Last Updated: Jun 7, 2023 @ 3:13 pm.

What is the best freeze-dried cheese? To find out, we did a blind taste with several top brands. Which was best for tacos? Popcorn? What about backpacking? Here are the ones that tasted the best.

FYI: We've been reviewing and rating products for the home and families since 1994. We don't take money or freebies from the brands we review. Our work is 100% reader-supported!


Finding the Best Freeze-Dried Cheese . . . and a Recipe!

Let’s talk freeze-dried cheese.

If you are planning to do any camping or backpacking, freeze-dried cheese is a great snack or addition to meals. And if you are building an emergency food supply, you can use this cheese for tacos, popcorn or to make your own cheese sauce.

With up to a 10-year shelf life, freeze-dried cheese can be a lifesaver if you are without power for an extended period of time (think hurricanes or earthquakes).

Another plus for freeze-dried cheese: it doesn’t take up refrigerator space, since it is shelf stable.

We tried out several brands in a blind taste test. Before we get to the winners, however, here is a recipe for that all-time favorite: mac and cheese.

Recipe: Mac & Cheese

best freeze dried cheese recipe mac and cheese

Ingredients

  • 3 cups macaroni, prepared
  • 1/2 cup Augason farms cheese blend powder.
  • 1/3 cup Augason Farms butter powder.
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 6 tablespoons Augason Farms low fat milk, prepared.

Directions

  1. Cook and drain macaroni.
  2. In separate bowl, mix cheese powder and butter powder with 1/4 cup hot water
  3. Stir until smooth
  4. Add prepared milk and cooked macaroni, stir until well coated.

Recipe and photo Credit: Augason Farms.

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Best for Tacos

Crazy good
We loved this Colby cheese, which is crunchy and tasty even when not rehydrated. Also great: # 10 can stores cheese for up to 30 years unopened.
$44.78 ($1.49 / Fl Oz)

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Best For Backpacking

Excellent as a snack
Great bang for the buck here—and the can has an impressively long shelf life. Works great for recipes that call for shredded cheese.
$43.99 ($1.15 / Ounce)

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Best For Popcorn

Blends smoothly
This cheese powder is excellent for mac & cheese . . . or as a topping for popcorn. Very tasty. Made in the USA.

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Best For Cheese Sauces

Versatile and tasty
We loved this cheese powder in broccoli cheese soup—and the price is easy on the wallet. Super easy to use.
$24.12

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About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York TimesWall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

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We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!

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