Dairy free cheese that melts?

[RosieBdy]

My DD (7) was finally diagnosed as dairy intolerant about a year ago.
She's adapted really well to a dairy free diet (less pain and stomach problems being a great help obviously!) but the thing she misses most is pizza...
She likes the 'violife' cheese, either on its own or in 'cheesy sauce' made with soya milk, but it doesn't melt properly on homemade pizza; it just stays in a grated blob on the top.
Can anyone recommend a dairy free cheese that would work for pizza?
Thanks!

[notamummy10]

Tesco Free From Tangy Soya Cheese, it melts like a dream! It can get a little hot though, just a warning!

[katonic]

Take her to a Zizzi's for a special treat - they have a vegan mozzarella option for their pizzas which is perfectly melty and delicious however I don't think they sell it on its own!

Check out your local health foods shop, they should have a range of vegan cheeses, No-Moo are very tasty and I think they have a melty variety but they do tend to be quite expensive. Cheezly brand is cheaper and sold in Holland and Barrett stores, they have a mozzarella version, but their soya free has the best texture on pizza I find (but is horrible 'raw'!).

You can also order all sorts of vegan cheeses online from vegan specialty shops, again it's expensive but you could get a variety, do a taste test, and then you've found your winner! Tbh you will never find that stringy chewy melted (real) cheese texture yet, but I'm sure someone is working on it. The range and quality of vegan cheeses has really increased over the past 5 years, there are even vegan Brie style cheeses with moulded rinds!

Hope this helps! Just keep trying, the flavours and textures are very different between different brands, so I hope find one she likes!

[throwingpebbles]

Following! Mine like violife "raw" too but it doesn't really work on pizza.

Can't really afford to trial loads of different types!

Really pleased to hear about zizzis! And is it right pizza express do vegan pizza too?

[katonic]

Pizza express have a fully vegan pizza on the menu at the moment (I think -it changes so often!) but there's no cheese. We always went to pizza express for a pizza meal out, as they are so lovely at adapting toppings that any pizza on the menu can be made vegan. However now we've been to Zizzi's a couple of times since they introduced the vegan cheese there is just no comparison; the vegan mozzarella is fab and they will even do cheesy garlic bread with it!

[throwingpebbles]

Oh that doesn't really count as Pizza! (Not to a 5 year old anyway!)

Going to google where my nearest Zizzis is!

[RosieBdy]

Thank you all so much!
Great to have a few suggestions that other people have tried and worked - it's expensive trying loads to see which work best (good old mumsnet to the rescue again!)
Fab news about Zizzis and pizza express - a treat coming up I think...
all around!

[nam207]

This is what they use at zizzi's. The website has a store locater to find stockists.

www.mozzarisella.co.uk

Pizza express do say on their FAQs that if you take in an unopened, in date pack of vegan cheese they will add it to pizza for you. You can have the rest of the pack back or they will dispose of it.

[Nemesia]

Violife do a pizza cheese which melts loads better than the original, but you might need to go to a health food shop or order from goodness direct. Veggie stuff also have lots of choice. I have heard vegans say they mix a bit of dairy free milk with the cheese and that helps too.
If you Google potato cheese sauce recipe you could try this at home (promise it is quite easy)and use this on pizza too.

[DomesticAnarchist]

Yes, violate pizza cheese is better. And even better if you give the pizza a quick buzz in the microwave before serving (this also softens any GF/low protein base you might be using!)

[worrierandwine]

Following this with interest. Zizzis for pizza from now on!!!

[throwingpebbles]

Ah brill! Will hunt down the violife Pizza cheese! And that's handy to know about Pizza Express too

[Afreshstartplease]

Following too!

[Slavetosaltedcaramel]

If it's just cow's milk products she has a problem with Manchego is a great alternative - sheep based. Similar to a cheddar but slightly lighter consistency and Lidl sell it cheaper than other supermarkets. My daughter has had a cow's milk allergy since birth and loves goats cheese on pizza with Manchego over the top.

[RosieBdy]

That mozzarisella looks great too - thanks Nam207
I'll try that too Nemesia. I make 'cheesy' sauce with soya cream, egg yolk and violife, which she loves on pasta. It'll be good to try something else too - never thought of putting it on pizza though!

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Op, I suggest you get tickets to Vegfest (a vegan food festival) so you can do a bit of taste testing (they have OBSCENE amounts of free samples and it's also a really fun day). There's a Vegfest in London in October and also ones in Bristol, Brighton and Glasgow - about 10 quid to attend pp.

Good luck with finding the perfect 'cheese' - it's the vegan holy grail

[TheDrsDocMartens]

Vegusto melty

[RosieBdy]

We finally tried Zizzis while on holiday!
Thank you so much katonic. She loved it and I can't recommend them enough!
For their children's set meal she had vegan garlic bread, then spaghetti Bol (she decided she didn't want pizza this time, but could have had their vegan option) and then they offered 2 different sorbets as a pudding.
The staff were brilliant and nothing was too much trouble.
I've also bought tesco's soya 'cheese' (thanks notamummy10) which works perfectly on pizza.
Thanks again everyone - one happy daughter.