Vegan cream cheese substitutes
Vegan cream cheese substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Blended cashew base
1 cup raw cashews plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water and ½ teaspoon salt makes about 1 cup
The best swap is a blended cashew base: soak 1 cup raw cashews, then blend with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water and half a teaspoon of salt to make about 1 cup. Strained coconut yogurt works if you have time to hang it overnight, and blended firm silken tofu with lemon and oil is the fastest nut-free option. If the recipe does not have to be vegan, plain dairy cream cheese swaps in one for one.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- frosting
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of vegan cream cheese | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blended cashew basefrosting | 1 cup raw cashews plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water and ½ teaspoon salt makes about 1 cupWorks | Works |
| 2 | Strained coconut yogurtfrosting | 2 cups thick coconut yogurt strained overnight yields about 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Firm silken tofu plus lemon and oilcheesecake filling | 1 block (about 12 oz) firm silken tofu plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons neutral oil and ½ teaspoon salt per 1 ½ cupsYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Vegan butter plus lemon juicecream cheese frosting | ¾ cup vegan butter plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice per 1 cup vegan cream cheese, and reduce other liquid slightlyYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Blanched almond basecheesecake | 1 cup blanched slivered almonds soaked, plus ¼ cup water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, makes about 1 cupWorks | Works |
| 6 | Dairy cream cheeseany recipe where dairy is acceptable | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
Blended cashew base
similar taste and texture
The closest homemade match in flavor, richness and spreadability.
- Best for
- frosting, cheesecake, dips, bagels, stuffed pasta
Soak the cashews four hours in cold water, or fifteen minutes in boiling water if you are in a hurry, then blend until completely smooth. It comes out a touch sweeter and less sharp than a store carton, so taste and add lemon a teaspoon at a time until it makes you salivate slightly, which is the point at which it reads as cheese. For anything that has to hold a shape, blend in 2 tablespoons of melted refined coconut oil and chill four hours, since coconut oil is what makes commercial versions firm.
Strained coconut yogurt
different taste, similar texture
Genuinely tangy and creamy, with a coconut note behind it.
- Best for
- frosting, cheesecake, dips, spreads
Line a sieve with a coffee filter or cheesecloth, add the yogurt, and let it drip in the fridge for eight to twelve hours. What is left is thick, cultured and closer to real cream cheese tang than anything else on this list. It is more sour than most vegan cream cheese and it tastes distinctly of coconut, which is lovely in a carrot cake frosting and out of place in a savory herb dip. Use unsweetened yogurt or the frosting will be cloying.
Firm silken tofu plus lemon and oil
different taste and texture
Fast, cheap, nut-free, and much leaner than the real thing.
- Best for
- cheesecake filling, dips, stuffed shells, savory spreads
Blend until absolutely smooth, which takes longer than you think. It is high in protein and low in fat, so a baked cheesecake sets beautifully but a buttercream-style frosting made with it will slump at room temperature. The flavor is very neutral, so it needs more salt and more acid than you would expect. Press out water first if your tofu is packed in liquid.
Vegan butter plus lemon juice
different taste and texture
A frosting-only fix that gets the tang and the structure but not the body.
- Best for
- cream cheese frosting, piped decorations
This makes a stable, pipeable frosting with a hint of the sourness cream cheese provides, and it holds up in a warm room far better than a cashew or tofu base. It is noticeably richer and less tangy, so you lose the slight savoriness that cuts sweetness in a real cream cheese frosting. Do not use it in a cheesecake or a dip, where you need moisture and body rather than pure fat.
Blanched almond base
similar taste and texture
Nearly identical to the cashew version and often cheaper.
- Best for
- cheesecake, dips, spreads, ricotta-style fillings
Use blanched almonds with the skins off, otherwise you get brown flecks and a bitter edge. The texture is very slightly grainier than cashew unless you have a high-speed blender, and the flavor is a shade more astringent, which some people actually prefer in a savory spread. Still a tree nut, so this is not a solution for a nut allergy.
Dairy cream cheese
different taste, similar texture
Identical function, obviously not vegan.
- Best for
- any recipe where dairy is acceptable
Worth stating plainly, because plenty of people arrive at a vegan recipe without needing it to be vegan. Real cream cheese is richer and less sweet than most plant versions, holds up better in the oven, and does not risk the coconut-oil softening problem. Full-fat block, not the whipped tub, if the recipe needs it to set.
Questions
5 questionsCan I use regular cream cheese instead of vegan cream cheese?
Yes, one for one, and it will usually work better. Dairy cream cheese is richer, less sweet, more stable in the oven and firmer straight from the fridge. Use the full-fat block rather than a whipped tub if the recipe is a cheesecake or anything that needs to set.
Can I just leave it out?
Almost never, because in every recipe that calls for it, it is the main body of the dish. In a frosting it is what keeps the sugar from tasting like pure sweetness; in a cheesecake it is the entire filling; in a dip it is the dip. If you have nothing suitable, change what you are making rather than making it without.
Why did my vegan cream cheese frosting turn soupy?
Two usual causes. Either the base was too low in fat, which happens with tofu or a thin store brand, or the coconut oil that was holding it firm warmed up past its melting point while you were beating it. Fix it by chilling the bowl and the frosting for thirty minutes, then beating in more powdered sugar or a couple of tablespoons of softened vegan butter. Do not add liquid.
Does vegan cream cheese work baked, in cheesecake or a pastry?
Some brands do and some split into a greasy layer with a grainy layer underneath, and there is no way to tell from the label. Coconut-oil-heavy brands are the most likely to separate. A blended cashew base baked with a little cornstarch is the most reliable route if you want a baked vegan cheesecake, and no-bake recipes avoid the problem entirely.
What is the best nut-free vegan cream cheese substitute?
Blended firm silken tofu with lemon juice, oil and salt, which is nut-free, soy being the only allergen involved. If you need to avoid soy as well, strained coconut yogurt is the answer, accepting the coconut flavor that comes with it.
Tips for substituting vegan cream cheese
5 tips- Vegan cream cheese is doing three jobs at once: it supplies fat, it supplies acidity, and in a no-bake dessert it supplies the set. Work out which one your recipe cares about before you choose a swap. A frosting mostly needs the acid and the structure, a dip needs the fat and body, and a no-bake cheesecake needs all three plus something that firms when cold.
- In commercial vegan cream cheese, refined coconut oil is usually what makes it solid, and coconut oil goes soft at around 76F. That is why a vegan cheesecake or frosting that was fine in the fridge collapses on a warm counter. Add 2 tablespoons of melted refined coconut oil per cup to any homemade base if you need it to hold, and keep the finished dish cold until serving.
- Never use silken tofu alone in a frosting. There is not enough fat to hold sugar in suspension and you will get a sweet puddle. Combine it with vegan butter, or switch bases entirely.
- Homemade cashew and almond bases taste better after an hour in the refrigerator. The salt and acid need time to distribute, and straight out of the blender they always taste flat and slightly raw.
- Brands vary enormously in salt and in tang. Taste your carton before you add anything, because some are barely seasoned and some are saltier than dairy cream cheese, and both will throw off a frosting.