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

For one thing so easy, dairy-free cream cheese has develop into a behemoth of a subject. Some desire a layer so skinny it’s virtually translucent whereas others desire a two-to-one ratio of bagel to cream cheese. Then there are the flavors—plain, all the things, chive, lox, cinnamon raisin (don’t @ us for that final one—it exists, even if you happen to don’t prefer it). Whether or not looking for one of the best 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 confer 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 as a consequence of the truth that different animal components sometimes usually are not used to make the essential schmear. Packaged cream cheese is product of pasteurized entire milk, salt, carob bean gum (a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier), and cheese cultures. Most selfmade vegan cream cheese recipes substitute the cultures for an acid, equivalent to lemon juice, to curdle the dairy-free base. 

Daiya

To make a vegan model of a conventional cow milk-dependent product, just a few additional components are wanted. Totally different firms depend on completely different meals and strategies to realize 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 equivalent to Miyoko’s Creamery depend on cashews, coconut cream, and vegan cultures. At some point, it’d even be constituted of precision fermentation, an rising approach that’s slowly making its method into the vegan meals house. Solely time will inform.

There’s a seemingly infinite variety of methods to make it, however the common rule of thumb is the emulsification of fats, liquid, salt, and cultures, typically 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 seems 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 greater ranges of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often known as “dangerous” ldl cholesterol. Excessive LDL ranges can improve the chance 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, preserve a watch out for coconut oil-based vegan cream cheeses. Coconut oil is about 90 p.c saturated fats.

When you’re searching for one which’s on the better-for-you facet, keep away from the dairy-free varieties constituted of oil and keep on with those constituted of entire meals components like nuts, seeds, and even beans. That’s to not say that oil-based vegan cream cheeses are dangerous for you. Oil could be a wholesome a part of your food plan when consumed carefully. 

One of the best dairy-free cream cheese manufacturers

Under 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 could lack in thickness it makes up for in taste. Choices embody plain, chive, all the things, and backyard veggie.
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Miyoko’s Creamery

2 Miyoko’s Creamery

Searching for one thing with minimal components? Miyoko’s is a strong selection. Made solely with cashews, coconut cream, salt, and cultures, these things is as unprocessed as you may get within the schmear division. It’s tremendous thick and velvety and is available in 5 flavors: basic plain, all the things, Savory Scallion, Fish-Free Lox, and cinnamon raisin.  
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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 obtained 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 probably the most inexpensive possibility as nicely. 
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Dealer Joe’s

4 Dealer Joe’s 

The grocery store is nicely on its technique to providing a vegan possibility 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 customers. Professional tip: combine in just a few shakes of Dealer Joe’s Every little thing Bagel Seasoning to make this schmear a bit extra attention-grabbing.
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Daiya

5 Daiya 

Identify a dairy product, and this long-standing vegan firm doubtless makes it. The model just 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, if you happen to had been questioning, it’s pronounced Day-ah. 
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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 beneath this non-dairy meals model’s identify. When you’re searching for one of the best vegan cheesecake recipe, preserve studying for our high decide.
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Easy Reality

7Kroger Easy Reality

Kroger’s Easy Reality 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 serious grocery store invests in non-dairy cream cheese, you realize the “development” is right here to remain.
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Go Veggie

8 Go Veggie

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

9 Treeline

After gaining reputation 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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Spero

10Spero Meals

This vegan tender cheese model differentiates itself from the remaining by utilizing 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 unique, strawberry, Smoked, Smoked Salmon, and Herb varieties the subsequent time you’ve got toasty bagels ready for you at residence.
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Wildbrine

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 diffusion or in decadent desserts.
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WayFare

12 WayFare

Identified for its vegan bitter cream and butter, this plant-based model’s cream cheese contains 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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Philadelphia

13 Philadelphia

Yep, probably 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.
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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.
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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 just a little completely different from many others in the marketplace as a result of it’s packaged inside a squeezable sachet. In response to the model, this makes it simpler “to seize and simpler to squeeze.”
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Oatly

16Oatly

This Swedish model is perhaps 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 affords velvety oat-based cream cheese unfold, too.
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Observe Your Coronary heart

17 Observe Your Coronary heart

California-based vegan cheese model Observe Your Coronary heart’s dairy-free vary is in depth and engaging, and, in fact, it contains 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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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 an alternative. Which means that it’s sustainable and soy-free, in addition to scrumptious. In response to the model, it additionally incorporates twice the quantity of calcium as common cream cheese.
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Darë

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, you may also discover cashew-based cream cheeses in three tasty flavors: Unique, French Onion, and Veggie.
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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 clean, creamy, simply spreadable, and way more sustainable than the choice. Plus, it’s additionally nut- and soy-free.
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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 ability of cheese consultants with plant-based components to create scrumptious one hundred pc vegan merchandise which might 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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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 very best 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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Charlotte is a author and editor primarily based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.

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