Food Review: Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Squares

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Back in college, I practically lived on Cheez-Its (true story)! They remind me so much of the frenetic days of my collegiate days - long nights working on my Texas Chain Saw Massacre thesis, watching movies with my film friends, sneaking boys into the dorms, hustling to classes, blasting Thursday and other screamo bands to drown out the sounds of annoying roommates/neighbors, the bad cafeteria food, going to many indie shows, and holing up in my room to study. It seemed I always had a huge box of Cheez-Its at my disposal for snacking, and of all the things I miss about my pre-vegan days they were pretty high on the list!



I never thought I would see the day when I would be able to eat Cheez-Its again, but the incredible Earth Balance, who has already given us so many awesome products (seriously, they deserve the vegan medal of honor or something!!), has released a vegan version of these crackers to my absolute delight!

I couldn't wait until these crackers hit stores (they should be in Whole Foods soon, if they aren't already by the time I post this), so I ordered them online. Most places were sold out, but the excellent Rabbit Food Grocery, located in Austin, Texas, had some in stock, so I ordered a few boxes. They arrived right to my door very quickly, and I tore into the first box as fast as I could get the package open!

You know how Cheez-Its have that distinct smell when you open them? These Vegan Cheddar Squares had the same smell and it transported me right back to my dorm room! So crazy! Then I proceeded to stuff my face with these crackers – and the taste didn't disappoint either! They are very close to what I remember Cheez-Its tasting like! They have a wonderfully crunchy, cheesy flavor that makes me think the good folks over at Earth Balance are wizards, because I don’t know how they did it without magic! They tasted so good! I even had a non-vegan taste them to verify their deliciousness, and I had to pry the box back from them (in other words, deliciousness verified)!

Earth Balance has done it again and has veganized a product I never thought could be replicated in vegan form! I can now enjoy a tasty vegan snack that brings back so many memories! However, I think these should come with a warning label attached, because if you buy these, you may end up eating the whole box in one sitting as they are so delectable! Pro-tip: Buy a couple boxes to avoid the inevitable depression that will set in if you run out of these tasty crackers!