If you’re at the store staring at an empty Boursin cheese shelf, here’s some reassuring news—you can replace Boursin cheese using several substitutes such as cream cheese, Beecher’s Homemade Cheese, Laughing Cow Cheese, and Gorgonzola Dolce DOP.
Cheese is a global food favorite, with the European Union leading the way in 2021, having consumed 9.1 million metric tons of it. So, whether you’re looking for some Boursin to snack on or will be hosting a massive party, we understand the need to keep your kitchen stocked with cheese.
In this article, we’ll teach you some of the best alternatives—including a vegan option—so that you don’t have to go a day without eating this delicious food.
What is Boursin Cheese?
Boursin cheese is a creamy delicacy derived from Gournay cheese. It comes in various flavors, such as shallot and chive, garlic and fine herb, and cracked black pepper.
From eating Boursin cheese with crackers to using it in stuffed tomato recipes and more, it’s an excellent cheese for bringing richness and flavor to the palate.
5 Recommended Boursin Cheese Substitutes
The 5 most common cheese like boursin:
- Cream cheese
- Beecher’s handmade cheese
- Laughing cow light garlic & herb
- Gorgonzola Dolce DOP
- Vegan boursin cheese
Cream Cheese: Best Substitute for Boursin Cheese
Cream cheese is one of the best Boursin substitutes because it’s creamy and has a mild flavor. It’s also easy to mix with other ingredients, making it ideal for flavoring this substitute according to your favorite Boursin cheese combination.
Using cream cheese as a Boursin substitute is a breeze—use it in a 2:1 ratio of cream cheese to butter. From there, you can mix in the flavors of your preference.
Let’s assume that you need a Boursin cheese substitute for a large party. In that case, use two 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese and eight ounces of unsalted butter as your base.
Blend these ingredients with a spatula or mixer, tossing in a ½ teaspoon of salt.
From there, it’s up to you to mix and match flavors. For example, you could add ½ teaspoon of one or more of the following ingredients:
- Marjoram (fresh or dried)
- Thyme (fresh or dried)
- Basil (fresh)
- Chives (fresh)
- Black pepper (fresh)
- Dill weed (dried)
Ideally, you should make this Boursin-like cream cheese mixture the day before you want to eat it. That way, you can stick it in a covered container in the fridge and allow the flavors to soak in overnight.
Don’t be surprised if you end up trying out this Boursin substitute and enjoying it more than the real thing. Given that you control the flavors and the texture is so similar, you just might end up craving this homemade version instead!
Got excess cream cheese? Learn how to freeze cream cheese.
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Boursin cheese is delicious, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t other great cheeses out there. That’s where Beecher’s Handmade Cheese comes into play—it’s an excellent option if you want an even stronger and more Mediterranean flavor than Boursin cheese.
There are many qualities that Beecher’s and Boursin cheeses share, though. They include:
- Similar color
- Soft, spreadable texture
- Similar base cheese flavor
You can expect Beecher’s cheese to have a similar herbal and garlic flavor as Boursin’s garlic and herb-flavored cheese. However, the flavor becomes even more pronounced thanks to three different olives—black, green, and kalamata.
Therefore, if anyone in your family isn’t a fan of these Medittereanan flavors, using a different Boursin cheese substitute might be your best bet.
If you’re looking for recipes to use with Beecher’s cheese, you’ll be glad to know you can use similar ones to Boursin cheese recipes. In fact, Beecher even lists some of their recommended recipes on their website.
Some examples include:
- Braised kale gratin
- Cheese cabbage and cauliflower bake
- Apple cider and cheese fondue
And, of course, you can make macaroni and cheese, which Beecher proudly claims is the “world’s best.”
Regardless of whether you choose to use one of Beecher’s recipes or your favorite Boursin recipe, you can substitute Beecher for Boursin in a one-to-one ratio.
Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb
Although Beecher’s Handmade Cheese makes an excellent Boursin cheese substitute, it’s a costlier alternative. That’s where Laughing Cow comes into play—you can get the benefits of a Boursin-like cheese for a lower price.
Furthermore, it has fewer calories than Boursin cheese by a whopping 85 calories per serving.
The downside is that Laughing Cow doesn’t offer the variety of flavors that Boursin does. However, if your favorite Boursin cheese is the garlic and herb variety, Laughing Cow’s blend will do the trick.
Boursin’s garlic and herb cheese contains the following ingredients mixed into Gournay cheese:
- Garlic
- Parsley
- White Pepper
- Dried Chives
In contrast, Laughing Cow’s Light Garlic & Herb blend contains the following:
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Onions
You can directly replace Boursin cheese using the same amount of Laughing Cow cheese. For example, smear some on bread and place a dab of smoked salmon on top. Alternatively, mix some Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb cheese into your favorite egg salad sandwich to give it a pop of flavor.
If you love warm Boursin cheese, consider making a Laughing Cow fondue. By combining milk, garlic cloves, a bay leaf, onion, white wine, butter, flour, and eight triangles of Laughing Cow cheese into a fondue pot, you’ll create a mix that’ll closely resemble your favorite Boursin fondue.
Gorgonzola Dolce DOP
The Italian-based Gorgonzola Cheese is a decent Boursin cheese substitute when you’re in a bind. The pale yellow color and creamy texture offer resemblances to Boursin. Furthermore, Gorgonzola has a mild flavor, making it easy to mix with other flavors.
That said, Gorgonzola Dolce DOP doesn’t typically come with herby tastes. Instead, it has blue and green veins that appear to have flavor mixed into it. But don’t be fooled—these are the cheese’s natural colors from aging, which takes at least 45 days.
Although it’s most common to eat Gorgonzola Dolce DOP straight, you could try mixing in some freshly chopped herbs if you’re craving a more traditional Boursin taste.
Some popular recipes with Gorgonzola include:
- Fettuccine alfredo
- Gorgonzola dipping sauce
- Garlic bread
Essentially, almost anything requiring a sauce or liquid base makes Gorgonzola a good substitute for Boursin. In addition, because Gorgonzola shares the buttery characteristics of Boursin, it also makes for an excellent spread on crackers. It has a mild aroma like Boursin, so you won’t have to worry about turning your guests away by a pungent smell.
Regardless of how you prepare Gorgonzola, you can use it in a one-to-one ratio for recipes calling for Boursin. Just make sure to toss out the rind; it’s pretty with a greyish-pink color, but it isn’t suitable for eating.
Vegan Boursin Cheese
If you’re looking for a vegan boursin substitute, you’re in luck—there’s a great vegan Boursin cheese you can make.
Better yet, if you have allergies or other dietary restrictions, this paleo-friendly vegan cheese may be an excellent fit for you since it’s free of:
- Yeast
- Soy
- Oil
- Gluten
You only need the following six ingredients to make this vegan Boursin cheese: raw cashews, non-dairy milk, lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best), garlic powder, fresh herbs of your choice, and salt.
To begin, soak the cashews by letting them sit in water overnight. Alternatively, you can do a quick soak by boiling them in water for 15 – 20 minutes and then rinse them with cool water.
Then, put the soaked cashews (with all the water drained) into a food processor along with all the other ingredients on the list except the fresh herbs. Start blending the ingredients together.
As you blend, you should stop the food processor often so that you can scrape down stray bits of “cheese” off the sides and back towards the blades. You’ll want to get the mixture as smooth as possible, so let the mixture blend for a minimum of three minutes.
You can add extra milk, garlic powder, or lemon juice according to taste as you go along. Once you have a smooth “cheese,” pour in 3 – 4 tablespoons of chopped herbs. Some popular herbs include rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
Then, consume your Boursin “cheese” the same way as regular cheese or use it in the same ratio in recipes.
Related Questions
Do you still have more questions about how to substitute Boursin cheese? We’ve got the answers for you.
Can I use cream cheese instead of Boursin cheese?
Yes, you can use cream cheese instead of Boursin cheese. Both of these cheeses have a creamy texture, and you can use several different flavors to make them taste similar to each other.
Can you substitute Boursin cheese for goat cheese?
You can substitute Boursin cheese for goat cheese because it has a similar texture that allows for easy spreading. That said, goat cheese has a more intense flavor than Boursin.
Looking for cheese similar to goat cheese? See goat cheese substitutes.
Is aloutte cheese same as Boursin?
Alouette is a brand that sells several different kinds of cheeses, so it’s not the same as Boursin. However, Alouette sells varieties of cheese that you could use as a substitute for Boursin.
