Fontina Cheese substitutes
A semi-soft Italian cow's-milk cheese with a mild, nutty, faintly earthy flavour that melts exceptionally smoothly, which is why it turns up in fondue, gratins and creamy pasta sauces.
Use this
Gruyère Cheese
Use the same amount as the fontina cheese you are replacing
Swiss cheese with excellent melting properties and nutty flavor
At a glance
| # | Substitute | Instead of fontina cheese, use | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gruyère Cheese | Same amount | Close match |
| 2 | Gouda | Same amount | Different taste |
| 3 | Swiss Cheese | Same amount | Different taste |
| 4 | Mozzarella | Same amount | Different taste |
| 5 | Provolone | Same amount | Different taste |
Every fontina cheese substitute
Substitutes for Fontina Cheese with ratios
1. Gruyère Cheese
Close matchUse the same amount
Swiss cheese with excellent melting properties and nutty flavor
What changes
2. Gouda
Different tasteUse the same amount
Dutch cheese with good melting properties and mild flavor
What changes
3. Swiss Cheese
Different tasteUse the same amount
Mild cheese with good melting properties
What changes
4. Mozzarella
Different tasteUse the same amount
Mild cheese with excellent melting properties
What changes
5. Provolone
Different tasteUse the same amount
Italian cheese with good melting properties and mild flavor
What changes
Tips for substituting fontina cheese
- Fontina is picked for its melt rather than its flavour, so when substituting, match the melting behaviour first and the taste second.
- Grate it straight from the fridge - it is soft enough to smear at room temperature and hard to portion.
- Add grated cheese to a sauce off the heat and stir until it disappears. Boiling any melting cheese makes it string or split.
- Toss the grated cheese with about 1 tsp of cornstarch per cup before it goes into a fondue or a sauce; the starch keeps the fat and the liquid together.
- Italian Fontina Val d'Aosta is aged, firmer and more pungent; Danish and supermarket fontina are younger, milder and softer. The mild ones are what most recipes assume.
- It is excellent for fondue, gratins, stuffed chicken and creamy pasta sauces, and unremarkable eaten plain, which is why it is nearly always cooked.
Questions about fontina cheese substitutes
What's the difference between Italian and Danish fontina?
Italian fontina has a stronger, more complex flavor, while Danish fontina is milder and more widely available.
Can I use fontina in place of mozzarella?
Yes, fontina melts well and can work in many of the same applications as mozzarella.
What is the best substitute for fontina cheese?
Gruyere, grated, at the same weight. Fontina is chosen for how it melts rather than for how it tastes, and gruyere melts the same way - smoothly, without going stringy or weeping fat. It is nuttier and a little sharper, so in a delicate sauce use young gouda instead, which is closer to fontina's mildness. Provolone and swiss also melt well; mozzarella melts but adds no flavour at all.
Does fontina melt well, and what happens if a substitute does not?
Fontina is one of the best melting cheeses there is: it goes smooth and flowing at a low temperature and stays that way. A cheese that melts badly in its place will do one of two things - separate into strings, or split so that oil pools on the surface. Grating the cheese finely, keeping the heat low, and tossing the grated cheese with 1 tsp of cornstarch per cup before it goes in all guard against that.