Cheese Slices Make the Cut with Five Flavors

Chao Vegan Cheese Slices were indeed a pleasant surprise, mimicking the unique bite of dairy cheese slices with impressive ease. I found the texture to be remarkably similar to Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese Slices (not their Vegan Gourmet line), and for good reason. The two have nearly identical ingredients. Chao Creamery uses just one special ingredient to set their dairy-free cheese alternative apart: a touch of fermented chao tofu.

Surprisingly, the fermented tofu does add that “umami” factor to each flavor. We enjoyed all three of the flavors we tried, but the Creamy Original was my favorite. It has a provolone meets white cheddar flavor that is rich and just bold enough. My friend Tess loves the subtle earthy flair of the Coconut Herb, spiked with oregano and black pepper. And I think Tony was partial to the spicy heat of the Tomato Cayenne – perfect for quesadillas or kicking up that dairy-free grilled cheese!

As you can see by my picture below, Chao Vegan Cheese Slices do indeed melt easily when broiled or sandwiched and heated. That said, I thought they were quite tasty cold, for noshing as a snack or adding another sandwich layer.

Creamy Original

Ingredients: filtered water, coconut oil, modified corn and potato starch, potato starch, fermented tofu (soybeans, water, salt, sesame oil, calcium sulfate), sea salt, natural flavor, olive extract (antioxidant used as a preservative) and beta carotene. Contains: soy.*

Nutrition (per 20-gram slice): 60 calories, 4.5g fat, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 0g protein.*

Smoked Original (new in 2020!)

Ingredients: filtered water, coconut oil, modified potato and corn starch, fermented chao tofu(soybeans, water, salt, sesame oil, calciuk sulfate), sea salt, natural flavor, smoke flavor, olive extract(antioxidant used as a preservative), beta carotene(color). contains: soy*

Nutrition (per 20-gram slice): 60 calories, 4.5g fat, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 0g protein.*

Spicy Original (new in 2020!)

Ingredients: filtered water, coconut oil, modified potato and corn starch, potato starch, fermented chao tofu(soybeans, water, salt, sesame oil, calcium sulfate), sea salt, dried green jalapeno peppers, dried red bell peppers, natural flavor, olive extract(antioxidant used as a preservative), beta carotene(color). contains: soy*

Nutrition (per 20-gram slice): 60 calories, 4.5g fat, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 0g protein.*

Tomato Cayenne

Ingredients: filtered water, coconut oil, modified corn and potato starch, tomato juice, potato starch, chao tofu (soybeans, water, salt, sesame oil, calcium sulfate), sea salt, green and red dried bell peppers, cayenne pepper, natural flavor, olive extract (antioxidant used as a preservative), paprika extract and beta carotene. Contains: soy.*

Nutrition (per 20-gram slice): 60 calories, 4.5g fat, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 0g protein.*

Garden Herb

Ingredients: filtered water, coconut oil, modified corn and potato starch, potato starch, chao tofu (soybeans, water, salt, sesame oil, calcium sulfate), sea salt, black cracked pepper, oregano, natural flavor and olive extract (antioxidant used as a preservative). Contains: soy.*

Nutrition (per 20-gram slice): 60 calories, 4.5g fat, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 0g protein.*

More Allergen Notes

Chao is one of the few cheese alternative brands that produces in their own dedicated dairy-free facility.

More Facts on Chao Vegan Cheese Slices by Field Roast

Price: $5.99 per 7-ounce package; $10.89 for a 3-pack at Costco

Availability: Chao Vegan Cheese Slices are sold at Target, Safeway, Albertsons, and Sprouts stores in the U.S., and in select Costco regions in the U.S. and Canada. Look for them in the refrigerated section.

Certifications: Chao Vegan Cheese Slices by Field Roast are Certified Vegan.

Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Chao Vegan Cheese Slices are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, and vegetarian.*

For More Product Information: Visit the Field Roast website at fieldroast.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. 

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What Others Are Saying ...

BEST Vegan Cheese!

Rated 5 out of 5

April 12, 2022

The Chao Original Creamy Slices is the 3rd Vegan Cheese I have tried and was BLOWN AWAY by how good it is! The taste, texture and the creaminess is spot on! I would HIGHLY recommend this for everyone to try! Thank you Field Roast!!

Jack Dent Jr

Delicious and melts great!

Rated 5 out of 5

March 11, 2022

So delicious!!! We’re trying to find great dairy free cheese and we’ve found it! So melty good. My sister is hard to please and she loves it. Thank you.

Erika

Tastes similar to Munster when cold

Rated 3 out of 5

January 13, 2022

Chao is the first dairy free cheese I tried and I was happily surprised. It tastes mild and buttery like Munster cheese when cold, but I found when it melted it tasted like coconut. I’m new to being dairy free, so I remember dairy cheese well. I think it would be fine on a sandwich or cracker, but personally I’d skip it for grilled cheese, burgers, etc unless you are not sensitive to the flavor of coconut.

Dairyfreetaster

Creamy original review

Rated 3 out of 5

January 11, 2022

Having to give up dairy isn’t easy, but I’m doing my best. I recently tried this and while I do like it, there’s one major flaw….it’s so danged salty! Take it from someone who does NOT keep salt (or pepper) around.

The other thing I hate is the price, but that’s life for ya.

I like to cut it in half into smaller squares. Lasts longer. 3 month expiration on plastic and it’s still edible after 2 months. Hasn’t made me sick or anything anywho so must be good. 🙂

Thomas

Best cheese ever!

Rated 5 out of 5

November 19, 2021

We wanted to go dairy free but never found a good vegan cheese until Chao. Both my husband & I only eat this brand now. It’s better than real cheese! Creamier! No after taste! Perfect! Ty!!

Julia

Great for grilled cheese

Rated 5 out of 5

June 16, 2021

Tried both the original and the tomato cayenne and they are both great. The original melts really nice for a grilled cheese, and the tomato cayenne has some great flavor if you want to amp it up!

John Staudenmeier

Great taste but 67.5% fat

Rated 4 out of 5

June 4, 2021

Great taste but 67.5% fat. There is no nutritional value to eating it even though it is so good. Easy to just eat the whole package and want more. Best cheese out there but zero health benefits to eating it. Had to give up.

Marnie

Great Taste for vegan cheese

Rated 5 out of 5

December 27, 2020

I am so glad I tried this product! I have been using other vegan cheese very sparingly because I couldn’t get over the taste. I tried the shredded original and was blown away by the taste. I wish I could find the other flavors in my area!

Starla Van Vorst

Cheese.

Rated 5 out of 5

December 11, 2020

I’ve been getting the original creamy Chao cheese for a while now and I’ve loved it since! I’m so glad that I found this alternative when I did because I couldn’t bare to eat cheese any longer. I LOVE IT!

Tamira Gaines🌻🌙

Love it!

Rated 5 out of 5

November 13, 2020

Recently found this cheese in my local grocery store and LOVE it! I’ve been using it to top my sloppy (lentil) joe sandwiches for lunch. It doesn’t say how long it is good for in the fridge though, and I couldn’t find any information on the website either.

I know traditional cheese has a stable shelf life but I’m curious if anyone else knows how long these are good for? At my store they were relatively pricey so I want to make sure I use them before they go bad!

Rachel

Response from Go Dairy Free

Most dairy alternatives suggest use within one week of opening. Unopened, they have a use-by date. According to the company, they last 65 days refrigerated and unopened after the production date.