The 7 Best Blue Cheese Substitutes

Blue cheese, or queso bleu, is a generic term used to describe one of the world’s most popular and versatile cheeses.

With a salty, spicy flavor and pungent aroma, blue cheese is made from pasteurized cow, sheep, or goat milk that is matured with cultures of the Penicillium mold.

It gets its name from the spots or streaks of mold that are all over the cheese, which can vary in color between different shades of blue, green and gray.

Blue cheese is packed with calcium and a variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals, but it is also high in fat, salt, and cholesterol and should therefore be eaten in moderation.

When blue cheese isn’t available or you want to cut back on fat and calories, look to one of its many alternatives.

What are the best blue cheese substitutes?  With so many varieties of blue cheese, one can easily be substituted for the other. Just be sure to choose ones with a similar texture and flavor profile, like Gorgonzola and Roquefort. Other healthier alternatives are feta and cottage cheese.

Read on to learn how blue cheese is made, the best ways to use it, and our top 7 picks for the best blue cheese substitutes:

How does blue cheese?

Blue cheese dates back to the 7th century to a cave outside a village in France where a shepherd forgot his bread and cheese lunch.

He returned a few months later to discover that the cheese had become infested with Penicillium, a mold that grew inside the cave, thus discovering the blue cheese by accident!

The blue cheese we eat today is made by refining this natural mold, which is then added to the milk of the cheese to make many different varieties.

To give the cheese its characteristic blue color and its soft texture, it is pierced with stainless steel skewers or with fine rods or needles to allow oxygen to circulate inside.

This process is called “poking” or “piercing.” It is then left for 3-6 months to mature.

Although mold cultures and punching contribute greatly to the flavor, texture, and quality of cheese, other factors also come into play.

These include the type of milk used (cow, sheep, or goat), their diet before the animals are milked, and the slightly different techniques used by cheesemakers around the world.

These differences give rise to the numerous varieties of blue cheese with their own flavor. Some of the most common are Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton, and Maytag Blue.

Ways to use blue cheese

With its wide variety and different flavors, blue cheese is one of the most versatile cheeses on the market.

You can incorporate it into your weekly dinner plans and also use it as a fancy ingredient for a party you throw for your family and friends. You can eat it as is, melt it, spread it or crumble it.

Here are some of the best ways to enjoy blue cheese:

• Crumbled over pasta, risotto, or a salad
• Accompanied by fresh fruit and wine
• melted on a burger
• Turned into a delicious cheese sauce
• As a pizza topping
• As a dessert or sweet appetizer
• Melted into a grilled cheese sandwich

The 7 Best Blue Cheese Substitutes

Depending on what you need to substitute, you can opt for one of the many different versions of blue cheese, or look for other alternatives that offer a similar texture and flavor experience.

The 7 Best Blue Cheese Substitutes Are

1. Gorgonzola

Named after a city in Milan, Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese, and one of the best-selling in the world, made from unpasteurized cow’s milk.

It has the saltiness and pungent smell that blue cheese is known for, and to maintain its flavor, it is still made using the same methods and techniques that were used centuries ago.

The Gorgonzola comes in two varieties depending on its age: the young Gorgonzola Dolce and the older Gorgonzola Piccante.

The Gorgonzola Dolce has a smooth and creamy flavor with slight hints of deep blue. The aged version, on the other hand, has a stronger flavor and is quite calcareous and sharp.

Since Gorgonzola is both a soft and hard cheese, depending on which version you use (Dolce or Piccante), it can be used in many ways and is a great substitute for blue cheese. 

You can put it on a cheese board, where it would go perfectly with some grapes and pistachios, or you can add it to your pizzas, pastas, risottos and burgers to give it that touch of flavor.

2. Roquefort

One of the oldest types of blue cheese, roquefort is made from sheep’s milk and is considered a delicacy enjoyed by kings and potatoes.

Known for its pungent odor and characteristic blue veins, Roquefort is a crumbly, slightly moist white cheese with small blue pockets. It has a complex and intense flavor profile, with a mixture of sharp and spicy undertones.

What makes it so special is that it takes 13 liters of sheep’s milk to make one cheese mould. After preparing the cheese curd, it is left uncovered for at least 90 days, during which it is reviewed to achieve its final appearance and flavor.

Roquefort cheese can be eaten alone or accompanied by fruit, nuts, crackers, red wine, a fresh baguette, or mixed with salads. It also goes very well with baked potatoes and is a great blue cheese option.

3.Stilton

Stilton is a classic English blue cheese that gets its name from the Huntingdonshire town where it is believed to have been originally sold.

Made from cow’s milk, Stilton cheese has a beautiful marbled interior and offers the same flavor profile as blue cheese. It opens with a creamy, nutty flavor, followed by a salty finish that lingers for a while.

It also has the same odor as blue cheese, making it a great substitute. One difference is that Stilton is creamier than other blue cheeses , making it a great choice for those looking to increase the creaminess of their dish.

It pairs well with sliced apples, honey, and walnuts, and makes a great addition to any cheese board. In addition, you can use it in pastas, risottos and desserts, as well as in delicious hamburgers with molten stilton sauce.

4. Danish Blue

Also known as Danablu, Danish Blue is a type of blue cheese made from cow’s milk and features fine blue veins reminiscent of Danish porcelain.

It is a blue cheese, whose flavors are salty, spicy and sharp, with initially mild flavors that intensify as they last.

It has a rich, creamy consistency and is milder than other blue cheeses, making it more suitable for sensitive palates.

A great choice for introducing someone to blue cheese, Danish Blue pairs well with beef and steak, dark chocolate and fresh fruit, and provides a rich creaminess to soups, pasta and sauces.

5. Maytag Blue

Maytag is a type of blue cheese produced by Maytag dairy farms in the United States, originally made as a recreation of Roquefort cheese.

Made with cow’s milk, Maytag is made by hand using traditional healing methods and matures for a period of 6 months . To date, it is made in small batches to ensure the best quality.

It has a dense, crumbly texture and a semi-spicy flavor that works great as a substitute for blue cheese. With each bite, it gives off a slightly tart flavor with a hint of lemon.

It has the same pungent odor as blue cheese and may not be to everyone’s taste.

However, if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to blue cheese, Maytag blue is an excellent option that tastes great when crumbled into salads or melted into a burger.

6. Feta

Feta is a Greek cheese and one of the most popular in the world, usually made with pure sheep’s or goat’s milk, or a mixture of both.

Like Gorgonzola, Feta is fairly smooth and easy to work with, providing a flavor somewhat similar to blue cheese , but without the sharp, powerful flavor and blue flecks or veins.

Feta is much softer, more affordable, and more readily available than blue cheese, which is sometimes considered a delicacy and a luxury ingredient in many dishes.

The best thing about substituting feta for blue cheese is that its smell isn’t anywhere near as strong as blue cheese, making it a great alternative for people who can’t stand the stink of blue cheese and its many varieties.

Feta cheese works great as a salad dressing and can also be made into a delicious creamy sauce that you can enjoy on burgers and pasta. It can also be served plain with olives and fresh flatbread.

7.Cheddar

If you can’t get hold of any of the aforementioned substitutes, you can count on Cheddar cheese, as it’s one of the easiest and most popular cheeses in the country.

Originally from the English town of Cheddar, Cheddar cheese is made from cow’s milk in which the curds and whey are separated by an enzyme complex called rennet.

Depending on the age, cultures of the cheese, pasteurization, and coatings, there are many varieties of cheddar that differ in flavor and texture.

Flavors range from mild to sharp, with younger cheddar starting out mild and gradually becoming stronger as it ages. Some cheddars are also made more flavorful by adding chili, onion, black pepper, or hints of smoke.

Cheddar cheese is a flavorful, firm, and creamy cheese that can be used in a variety of ways. It can be grated as a garnish for soups and salads, tastes great on burgers, and makes a great grilled cheese sandwich.

Vegan Blue Cheese Substitutes

Since cheese is an animal product, does going vegan mean you have to say goodbye to blue cheese? Of course not.

There are many vegan alternatives to blue cheese that, instead of using milk and animal ingredients, are made with plant-based ingredients.

Some of the most common vegan blue cheeses are

• Vegan Gorgonzola
• vegan Roquefort
• vegan cabrales
• vegan stilton

Like the different varieties of blue cheese, its vegan alternatives are also made with different techniques to achieve a unique flavor and texture.

The best thing about these vegan alternatives is that you can easily make them at home with just a few simple ingredients.

Among them are raw cashews, refined coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, white miso paste, and spirulina, a blue-green algae that gives vegan cheese its blue spots and veins.

Related questions

Now that you know the basics of blue cheese and some of the best substitutes, both vegan and non-vegan, let’s answer some additional questions you may have!

How is blue cheese stored?

If not stored properly, blue cheese will not last very long. If it is stored properly, that is, if it is kept wrapped in the refrigerator, it can be kept for up to 3 or 4 weeks.

It’s always best to check the “best before” date on the container if you’re using a store-bought one.

Since there are living organisms on the surface of this cheese that need air, wrapping it tightly and putting it in an airtight box in the fridge is a bad idea, as the cheese loses its flavor and deteriorates at a much faster rate.

Wrap the leftover cheese in aluminum foil, parchment or waxed paper, and store it in the fridge so that it does not pick up any odor from the fridge and at the same time receives the necessary air.

If you want to keep it longer, cut it into smaller pieces, wrap it tightly in a freezer bag, and put it in the freezer, where, if stored well and at the right temperature, it can even last indefinitely.

Does blue cheese go bad?

Since blue cheese already has mold on its surface, can it spoil in such a way that it’s unsafe to eat? Yes, you can.

The mold you already have on your surface is created by Penicillium, which is an edible mold culture. However, if other bacteria start to grow in the cheese, it will go bad and the only logical thing to do in that case would be to throw it away.

As a general rule, don’t eat it if it has non-blue cheese mold growth on it, if the creamy part of the cheese has turned an odd color, such as pink, brown, or yellow, or if it starts to smell like ammonia.

How do I select the best blue cheese?

Some people avoid blue cheese because of its reputation for having a distinctly strong flavor and pungent odor.

What they don’t know is that there are many different types of blue cheese, and none of them are the same. Some are very strong, while others are surprisingly soft.

When choosing the best blue cheese, keep this fact in mind: soft, creamy blue cheeses will be much softer than firmer varieties.

Also, crumbly cheeses will be the strongest, while hard cheeses fall somewhere in between.

Gorgonzola and Danish blue are the softest. For a moderately strong flavor, go for Stilton, and for the strongest blue cheese flavor, go for Roquefort.