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Eggs & dairy · Hard cheeses

Gruyère

Nutty Swiss Alpine cheese that melts smoothly; for fondue, French onion soup, gratins and croque monsieur.

Also called: gruyere, comté

A kind of cheese

12 recipes with it

What it is

Gruyère is a firm, pressed cow's-milk cheese from western Switzerland, aged for months to develop a sweet, nutty and slightly earthy flavour. It has few or no holes, unlike Emmental. French Comté is a close cousin and works the same way in cooking.

How it’s used

  • Fondue (often with Emmental)
  • Topping French onion soup
  • Croque monsieur and toasted sandwiches
  • Quiche, gratin dauphinois and soufflés
  • Gougères (cheese choux puffs)

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet, nutty and savoury, more complex with age.
Texture
Firm, dense and smooth.
When cooked
One of the best melting cheeses: smooth, glossy and stretchy without much oiling.
Sold as
fermented
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking
Common in
Swiss, French

Storage

Refrigerated. Wrap in waxed or baking paper in the cheese drawer; trim any surface mould generously.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Milk.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains milk (allergen).

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
413 kcal
Protein
29.81 g
Carbohydrate
0.36 g
Fat
32.34 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0.36 g

USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, gruyere.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with gruyère

More hard cheeses