The 6 Best Substitutes For Blue Cheese

What can I use instead of blue cheese? Blue cheeses include Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton, Danish Blue, or Maytag Blue, which can be used interchangeably. If you have run out or can’t stand the smell of blue cheese, you can use feta, aged cheddar cheese, goat cheese, halloumi, or queso fresco. The best substitution for Blue cheese dressing is Ranch.

Blue cheese has a recognizable appearance and a distinctive pungent odor. It is usually semi-soft, with spicy or salty overtones. The blue marbling that the cheese is known for is penicillin roqueforti fungus while creating blue cheese. It can be eaten alone, spread, melted, or crumbled. Blue cheese is also frequently used on cheeseboards or paired with wine.

The Best Blue Cheese Substitutes

Feta Cheese

Feta cheese should always be your number one go-to cheese if you don’t have blue cheese available or aren’t partial to the smell. It has a similar salty, crumby texture without the smelly blueness.

Feta cheese is relatively simple to produce compared to the length and complicated process required to make blue cheese. It is made from goat or sheep milk and is a brined cheese.

One of the best things about using feta cheese instead of blue cheese is that it is far less expensive. When using feta instead of blue cheese, remember that while there are similarities, they are very different.

Feta lacks the distinctive odor and familiar creaminess of blue cheese. It is also saltier. It, therefore, doesn’t melt in the same way as blue cheese.

Avoid adding any additional salt to your recipes when using feta. It can also help to rinse excess brine off the feta before adding it to recipes.

Aged Cheddar Cheese

Regular cheddar has a mild taste but develops a more robust flavor as it ages. If it’s a tangy, cheesy flavor you’re after, and you don’t have blue cheese available, mature cheddar cheese may be a good stand-in.

Cheddar has a creamy texture like blue cheese, so it works well in sauces and other recipes where an aged nutty cheese flavor is required.

The color is entirely different, but aged cheddar can work in recipes where a distinct strong cheese taste is important.

The taste of aged cheddar is not as blue cheese. When making the substitution, use more aged cheddar than blue cheese required.

Goat Cheese

Goat cheese, made from goat’s milk, is also called chèvre. The taste and texture of the cheese develop and change as it ages.

As it matures, it becomes harder and crumblier. The flavor becomes less sharp with more herby tones.

When heated, goat cheese will not melt precisely the same way as blue cheese. However, it will soften and create a warm, appetizing consistency.

While the flavor of goat’s cheese is not as strong as blue cheese, it does provide an interesting taste and texture experience to platters and recipes where blue cheese is required.

However, it is a lot saltier, so only use it in small quantities if adding it to dishes.

Halloumi

Halloumi is a salty white cheese that has a similar texture to feta. It is made from a mixture of sheep and goat milk.

Like feta, halloumi can be used as a substitute for blue cheese. It works especially well for people who like blue cheese’s assertive, tangy flavor but cannot handle the smell.

It has a semi-hard, spongy texture with a high melting point. This means it is not ideal for recipes that require melted blue cheese.

Use halloumi instead of blue cheese in recipes when a distinctive cheese taste is needed.

However, halloumi is extra salty, so you will need to adjust the amount of salt required by the dish to provide a balanced result.

Queso Fresco

Queso fresco is a mild-tasting white cheese that originates from Mexico. It is usually made from cows’ milk but may also include goat’s milk, vinegar, or lemon juice.

This slightly tangy cheese is often used in Mexican dishes like enchiladas. It can also be a pleasing substitute for anyone who wants a slightly different cheese experience but isn’t ready to try pungent blue cheese.

Queso fresco is much milder than blue cheese, and it won’t melt in heated recipes like blue cheese, but it can be a fine substitute on cheese platters or with fruit where a slightly tangy cheese is required.

Ranch Dressing

While it is not the same as solid cheese, blue cheese dressing, which is made with blue cheese as an ingredient, is a popular salad dressing.

If you are running low on blue cheese dressing or are craving a similar sauce that will go perfectly with your chicken wings, try substituting it with Ranch dressing.

Ranch dressing will only work as a substitute for blue cheese dressing when used as a salad dressing or dip. They are not the same thing – Ranch dressing is made using buttermilk.

However, ranch dressing can be an excellent substitution if you are craving a tangy, slightly salty, cheesy dip taste and don’t have blue cheese dressing.