5 Minute Vegan Cream Cheese is made with whole food ingredients and is ridiculously easy to make. It tastes amazing, too!
I don’t know if there’s anything I miss more than cream cheese. Before going vegan, I didn’t care much for meat, or milk, but CHEESE…. It seems like I’m not alone in this. I’ve heard over and over again from people that the hardest thing to replace or give up is cheese.
Well, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! I’m on a mission to satisfy all your cheesy cravings. 🙂 So far, I’ve made Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese, Vegan Queso Dip, Stretchy Mozzarella, and this delicious Cheese Ball. And now, you can have a big toasted bagel slathered in vegan cream cheese!
Now, a quick word about this vegan cream cheese. It’s not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s real cream cheese. I want to be honest about that! It’s more like a really delicious “schmear” or bagel spread. And just because it doesn’t taste EXACTLY like dairy cream cheese, does not mean it’s not incredibly drool worthy and delicious!
What’s really great about this homemade vegan cream cheese is that it’s full of nutritious ingredients. It’s made primarily with raw cashews, and there is no oil involved. So you get some healthy fat and even protein with this spread!
How do you make Vegan Cream Cheese?
You will need a food processor. You could probably use a high powered blender in a pinch, but you may need to add more liquid to get it smooth.
First, soak your cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in cool water. This helps your cream cheese get creamier. Drain and rinse them, and add to the food processor.
Add the non-dairy yogurt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste; add more salt or lemon juice as desired.
For Chive and Onion Vegan Cream Cheese:
While the cream cheese is quite good plain, it is SO much better with more flavor. Simply add 3 tablespoons of chopped chives and a teaspoon of onion powder to the cream cheese, and process until smooth. SO GOOD.
You could also get creative with different add-ins, such as sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, chipotles in adobo (spicy!) or maple walnut.
Can I use this vegan cream cheese for baking or frosting?
No, it just won’t work well! For my Vegan Cheesecake, I recommend store-bought vegan cream cheese, as well as for Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. For a Cheesecake that does use cashews, check out my No-Bake Vegan Layered Raspberry Cheesecake. This recipe is best used as a spread for bagels, or with crackers and vegetables.
I hope you enjoy this Vegan Cream Cheese as much as I do!
5 Minute Vegan Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked
- 1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional:
- 3 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Soak the cashews either overnight in cool water in the refrigerator, or for at least 30 minutes in hot water. The longer you soak the cashews, the creamier the cream cheese will be.
- Drain and rinse the soaked cashews, and add them to a food processor. Add the unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
- Taste; add any additional salt or lemon juice, if desired. Add the chives and onion powder if using, and pulse until incorporated.
- Serve immediately on bagels, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen if desired.
Notes
- To soak the cashews, I usually place them in a large measuring cup. Then I bring water to a boil in my tea kettle, and pour the hot water over the cashews. For this recipe, I soak them this way for at least 30 minutes. You can also soak them overnight in cool water.
- I used Forager Cashew Yogurt, unsweetened plain. You can use soy, almond or coconut as well. Just make absolutely sure there is no sweetener or flavor added; it will ruin your cream cheese! If you can't find it, you could omit it and simply add a little water. It won't be quite as creamy though.
- While the vegan cream cheese is quite good plain, I highly prefer the Chive and Onion version! It takes it to a whole new level of bagel spread.
Hi Nora!
I am eager to try the viral biscoff cookie with cheesecake filling recipe, but I want to try making a cheesecake filling with your recipe. It is essentially the Philadelphia brand of cheesecake filling with biscoff cookies and strawberry filling added, then refrigerated overnight before eating. Do you think your recipe will hold up well for this?
It might work, but I can’t be sure! I hope it turns out. 🙂 Sounds amazing.
Terrific recipe! I played a bit with the vinegar, lemon juice, and salt for a slightly more tangy edge, and also added a touch of onion powder. Vegans are used to the inevitable “this is different from the non-vegan version” comparison—so no, this isn’t traditional cream cheese. But this recipe truly checks all the boxes.
It has the right body and “bulk” without being too loose, is wonderfully creamy, and strikes a great balance between fat and acidity. Once I add my favorite toppings to a generous schmear—capers, red onion, herbs, etc.—there’s no need for comparison at all. Uniquely satisfying, easy to make, and genuinely delicious.
Made this yesterday for my pumpkin cake frosting that needs cream cheese. Everyone loves it! It’s a keeper like all of your other recipes!
Hi Connie. Thank you for your terrific review! I am thrilled the frosting was a hit! Thank you for loving my recipes! Happy cooking!
Hi! Is that cheese good for baking? (Aka cheesecakes)
Thanks!
I haven’t tried it yet in cheesecake, so I’m not sure actually. It’s worth some experimenting!
Will this work for stuffed jalapeños?
Yes, it would work for that. Enjoy!
It says in the email you sent that the soy version was creamier than the cashew version. I do not see any instructions for a soy version. I am allergic to cashews so I would love to see the soy version posted. Or can other nuts besides cashews be use in this version?
Here is my Tofu Cream Cheese. It’s a different recipe altogether, and it’s very good! Hope you enjoy it.
Would adding some nutritional yeast work to make it a bit cheesier?
It would add a different flavor for sure, maybe not really cream cheese-like, but I’m sure it would be good anyhow.
Omg. Nora!! I love so many of your recipes, but I made this the other day for the first time and it blew my mind. I had to use silken tofu because I was out of yogurt, but wow, I can’t believe it’s that easy to save eight dollars and a tub of plastic. Tytyty. 🫶🏼
My favorite brand of store-bought vegan cream cheese has been out of stock everywhere, so I made this as a last minute substitute since we have bagels every Sunday morning. Sometimes we use hummus instead of cream cheese, but this morning I wanted cream cheese. This vegan cream cheese had a good flavor, but it didn’t really taste like cream cheese. It’s also not white like in the photos. I made this in a pinch, so I did the quick soak method for my cashews. Maybe it would be smoother if I soaked them overnight next time. I added the chives and onion powder, and it did make it more flavorful for savory bagels, but I wouldn’t use the add-ins for spreading on sweet bagels like cinnamon raisin. I’m wondering if I could make this in my Vitamix for a smoother consistency. What do you think?
Hi Jan. Thanks for sharing your recipe experience! I do think you would get a smooth consistency using your Vitamix. I use my Vitamix to make other thick cashew cheeses and it works fine, you just may have to add a bit more liquid. Happy cooking!
Love this recipe. I’ve found that soaking overnight gives you a much creamier texture. I’ve done the quick way too, and it’s good, just a bit grainier. I like the food processor much better than my VM, where it gets all clogged up around the blade.
Hi Sahaja. Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and tips! I’m glad that you are enjoying the cream cheese recipe!
Great taste and easy to make. I only had 1 cup of cashews left and added a bit more almond yogurt to make a blend able size so it came out probably less firm than without my adjustments. Either way it was delicious! Better than store bought for sure and I like the nutrition profile more as well.
I’m so glad you liked the cream cheese recipe, Marlis! Thanks for sharing your recipe experience and stellar review!
Used for baking cakes?
It works okay for frosting, but I typically still use store bought vegan cream cheese for this.
Loved it
Thank you for sharing your stellar review, Dorianis! Happy cooking!
LOVED! Tastes exactly like Myokos!!! I add a tiny bit more of the ACV because I like a sharper taste.
wow!!! I made this using some homemade fermented coconut-cashew yogurt and garlic clove and onion powder, and I’m shocked at how good it is! I can’t believe I was paying like 13$ for fermented cashew cream cheese when it’s so easy to make!
In my goal of reducing the amount of ultra processed foods we consume as a family daily, I just found and tried this recipe today and I’m already in love! My toddler even taste tested for me and immediately asked for more! I highly recommend Forager Plain Yogurt! It’s actually a staple in our home and we use it for everything and this will be yet another use for it!
Tips for Vitamix users: I’ve seen some comments regarding the inability to get it smooth and I know I used to get very frustrated using my Vitamix for recipes like these until I figured out “low and slow” is your friend. I did soak mine in boiling water for more than 30 minutes because my timer had gone off while I was busy with the toddler (lol) but I left it on 1 for a little while pausing to scrape it down and then eventually I was able to knock it up to 2 and leave it while I did some early prep for dinner. I think cranking it up high is a common mistake (one I used to make) but I can’t imagine even pulling off going up to 3 unless you’re doing a double batch (which is something I may do in the future and just freeze my second half of it)
Hi Tee. I am so glad you and your family love the cream cheese recipe! I know life with a toddler is busy, and I so appreciate you taking time to share your stellar review and feedback! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and tips as well! Wishing you happy cooking!
Thank you so much for this tip. I have a vitamix as well and learned the same lesson making something else! I appreciate you taking the time to share this.
I really wanted to love this recipe. I read the previous reviews, and made it in the Vitamix. It did take quite a long time to break down, as I was expecting. I placed it in the fridge overnight and used it in the morning. It had an odd sweetness to it. I’m not sure which ingredient added the sweetness, unfortunately, it wasn’t very appetizing without adding salt on top.
I know I’m not the author, but my first thought for the sweetness comment is “what kind of yogurt did you use”? That may be a factor. I’m considering making this one using my plain Forager
Unfortunately, this was a complete failure for me. I’ve used so many of your recipes and always had success and loved them. I tried this is my food processor but as someone commented above, it never got smooth no matter how long I processed it. I also tried adding some melted coconut oil, but that didn’t help either. Cashews were soaked for nearly 12 hours, so that was not the issue. I tried transferring it to my Vitamix and it nearly overheated the motor. This has never happened to me.
Any suggestions of how to redeem this or some other way I can use it? I’ve got a whole batch that just tastes like sandy cashews and vinegar.
This is no reflection on my love for your site and other recipes.
Thank you.
Oh that’s odd, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you. I wonder if your food processor is not working as well as it should? I was going to suggest trying a Vitamix if you have one, I make other thick cashew cheeses in it and it works fine, you just may have to add a bit more liquid.
Thank you for responding to me 🙂 I did transfer the mixture to my Vitamix, but it was too thick. Could you please suggest what type of liquid I could add to try adding?
I’d just add water as needed.