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It takes just 6 ingredients to make this rich, creamy, and tangy Vegan Cream Cheese. Just blend everything up and enjoy a taste of heaven!
Growing up, we always had a tub of cream cheese in our fridge and we went through it fast. Didn't everyone? Well, today, you'll still find it in my fridge, but now it's vegan cream cheese instead.
My favorite store-bought variety is the Kite Hill almond cream cheese. The consistency is perfectly rich and creamy! I feel it needs a little more tang, so I usually add a hint of vegan lactic acid to suit my taste. It's divine!
The only problem is that my local grocery store doesn't carry Kite Hill, so I have to drive an hour to get it. I'm not always up for the journey, so I came up with this homemade vegan cream cheese recipe. It's so easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes to whip up (*after almonds have soaked).
I honestly don't miss dairy cheese at all anymore and I'm much happier with my vegan versions. This Vegan Parmesan Cheese and Vegan Nacho Cheese are just a few of my favorites and they have all the flavor and tang that dairy cheese has. There's nothing missing at all!
- Raw slivered & blanched almonds - you can also use raw cashews. See the blog post below for the method.
- Unsweetened non-dairy yogurt - If you can't find it you can use plain. Look for one that has the least amount of sugar to avoid a slightly sweet taste. Some yogurt brands have an off-white color, which will make your cream cheese off-white. It won't affect the tastiness though. I prefer So Delicious for its color, taste, and thickness.
- Fresh lemon juice - you can also use lactic acid in its place. It adds a similar tangy flavor to cultured cheese. I usually add 1 ¼ teaspoons. If you use it, you may need to add a few teaspoons of water or non-dairy milk to make up the liquid portion of the lemon juice. Blend first and then decide.
- Apple cider vinegar - this will add a similar zing that dairy cream cheese has.
- Onion powder - you can also use garlic powder
- Sea salt - brings all the flavors together.
That's all you'll need, but feel free to add a hint more seasoning to suit your taste. Fresh dill or chives are a nice addition!
How to make Vegan Cream Cheese
This part is SO easy! Just blend the 6 ingredients together in a high-powered blender until it's smooth and creamy! If it's too thin, just add a splash of unsweetened non-dairy yogurt or milk.
If it needs more flavor, you can add what is needed. It's very forgiving, but just remember to add a little at a time, so it doesn't turn runny or over seasoned.
Success Tips
Once the almonds have soaked, it's pretty straightforward from there. Here are some additional tips to help you along:
- You'll need a high-powered blender to get super-smooth results. If you don't have one, you may want to use soaked cashews instead because they break down easier. However, a good blender is still recommended for a creamy-smooth texture.
- I have tried making this in my food processor, but I seem to get creamier results in my blender and much faster. If you have a processor that produces smooth results you may want to try that. Also, make sure the almonds/cashews have soaked long enough or it will produce gritty results.
- I've tried soaking the almonds covered in hot water to make it quicker, but I didn't like the flavor afterward, but it did soften them much faster. I may need to experiment with this again since I've only tried it once. Let me know if you try it.
Ways to use it
This vegan cream cheese is delicious on a bagel with all the fixin's, but there are a lot of other ways to use it, too. Use it to amp up Dips, Sauces, Dressings, Casseroles, Baked Goods, or Soups and Salads.
Can I use cashews?
YES! If you don't have slivered almonds, you can use the same amount of soaked cashews instead and reduce the yogurt to ⅓ cup and add more as needed. The cashew cream cheese won't be as thick as the almond one, but will still be creamy and delicious.
You'll only need to soak them for 2-4 hours or you can soak them in very hot water to make it quicker. Just boil water and remove it from the heat. Then add cashews and cover for 20 minutes or until softened.
More vegan cheese recipes to try
And here are 14 more Vegan Cheese Recipes by Karissa's Vegan Kitchen that you might want to check out. So many to choose from!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups raw slivered & blanched almonds , soaked in water for 12-16 hours (*see note)
- ½ cup non-dairy yogurt , unsweetened (sub plain)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt , more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar , more to taste
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the almonds. Discard soaking water.
- Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender (starting with the yogurt vinegar and lemon juice). Blend on high until creamy and smooth. This could take a few minutes. Scrape down sides as needed.
- The consistency is supposed to be thick, but if it's too thick for your taste, you can add a few teaspoons of unsweetened non-dairy milk, yogurt or water to thin it out. Add more as needed but only a small amount at a time to avoid runny cream cheese. Taste for flavor and add more lemon, vinegar or salt if desired.
- Enjoy right away or place in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. It will firm up a bit in the fridge.
Notes
- Almonds- If you don't have them, you can use the same amount of soaked cashews instead and reduce the yogurt to ⅓ cup and add more as needed. The cashew cream cheese won't be as thick as the almond one, but will still be creamy and delicious. You'll only need to soak them for 2-4 hours or you can soak them in very hot water to make it quicker. Just boil water and remove from heat. Then add cashews and cover for 20 minutes or until softened. I've tried soaking the almonds in hot water and it softened them faster, but I didn't like the flavor afterward.
- Yogurt- some brands have an off-white color, which will make your cream cheese slightly off-white. It won't affect the tastiness though. I prefer So Delicious for its color, taste, and thickness. If you can't find unsweetened yogurt, you can use plain. Look for one that has the least amount of sugar to avoid a slightly sweet taste.
- If you prefer a whipped consistency, add 1 tablespoon of refined coconut oil to the blender with the other ingredients. Place in fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up.
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, the cream cheese may not get smooth enough. I prefer to use my blender over a food processor because it yields a smoother result for me, but you can use whatever works for you.
- I leave the almonds in the fridge while they are soaking. They must soak for a minimum of 12-16 hours or they will produce gritty results. The cashews need to soak for about 2-4 hours.
- Prep time doesn't include soaking time.
- Yields about 1 cup + 2 tablespoons.
- If you have lactic acid, you can use that in replace of lemon juice. It adds a similar tangy flavor that cultured cheese has. I usually add 1 ¼ teaspoons. You may need to add a few teaspoons of water or non-dairy milk to make up the liquid portion of the lemon juice. Blend first and then decide.
Ortal
Looks amazing!
How much ml in your cup?
Tnx
Lexi
Wow, this came out so good! I had whole almonds so I soaked them and then pulled the skin off, i still was able to get it so creamy!! I’m a huge fan, I can’t wait to perfect my flavors for it
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Lexi! We are so happy you loved the recipe! Thank you for giving it a try and have fun experimenting! 🙂
Kim
Great recipe! Made it with plain slivered almonds, almond yogurt, garlic powder , chives and shallots. I think I could have blended it longer but it still has a smooth consistency. Next time I will probably add a bit more vinegar or lemon juice. I also wasn't able to get all the skins off of the almonds but it barely made a difference after blending. Thanks for the delicious recipe! I love Kite Hill brand but it is $$$.
Melissa Huggins
Yay! I'm so glad you liked it. Sounds perfect with the chives and shallots. YUM! Thank you for sharing your feedback. 🙂
Jenny
This recipe is AMAZING! Thank you!!!!
Marina
This is great! Do you know if this freezes well?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Marina, I haven't tried freezing it yet. Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Jennifer
I live in mexico and love kite hill so much. I can’t get it here, so I am thrilled to try this. I can’t get slivered blanched almonds either. Do you think I could substitute for soaked raw macadamia nuts? Thank you so much for your recipe. I can hardly wait to try it!!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jennifer, I have used macadamia nuts for 'cheese' recipes, but not for this one. I think it will work, I just can't be sure of the taste. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Dee
Hello, this looks lovely!! I don’t have coconut yogurt and can’t easily find it here-would it be ok to omit it and maybe add some almond milk? Or any other ideas for substitutions? Thanks!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Dee, thank you so much! Unfortunately, I haven't tried it without the yogurt. It adds tang and thickness to the cheese. I believe you can get it to work, but it might be some trial and error. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. I'll try to work on an alternate version in the near future. 🙂
Chanel
Hello, which version taste most similar to kite hill, using lemon juice or lactic acid?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Chanel, I love both, but if I had to choose, I would go with the lactic acid. It has a similar tang that cultured cheese has. Add a small amount at a time and taste before adding more. I usually add 1 1/4 teaspoons.
Tammy
Can you use whole raw almonds for this recipe?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Tammy, I haven't tried it with whole almonds. I believe it will work fine, but I just don't know the exact measurements to give you. I measured the slivered almonds which are a lot smaller. You could just eyeball it though and add liquid/seasosoning as needed. I would soak them for 18-24 hours to really get them soft too. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Noel
Hi! Great recipe!
I’m in dire need of a vegan cream cheese glaze recipe for donuts, brownies etc., and I’m on a time crunch because my family member is going through a severe illness.
I’ve been experimenting with an apple cider vinegar and lemon juice combo, but haven’t been able to get that cream cheese flavor in a glaze like I have in a frosting. My ratios must be off.
I need the glaze to be shelf stable, so I’m trying to do it with water (no milks), powdered sugar, maybe vanilla extract ?, and whatever other ingredients you think would give it that cream cheese flavor. I can purchase a vegan lactic acid powder if you think that would work, but I need a recipe that will mimic that flavor very well without using any other allergens or crazy ingredients.
If you can give me a recipe or an idea of how much lactic acid powder to use. Is that all I need to add to a regular vanilla glaze recipe or do I have to combine the lactic acid with something else?
Thanks so much!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Noel, I'm sorry to hear about your family member. I hope they get well soon.
I don't have a recipe for cream cheese glaze, but I have one for cream cheese frosting. It's not exactly shelf-stable though, but it can stay at room temp for 30-60 minutes. I have a recipe for a lemon glaze that will last longer out at room temp. You'll need 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Just whisk the powder sugar and lemon juice together until fully combined and smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake. I hope this helps some. Feel free to reach out with any other questions. 🙂
Nina
I have blanched almond meal. Since the slivered almonds end up in the blender, so you think I could just use almond meal? I wonder how much...hmmmm
Melissa Huggins
Hi Nina, this is a really good question. Unfortunately, I don't know how it would turn out because I haven't tried it. I think it could work, but I don't know the amount of meal to use. Let me know if you try it. I'd love to hear how it turns out. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Lexi
I love Kite Hill, but have the same problem! Can’t wait to make this! Those capers are calling my name 🤗What non dairy yogurt do you use?! I have unsweetened plain coconut yogurt by So Delicious..
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lexi, I use the So Delicious one too. I love it! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Alexa
Hi! I am from Mexico and can’t get any good cream cheeses here, so I am really excited for this recipe!! Can I use probiotics instead of yogurt? There aren’t any good vegan yogurts here either 😔
Melissa Huggins
Hi Alexa, the yogurt in this recipe is more for texture and consistency, so the probiotics won't work unless it's the kind that looks like yogurt. However, you can use silken tofu or even the hardened part of canned coconut milk. I hope this helps. 🙂
raelene
do you have a recipe for vegan sour cream ? thank you, your recipes are delightful
Melissa Huggins
Yes, I have one, but it's not posted on the blog yet. I'm going to get it up soon though. I just have to take some photos. I'll email you when it's posted. Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful weekend! 🙂