Easy Vegan Cream Cheese (Without Nuts)

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You won’t believe how easy it is to make vegan cream cheese at home! It features a handful of simple and affordable ingredients, like silken tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, and vinegar. Use this versatile spread for bagels, toast, snacks, and more!

Vegan Cream Cheese on Bread. — Rich and delectable vegan cream cheese

Table of Contents

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

Affordable: Instead of purchasing expensive store-bought vegan cream cheese, save money with budget-friendly ingredients readily available in your pantry.
Easy to make: All you have to do is mix the ingredients in a blender, add optional flavorings, and let it chill in the fridge. It’s that easy!
Versatile: Use this tofu cream cheese as a bagel spread, dip for fruit and veggies, or paired with your favorite crackers and jelly. The options are endless!
Nutritious: Enjoy a healthier alternative to dairy-based cream cheese that’s packed with plant-based protein and other nutrients.

If you love dairy-free cream cheese, you should check out our vegan heavy cream, vegan parmesan, vegan queso fresco, and vegan cotija cheese.

🧀 What is vegan cream cheese?

Cream cheese has been around since the 19th century, and it’s now one of the most popular spreads across the globe. We wanted to make a vegan version so more people are able to enjoy the same tastes and textures without spending a fortune at the store.

This version is tangy and cheesy, thanks to a combination of vinegar and nutritional yeast. Its smooth and creamy texture is achieved by blending extra-firm silken tofu with refined coconut oil, creating a spreadable consistency similar to the original.

Feel free to keep this recipe plain, or make it your own with a variety of mix-ins like chive and onion, dill, chocolate, or blueberry. This recipe couldn’t be easier, especially if you’re new to plant-based cooking.

The best way to serve vegan cream cheese is on dairy-free bread, toast, bagels, wraps, or crackers. You can even use it as a dip for fruit and veggies, making it an excellent addition to a morning breakfast or afternoon snack.

Knife Spreading Vegan Cream Cheese on Bread. — Spread it on toast or bagels in the morning!

🌱 Why isn’t cream cheese vegan?

Traditional cream cheese is made from dairy-based ingredients, like milk and cream. To create a dairy-free cream cheese, we made the following tweaks:

Silken tofu: Replaces dairy-based cream, creating an equally smooth and creamy texture.
Nutritional yeast: Adds a savory, cheesy flavor while keeping the recipe plant-based.
White vinegar: Provides a tangy flavor that is usually achieved through milk fermentation.

Many recipes incorporate nuts, but we wanted to keep this one nut-free. It helps cut down on costs and is more accessible to everyone.

Ingredients for vegan cream cheese. — Remember to use silken tofu for the best texture!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

Extra-firm silken tofu: Provides a mild, neutral flavor and a smooth, creamy texture as the base for the vegan cream cheese. You can substitute it with regular tofu, but it won’t turn out quite as silky.
White vinegar: Adds a slight tanginess to mimic the flavor of traditional cream cheese. You can use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice as alternatives.
Nutritional yeast: Imparts a savory, cheesy flavor. If you can’t find nutritional yeast, try using a small amount of white (shiro) miso paste, though the flavor may differ slightly.
Flavorless coconut oil: Gives dairy-free cream cheese a rich, velvety texture and solidifies the mixture once chilled. Make sure it’s refined coconut oil to avoid a coconutty taste. You can experiment with other neutral oils, like avocado oil, but the final texture will be much less firm.
Salt: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and adds a savory touch. You can use regular table salt, but we prefer sea salt or Himalayan pink salt.
Extra flavors: You can experiment with classic flavorings like blueberry, chive and onion, dill, chocolate, cinnamon and brown sugar, strawberry, or garden vegetable.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan cream cheese

Step 1: Open the tofu package

Start by opening the pack of silken tofu. If you’re using regular tofu, remember to drain and press it for a few minutes. Toss the tofu into a blender or food processor along with the vinegar, nutritional yeast, coconut oil, and salt.

Tofu, Coconut Oil, Nutritional Yeast, and Salt in a Blender. — Make sure that the tofu is drained beforehand

Step 2: Blend the mixture

Time to mix! Keep the blender going for a couple of minutes, or until you achieve a perfectly smooth and creamy consistency. Don’t forget to stop and scrape down the sides a few times throughout to make sure everything is evenly mixed.

White Sauce in a Blender. — Keep going until it’s smooth and creamy

Step 3: Taste the cream cheese

Give the vegan cream cheese a taste and adjust the seasonings to suit your liking. Need more tang? Add a bit of vinegar. Prefer an extra cheesy flavor? Sprinkle in more nutritional yeast. Or, add a pinch more salt to further bring out the flavors.

Step 4: Customize the flavor

You can leave it plain or personalize your tofu cream cheese by mixing in optional flavorings like chive and onion, dill, strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, or cinnamon and brown sugar (check the notes for measurements). Get creative and make it your own!

Vegan Cream Cheese in a Container. — Transfer it to a clean container to chill

Step 5: Chill the cream cheese

Once you’ve achieved your desired flavor, transfer the tofu cream cheese into a container or jar for storage. Place it in the fridge for around 6 hours, or let it set overnight.

If you have questions about making this dairy-free cream cheese recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🥯 What to serve with vegan cream cheese

Once it’s chilled, your vegan cream cheese is ready to shine! Here are some of our favorite ideas for how to use it:

On bread: Slather some on a slice of dairy-free bread, sourdough bread, wraps, pita, bagels, vegan biscuits, or even banana bread.
With crackers: Pair this vegan cream cheese with red pepper jelly and your favorite crackers like Mary’s Gone Crackers, stoneground wheat crackers, Raincoast Crisps, rye crisps, or Melba Toast.
As a dip: Dunk fresh veggies and fruits into your tofu cream cheese. Some options include carrots, cucumbers, celery, radishes, bell peppers, strawberries, melons, grapes, mangoes, pineapple, and apple wedges.

🌡️ Storage

For any leftover vegan cream cheese, follow these simple storage instructions:

Fridge: Store dairy-free cream cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days.
Freezer: This vegan cream cheese is freezer-friendly and can be kept in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using it again.
Prep ahead: You can prepare tofu cream cheese ahead of time and store it in the fridge, allowing the flavors to meld and the texture to firm up before serving.

Vegan Cream Cheese and Green Onions on Bread. — Savory or sweet? It’s delicious either way

♻️ Flavor variations

Garlic and herb: Add minced garlic, chopped parsley, and dried basil.
Sun-dried tomato and basil: Mix in finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.
Spicy jalapeño: Blend in some pickled jalapeños for a spicy kick.
Mediterranean: Stir in chopped kalamata olives and diced roasted red peppers for Mediterranean-inspired flavors.
Lemon and black pepper: For a zesty option, add fresh lemon zest and cracked black pepper.
Maple and walnut: Sweeten the tofu cream cheese with maple syrup and mix in chopped walnuts for added texture.
Caramelized onion: Add caramelized onions for a rich, sweet, and savory flavor.
Pesto: Mix in a few tablespoons of your favorite vegan pesto for an Italian-inspired spread.
Pumpkin spice: Mix in pumpkin purée, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of maple syrup for a seasonal treat.
Chive and onion or dill: Add 1 teaspoon of onion powder to the blender, then fold in 3-4 tablespoons of fresh, minced chives or dill.
Strawberry or blueberry: add in ¼-cup freeze-dried berries and cane sugar to taste. Alternatively, use ¼-cup strawberry compote or blueberry compote.
Cinnamon brown sugar: Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and brown sugar to taste.
Chocolate: Mix in 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and cane sugar to taste.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

Use silken tofu: Remember to use extra-firm silken tofu for the best texture. We don’t recommend other substitutes since this recipe is all about texture!
Don’t rush blending: You’re looking for a super smooth texture during the blending process, so it’s important not to rush it. Stop and scrape down the sides.
Taste as you go: Don’t forget to taste and adjust the vegan cream cheese as you go until it perfectly suits your taste preferences.
Let it rest: Allow the mixture time to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but it’s best if you can let it sit overnight. This will create the best consistency.
Use refined coconut oil: To prevent a coconut flavor in your vegan cream cheese, use high-quality, refined coconut oil for the best results.

Vegan Cream Cheese on Bread With a Knife. — There are so many flavors to try!

💬 FAQ

Can I use a different type of tofu instead of silken tofu?

You can use regular tofu if you’re in a pinch, but it just won’t turn out quite as smooth. Because of this, we always recommend using extra-firm silken tofu.

Can I use a different oil other than coconut oil?

We suggest coconut oil due to its saturated fat content, which helps the tofu cream cheese firm up in the fridge. If you use other types of oil, your cream cheese won’t turn out quite as firm.

Can I use this vegan cream cheese in baked goods or other recipes?

Yes, you can use this vegan cream cheese as a substitute for cream cheese in any recipe you would like.

Can I make this recipe without a blender or food processor?

No, you can’t make this recipe without a blender or food processor. It’s necessary to achieve an extra smooth dairy-free cream cheese texture.

Can I use a different type of acid other than white vinegar in this recipe?

You can use any type of acid you prefer in this recipe. Some other options include apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or white wine vinegar. Just note that each type you use will affect the flavor and tanginess of the recipe.

🍴 More vegan basics

If you enjoyed this vegan cream cheese recipe, take a peek at some more vegan basics like these:

Vegan Condensed Milk: A simple, dairy-free version of a popular baking ingredient.
Dairy-Free Sour Cream: Thick, creamy, and completely vegan sour cream.
Mac & Cheese with Almond Milk: A healthy version of this nostalgic dish.