Vegan Cream Cheese

• extra-firm tofu -  look for tofu in the refrigerators near the produce section. Silken and soft tofu contain too much liquid and won't work for this recipe. Regular firm might work, but you'll want to press it first. 
• rolled oats - for the most authentic cream cheese consistency, I recommend making your own oat milk (or oat cream). It might sound intimidating, but it's actually really easy! Simply blend ¼ cup of oats with ½ cup water and then strain it through a nut milk bag.
  The oat starch lends a creamy mouthfeel that replaces the added fat in other vegan cream cheese recipes. See the Substitutions section below.
• vinegar/acidity - I tested vegan lactic acid powder, white vinegar, and apple cider vinegar. Personal preference plays a role here, and if you make this recipe more than once you may want to try a different one each time to see which you prefer. We thought lactic acid produced the most authentic flavor.
• lemon juice - this helps disguise the flavor of the tofu and lends a fresh, tanginess. 
• fine sea salt or mineral salt - salt is critical to the overall flavor. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your palate. You could also experiment with miso.
• garlic powder - adding a small amount lends a subtle savory, cheesy note. Omit the garlic if you plan to use this recipe for a sweet cream cheese flavor. 
• agar powder - derived from seaweed, agar is like a plant-based version of gelatin. Most vegan cream cheeses use nuts or coconut oil for firmness. Since we're not using these ingredients, agar helps the tofu and oat milk set and gives the cream cheese just the right amount of firmness.

Agar lasts a long time and can be used in many ways. So if you're worried about buying some and not using it, I can definitely help with that:

1. To make the oat cream, blend oats and water on high for 30 seconds with a high-speed blender or 1 minute with a regular blender. Strain with a nut milk bag (save the oat pulp for another use, like cookies or brownies).
2. Next, gently squeeze the tofu over the sink to remove some of the water. Place in a blender with the oat milk, and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice, lactic acid or vinegar, salt, and garlic powder, if using. Blend again. Taste and adjust the flavors as desired. (For savory cream cheese flavors I like to add more salt and garlic.) Add the agar powder, and blend again to incorporate.

3. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, slowly bring to a simmer.
4. When bubbles begin to rise to the surface, reduce heat to low so it doesn't scald. Whisking constantly, cook for 2 more minutes.

5. Immediately transfer to a ramekin or small bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
6. Refrigerate tofu cream cheese for at least 1 hour, preferably longer. It tastes best the next day.

Flavor Variations

There are endless ways you can flavor the cream cheese. Here are a few of our favorites:

Sweet Flavors

For any sweet flavor, you can add sifted powdered sugar, to taste, or a drizzle of maple syrup.

• strawberry - fruits that contain a lot of juice are one of the few ingredients to be careful with since they thin the consistency of the cream cheese. For flavors like strawberry and blueberry, use mostly jam, jelly, or powdered freeze-dried fruit, then fold in a small amount of chopped fresh berries.
• maple-pecan (or walnut) - add maple sugar and chopped pecans, or use date or brown sugar.
• cinnamon - add as much as you like, along with a spoonful of sweetener; also try pumpkin spice!

Savory Flavors

• jalapeno & green onion - a personal favorite! Fold in diced jalapeno and chopped green onions.
• garlic herb - add minced garlic or additional garlic powder and chopped parsley, dill, or basil.
• smoked - add a couple of drops of liquid smoke plus several dashes of smoked paprika.
• harissa - start with 1 tsp dried harissa seasoning and an extra pinch of salt. Adjust to taste.

Substitutions

• agar powder - the tofu and oat milk mixture is too soft and thin without agar. There really isn't a substitute unless you want to re-work the recipe to include nuts or coconut oil.
• oat milk - if necessary, other varieties of plain, non-dairy milk can be used. Just make sure they’re 100% unflavored. Some unsweetened milks have sneaky, vanilla-ish flavor added, which makes them unusable for savory recipes. 
  • To replace the starch in the oats you may want to add a teaspoon of cornstarch, arrowroot, or tapioca during blending.
• acids - if you happen to have vegan lactic acid powder, this is a great way to add tartness and can be used instead of the vinegars. Start with ¾ teaspoon and adjust to taste.

How to Store

Store vegan cream cheese in an airtight container for up to 6 days. 

This vegan cream cheese isn't freezer-friendly due to the high moisture content of tofu. Once it thaws, the liquid separates and affects the texture (just like when you freeze tofu to make it firmer for savory dishes).