May 3, 2024

Daiya Cheese Shreds Review

Daiya Cheese Shreds are a vegan and gluten-free alternative for shredded cheese. Read on to learn some of the pros, cons, and uses for these dairy-free cheese shreds in this Daiya Cheese Shreds review.

A bag of Daiya Mozzarella Shreds on a white counter in front of a bag of cheddar shreds.

I think it’s safe to say, this has been one cheesy year! From liquid cheese to feta crumbles, we have seen some pretty pretty good products in the world of vegan cheese.

For my third cheese review to date, I have selected Daiya Cheese Shreds, with good reason. At the end of 2023, Daiya updated the recipe for their various vegan cheese shreds.

I would like to go on record and say, I did not try the previous version of Daiya’s Cheese Shreds so I do not have a point of reference for how they have changed since their original recipe.

This review is simply covering what I know and think about the new recipe as well as some different ways you can use these vegan cheese shreds.

Please note that these are not products sent to me or items I will earn any commissions on for the review. Simply put, this is a dairy-free product I tried, liked, and could see myself using time and again.

A small white bowl filled with Daiya Cheddar Cheese on a white counter.

What are Daiya Cheese Shreds?

Daiya (pronounced day-ya) launched their original plant-based cheese shreds in 2009. Around 2011 they became a household name with the help of Oprah.

In 2023, they introduced their new line of cheese shreds featuring a new and melty oat cream blend, these are the cheese shreds we are reviewing today.

Dayia Cheese Shreds are:

  • Gluten-Free
  • Vegan
  • Certified Plant-Based
  • Halal
  • and Peanut Free

Their dairy-free shredded cheese line includes flavors such as:

  • Mozzarella
  • Cheddar
  • Mexican Blend
  • Cheddar and Mozzarella Blend
  • Spicy Monterey Jack
  • Italian Blend
  • and Parmesan

For this review I was able to find the cheddar and mozzarella flavors at our local grocery store.

In addition to cheese alternatives, Daiya foods also offers forzen pizzas, boxed mac and cheese, cheezecake varieties, sauces, and dressings.

For more information about the different varieties of Daiya’s Cheese Shreds as well as the wide variety of dairy-free products they offer you can check out DaiyaFoods.com.

Two packages of Daiya cheese for a review of the product on the counter.

What ingredients are in Daiya’s New Cheese Shreds?

Each of the different flavors of dairy-free cheese may vary from the ingredient list below, be sure to check the label before you consume these cheese shreds.

This ingredient list contains the ingredients listed on the mozzarella and cheddar shreds packaging as of April 2024.

  • Daiya Oat Cream blend (water, oat flour, pea protein, cultures, enzymes)
  • Coconut Oil
  • Tapioca Starch
  • Safflower Oil
  • Cornstarch
  • Konjac Flour
  • Fruit and Vegetable Juice
  • Yeast Extract
  • Salt
  • Dextrose
  • Tricalcium Phosphate
  • Xanthan Gum
  • Lactic Acid
  • Natural Flavors

For up to date information on the ingredients in Daiya’s Shredded Cheese line up, be sure to check out Daiya Foods website.

What We Like about Daiya Cheese Shreds

I think Daiya has a winner with these oat cream based cheese shreds. They look like cheese, melt like cheese, and even have that pull you come to expect when taking a bite of cheese. Some of the other reasons we love this plant-based cheese alternative include:

  • Long shelf life before opening. I picked up a package in early April that was good until mid August. This is great for stocking up on the shredded cheese when your local grocery store puts it on sale.
  • Can be frozen. Also great for stocking up!
  • Melts like a dream. If you are missing those melty, cheesy moments, these plant-based cheese shreds have you covered.
  • The price. As of April 2024 the price of a bag of these Daiya Cheese Shreds were $4.50 (full price) and often available for $3.99 on sale.
A small white bowl of Daiya mozzarella shreds on a white counter with a bag of the cheese in the top left corner.

What We Didn’t Like about Daiya Cheese Shreds

While I feel like these cheese shreds are as close to cheese as they can come without actually being cheese, there were a few things we didn’t love about them.

  • Neutral flavor. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but when I add cheese to a recipe it’s because I want it to taste like cheese. While these shreds have the pull and mouthfeel of a melted cheese, they don’t really have a lot of flavor to add to the dish.
  • Short shelf life after opening. Be ready to consume this product within 7 days of opening.
  • Moist texture after 7 days. Some products that say use within a certain number of days can often be stretched (in my humble opinion) but this is not one of them. I would highly suggest using or freezing these shreds within the time suggested.

How to Use Daiya Cheese Shreds

Honestly I would suggest using these dairy-free cheese shreds in the exact same ways you would use traditional shredded cheese.

A cheese quesadilla wedge on a green plate with green onion slices.

Final Thoughts and Reflections on Daiya Cheese Shreds

All in all I felt like the positives outweighed the negatives of these cheese shreds. I could easily see myself buying them again and using them regularly in my daily life.

They worked well as a replacement for shredded cheese retaining both the mouthfeel of traditional cheese as well as the pull of milk-based cheese.

If you have tried Daiya’s new cheese shreds feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with this product!

You can also get delicious dairy-free recipes and tips by signing up for my newsletter!

A package of Daiya Cheddar shreds on a white counter.

Some of the links above contain Amazon affiliate links. These are products and brands I use in my kitchen daily. They pay me a small commission for the referral at no additional cost to you.

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Filed Under: Dairy Free Tips, Product Review