This Is The Best Substitute For Boursin Cheese, According To Reddit

Boursin cheese has actually been around for over half a century; it was created in 1957 and received an international debut in the 1990s, when the company was purchased by Unilever. What has remained the same over the years, though, is the creamy, spreadable consistency — its smooth meltability making it a perfect substitute for feta in that TikTok viral pasta dish – and its delightful flavors, namely the Garlic & Fine Herbs variety. However, one Redditor on the Cheese subreddit found that their grocery stores are always out, so they asked what could possibly take its place. And the response with the most upvotes (that wasn't an admission of eating an entire round of cheese in the dark the night previous) suggested Alouette, calling it "pretty much the same" (per Reddit).

Alouette is also a soft, spreadable cheese, and just like Boursin, the brand carries a Garlic & Herbs flavor. However, Alouette is actually cheaper than Boursin at some retailers, like Walmart. This includes both outright — as Alouette costs $4.96 to Boursin's $5.46 — as well as per ounce since the former contains 1.3 more ounces per package, meaning it costs 76.3 cents per ounce (compared to Boursin's $1.05 per ounce).

Of course, Alouette wasn't the only suggestion that Redditors had for the OP on the Cheese subreddit. A few commenters mentioned Rondelé, by President, a whipped cheese product that also comes in a Garlic & Herbs flavor. While it's also more expensive than either Boursin or Alouette, it does come in a bigger eight-ounce container.

A few Redditors suggested actually making your own homemade version, using softened or whipped cream cheese, mayo or olive oil, garlic (either minced or roasted whole before squeezing the cloves), onion powder, and fresh herbs, like parsley and scallions. While they acknowledged it isn't quite the same as the OG Boursin, it does come close; since you're making it at home, you can decide what goes into it, how much, if you add salt, and more. You could, for example, smash in fuss-free caramelized onions, or spoon in a little Greek yogurt for tang.

Finally, in a different corner of Reddit, in the Aldi subreddit, someone compared Aldi's house brand Emporium Selection spreadable cheese to Alouette (and by extension, Boursin), which comes in a Garlic & Herb flavor. However, this version is an Aldi Find, so not available year-round, and while the supermarket chain has brought it back sporadically, it seems you can't count on your store carrying it consistently. However, I have used this spreadable cheese interchangeably with Boursin in a baked pasta dish, and found very little difference, so it's a worthy replacement if you can find it!