This Tofu Cream Cheese is creamy, thick and perfect for spreading on bagels. With only 5 ingredients, it’s ridiculously easy to make and customizable. My personal favorite flavor? Chive and onion.
A bagel for breakfast just isn’t complete without a generous schmear of Tofu Cream Cheese! Serve alongside Tofu Scramble and Vegan Pancakes for an unforgettable brunch.
This 5-ingredient vegan cream cheese alternative is just as creamy and tangy as my 5-Minute Vegan Cream Cheese but is completely nut free. It’s easy to make, too. A brick of tofu and a handful of wholesome plant-based ingredients blend together in a food processor, then it’s ready to eat.
As-is, the cream cheese is rich, creamy, and subtly sour. Want to take it up a notch? Blend in the flavor boosters of your choice, like herbs, onions, fruit, or nuts.
I’ve included 5 delicious flavor options to dress up your vegan cream cheese. Add garlic, scallions, or dill for a savory flavor, or make it sweet with fresh strawberries, pecans, and maple syrup. It’s up to you!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Firm tofu – Firm or extra-firm tofu is the best tofu for this tofu cream cheese recipe. Unlike other types that are soft and watery (like medium, soft, or silken tofu), these give the cream cheese a thick, slightly firm, and spreadable consistency. Soft or medium tofu should work if that’s what you already have at home. They won’t affect the flavor of the cream cheese, but the consistency will be looser.
- Lemon juice – You can make this recipe with either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Both give the cream cheese a classic tangy flavor and a subtle sweetness.
- Coconut oil – Just like in my vegan butter recipe, melted coconut oil adds richness to the cream cheese but also helps it firm up in the fridge. Use refined coconut oil for NO coconut flavor. You may leave it out if needed.
- Nutritional yeast – For a cheesy and savory flavor.
- Salt – Don’t skip it! The salt rounds out all of the other flavors and helps the cream cheese taste its best.
How to make vegan cream cheese with tofu
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Break the brick of tofu into chunks and place them in a food processor, followed by the lemon juice, melted coconut oil, nutritional yeast, and salt.
Blend the ingredients until they’re smooth and creamy. At this point, you can add some flavor boosters (see the options below) and blend again. Enjoy!
Tips for success
- Room temperature tofu is the secret to easy blending! Unwrap the brick of tofu from the package, set it on the kitchen counter, and let it come down to room temperature for 30 minutes before blending. You don’t have to do this, but things will blend better if you do.
- You can use the cream cheese right away but the consistency is thicker and richer after it chills in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- No food processor? Make this recipe in a blender instead. Just know that you’ll need to stop and scrape down the sides more often.
- Gently pulse in nuts, fresh vegetables, vegan bacon, and other chunky ingredients into the cream cheese. Or fold them into the batch with a spatula. You don’t want to completely pulverize these add-ins and potentially lose the texture.
Serving suggestions
One of the best ways to use tofu cream cheese is as a bagel spread (it goes especially well with everything bagels). Top your cream cheese bagel with sliced cucumbers, fresh dill, pickled red onions, avocado, and/or vegan salmon for an epic vegan breakfast or light lunch.
Need an easy party snack? Spread the cream cheese (with or without flavor boosters) on crackers or crostini and top them with dried fruit, jam, fresh herbs, scallions, avocado, and/or everything bagel seasoning. You can also use it as a spread in pinwheels or a filling in vegan jalapeno poppers.
Lastly, use the tofu cream cheese as a creamy and tangy base for cold dips. Stir pre-cooked spinach, diced artichokes, pickled jalapenos, onion powder, garlic powder, and/or fresh dill into the batch. Add a scoop of vegan mayo or yogurt to thin the texture, and you have a flavor-packed, no-bake party dip!
Customize the flavor
You can think of tofu cream cheese as a blank canvas for your favorite flavors. Whether you’re serving it with a sweet treat or as a savory spread, you can take it up a notch with all kinds of add-ins. Find your perfect flavor using any of these variation ideas:
- Strawberry – Add 1 cup chopped strawberries and 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
- Maple pecan – Add 3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
- Chive and onion – Add 1 teaspoon onion powder and 4 tablespoons chopped chives.
- Bacon scallion – Add about 1/2 cup crumbled vegan bacon (tempeh, tofu, or store-bought and cooked) and 4 tablespoons chopped scallions.
- Vegetable – Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 cup chopped fine red bell pepper, 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped chives, and 2 tablespoons chopped small red onion.
Frequently asked questions
Nope! Instead, drain the water in the package and pat the brick dry with a clean kitchen towel. Only softer varieties, like medium tofu, should be lightly pressed before blending to drain the excess water.
For the most part, yes. I haven’t tested it yet in vegan cheesecake recipes, so I can’t guarantee that would work. But it works well in vegan cream cheese frosting as well as vegan cheese danishes made with puff pastry.
The cream cheese will last for up to 1 week when it’s stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
I haven’t tried freezing the cream cheese, but it will likely lose its rich and creamy texture after thawing.
Want more vegan cheese recipes?
- Vegan Feta Cheese
- Vegan Mascarpone
- Best Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Ricotta
- Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Tofu Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 14.5 ounce block firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional flavor add ins, see Notes below
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the package and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes if possible.
- Break the tofu into large chunks. Place the tofu, lemon juice, melted coconut oil, nutritional yeast and salt in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
- Add any optional flavor add ins and mix again.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to help it firm up, or serve immediately.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
-
Strawberry – Add 1 cup chopped strawberries and 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
-
Maple Pecan – Add 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
-
Chive and Onion – Add 1 teaspoon onion powder and 4 tablespoons chopped chives.
-
Vegetable – Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 cup chopped fine red bell pepper, 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped chives and 2 tablespoons chopped small red onion.
Over the summer (2024) my husband was fussing about how solid his store bought cream cheese alternative was. I immediately came to your blog & whipped up this recipe. Even using fresh, home grown chives. He absolutely loves it! It’s his official goto cream cheese. I just need to encourage him to make it himself 😂. Thank you for sharing!
I love it! I’m thrilled your husband loves the cream cheese! Thanks for your fabulous review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Amazing!!! I have tried a bunch of cream cheese brands and all of them taste off so I decided to make my own. Your recipe is just amazing, going to be a keeper and I’ll make it for picnics for friends and family! I omitted the coconut oil and used vegan butter instead. Added dill and garlic powder. Thank you!
Hi Nicole. Thank YOU for taking time to share your wonderful review and feedback! I’m so thrilled you love the cream cheese. Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hum, this is the real deal. I used the soyganic firm tofu, and it’s 17 oz so I threw that in my Vitamix along all the ingredients, just added a bit more of everything and blended it up until smooth. Straight out of the blender, it def tasted like tofu. So I added about a tbsp of rice vinegar, 1 tbsp of miso, 1 tsp of vegan lactic acid and blended some more. Then added fresh chives, dill and minced onion. Popped it in the fridge, had it with a bagel the next day and woah!! Easily the best vegan cream cheese I have ever had! Does it taste like dairy? nope! I think it tastes much better! Dairy has a nasty smell and after taste and this stuff is insanely creamy, salty and delicious! Oh my. I will be making this again and again!
Hi Silver. I am thrilled that you loved the cream cheese! It was so great to read your ideas & additions on making the cream cheese! Thanks for sharing those, as well as your wonderful review!
Could a different oil be used? Trying to steer clear of coconut atm.
You can try using another neutral vegetable oil instead or just leave the oil out entirely.
Being vegan for nearly 20 years I don’t expect alternatives to taste like the original but I would hope there is a similarity. This tasted like straight up tofu. The chive-onion is pretty good with the strong flavors of the onion/chive helping to mask the tofu taste but the plain missed the mark in my and my family’s opinion. Love your recipes usually, so thank you!
This is the best vegan cream cheese I have ever had. Thank you, Nora. I am working on eating more whole foods and this homemade option truly helps! xoxo
Your feedback is so encouraging, Anna! Thank you so much for your awesome review! Good luck on your food journey! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
This was amazing. I wasn’t sure at first but when I tasted it before any add ins I was shocked at how much it actually tasted like cream cheese. Of course I then made two different ones, strawberry to go with graham crackers and animal crackers and onion and chive to go with veggies! This will be a regular for me! Thank you so much!
I love your cream cheese ideas, Paula! I’m thrilled that you love the recipe! Thanks for your wonderful review and feedback!
I put this on some whole wheat bagels I made and it was amazing. I added italian seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder. From now on I’ll double the recipe. Thank you Nora.
Thanks for this recipe! I wanted to make a dairy free, gluten free, processed sugar free, but not vegan, cheesecake. This recipe gave me the gumption to try it with tofu. I baked a ground pecan crust (1 c pecans, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt) and then did my filling. One recipe of your cream cheese, 14 pitted medjool dates, 1 T chai spice, 1T vanilla extract, 4 eggs. It took a bit to get it all blended, but I have it baking at 375F for 35 minutes. I will let you know how it turns out!
I will look forward to hearing how it turns out! Thank you for sharing!
Hello!
Thank you for your review of the tofu sour cream. You mentioned that you were going to try it for a cheesecake (with eggs). How did it turn out? I would love to see your updated review!
Great idea! Made with medium firm tofu for a creamier texture. I just didn’t like the coconut oil flavor and next time May use melted vegan butter or canola oil instead. Thank you!
You are welcome, Erica! I’m glad you enjoyed the cream cheese! Thanks for taking time to share your great review and feedback! Happy cooking!
you can avoid the coconut flavor AND save a lot of money by using refined coconut oil. I get little jars at the dollar tree that are perfect. UNrefined tends to be more popular (due to marketing) but that’s what causes the coconut flavor.
Hello! Could I omit nutritional yeast? Allergic to it. Thanks!
Yep, that’s fine!
You can also use vegan lactic acid and white miso. Start with 1/4 teas of each.You can get it on Amazon.
I omitted the coconut oil because it bothers My stomach and still came out great! Super quick and easy. I can’t have cashews so this works great for me. Would love to see you test it in a cheesecake!
Wonderful, I’m so glad it worked out for you! Thank you so much for your terrific review and feedback!
I was skeptical but this is fantastic! My family loves it. I just used it as a base for a ranch dip and it works perfectly. Very glad to have this instead of pre-packaged alternatives!
I’m thrilled you and your family love the cream cheese! Thanks for your awesome review and feedback!
A very good and easy schmear for bagels! Question: would this hold up if I mix it in with taquito filling (black beans, corn, green chiles) and then freeze the finished taquitos? They would be reheated in the oven. Thank you!
PS…I am typing this as my Shawarma soy curls are in the skillet and they smell heavenly! 🙂
Yes, I think that would work well! Oh I just made the Shawarma soy curls and I love that recipe, yum!
Amazing!! I made it exactly like the directions stated but I will play around with it to see how little oil I can do while still getting a mostly desirable effect. I am very happy to have a nut free cream cheese option!
I’m glad you liked the cream cheese recipe Alexandria. Thanks for your great review!
This is hands down the best vegan cream cheese ever and I’ve tried just about every one on the market — this is just amazing. I was a vegetarian for decades because of the love of cheese and cream cheese and finally became a vegan over 10 years ago and searched and searched for cheese replacements and just like that it’s now in my refrigerator! My add on flavors were fresh garlic and shredded carrots. Yummy!
I’m so thrilled you love the cream cheese! Your add in flavors sound delicious! Isn’t it fun! Thanks for your amazing review and feedback!
That’s a lot of oil! If it’s omitted would you add water, plant milk or something else to replace it?
You can just leave it out, no need to replace it with anything.
Hi Nora why is the saturated fat so high?
That would be from the coconut oil, you can leave it out if needed.
This sounds awesome. I only have unfortified nutritional yeast. Do you think it will significantly change the flavor?
I have never tried this, however, I don’t believe it will change the flavor.
Hi , what can I use instead of coconut oil?
You can try using another neutral vegetable oil instead or just leave the oil out entirely.
Wow! This is so good! Creamy, tangy and delicious!! Your flavor profiles are always spot on, Nora. Thank you for sharing so generously. Sandy
I’m so happy you like it Sandra! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes. 🙂
Great recipe, Nora can I use medium firm tofu for this recipe?
Yes, you can. If you use silken tofu or soft, it will be runnier, but medium firm should still be quite thick.
Hiya, this looks great. Can it be used for cheesecakes, do you think? If so would you leave out the nooch?
Thanks x
I might leave the nooch out for cheesecakes, but I’m not positive it will work. I need to test it ASAP with my cheesecake recipe!
Can’t wait for the results! Just to let you know your cake recipes are the best I’ve ever made, my none vegan friends have begged for the recipe’s
Thanks you x
I hope you enjoy! I’m so glad the cakes are loved! Thanks for your fantastic feedback!
I’ve long searched for a lactose free “cream cheese” – thank you. Could I use this to make a cheese cake ?
I haven’t tested it for cheesecake yet, but I need to! I’ll update it once I do.
Can you use another oil or it needs coconut oil?
You can try using another neutral vegetable oil instead or just leave the oil out entirely.