Make the best vegan cream cheese at home without cashews, coconut, or oil! Extra-firm tofu and a few other key ingredients come together to create a delightfully creamy-yet-firm, tangy, and spreadable dairy-free cream cheese! This tofu cream cheese is versatile, too! Use it to create all of your favorite sweet and savory cream cheese flavors. If you’ve been disappointed with other vegan cream cheese options, this is definitely one to try!
This recipe if free from gluten, nuts, coconut, and oil and contains 6 grams of protein and only 3 grams of fat per ¼ cup!
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Why This Recipe Works
Most vegan cream cheese recipes are made with cashews, almonds, and/or coconut oil. For anyone allergic to nuts or trying to reduce their fat intake for health reasons, it’s difficult to find a good cream cheese substitute.
When I decided to start testing this recipe, I knew I didn't want to use cashews because, well, the internet already has plenty of cashew cream cheeses! I love the versatility and nutrition of tofu, so it was an easy choice as the main ingredient.
Then it occurred to me to include oat milk for its creamy mouthfeel and to help with blending. We already know oats work wonders for ice cream and chocolate sauce. Heck, it even adds creaminess to this no-cook vegan cheese sauce.
And boy oh boy, y'all. Oats and tofu did it again! (Not that I was surprised.)
There's another key ingredient that helps the cream cheese set. Agar is like a vegan version of gelatin and is one of my favorite "problem solving" plant-based ingredients.
Agar gives the tofu and oat milk the firm-yet-spreadable texture of cream cheese and other soft cheeses. This is what allows us to skip the nuts and coconut oil!
Best of all, this recipe can be used as a base to create endless flavored cream cheeses, like maple-pecan, strawberry, and jalapeno-green onion. See more ideas below!
Key Ingredients
- 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:
Useful Equipment
- blender - a high-speed blender makes blending super easy, but since we aren't blending any nuts or seeds, a regular should be fine.
- nut milk bag - to strain the oat milk; another option is to line a sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth.
- small saucepan - heating the cream cheese mixture on the stove activates the agar, so the cheese will set. Heat also makes the starch in the oat milk extra creamy.
- small whisk and silicone spatula
How to Make Vegan Cream Cheese
- 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).
- 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.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, slowly bring to a simmer.
- When bubbles begin to rise to the surface, reduce heat to low so it doesn't scald. Whisking constantly, cook for 2 more minutes.
- Immediately transfer to a ramekin or small bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- 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).
Ways to Use It
This dairy free cream cheese is perfect for serving with bagels, waffles, English muffins, crackers, and jams and jelly.
Use it in your favorite cold cream cheese dip. Add compote or caramelized onions to the top and use crackers to dip into this tasty appetizer.
Serve with crostini and topped with fresh herbs for a simple dinner appetizer.
Since this cream cheese substitute is lower in fat than most, there are limits to the ways you can cook and bake with it.
For example, the testing I've done showed that blending it breaks down the agar and causes it to not set well afterward. So it's difficult to predict which pies or no-bake desserts it will work with.
However, this recipe did inspire me to create a tofu cheesecake!
Frequently Asked Questions
While many vegan cream cheeses are made with oils or nuts like cashews and almonds, this tofu cream cheese is made with extra-firm tofu, unsweetened oat milk, and agar agar.
Silken tofu is too soft and won’t work in this recipe. Regular firm tofu could work, but you’ll want to take extra care to press out most of the water.
This vegan cream cheese softens beautifully when heated on the stove and could potentially be used in a hot dip. BUT! Keep in mind that as soon as the dip cools, the agar will cause it to set and firm up. This cream cheese has more potential for something like a baked cheesecake. I'll be testing that soon and will share the results.
More Tofu Recipes
Tofu is such a superstar ingredient. I mean, what can't it do?! If you're also a fan, be sure to check out my antioxidant tofu smoothie and silken tofu breakfast pudding.
If you're looking for savory breakfast recipes with tofu, try my vegan frittata, tofu quiche, pasta frittata, and this popular vegan breakfast casserole!
For dinner, you can't go wrong with green curry tofu, Szechuan tofu, sesame tofu with broccoli, or sweet and sour tofu!
The the kid in you will love these ridiculously easy tofu nuggets.
Top Tips
- Agar sets quickly. To avoid lumps in your vegan cream cheese, whisk vigorously as you remove it from heat, then immediately spoon it into a mold.
- The flavor mellows and improves overnight. So it's great for special breakfast or brunch events where you want to do some prep in advance!
I hope you enjoy this healthier vegan cream cheese as much as we do. If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cream Cheese (Tofu & Oat Milk, No Nuts!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats - see Note 1
- ½ cup water
- 7 ounces extra-firm tofu - half of a standard package
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vegan lactic acid powder or white vinegar
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or mineral salt - can also incorporate white miso paste for saltiness; use lesser amount for sweet flavors
- scant ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, optional - omit for sweet uses
- ¾ teaspoon agar agar powder
Instructions
- To make the oat cream, combine oats and water in a blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds with a high-speed blender or 1 minute with a standard blender. Don't worry about it becoming "slimy" because we actually want that for this recipe. Strain the milk with a nut milk bag (save the oat pulp for another use, like cookies). You should have about ⅓ cup of thick oat milk.
- 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, ½ tsp salt, and garlic powder, if using. Blend again.
- Taste and adjust the flavors as desired (I usually add another ⅛ tsp salt unless I plan to sweeten the cream cheese). It should taste very salty and tangy at this stage because the flavors will mellow. Add the agar powder, and blend again for a few seconds to incorporate.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, slowly bring to a simmer. When bubbles start to rise to the surface, reduce heat to low so it doesn't scald. Whisking constantly, cook for 2 more minutes. This activates the agar.
- Immediately transfer to a ramekin or small bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate tofu cream cheese for at least 1 hour, preferably longer. It tastes best the next day after the flavors have had time to mellow.
Notes
- strawberry - fruits that contain a lot of juice should be used sparingly. For flavors like strawberry and blueberry, stir in 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!
- 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.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
Heather
Can you use this to make cream cheese frosting?
Lori
Hi Heather,
I'm updating my reply because I finally had a chance to test cream cheese frosting... Test #1 didn't work, but I'm going to give it some thought and see if there's a fix. The problem was after adding powdered sugar (1.25 cups)and beating the cream cheese, it softened too much and lost its "set." Even after putting it back in the fridge, it didn't firm up again. It would make a delicious glaze, but without some tweaks, like adding fat, it's not firm enough to be a frosting.
Katelyn
Is there a way to make the vegan cream cheese without soy?
Lori
Hi Katelyn,
Not this particular recipe, unless you experiment with an alternative type of tofu like Pumfu (pumpkin seed). If you're fine with nuts there are many nut-based vegan cream cheese recipes online.
James A Clark Jr
I've got a question. My husband is allergic to all fish and hence seaweed as fish live in that environment. I know you said there is no real substitute for agar agar. Kappa Carageenan is also sea weed. So what about the gelatin you use in canning jelly?
Lori
Hi, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "the gelatin you use in canning." Do you mean pectin? Or something like Sure Jel? Unfortunately, I'm not sure how other ingredients might behave here. If there's a gelling agent that will work for you and your husband I'd say go ahead and give it a try!
Chris
It's a little late to respond but I noticed that the recipe held together find without the agar agar. It's a little loose but it'll sit on a bagel just fine. I'd even experiment with some corn starch if I was super determined.
My husband has the same allergy so I'm always on the lookout for swaps!
Chris
I can't edit my prior comment- I would still heat it up to activate the starches in the oats and pull everything together! Maybe increase the oats to water ratio in the first place.
Lori
Great tips, Chris! Thank you!
Sherri
Omg thank yoooouuu!! I’ve been buying Kite Hill cream cheese to avoid palm oil and coconut but it’s so pricey. I honestly csnt believe how spot on the texture is in this! It’s actually more like dairy cream cheese than the vegan products. I can’t wait to make all the flavors!