Quick Answer: Our top pick for string cheese on a charcuterie board is Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese (4.2 out of 5). Cheddar sticks: Kerrygold Cheddar Sticks. Organic: Organic Valley Stringles. We ranked 7 widely sold options on how they work on a board, published taste tests and awards, ingredients, value and how easy they are to find.
String cheese is the kids' board MVP: mild, fun to peel and easy to cut into coins or shapes. Three outlets have ranked it, and they disagree more than you'd expect, so these rankings weigh where each brand landed across all three.
How we ranked these: these are researched picks, not a side-by-side tasting. We scored each product on published taste tests and awards, its ingredient list, price and where you can buy it, plus how that style of product behaves on a board. Sources are listed at the end, and the full method is on our buying guides hub. Prices and stock last checked October 2026.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Rating |
|---|---|
| Best overall: Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese ($) | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Best cheddar sticks: Kerrygold Cheddar Sticks ($$) | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Best organic: Organic Valley Stringles ($$) | ★★★★☆ 4.0 |
The full ranking
| Product | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese ($) | ★★★★☆ 4.2 | Every kids' board |
| 2. Kerrygold Cheddar Sticks ($$) | ★★★★☆ 4.2 | Grown-up snack boards |
| 3. Kroger Mozzarella String Cheese ($) | ★★★★☆ 4.2 | Creamy, soft sticks |
| 4. Organic Valley Stringles ($$) | ★★★★☆ 4.0 | Organic boards |
| 5. Happy Farms String Cheese ($) | ★★★★☆ 4.0 | Budget boards |
| 6. Trader Joe's String Cheese ($) | ★★★★☆ 4.0 | Mild mozzarella flavor |
| 7. Sargento String Cheese Snacks ($) | ★★★★☆ 3.9 | Tangy flavor |
1. Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese
★★★★☆ 4.2 out of 5 · Best overall · Best for: Every kids' board · $ budget
Made with whole milk. Daily Meal ranked it 4th of 13 for rich flavor, good salt balance and reliable strings. Taste of Home named it the best for recipes, and Sporked gave the Cheese Heads Swirls 8.5 out of 10 as best for kids.
- Why we like it: Well liked in all three tests and sold everywhere.
- Keep in mind: Not the top pick in any single test.
- Where to buy: Nearly every grocery store.
2. Kerrygold Cheddar Sticks
★★★★☆ 4.2 out of 5 · Best cheddar sticks · Best for: Grown-up snack boards · $$ mid-range
Daily Meal's winner: cheddar sticks with a bold, balanced taste and the texture of a block, "the best bite by far."
- Why we like it: Tastes like real Irish cheddar.
- Keep in mind: Not stringy, and pricier.
- Where to buy: Most grocery stores.
3. Kroger Mozzarella String Cheese
★★★★☆ 4.2 out of 5 · Best for: Creamy, soft sticks · $ budget
Taste of Home's creamiest mozzarella string cheese: "buttery and smooth," soft, and easy to shred into thin strips.
- Why we like it: Soft and creamy at a store-brand price.
- Keep in mind: Only at Kroger-family stores.
- Where to buy: Kroger and Kroger-family stores.
4. Organic Valley Stringles
★★★★☆ 4.0 out of 5 · Best organic · Best for: Organic boards · $$ mid-range
Sporked's best of the best with 10 out of 10: less salty than most, stretchy, with a "farmy" dairy flavor. Daily Meal disagreed and ranked it near the bottom.
- Why we like it: Organic, with real dairy flavor.
- Keep in mind: The tests are split.
- Where to buy: Most grocery stores and Whole Foods.
5. Happy Farms String Cheese
★★★★☆ 4.0 out of 5 · Best for: Budget boards · $ budget
Daily Meal ranked it 2nd of 13 for a good bend, pull and texture, salty but not overpowering.
- Why we like it: Near the top of a big test, at an Aldi price.
- Keep in mind: Only at Aldi.
- Where to buy: Aldi.
6. Trader Joe's String Cheese
★★★★☆ 4.0 out of 5 · Best for: Mild mozzarella flavor · $ budget
Daily Meal ranked it 3rd of 13 for a distinct, creamy mozzarella flavor and balanced salt, though it wished it were stringier.
- Why we like it: Creamy flavor, low price.
- Keep in mind: Not very stringy.
- Where to buy: Trader Joe's.
7. Sargento String Cheese Snacks
★★★★☆ 3.9 out of 5 · Best for: Tangy flavor · $ budget
Sporked gave it 9 out of 10 as the best for adults, with a tangy, aged-cheese flavor. Daily Meal ranked Sargento's Colby Jack sticks last as processed-tasting, so stick to the mozzarella.
- Why we like it: Easy to find, with more flavor than most.
- Keep in mind: Reviews are split by variety.
- Where to buy: Nearly every grocery store.
How the scores break down
Each product is scored 1 to 5 on five things, then weighted: how it works on a board (30%), published taste tests and awards (25%), ingredients (15%), value (15%) and how easy it is to find (15%).
| Product | On the board | Reviews and awards | Ingredients | Value | Easy to find | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.2 |
| Kerrygold Cheddar Sticks | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4.2 |
| Kroger Mozzarella String Cheese | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4.2 |
| Organic Valley Stringles | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Happy Farms String Cheese | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4.0 |
| Trader Joe's String Cheese | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4.0 |
| Sargento String Cheese Snacks | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3.9 |
What to look for on the label
Label check: Look for "low-moisture mozzarella" (whole milk or part-skim) and a short ingredient list: milk, salt, cultures and enzymes. Whole-milk sticks taste richer. Cheddar and colby jack "sticks" won't string.
Skip: Leaving string cheese out for the whole party. It's a cheese like any other: keep it cold until the board goes out and take it off the table after 2 hours.
Serving it: cut sticks into coins, peel them into strings for little kids, or wrap a slice of salami around each one. Two sticks per child is plenty with other food on the board. See our kids' charcuterie board for the rest of the spread.
For what string cheese pairs with and how to serve it, see the kids' charcuterie board and the fresh mozzarella guide. To see every ranked guide, visit our charcuterie buying guides.
String cheese questions
What is the best string cheese?
It depends on the test. Organic Valley won at Sporked, Kerrygold Cheddar Sticks won at Daily Meal, and Frigo placed well in all three, which is why it's our top pick.
Is string cheese the same as mozzarella?
Yes. It's low-moisture mozzarella stretched so the proteins line up, which is why it peels into strings.
Is string cheese good on a kids' charcuterie board?
Yes. Cut it into coins or shapes, or wrap it with salami.
How long can string cheese sit out?
No more than 2 hours, like the rest of the board.
Sources
- Sporked: The Best String Cheese at the Grocery Store
- Daily Meal: The Ultimate Ranking Of String Cheese
- Taste of Home: The Very Best String Cheese
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