• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

VegKitchen logo

  • Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baking and Sweets
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta and Noodles
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Wraps
    • Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups, Stews, and Chilis
    • Snacks and Dips
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Canning and Preserving
    • Cheese-y Delights
    • Global Recipes
    • Raw Vegan
    • Slow-Cooker
  • Vegan Living
    • Vegan Substitutions Guide
    • Green Kitchen
    • Healthy Eating Tips
    • Food and Produce Guides
    • Vegan Food Hacks
    • Kid Friendly
    • Vegan Product Reviews
    • More Vegan Living
  • About
  • Shop Cookbooks
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegan Living
  • Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan Living
    • Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegan Sandwiches and Wraps

    Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 5 Ways

    Published: May 13, 2021 · Updated: Oct 19, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
    Vegan grilled cheese sandwich stack

    There's nothing quite as comforting as a hot, gooey grilled cheese sandwich. And now the plant based crowd doesn't need to miss out with these easy and delicious vegan grilled cheese recipes!

    Vegan grilled cheese sandwich stack

    All photos by Hannah Kaminsky.

    These days, grilled cheese is hot. (Pun intended.) There are even restaurants devoted solely to them. So why should us vegans miss out?

    So today we have five delicious ways to make a vegan grilled cheese - and most can be made in just a few minutes.

    There’s no big secret here. We're not going to hand-craft our cheese or anything like that. Just simple, delicious, easy vegan grilled cheese.

    Jump to:
    • Tips for Making Vegan Grilled Cheese
    • How to Make Vegan Grilled Cheese
    • 5 Vegan Grilled Cheese Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Tips for Making Vegan Grilled Cheese

    Now there is a misconception out there than vegan cheeses are un-meltable. Not so! I’ve impressed many guests with how melty and stretchy a good vegan cheese made for that purpose can be.

    There are several good vegan cheeses on the market melt wonderfully well, including Daiya and Follow Your Heart. You may know of other brands, and if so, comment below and let us know which ones you like!

    And of course, nothing pairs with grilled cheese like a bowl of tomato soup. I like to dunk my sandwich! If you want some in a hurry, this Imagine Creamy Tomato is vegan and very good. Or make your own homemade vegan tomato soup.

    How to Make Vegan Grilled Cheese

    Kids, you don't need a recipe to make a grilled cheese sandwich, though the internet seems to think otherwise.

    You just need some sturdy whole-grain bread, vegan cheese, your add-ins of choice, vegan butter (like Earth Balance), and a good nonstick pan or griddle.

    Best to cook over medium heat with a generous but not ridiculous layer of vegan butter; cover the pan when cooking the first side so that the cheese will melt; when the underside is golden, flip and cook the other side. That's it!

    5 Vegan Grilled Cheese Recipes

    Vegan grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup

    First up is this swoon-worthy vegan grilled cheese, tomato, and vegan bacon sandwich. Use your favorite kind of purchased or homemade vegan bacon.

    Precook vegan bacon slices first. Layer some vegan cheese shreds onto a slice of bread, followed by tomato slices, vegan bacon, sliced tomato, more cheese shreds, topped by another slice of bread. Cook on a little vegan butter over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden.

    This is good with either cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack style cheese.

    Vegan grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms

    Grilled cheese with mushrooms, yum! To make this delightful sandwich, simply precook sliced brown mushrooms (cremini- or for a fancier feast, shiitake) until wilted, then drain.

    Layer on the bread: cheese shreds, cooked mushrooms, more cheese shreds, another slice of bread. Cook on a little vegan butter over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden.

    We think this is best with mozzarella style cheese, but you may beg to differ.

    Vegan grilled cheese sandwich with apple

    Apple and cheddar is a classic flavor combo, and it works quite well in vegan grilled cheese, too. Using a tart granny smith apple is a good move, but if all you've got is a red apple, that's not a bad choice. Either way, just make sure the apple is nice and crisp. 

    Layer on bread: cheese shreds, apple slices, more cheese shreds, another slice of bread. Cook on a little vegan butter over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden.

    Vegan grilled cheese sandwich with jalapeno

    Spice things up with fresh jalapeño in your grilled cheese! Slice it thinly and remove the seeds. Use the usual precautions when handling hot chili peppers.

    Layer on bread: cheese shreds, sliced jalapeños, more cheese shreds, another slice of bread. Cook on a little vegan butter over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden.

    We used a combination of cheddar and mozzarella-style vegan cheese shreds with this one.

    Vegan grilled cheese sandwich with spinach

    Last but not least, a vegan grilled cheese sandwich with the green goodness of spinach. Rinse some baby spinach and wilt it in the pan you'll be using. Transfer to a colander and squeeze out the liquid.

    Layer on bread: cheese shreds, wilted spinach more cheese shreds, another slice of bread. Cook on a little vegan butter over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden.

    We used mozzarella-style vegan cheese shreds here, but this would go with any variety — cheddar, or if you'd like a spicy kick to go with the spinach, pepperjack.

    Ta-dah! Five delicious ways to make your favorite comfort food.

    Recipe

    Vegan grilled cheese sandwich stack

    Vegan Grilled Cheese - 5 Ways!

    Here are five deliciously simple ways to make a vegan grilled cheese sandwich. Yum!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: vegan grilled cheese
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 1 sandwich
    Calories: 241kcal
    Author: Veg Kitchen

    Ingredients

    • 2 slices bread any variety
    • vegan butter as needed for cooking

    #1 - Vegan Grilled Cheese, Tomato, and Vegan Bacon

    • 3 slices vegan bacon store bought or homemade
    • ¼ cup vegan cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack style cheese shreds

    #2 - Vegan Grilled Cheese with Mushrooms

    • 2 oz mushrooms cremini or shiitake
    • ¼ cup vegan mozzarella style cheese shreds

    #3 - Vegan Apple and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

    • ½ granny smith apple sliced thinly
    • ¼ cup vegan cheddar style cheese shreds

    #4 Vegan Jalapeno Grilled Cheese

    • ½ jalapeno sliced, seeds removed
    • ¼ cup vegan cheddar or mozzarella style cheese shreds or a combination of both

    #5 - Vegan Green Goddess Grilled Cheese

    • 1 cup baby spinach more or less, to taste
    • ¼ cup vegan mozzarella style cheese shreds
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    #1 - Vegan Grilled Cheese, Tomato, and Vegan Bacon

    • Precook vegan bacon slices first. Layer some vegan cheese shreds onto a slice of bread, followed by tomato slices, vegan bacon, sliced tomato, more cheese shreds, topped by another slice of bread.
    • Spread a bit of vegan butter on both sides of the sandwich, and cook over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden and cheese is melted.

    #2 - Vegan Grilled Cheese with Mushrooms

    • Spray a frying pan with olive oil cooking spray, and cook sliced mushrooms for 5-6 minutes, over medium high heat, until wilted. Drain off any excess liquid, and allow mushrooms to cool.
    • On a slice of bread, layer the cheese shreds, cooked mushrooms, more cheese shreds, and then another slice of bread. 
    • Spread a bit of vegan butter on both sides of the sandwich, and cook over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden and cheese is melted.

    #3 - Vegan Apple and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

    • On a slice of bread, layer the cheese shreds, apple slices, more cheese shreds, and then another slice of bread.
    • Spread a bit of vegan butter on both sides of the sandwich, and cook over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden and cheese is melted.

    #4 - Vegan Jalapeno Grilled Cheese

    • On a slice of bread, layer the cheese shreds, sliced jalapeños, more cheese shreds, and then another slice of bread. 
    • Spread a bit of vegan butter on both sides of the sandwich, and cook over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden and cheese is melted.

    #5 - Vegan Green Goddess Grilled Cheese

    • Rinse some baby spinach and wilt it in the pan you'll be using. Transfer to a colander and squeeze out the liquid.
    • On a slice of bread, layer the cheese shreds, wilted spinach, more cheese shreds, and then another slice of bread. 
    • Spread a bit of vegan butter on both sides of the sandwich, and cook over medium heat, covered, until both sides are golden and cheese is melted.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 2mg
    Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.

    This post was originally published in 2018. It has since been updated.

    More Vegan Sandwiches and Wraps

    • Chipotle Black Bean Burgers (Vegan)
    • Homemade Vegan Tortillas
    • Buffalo Cauliflower Wraps
    • 15+ Vegan Burger Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melissa Mason says

      March 12, 2023 at 6:40 pm

      My favorite cheese for grilled cheese is by “So Delicious”. It’s meltable and gooey.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    nicole malik from vegkithen.com

    Hi, I'm Nicole! I'm the creator behind VegKitchen, and the author of the popular cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. Learn more about me here.

    More about me →

    vegan substitution chart

    Featured Recipes

    • Vegan Walnut Taco Meat
    • Fudgy Avocado Brownies (Vegan!)
    • 25+ Vegan Valentine’s Day Desserts
    • 11 Best Vegan “Cheese” Recipes
    • Vegan Christmas Cookies
    • Vegan Jalapeno Poppers

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Shop Cookbooks
    • Free Vegan Cheat Sheet
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Still hungry? Check out our delicious family of blogs.


    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hook & Porter Media

    202 shares