Vegan Grilled Cheese {6 Amazing Ways!}

Here are 6 amazing vegan grilled cheese recipes! Awake the child in you with our classic option, or get a little fancy with our jazzed up flavors. There's something for everyone here!

This might sound cliche, but grilled cheese is probably one of my most nostalgic childhood foods. For us it was a treat, it was always served with ketchup and it was like my favorite dinner ever. Funny thinking about that now, but honestly? It's still one of my favorite dinners.

Decades have passed and I've since gone dairy-free. But I haven't let that stop me. I've come up with 6 amazing version of vegan grilled cheese that I think you're going to love!

We've got the classic option of course, but we've also got some fancier versions. We're adulting around here!

Best Vegan Cheese Brands

Probably the most important part of our vegan grilled is the cheese. Luckily, there are TONS of vegan cheese options these days! I personally like to choose shredded cheese because I can mix it with other ingredients!

Here are my favorite vegan cheese brands:

Violife
Parmela Creamery
Daiya
Good Planet

Also, I'm planning to do a full vegan cheese review! I think it would be great to compare them all side by side and

Vegan Grilled Cheese Tips & Tricks

So you're setting out to make the perfect vegan grilled cheese, right? Right! After making my fair share of sandwiches, I do have some tips and tricks up my sleeve to helf you nail them!

Here's what I recommend starting with:

Mayo: spread mayo on the outside of your bread – it will help the sandwiches get super crispy!
Spread: I like to put something spreadable on the inside of each slice to hold the cheese in place. You'll see this in a few of my options below.
Cover: since vegan cheese doesn't melt quite the same way, I like to cover it as it cooks to trap in some of the steam and encourage the meltiness.

6 Delicious Vegan Grilled Cheese Recipes

Okay so are you ready to get jazzy with your grilled cheese? As I said, we've got the classic, but from there we're going a bit crazy. I honestly couldn't choose my favorite because they're all so delicious!

I've included all the recipes down below, but here are the flavors we're working with today:

Traditional
Pesto + Tomato
Broccoli + Cheddar
Sauteed Mushroom
Avocado
Spinach + Artichoke

Don't they sound amazing?! Let's do this!

1. Traditional

We're kicking things off my version of the classic grilled cheese. This sandwich is super cheesy, super creamy and seriously so good. I personally LOVE dipping it in some ketchup!

Ingredients for your Traditional Vegan Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread (gluten-free if needed)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese/cheese spread
1/4 cup vegan shredded cheese

Spread the mayo on the outside of each slice of bread. On the inside of each slice, spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese. Top one side with the cheese and put the other slice on top. Cook the grilled cheese over medium heat until golden brown. Flip and press down firmly. I like to cover with a lid to help the cheese melt. Cook for another minute or so until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the heat, cut in half, and enjoy!

2. Pesto + Tomato

Next we're going in the pesto direction! This sandwich reminds me of a pesto pizza, but in grilled cheese form. It's got the lovely flavor of the pesto, the juiciness from the tomatoes and of course the creamy cheese!

Ingredients for your Pesto + Tomato Vegan Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread (gluten-free if needed)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vegan pesto
2 slices of tomato
1/4 cup vegan shredded cheese

Spread the mayo on the outside of each slice of bread. On the inside of each slice, spread 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top one side with the cheese, the tomato and put the other slice on top. Cook the grilled cheese over medium heat until golden brown. Flip and press down firmly. I like to cover with a lid to help the cheese melt. Cook for another minute or so until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the heat, cut in half, and enjoy!

3. Broccoli + Cheddar

Third on our list is my favorite soup combination in sandwich form – broccoli and cheddar! We've got steamed broccoli pieces mixed with some vegan cheddar slices and it's pure heaven.

Ingredients for your Broccoli + Cheddar Vegan Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread (gluten-free if needed)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped broccoli florets
1/4 cup vegan shredded cheddar

Start by steaming the broccoli. Add it to a pan with a splash of water and cook it for 2 mins. Remove and allow to cool, then transfer to a bowl and mix with the cheddar cheese.

Spread the mayo on the outside of each slice of bread. Top one side with the broccoli-cheese mixture and put the other slice on top. Cook the grilled cheese over medium heat until golden brown. Flip and press down firmly. I like to cover with a lid to help the cheese melt. Cook for another minute or so until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the heat, cut in half, and enjoy!

4. Sauteed Mushroom

Sauteed mushrooms and cheese have always been a perfect combination. And it works SO well in this sandwich! I like to season the mushrooms generously with salt and lots of fresh pepper. Adds a nice little punch to the flavor!

Ingredients for your Mushroom Vegan Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread (gluten-free if needed)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
Salt + pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegan shredded cheese

Start by sauteeing the mushrooms. Add them to a pan with a spritz of cooking spray, salt, and pepper. Cook it for 2 mins until they're golden brown. Remove and allow to cool, then transfer to a bowl and mix with the vegan cheese.

Spread the mayo on the outside of each slice of bread. Top one side with the mushroom-cheese mixture and put the other slice on top. Cook the grilled cheese over medium heat until golden brown. Flip and press down firmly. I like to cover with a lid to help the cheese melt. Cook for another minute or so until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the heat, cut in half, and enjoy!

5. Avocado

I was actually inspired to create this sandwich from Pinterest. The combo didn't totally make sense, but I was intrguided because I love everything avocado. Let me tell you…it's DELICIOUS!!

Ingredients for your Avocado Vegan Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread (gluten-free if needed)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 of an avocado, mashed
1/4 cup vegan shredded cheese

Spread the mayo on the outside of each slice of bread. On the inside of each slice, spread half of the mashed avocado. Top one side with the cheese and put the other slice on top. Cook the grilled cheese over medium heat until golden brown. Flip and press down firmly. I like to cover with a lid to help the cheese melt. Cook for another minute or so until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the heat, cut in half, and enjoy!

6. Spinach + Artichoke

Our last grilled cheese combo is inspired after the classic cheesy dip combo. Spinach + artichoke are great for a few reasons: a) you get greens (yay!), b) you get the brineyness from the artichokes, c) the flavors pair so perfectly with melty cheese!

Ingredients for your Spinach + Artichoke Vegan Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread (gluten-free if needed)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 cup spinach
4 – 5 quartered artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup vegan shredded cheese

Start by sauteeing the spinach. Add them to a pan with a dash of water. Cook it for a minute or so until the spinach has wilted. Remove and allow to cool, then transfer to a bowl and mix with the artichokes and vegan cheese.

Spread the mayo on the outside of each slice of bread. Top one side with the cheese mixture and put the other slice on top. Cook the grilled cheese over medium heat until golden brown. Flip and press down firmly. I like to cover with a lid to help the cheese melt. Cook for another minute or so until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the heat, cut in half, and enjoy!

6 Incredible Vegan Grilled Cheese Recipes