Vegan Cream Cheese (No Oil or Nuts)

Half of a bagel spread with tofu cream cheese and sprinkled with dill resting on a small plate.

Vegan Cream Cheese (No Oil or Nuts)

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Chill time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings:4 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

If you've dreamed of a tangy and delicious vegan cream cheese that isn't made with nuts, coconut, or oil, you've found it! This recipe combines tofu, oat cream, and agar for a dairy-free cream cheese that's perfectly firm yet spreadable! Enjoy on crackers, bagels and toast, and use it for sweet and savory dips. So many possibilities!

Yield: makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

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 teaspoon salt, and garlic powder, if using. Blend again.
Taste and adjust the flavors as desired (I usually add another ⅛ teaspoon 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

Flavor Ideas: For sweet flavors, add sifted powdered sugar or maple syrup, to taste. For savory flavors, increase garlic and salt.

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 teaspoon dried harissa seasoning and an extra pinch of salt.

Note 1 (milks) - since you'll have the blender out anyway, it's easy to make your own oat milk. This is also what gives it a creamy mouthfeel in the absence of added fats. So for the best texture and flavor, I highly recommend homemade oat milk.

You can use store-bought oat milk, but make sure it's completely unflavored and unsweetened. Low-fat Planet Oat is the best option if you don't want to make your own.

Other plain, non-dairy milks can be used, but they won't add the same creamy, starchy element as oat milk. You could experiment with adding a tiny bit of starch, like cornstarch or tapioca.

Note 2 - if you make many vegan cheese recipes, you'll find plenty of ways to use lactic acid powder. It creates a more authentic flavor than vinegar.

Store tofu cream cheese in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Freezing is not recommended because the liquid in the tofu separates after thawing, changing the texture of the cream cheese.

Nutrition