11 Unexpected Fontina Cheese Substitutes That Will Complete Your Recipe

Fontina Cheese has sweet and powerful aromas, with hints of butter and toasted almonds developing as it lingers in your tongue. It has a distinct taste and scent that distinguishes it from other cheeses, which is why chefs and culinary experts all over the globe, particularly in Italy, like it.

Even though it is a vital component of several cuisines, there are times when you don’t have it in your pantry. Here are some urgent possibilities to consider.

1. Cheese, Gruyere
2. Cheddar Cheese
3. Cheddar Cheese
4. The Edam Cheese
5. Havarti Cheddar
6. Cheese, Mozzarella
7. Cheese, Parmesan
8. Emmentaler Käse
9. Vacherin

If you are still unable to discover any acceptable replacements above and would want to know the whole list of the finest Fontina Cheese substitutes, continue reading.

But first, a little history of this beloved component is in order.

11 Best Substitute For Fontina Cheese 

Fontina is a popular cheese in Italy, Denmark, France, Sweden, the United States, and other countries. It is a semisoft to hard Italian cheese with a moderate taste and a mild to medium-sharp texture.

Fontina cheese is created mostly from cow’s milk and has roughly 45% fat. It has a light golden creamy hue with numerous small holes and a mild, nutty taste that changes depending on how long it has been cured.

Fontina Cheese goes well with almost anything. Fontina cheese clearly enhances the entire flavor and texture of any food, whether you’re preparing pizza, fondue, cheese sandwiches, or just topping your gnocchi.

Gruyere cheese, which has a comparable texture and taste to fontina cheese, is one of the finest replacements.

If you don’t have it, this article will supply you with the greatest fontina cheese replacements that you may use when you can’t get the genuine thing. Let’s get started.

Gruyere Cheese

Gruyere cheese is a semi-soft Swiss cheese named for the place where it was made. It is one of Fontina’s greatest substitutes because to its buttery and nutty taste profile, which is close to Fontina’s.

Gruyere is a firm cow’s milk cheese. It is extremely ubiquitous and can be bought in most supermarkets, making it a simple substitute for Fontina. Gruyere is an excellent cheese to grate in terms of quality and uniformity.

It may be used as a topping for soups and pasta dishes, or it can be melted to produce a wonderful cheesy sauce.

Yet, since it melts so quickly, it may not be perfect for producing fondue. Generally, it is advised that you use Gruyere cheese in many recipes that call for unmelted Fontina.

Gouda Cheese

Gouda is one of the world’s most popular cheeses. It has a distinct, mild taste and is manufactured from full-fat cow’s milk.

While there is some disagreement over the exact nature of Gouda, some believe it is a bigger kind of cheese rather than a single type.

In any case, there are a few methods to discern whether it’s Gouda or not since the taste is usually light, but not extremely sweet or salty. As a result, its flavor is similar to Fontina.

While a Gouda cheese is young, it has a modest nuttiness comparable to Fontina, but as it matures, it acquires a unique taste.

Hence, if you want to replace Gouda for Fontina, pick young Gouda to create a near tang of the nuts.

Provolone Cheese

Since both are fresh cheeses with mild properties that originated in Italy, Provolone cheese, ideally the unsmoked form, may be used as a replacement for Fontina.

Although Fontina cheese is softer in flavor, Provolone cheese has an unique sharp tang to it.

Provolone, like Havarti or Emmental cheese, is commonly accessible in stores and may be utilized in a number of ways.

It’s a great addition to salads and many Italian dishes, and it’s also great on sandwiches. Since provolone melts so well, it may even be used to make a delicious sauce.

Yet, due to its delicate texture, it cannot be shredded as readily as other cheeses. If you want to use it in Italian dishes, such as on top of pasta or in a pizza cheese mix, acquire it sliced and finely chopped.

Edam Cheese

Edam cheese is a semi-hard cheese from the Netherlands that is well-known for being one of Europe’s oldest commercial cheeses. If you’re searching for a solid alternative for young Fontina, Edam cheese is a great option. It has a somewhat nutty taste that is comparable to Fontina and is immediately detectable while tasting.

Also, compared to other cheeses with greater fat content, Edam cheese is a healthier alternative with just 28% fat content. If you don’t like the rich texture of Fontina or want to cut down on your fat intake, Edam is the way to go.

Edam cheese is best served cold and is ideal for salads, cheese boards, sandwiches, and even desserts. It goes well with stone fruits like peaches, plums, and cherries, but it also goes well with apples and pears.

The richness of the fruit perfectly balances the mild saltiness of the cheese. Edam is undeniably a flexible substance that may be utilized in a variety of ways.

Havarti Cheese

Havarti cheese, like Fontina and Emmental cheeses, has holes, albeit the pores in Havarti are smaller and more frequent than in Emmentals.

This soft Danish cows milk cheese may be regarded a close match to Fontina since it comes from the same nation. It also boasts mild, creamy characteristics similar to young Fontina, making it one among the finest selections to explore.

Because of its soft texture, Havarti cheese melts quickly, but it also works well cold. It goes nicely with deli sandwiches, spaghetti, and even cheese boards, and it goes well with a variety of alcoholic drinks.

Havarti is readily accessible in supermarkets and may be purchased in a number of formats including as slices, huge pieces, and blocks.

Mozzarella Cheese

If no Fontina or other cheese is available, substitute mozzarella. Although Mozzarella shares the least similarity to Fontina, the two cheeses may be utilized in similar ways.

Mozzarella is a somewhat soft cheese when compared to the texture and consistency of Fontina. This Italian cheese, which is made from cow’s milk, has a sweet and mild taste comparable to that of a young Fontina.

Hence, in terms of flavor, we can say that Mozzarella is a decent choice to consider.

The aftertaste, on the other hand, will just be the difference between mozzarella and fontina. The taste is first nutty and savory, with a hint of sweetness.

The finish, on the other hand, is significantly more rich than conventional fontina. The aftertaste problem is often disregarded when mozzarella is used as a replacement in acidic meals, such as those with a lot of tomato sauce.

Although mozzarella is not the finest fontina substitution, it will do in certain situations.

Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan cheese, also known as Parmigiano-Reggiano, is firm, thick, and pungent, making it an excellent replacement for Fontina.

You can never go wrong with parmesan since it works with everything, from pasta to soups to any other food you can think of. It

The taste of Parmesan cheese is similar to that of Fontina cheese. Nonetheless, Parmesan has a lower salt percentage than Fontina, making it the greatest Fontina substitute for those managing their sodium intake.

Emmental Cheese

Emmental, commonly known as Emmentaler or Emmenthal, is a yellowish medium-hard Swiss cheese with a moderate taste.

Its texture when eaten is virtually identical to that of cheddar with a minor quantity of grits. Emmental is an ancient cheese that has been used in a variety of cuisines for hundreds of years. While it is well-known in Northern Europe, it has also gained traction in nations such as Italy and France.

Emmental has a low melting point compared to other cheeses, which is why it is commonly used in fondues. It is really useful since it complements practically any dish.

As a result, cooks all over the globe utilize it as a replacement when they don’t want to alter a dish’s mild, unobtrusive taste.

It is vital to notice that Emmental does not expand as much as fontina.

Since the textural difference is not obvious when blended with other ingredients, it may be used in place of Fontina in soups, stews, fondues, and other recipes.

Vacherin Cheese

Vacherin cheese is another kind of cheese from France and Switzerland that has a rich and creamy texture and flavor similar to Brie.

Yet, it is also regarded for being a suitable alternative for young Fontina. Mont dOr, the French type of Vacherin, is the greatest Vacherin alternative to Fontina, according to Greedy Gourmet.

This is owing to the fact that this variety is creamier and more buttery than the Swiss variant. Also, it has the same fat content as Fontina.

Vacherin cheese is best used in pies, spaghetti, and other torch-cooked dishes. As Vacherin cheese is melted, it bubbles and forms a lovely stringy crust.

Cheddar Cheese

The first thing that springs to mind when we think of cheddar is the orange-colored American cheddar. Although it is more popular and widely used in a variety of cuisines, it may not be as excellent as a Fontina substitute as the original British white cheddar.

Tastes on the front and back ends of the flavor spectrum combine nicely with fontina. Nevertheless, since cheddar has a grittier texture, it is best employed in recipes where the cheese is emulsified.

Cheddar is a full-fat cow’s milk cheese produced only in Cheddar, England. American cheddars must be labeled as such since their flavor profile, texture, and taste are so distinct. White cheddar may be used in place of fontina in pasta recipes, open-faced sandwiches, and other foods.

Nutritional Yeast

You may be startled to see that nutritional yeast is on the list, but it is a wonderful vegan substitute for Fontina! Nutritional yeast, when sprinkled on top, offers a touch of mushroom and earth tastes to your cuisine.

Apart from that, it has a strong and cheesy scent that, to your surprise, improves the taste of your dish as if you were eating the real thing.