List of the Best Havarti Cheese Substitutes: There are 13 of us.

Havarti cheese is famous for its taste and texture. It’s great in everything from sandwiches and potato dishes to pizza and casseroles. However, Havarti cheese may not always be available.

Having said that, here are some of the greatest Havarti cheese alternatives you may use, depending on the meal you’re making.

1. Cheddar Cheese
2. Comte Cheese
3. Gouda Cheese
4. Colby
5. Fontina Cheese
6. Saint Paulin
7. Emmental Cheese

Before we go into the alternatives, let’s learn more about the history of this cheese.

13 Best Substitute for Havarti Cheese

Havarti cheese is a semisoft Danish cheese that is buttery and extremely smooth. It has its own taste, look, and texture. It is also somewhat sweet, which distinguishes it from other forms of cheese.

Havarti cheese, which is white in color and exceptionally creamy, was invented in Havarthigaard, an experimental farm. It gained its name from the farm’s name. Havarti cheese is a popular culinary component, but it’s also delicious as a snack.

Havarti cheese is buttery and creamy. It has a particular taste, look, and texture and is semi-soft.

By slicing up some Havarti cheese, you can make a delicious charcuterie board to serve with crackers and wine. It can even be grilled. You can eat Havarti cheese on its own without combining it with anything.

Many people consider it to be one of the greatest cheeses for fondue because of its creamy texture. While it is distinctive, it is also highly adaptable. What about the taste? It is, indeed, a little on the sharp side.

Havarti cheese has a buttery scent and a strong taste that may be rather direct at times. It has the sharpness of Swiss cheese. Take a taste and you’ll find it smooth and buttery, with just a trace of sweetness.

The sweetness of your Havarti cheese may vary depending on its type and how it was manufactured. It will, however, always have a certain amount of sweetness. It’s also a little acidic.

Havarti cheese may be aged for three months or longer. It develops a tinge of salinity and hazelnut tastes as it matures. As a result, the aging process might have an impact on the overall taste and texture of the cheese.

Let’s go through the Havarti cheese alternatives in further depth to assist you pick which one to utilize for your specific cuisine.

Cheddar Cheese

While cheddar cheese is widely available and versatile, few people are aware that it shares many characteristics with Havarti cheese.

For starters, cheddar has a strong earthy taste that develops undertones of tartness as it matures. When cheddar is matured, it gets a stronger flavor than Havarti cheese.

Cheddar cheese is quite versatile and widely utilized. However, few people are aware that it shares many characteristics with Havarti cheese.

Aside from having a stronger taste, it also has a harder texture than Havarti. This isn’t a big deal since cheddar melts nicely and becomes buttery and creamy like Havarti.

When replacing Havarti cheese, use a 1:1 replacement ratio.

Comte Cheese

Comte cheese is a typical French cheese with a rich taste comparable to Havarti cheese. As a result, Comte is a natural substitute for Havarti cheese in many recipes.

Comte has a buttery, salty flavor. It acquires an earthy and nutty taste that is reminiscent of Havarti cheese as it matures. Comte is also semi-hard and has a similar texture as Havarti.

As a result, you won’t have any trouble substituting it in meals like fondue, cheese boards, and sandwiches, among others.

Gouda Cheese

Gouda cheese is a semi-soft cheese from Denmark that is similar to Havarti. It is similar in texture, look, origin, and flavor to Havarti cheese.

Havarti and Gouda both have a nutty and earthy flavor with a sweet aftertaste. Both cheeses are similarly light yellow in color and texture. A mouthful of any cheese will leave you with a smooth, buttery texture.

Gouda may be used in place of Havarti in fondue, cheese plates, spaghetti, and sandwiches, among other things. Take aware, though, that Gouda may be somewhat sweeter than Havarti. The best substitution ratio is 1:1.

Colby

Many people favor Colby as a Havarti replacement, and it is a good substitution for Havarti cheese. It melts smoothly and has a fantastic cheddar taste.

Colby has a golden tint and is more versatile than other cheeses. It may be used in almost any recipe, including casseroles, breakfast dishes, sandwiches, and many more.

When substituting Colby for Havarti cheese, use a 1:1 ratio.

Fontina Cheese

Fontina cheese is a famous Italian cheese that comes in a variety of textures ranging from semi-soft to firm and hard. You may use it as a replacement for Havarti in soup, chowder, sauce, and pasta preparations.

Fontina cheese has a milder taste than Havarti cheese. Fontina, like Havarti, has a salty taste that gradually becomes nuttier and more flavorful with age.

Havarti and Fontina are readily interchangeable because to their similar taste qualities. Furthermore, they have a similar creamy and buttery flavor. They both melt nicely as well.

Saint Paulin

Saint Paulin is the next cheese replacement on the list after Havarti. The French cheese may be more harder to get, but if you do, you will really enjoy it.

Saint Paulin, when somewhat aged, has a texture similar to Havarti. It is semi-soft and may be sliced, melted, and used in a variety of ways, similar to Havarti cheese.

Saint Paulin will have a richer overall taste since it is somewhat aged. While it will not be as crisp as Havarti, the difference will be negligible.

The texture will be the same, but the taste will be stronger and there will be no sweetness. The famous sharp and sweet taste of Havarti is somewhat modified.

While Saint Paulin is often used for cheese boards and other similar uses, it may also melt well when called for in a recipe. Saint Paulin may be used in lieu of Havarti in a 1:1 ratio.

Emmental Cheese

Emmental cheese, commonly known as Emmentaler, is a classic kind of Swiss cheese that is quite similar to Havarti cheese. Emmental is a semi-soft cheese with an earthy, nutty flavor.

It has fruity tones and a creamy and buttery texture that is similar to Havarti.

Emmental cheese is excellent for fondue and cheese boards. It’s also a terrific Havarti substitution in spaghetti, sandwiches, soups, and sauces, among other things.

Gruyere Cheese

This is most likely one of the closest Havarti alternatives available. Gruyere is a typical Swiss cheese that is highly versatile and has a diverse taste profile.

Gruyere cheese is a well-known semi-soft cheese with an earthy, nutty, and salty flavor. Gruyere, like Havarti, has a little sweetness to it.

Gruyere is a terrific Havarti cheese substitute in cheese platters, and it has excellent melting capabilities. As a result, the cheese is an excellent choice for a variety of meals.

Edam Cheese

Edam cheese is a savory, semi-hard cheese that may be used in lieu of Havarti cheese in certain recipes. It has a buttery, creamy, and smooth texture as well.

The nicest feature about Edam cheese is that it acquires an earthier and nuttier flavor as it matures, similar to Havarti cheese. It also melts well.

Pair Edam with a variety of fruits to get the greatest flavor possible. It’s also a good Havarti alternative in cheese boards and foods like sandwiches and wine and crackers.

When matured, the flavor of Edam cheese is similar to caramelized hazelnuts and butter, making it an excellent alternative for Havarti cheese. When substituting Edam with Havarti, use a 1:1 replacement ratio.

Tilsit Cheese

While Tilsit cheese is closer to Emmental in origin than Havarti cheese, it is a great substitute for Havarti due to its comparable rich taste.

Tilsit cheese, like Havarti, has an earthy and nutty taste with a creamy and buttery texture. Furthermore, it has a sour and spicy scent and aftertaste.

Tilsit cheese, like Havarti cheese, is light yellow in hue. Tilsit is best used on cheese boards, but it may also be used in soup, fondue, and sandwich dishes. The optimal substitution ratio for Havarti cheese is 1:1.

Monterey Jack Cheese

Monterey Jack cheese is not like the other, more apparent Havarti substitutes on this list. However, this cheese bears many similarities with Havarti. In reality, the two are almost identical in every way except texture.

Monterey Jack cheese is both sharp and buttery. It also has a hint of sweetness, similar to Havarti. They all have the same light yellow color and are superb melting cheeses.

The only significant difference between Havarti and Monterey Jack is that the latter is tougher. If you want a Havarti alternative that is easier to acquire and has the same unique and complex flavor, Monterey Jack may be your best choice.

When substituting Monterey Jack for Havarti, use a 1:1 replacement ratio.

Esrom Cheese

Esrom, like Havarti, is a semi-soft cheese with an earthy and nutty taste that intensifies with age. Denmark produced the light yellow cheese.

Esrom has a moderate fruity scent and aftertaste similar to Havarti, however Esrom is somewhat sweeter in flavor. Esrom is an excellent option for cheeseboards or serving with fruits, bread, and crackers.

Esrom cheese may also be used in soup, sauce, sandwich, and fondue dishes. Use a 1:1 replacement ratio to substitute Havarti in recipes.

Swiss Cheese

Swiss cheese is inexpensive and widely available in most supermarkets. Its semi-soft texture and delicious taste make it excellent for use in most Havarti cheese recipes.

Swiss cheese is a terrific option for Havarti that you may use while creating a charcuterie board, a Panini, or mac & cheese. The suggested replacement ratio is one to one.