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

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

What’s dairy-free cream cheese?

To make clear, once we seek advice from “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 as a result of the truth that different animal components usually aren’t used to make the fundamental schmear. Packaged cream cheese is manufactured from pasteurized complete milk, salt, carob bean gum (a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier), and cheese cultures. Most home made vegan cream cheese recipes substitute the cultures for an acid, corresponding to lemon juice, to curdle the dairy-free base. 

Daiya

To make a vegan model of a conventional cow milk-dependent product, a couple of further components are wanted. Completely different corporations depend on totally 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; more moderen vegan cream cheese innovators corresponding to Miyoko’s Creamery depend on cashews, coconut cream, and vegan cultures. Sooner or later, it’d even be constructed from precision fermentation, an rising approach that’s slowly making its manner into the vegan meals house. 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 diet 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 “dangerous” ldl cholesterol. Excessive LDL ranges can improve the danger of coronary heart illness, in keeping with the American Coronary heart Affiliation.

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

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

The most effective dairy-free cream cheese manufacturers

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

Kite 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 might lack in thickness it makes up for in taste. Choices embody plain, chive, all the pieces, and backyard veggie.
Discover it right here

Miyoko’s Creamery

2 Miyoko’s Creamery

Searching for one thing with minimal components? Miyoko’s is a strong alternative. Made solely with cashews, coconut cream, salt, and cultures, these things is as unprocessed as you will get within the schmear division. It’s tremendous thick and velvety and is available in 5 flavors: basic plain, all the pieces, Savory Scallion, Fish-Free Lox, and cinnamon raisin.  
Discover it right here

@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 title. Whereas newer manufacturers might have obtained extra hype, this schmear is completely serviceable in baked items and by itself. You could find it in most grocers and it tends to be probably the most inexpensive choice as properly. 
Discover it right here

Dealer Joe’s

4 Dealer Joe’s 

The grocery store is properly on its approach to providing a vegan choice for each product it sells. Labeled as Vegan Cream Cheese Various, this plain unfold is one other win for all plant-based Dealer Joe’s consumers. Professional tip: combine in a couple of shakes of Dealer Joe’s The whole lot Bagel Seasoning to make this schmear a bit extra fascinating.
Discover it right here

Daiya

5 Daiya 

Identify a dairy product, and this long-standing vegan firm probably makes it. The model lately 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, in case you have been questioning, it’s pronounced Day-ah. 
Discover it right here

Violife

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 below this non-dairy meals model’s title. In the event you’re in search of the most effective vegan cheesecake recipe, maintain studying for our high choose.
Discover it right here

Easy Fact

7Kroger Easy Fact

Kroger’s Easy Fact Natural Plant-Primarily based Cream Cheese Various 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, you realize the “development” is right here to remain.
Discover it right here

Go Veggie

8 Go Veggie

Have you ever ever bought a bath of non-dairy cream cheese solely to appreciate you picked up the Chive & Garlic taste simply earlier than making your vegan cream cheese frosting? Yep, we’ve been there. Go Veggie gives each Chives & Garlic and basic plain, and whereas each are creamy and scrumptious, undoubtedly double-check the label in case you’re making one thing candy.
Discover it right here

Treeline

9 Treeline

After gaining recognition by 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.
Discover it right here

Spero

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 greatest mimic their dairy-based counterparts. Select from unique, strawberry, Smoked, Smoked Salmon, and Herb varieties the subsequent time you’ve got toasty bagels ready for you at dwelling.
Discover it right here

Wildbrine

11 Wildbrine

This easy dairy-free cream cheese is constructed from 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 an expansion or in decadent desserts.
Discover it right here

WayFare

12 WayFare

Identified for its vegan bitter cream and butter, this plant-based model’s cream cheese encompasses a base constructed from natural butter beans and natural oats. The result’s a dairy-free unfold that has a thick texture, excellent for bagels and crackers.
Discover it right here

Philadelphia

13 Philadelphia

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

Nurishh

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.
Discover it right here

Monty’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 slightly totally different from many others in the marketplace 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.”
Discover it right here

Oatly

16Oatly

This Swedish model may be identified greatest for its oat milk, however that’s not the one scrumptious product in its portfolio. Alongside merchandise like Oatgurt and ice lotions, it additionally gives velvety oat-based cream cheese unfold, too.
Discover it right here

Comply 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 contains vegan cream cheese. Made with coconut oil, it is usually gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and, most significantly, excellent on a freshly toasted bagel.
Discover it right here

Grounded Meals

18 Grounded Meals

Many vegan cream cheeses in the marketplace are made with components like coconut or cashews, however this feature from Grounded Meals makes use of hemp seeds as a substitute. Which means it’s sustainable and soy-free, in addition to scrumptious. In line with the model, it additionally accommodates twice the quantity of calcium as common cream cheese.
Discover it right here

Darë

19 Darë

Primarily based in North Carolina, Darë focuses on aged, artisan, completely vegan cheeses. However alongside wedge choices like Pepperjack, Balsamic Fig, and Roasted Garlic, you can too discover cashew-based cream cheeses in three tasty flavors: Authentic, French Onion, and Veggie.
Discover it right here

Nature’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 easy, creamy, simply spreadable, and much more sustainable than the choice. Plus, it’s additionally nut- and soy-free.
Discover it right here

Vevan

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 talent of cheese specialists with plant-based components to create scrumptious 100% vegan merchandise which might be simply as tasty as their animal-derived counterparts. It has a number of totally different UnCreamCheese flavors on provide, together with Plain, Strawberries & Cream, and Caramelized Peach & Maple.
Discover it right here

The 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 supreme for individuals with intolerances, as they’re additionally wheat-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. Select from tasty flavors like Candy Chili, Strawberry, and Garlic & Herb.
Discover it right here

Charlotte is a author and editor based mostly in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.

Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews in addition to a author and runner dwelling in Orange County, CA.