Ready for some vegan cream cheese? Say yes to this unbelievably rich, smooth, creamy, spreadable, and melty spread! Make this vegan cream cheese recipe in your blender in 5 minutes or less!
This vegan cream cheese is so easy to make and super yummy!! You’ll be wanting to spread this plain cream cheese on everything – crackers, bagels, sandwiches, you name it!
How to make Vegan Cream Cheese:
Grab your ingredients out…
- cashews
- refined (flavorless) coconut oil
- salt
- fresh lemon juice
- nutritional yeast flakes
- tapioca flour
- kappa carageenan (more info below)
Start by soaking your cashews in HOT water for 5 minutes. Then rinse and drain.
Add cashews, refined coconut oil, tapioca flour, salt, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice to blender. Immediately before blending add, boiled water (careful!).
Blend on high until completely smooth (about 1-2 minutes) then reduce blender speed to low, remove plug in the blender lid and add kappa carrageenan through hole in the lid while still blending. Replace blender lid plug, return blender to high speed for about 30 seconds.
Pour vegan cream cheese mixture into a glass bowl (or ramekins). Let it cool on the counter for a few minutes, and then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
How long does vegan cream cheese last?
Homemade vegan cream cheese will last in a covered container for up to five days in the refrigerator.
Freeze this vegan cream cheese wrapped in plastic or in a covered container for up to three months.
You may have noticed that this recipe requires some unusual ingredients. While these may be a bit challenging to obtain, I think you’ll find the results you experience will be more than worth the effort!
Here’s the short list with a link for easy purchase:
- REFINED Coconut Oil – (Please don’t miss the word refined.) Refined coconut oil doesn’t taste like coconut but it still turns solid at cooler temps, thus adding firmness and richness. It’s available at many local grocery stores in the health food section.
- Tapioca Flour – a thickener with a slightly ‘stretchy’ texture. I usually buy online but many local stores should sell this.
- Kappa Carrageenan – This is the most unusual ingredient and somewhat difficult to obtain. A derivative of sea weed, this ingredient is vital because it is what firms the cheese. Used in a greater quantity in my Vegan Mozzarella it can also create a solid cheese that will go from liquid to solid and back to melted state. It’s a wonder ingredient and not widely sold.
Hope you enjoy making vegan Cream Cheese! You may also want to try these popular vegan block cheese recipes!
If you’ve tried this Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe or any other recipe on my blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I LOVE hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what this blueberry farm girl is keepin’ busy doing!!!
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Best Vegan Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cashews soaked and rinsed
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
Add just before blending:
- 1 cup water HOT (just boiled)
Add while blending on low, after above ingredients are completely smooth:
- 1 1/4 tsp kappa carageenan
Instructions
- Start by soaking your cashews in HOT water for 5 minutes. Then rinse and drain.
- Add cashews, refined coconut oil, tapioca flour, salt, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice to blender. Immediately before blending add, boiled water (careful!).
- Blend on high until completely smooth (about 1-2 minutes) then reduce blender speed to low, remove plug in the blender lid and add kappa carrageenan through hole in the lid while still blending. Replace blender lid plug, return blender to high speed for about 30 seconds.
- Pour vegan cream cheese mixture into a glass bowl (or ramekins). Let it cool on the counter for a few minutes, and then place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Love, love, love this recipe💜
So glad! Thanks for the comment!
Thank you. I’m determined to get this right!
Hi Rebecca. I followed the instructions and used ingredients as per recipe, and mine turned out jelly-like. It’s semi soft and jiggly. Apart from that, I can taste the raw starch. So I heated it up on the stovetop to try and cook off the raw starch but I don’t know if I overdid it because this is pretty much soft mozzarella now. If I were to heat the mixture on the stovetop, how long must I do it for? I want to get this right badly especially that thick consistency that’s really reminsicent of cream cheese.
I’m so glad you tried the recipe! I hear you on texture – totally important. Sounds like you used the kappa carrageenan? That definitely makes getting the right texture easier than using agar. Having the water just-boiled and adding to the blender before it has a chance to cool is important for activating the carrageenan adequately. Then chilling the mixture helps it thicken further. If it is still very jelly like as you described, the agents weren’t activating properly – you can then switch to cooking on the stovetop if necessary but then ratios sometimes need to change too…
Worked like a charm, I guess since the hot water from my tea kettle wasn’t enough. I brought the cream cheese to a boil to activate the kappa and that’s all it took! Thank you!!! 🙂
Hello there! Tried twice and followed exact instructions and it still came out liquid. Not sure what I did incorrectly? 🙁
Hmm…did you use the Kappa Carrageenan? That’s the secret to help it solidify. Also, very hot (just boiled) water is necessary to activate the thickening agent. You could alternatively heat it until thickened in a saucepan on the stovetop on low heat. Hope that helps! Want you to be able to enjoy this!