This is the best vegan grilled cheese recipe! This delicious sandwich is loaded with creamy avocado, tender zucchini, tomatoes, fresh spinach, vegan cheese, a flavorful pesto spread and then it’s pressed to crispy perfection!
*This recipe was originally posted on 5/28/15 but I updated it with better recipe instructions on 9/19/19.
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Trust me when I say that this is the ultimate vegan grilled cheese sandwich! The combination of flavorful pesto sauce with creamy vegan cheese (you can find my favorite vegan cheese suggestions below!), zucchini, creamy avocado, tomatoes, and spinach all pressed between two slices of crispy Ezekialal bread is so bomb!
You don’t need to go out to a restaurant to get a perfectly pressed grilled cheese sandwich when you can make it yourself at home! This is going to be your new favorite gourmet vegan sandwich to make for lunch over and over again!
How to Make Vegan Grilled Cheese – Step by Step Instructions
Step #1 – Lay two pieces of bread on a plate. Spread store-bought or homemade pesto sauce on one piece of bread and add one piece of vegan cheese.
Step #2 – Use a hand mandolin to slice long thin pieces of zucchini to use as the sandwich “meat”.
Step #3 – Lay the second piece of vegan cheese on the other slice of bread and top it with sliced zucchini, tomato, avocado, and a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves.
Step #4 – Put the other piece of bread on top of the sandwich. (Optional) Use a misto to spray a very light coat of avocado oil on the outside of both slices of bread. This will help you get that crispy golden crust and grill marks that taste so good!
Step #5 – You can either press the sandwich in a sandwich press (this is the one I use) or crisp it up in a pan over medium heat. If you cook it in a pan, cover it to keep the heat in (to melt the cheese), and use a spatula to press the top of the sandwich down every few minutes. After 2-3 minutes, flip the sandwich and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Let the sandwich cool for 1-2 minutes and then slice it in half and enjoy!
What is the Best Vegan Cheese to Use?
I’ve tried a lot of vegan cheese over the years, these are my favorites. Any of the following brands of vegan cheese will make an excellent grilled cheese! They all taste delicious, they melt well, and the texture is spot on.
- Violife Smoked Provolone Slices
- Violife Mature Cheddar Slices
- Violife Mozzarella Slices
- Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack Slices
- Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda Slices
- Chao Creamy Original Slices
If you want to make your own vegan cheese from scratch, I love this recipe for stretchy, creamy, melty, ooey-gooey vegan cheese.
If you absolutely don’t want to use vegan cheese, you could substitute hummus instead. Lately, I’ve been loving hummus quesadillas and I’ve found that hummus is a delicious replacement for cheese.
Does Vegan Cheese Melt?
Depending on what type of vegan cheese you use will determine whether it melts or not. If you use any of the vegan cheese brands that I mentioned (above), I guarantee that they will melt perfectly.
Can You Make Grilled Cheese Without Butter?
Yes, you can make a tasty grilled cheese without butter! All you have to do is use a small amount of oil in place of the butter and you’ll get those beautiful grill marks like you see in the picture.
If you don’t want to use oil or if you don’t have a sandwich press, you can put the sandwich in a non-stick or ceramic pan and warm it over medium-low heat until the bread is golden. Then flip the sandwich and “toast” the other side.
What Should You Serve With a Grilled Cheese Sandwich?
This avocado grilled cheese sandwich is delicious by itself but it’s even more delicious when you dip it into a bowl of creamy roasted red pepper tomato soup. It’s a classic comfort food combo!
Notes & Substitutions
- You can use any type of vegan cheese that you like, but I recommend using one of the brands that I listed because I know that they melt well. Melted cheese is essential to make the best grilled cheese.
- You can use your favorite type of bread but I recommend Ezekial bread. That’s what I always use because it’s organic, sprouted, and it gets super crispy.
- I like to use a hand mandolin to slice the zucchini into long thin slices to use as the sandwich meat but you don’t have to do that. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can just slice the zucchini into thin rounds instead.
- Pressing the grilled cheese in a sandwich press is the easiest way to make this sandwich and get those beautiful grill marks. If you don’t have a press, you can heat the grilled cheese sandwich in a pan.
- If you want to add more healthy veggies to the sandwich; mushrooms, bell peppers, and artichokes would be tasty additions.
Tips to Make the Best Vegan Grilled Cheese
- Use a misto to spray a light layer of avocado oil on the top and bottom of the sandwich. When you press or heat the sandwich in a pan, the oil will help the bread to develop a golden crust that has the perfect crisp.
- Use one of the vegan cheese brands that I recommended earlier in the post or use a vegan cheese that you’ve tasted before so you know you like it. Some vegan cheeses can have a weird after taste or they don’t melt very well. You don’t want to ruin your sandwich with a vegan cheese that you don’t like.
- I like to put a piece of vegan cheese on both sides of the bread because when it melts, it kind of creates a pocket of melty cheese around the vegetables and holds it all in.
- If you want to make your own pesto sauce, use this vegan pesto recipe. If you don’t want to make vegan pesto from scratch, I really like the vegan pesto from Sprouts because it tastes great, it’s organic, and it’s vegan.
- Do this step if you want to add extra flavor to the vegan cheese sandwich. After you lightly spray both sides of the sandwich with avocado oil, add a sprinkle of garlic powder (it will stick to the oil) and then press it. The extra garlic flavor is so delicious!
More Vegan Pesto Recipes You’ll Love!
Pesto Spinach Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
How to Make Pesto Sauce (Vegan) + 15-Minute Pistachio Pesto Pasta Recipe
Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Green Pea Pesto Lentils
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The Best Vegan Grilled Cheese
Equipment
- Sandwich Press or Medium-Sized Pan
Ingredients
- 2 slices Ezekial bread (Use gluten-free bread if necessary)
- 1 tbsp pesto
- 2 slices vegan cheese
- 1 small zucchini (sliced into thin layers or rounds)
- 2 tomato slices
- 1/2 ripe avocado (sliced or mashed)
- 1 small handful spinach leaves
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Lay two pieces of bread on a plate. Spread store-bought or homemade pesto sauce on one piece of bread and add one piece of vegan cheese.
- Use a hand mandolin to slice long thin pieces of zucchini to use as the sandwich “meat”.
- Lay the second piece of vegan cheese on the other slice of bread and top it with sliced zucchini, tomato, avocado, and a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves.
- Put the other piece of bread on top of the sandwich. (Optional) Use a misto to spray a very light coat of avocado oil on the outside of both slices of bread. This will help you get that crispy golden crust and grill marks that taste so good!
- You can either press the sandwich in a sandwich press (this is the one I use) or crisp it up in a pan over medium heat. If you cook it in a pan, cover it to keep the heat in (to melt the vegan cheese), and use a spatula to press the top of the sandwich down every few minutes. After 2-3 minutes, flip the sandwich and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes until both sides are golden and crispy.
- Let the vegan grilled cheese cool for 1-2 minutes and then slice it in half and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a Misto to spray a light layer of avocado oil on the top and bottom of the vegan grilled cheese. When you press or heat the sandwich in a pan, the oil will help the bread to develop a golden crust that has the perfect crisp.
- Use one of the vegan cheese brands that I recommended earlier in the post or use a vegan cheese that you've tasted before so you know you like it. Some vegan cheeses can have a weird after taste or they don't melt very well. You don't want to ruin your sandwich with a vegan cheese that you don't like.
- I like to put a piece of vegan cheese on both sides of the bread because when it melts, it kind of creates a pocket of melty cheese around the vegetables and holds it all in.
- If you want to make your own pesto sauce, use this vegan pesto recipe. If you don't want to make vegan pesto from scratch, I really like this vegan pesto from Sprouts because it tastes great, it's organic, and it's vegan.
- Do this step if you want to add extra flavor to the vegan grilled cheese. After you lightly spray both sides of the sandwich with avocado oil, add a sprinkle of garlic powder (it will stick to the oil) and then press it. The extra garlic flavor is so delicious!
Nutrition
Amazing flavor!! My husband and I devoured it! I added tomatoes too. I think the tomato is missing in the recipe, but has it in the picture. Thank you so much for the recipe, will be making again soon.
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the sandwich, Tara! Thank you for the feedback, I just updated the recipe card with the tomato =) Have a great day!