What Is Vegan Cream Cheese? Plus, Your Information to the Finest Dairy-Free Manufacturers

For one thing so easy, dairy-free cream cheese has turn into a behemoth of a subject. Some want a layer so skinny it’s virtually translucent whereas others want a two-to-one ratio of bagel to cream cheese. Then there are the flavors—plain, every part, chive, lox, cinnamon raisin (don’t @ us for that final one—it exists, even when you don’t prefer it). Whether or not trying to find the perfect dairy-free cream cheese for bagels or for desserts, use this information to navigate by way of the swirly, luscious wonders of a vegan schmear.

What’s dairy-free cream cheese?

To make clear, once we discuss with “dairy-free cream cheese,” we’re additionally referring to vegan cream cheese. We’ve but to come back throughout a dairy-free cream cheese that wasn’t vegan, largely on account of the truth that different animal components sometimes are usually not used to make the essential schmear. Packaged cream cheese is made from pasteurized complete milk, salt, carob bean gum (a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier), and cheese cultures. Most do-it-yourself vegan cream cheese recipes substitute the cultures for an acid, resembling lemon juice, to curdle the dairy-free base. 

Daiya

To make a vegan model of a conventional cow milk-dependent product, just a few further components are wanted. Totally different firms depend on completely different meals and strategies to achieve that thick texture and mildly tart style. Tofutti, for instance, makes use of soy, an oil mix, and non-dairy lactic acid; newer vegan cream cheese innovators resembling Miyoko’s Creamery depend on cashews, coconut cream, and vegan cultures. Someday, it would even be constituted of precision fermentation, an rising method that’s slowly making its approach into the vegan meals area. Solely time will inform.

There’s a seemingly infinite variety of methods to make it, however the normal rule of thumb is the emulsification of fats, liquid, salt, and cultures, generally with the addition of a stabilizer.

Is dairy-free cream cheese wholesome?

Whereas the components for dairy-free cream cheese range, the vitamin label throughout manufacturers appears to be like related. Vegan or not, cream cheese is calorically-dense and excessive in fats, and “wholesome” is a relative time period. As a result of it doesn’t use cow’s milk, it doesn’t include trans fats and tends to be decrease in saturated fats than an animal-based schmear. An excessive amount of saturated fats is related to larger ranges of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often known as “unhealthy” ldl cholesterol. Excessive LDL ranges can improve the danger of coronary heart illness, based on the American Coronary heart Affiliation.

The healthfulness of vegan cream cheese varies from model to model. If saturated fats is a priority, hold an eye fixed out for coconut oil-based vegan cream cheeses. Coconut oil is about 90 % saturated fats.

When you’re in search of one which’s on the better-for-you facet, keep away from the dairy-free varieties constituted of oil and persist with those constituted of complete meals components like nuts, seeds, and even beans. That’s to not say that oil-based vegan cream cheeses are unhealthy for you. Oil is usually a wholesome a part of your food regimen when consumed carefully. 

The most effective dairy-free cream cheese manufacturers

Beneath are our prime picks for vegan cream cheeses whether or not you’re utilizing them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.

VegNews.KitHillCreamCheeseKite Hill

1 Kite Hill

An outlier within the vegan cream cheese market, Kite Hill makes use of almond milk as a base for its many creamy spreads. It’s barely thinner than different manufacturers, however what it could lack in thickness it makes up for in taste. Choices embody plain, chive, every part, and backyard veggie.
Discover it right here

VegNews.MiyokosCreamCheeseMiyoko’s Creamery

2 Miyoko’s Creamery

In search of one thing with minimal components? Miyoko’s is a strong alternative. Made solely with cashews, coconut cream, salt, and cultures, these items is as unprocessed as you may get within the schmear division. It’s tremendous thick and velvety and is available in 5 flavors: traditional plain, every part, Savory Scallion, Fish-Free Lox, and cinnamon raisin.  
Discover it right here

VegNews.TofuttiTheJewishVegan@thejewishvegan/Instagram

3 Tofutti

From the makers of the novelty ice cream, this old-school vegan model’s Higher Than Cream Cheese lives as much as its identify. Whereas newer manufacturers might have acquired extra hype, this schmear is completely serviceable in baked items and by itself. You will discover it in most grocers and it tends to be essentially the most inexpensive possibility as nicely. 
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VegNews.TJsCreamcheeseDealer Joe’s

4 Dealer Joe’s 

The grocery store is nicely on its solution to providing a vegan possibility for each product it sells. Labeled as Vegan Cream Cheese Different, this plain unfold is one other win for all plant-based Dealer Joe’s customers. Professional tip: combine in just a few shakes of Dealer Joe’s Every part Bagel Seasoning to make this schmear a bit extra fascinating.
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VegNews.DaiyacreamcheeseDaiya

5 Daiya 

Title a dairy product, and this long-standing vegan firm doubtless makes it. The model not too long ago reformulated its inaugural cream cheese to enhance its wealthy style and silky texture. Among the many 4 flavors, our favourite is the Roasted Garlic & Herbs. Additionally, when you have been questioning, it’s pronounced Day-ah. 
Discover it right here

Vegnews.ViolifecreamcheeseViolife

6 Violife

Excellent for baked items like vegan cheesecake and cream cheese swirled brownies, Violife’s Simply Like Cream Cheese is a comparatively new product underneath this non-dairy meals model’s identify. When you’re in search of the perfect vegan cheesecake recipe, hold studying for our prime choose.
Discover it right here

VegNews.VeganCreamCheese.SimpleTruth.KrogerEasy Fact

7Kroger Easy Fact

Kroger’s Easy Fact Natural Plant-Primarily based Cream Cheese Different is simply one of many 50-plus new vegan merchandise the name-brand line launched within the fall of 2020. When a significant grocery store invests in non-dairy cream cheese, the “development” is right here to remain.
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VegNews.GoVeggieGo Veggie

8 Go Veggie

Have you ever ever bought a bathtub of non-dairy cream cheese solely to understand you picked up the Chive & Garlic taste simply earlier than making your vegan cream cheese frosting? Yep, we’ve been there. Go Veggie presents each Chives & Garlic and traditional plain, and whereas each are creamy and scrumptious, positively double-check the label when you’re making one thing candy.
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VegNews.TreelinecreamcheeseTreeline

9 Treeline

After gaining recognition by way of its luscious, European-style tender vegan cheeses, it’s solely pure that this firm churns out a decadent dairy-free cream cheese. The three, minimal-ingredient flavors embody plain, Chive & Onion, and strawberry.
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VegNews.SperoSpero

10Spero Meals

This vegan tender cheese model differentiates itself from the remaining through the use of sunflower seeds for its thick and creamy base. Every of the flavors is infused with probiotics to finest mimic their dairy-based counterparts. Select from authentic, strawberry, Smoked, Smoked Salmon, and Herb varieties the subsequent time you might have toasty bagels ready for you at residence.
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VegNews.VeganCreamCheese.WildBrine.CreamCheeseWildbrine

11 Wildbrine

This clean dairy-free cream cheese is constituted of a mix of cashews and coconut cream. It will get a lift of gut-healthy micro organism from the pressure lactobacillus cultures plus, it’s versatile sufficient to make use of as a selection or in decadent desserts.
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VegNews.VeganCreamCheese.WayfareWayFare

12 WayFare

Recognized for its vegan bitter cream and butter, this plant-based model’s cream cheese incorporates a base constituted of natural butter beans and natural oats. The result’s a dairy-free unfold that has a thick texture, excellent for bagels and crackers.
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VegNews.PhiladelphiaCreamCheese-Philadelphia

13 Philadelphia

Yep, essentially the most iconic cream cheese model of all of them, Philadelphia, is now within the vegan sport. It launched its first plant-based cream cheese on the finish of 2022, and in June 2023, it launched three vegan flavors nationwide: Unique, Strawberry, and Chive & Onion.
Discover it right here

VegNews.vegancreamcheese.nurishhNurishh

14 Nurishh

Owned by Bel (additionally the house owners of two iconic cheese manufacturers, Babybel and Boursin), Nurishh first launched again in 2020, providing vegan mozzarella, camembert, and extra. Since then, it has expanded its vary additional, and in early 2023, it launched its personal sunflower seed-based cream cheese in two scrumptious flavors: Plain and Garlic & Herbs.
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VegNews.vegancreamcheese.cloudcheeseMonty’s

15 Monty’s

Monty’s cultured cashew-based cream cheese is “mild as air,” which is why it has the suitable title of Cloud Cheese. It’s a little bit completely different from many others available on the market as a result of it’s packaged inside a squeezable sachet. In line with the model, this makes it simpler “to seize and simpler to squeeze.”
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VegNews.vegancreamspread.oatlyOatly

16Oatly

This Swedish model could be recognized finest for its oat milk, however that’s not the one scrumptious product in its portfolio. Alongside merchandise like Oatgurt and ice lotions, it additionally presents velvety oat-based cream cheese unfold, too.
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VegNews.vegancreamcheese.followyourheartComply with Your Coronary heart

17 Comply with Your Coronary heart

California-based vegan cheese model Comply with Your Coronary heart’s dairy-free vary is intensive and attractive, and, in fact, it consists of vegan cream cheese. Made with coconut oil, it’s also gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and, most significantly, excellent on a freshly toasted bagel.
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VegNews.vegancreamcheese.groundedGrounded Meals

18 Grounded Meals

Many vegan cream cheeses available on the market are made with components like coconut or cashews, however this feature from Grounded Meals makes use of hemp seeds as an alternative. Which means it’s sustainable and soy-free, in addition to scrumptious. In line with the model, it additionally comprises twice the quantity of calcium as common cream cheese.
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VegNews.vegancreamcheese.dareDarë

19 Darë

Primarily based in North Carolina, Darë makes a speciality of aged, artisan, completely vegan cheeses. However alongside wedge choices like Pepperjack, Balsamic Fig, and Roasted Garlic, it’s also possible to discover cashew-based cream cheeses in three tasty flavors: Unique, French Onion, and Veggie.
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VegNews.vegancreamcheese.naturesfyndNature’s Fynd

20 Nature’s Fynd

This vegan cream cheese from Nature’s Fynd is made with the model’s signature Fy Protein, which is derived from fungi. It’s clean, creamy, simply spreadable, and much more sustainable than the choice. Plus, it’s additionally nut- and soy-free.
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VegNews.vegancreamcheese.vevanVevan

21 Vevan

Vevan is aware of its cheese, and that’s as a result of it was based by actual cheesemakers. Owned by Shuman Cheese, it has mixed the ability of cheese specialists with plant-based components to create scrumptious 100% vegan merchandise which can be simply as tasty as their animal-derived counterparts. It has a number of completely different UnCreamCheese flavors on supply, together with Plain, Strawberries & Cream, and Caramelized Peach & Maple.
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VegNews.vegancreamcheese.simplerootThe Easy Root

22 The Easy Root

Made with components like potato and coconut oil, The Easy Root’s vegan cream cheeses are scrumptious, however they’re additionally preferrred for folks with intolerances, as they’re additionally wheat-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. Select from tasty flavors like Candy Chili, Strawberry, and Garlic & Herb.
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Right here at VegNews, we dwell and breathe the vegan life-style, and solely suggest merchandise we really feel make our lives superb. Often, articles might embody buying hyperlinks the place we’d earn a small fee. By no means does this impact the editorial integrity of VegNews.