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    Home > Recipes > How-Tos

    Vegan Cream Cheese

    Published: Jun 2, 2022 · Modified: Oct 8, 2022 by Iosune · This post may contain affiliate links · 45 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Close-up photo of some vegan cream cheese spread onto a bagel with a title
    Photo of some vegan cream cheese spread onto a bagel with a title

    This delicious and creamy vegan cream cheese is made with just 2 ingredients! It's so inexpensive and much healthier than store-bought.

    Photo of some vegan cream cheese spread onto a bagel

    Cheese is the reason many people don't go 100% plant-based and one of the food vegans miss the most. However, making vegan cheese at home is really easy, like this amazing vegan cream cheese.

    Although nowadays there are so many options at the supermarket, lots of store-bought cheeses contain ingredients like xanthan gum, guar gum, or maltodextrin, along with other ingredients, so I always prefer making them at home.

    It's extremely easy to prepare and only requires a nut milk bag, 5 minutes of your time, and 2 ingredients you can get at any supermarket: dairy-free yogurt and salt, that's all!

    Contents hide
    1. What is vegan cream cheese?
    2. Ingredient notes
    3. Dietary variations
    4. Pro tips
    5. How to make vegan cream cheese
    6. How to store
    7. Is cream cheese vegan?
    8. Serving suggestions
    9. Looking for more vegan cheese recipes?
    10. Did you make this vegan cream cheese recipe?
    11. Vegan Cream Cheese

    What is vegan cream cheese?

    Vegan cream cheese is a dairy-free alternative to regular cream cheese. It does not contain animal-derived products and it is suitable for vegans.

    Photo of the ingredients needed to make this recipe

    Ingredient notes

    • Unsweetened non-dairy yogurt: although I used soy yogurt, feel free to use any unsweetened non-dairy yogurt for this dairy-free cream cheese. However, keep in mind that it won't contain soy protein.

    Dietary variations

    • Make it soy-free: feel free to use soy-free plant-based yogurt, such as coconut yogurt.

    Pro tips

    • If you don't have a nut milk bag, you could also use a napkin, a butter muslin, or a piece of cloth. However, I don't think a cheesecloth is the best tool, as you will need a more dense fabric to get optimal results.
    • To easily customize this non-dairy cream cheese, feel free to incorporate any ingredients to give it a little bit more flavor. You could use seeds, chives, spices, herbs, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or sea salt to taste.
    • You could even use nuts like peanuts, almonds, or raw cashews. There are so many options!
    • Depending on the consistency of your yogurt, you may need to keep it in the fridge for a shorter or longer period of time. It depends on how thick it is. For example, coconut yogurt is usually thicker than soy yogurt.
    Step-by-step photos of how to make this recipe

    How to make vegan cream cheese

    • Secure the nut milk bag into the jar with the elastic band.
    • Dump the soy yogurt in the napkin and allow it to drip. Let the yogurt chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
    • When it's ready, transfer the yogurt to a bowl, add the salt, and stir until well combined.

    How to store

    • Fridge: keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-7 days.
    • Freezer: you can freeze it, but its texture will change after being defrosted. However, you can still use it in cooked or baked goods.

    Is cream cheese vegan?

    No, regular cream cheese is not vegan, as it is made with dairy milk.

    Serving suggestions

    Feel free to serve your vegan cheese over some bagels, vegan bread, or toasted gluten-free bread. You could also sautée some mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and top with chives for a rich breakfast full of savory flavors.

    Looking for more vegan cheese recipes?

    • Vegan Cheese
    • Vegan Parmesan Cheese
    • Cashew Cheese
    • Vegan Ricotta
    • Vegan Nacho Cheese
    Close-up photo of some vegan cream cheese spread onto a bagel

    Did you make this vegan cream cheese recipe?

    Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!

    This post contains affiliate links so you can easily find some of the products that we used to make this recipe. If you buy any of them through the links provided (without any extra cost for you), we'll get a commission. We're so grateful for your support!

    Square photo of some vegan cream cheese spread onto a bagel

    Vegan Cream Cheese

    This delicious and creamy vegan cream cheese is made with just 2 ingredients! It's so inexpensive and much healthier than store-bought.
    4.85 from 13 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Course: How to
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 16
    Author: Iosune


    Ingredients 

    US Customary - Metric
    • 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, I used soy yogurt
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • You want to drain the excess liquid from the yogurt and get a creamy and thick texture. To do this, all you need is a nut milk bag, a jar or a cylindrical container, and an elastic band. 
    • Secure the nut milk bag into the jar with the elastic band, dump the soy yogurt in the bag, and allow it to drip. 
    • Let the yogurt chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours or until you get the consistency you're looking for. If you want your cream cheese really dense and thick, you may need 12-24 hours. Just keep checking the consistency until it's okay for you.
    • When it's ready, transfer the yogurt to a bowl, add the salt, and stir until well combined.
    • Use your vegan cream cheese immediately and enjoy it as a savory breakfast over some bagels, vegan bread, or toasted gluten-free bread along with some sauteed mushrooms and chives.
    • Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Keep in mind that if you freeze it, its texture will change. However, you will still be able to use it in cooked or baked goods.

    Notes

    • If you don't have a nut milk bag, you could also use a napkin, a butter muslin, or a piece of cloth. However, I don't think a cheesecloth is the best tool, as you will need a more dense fabric to get optimal results.
    • Feel free to use any unsweetened non-dairy yogurt for this vegan cream cheese recipe. Homemade and store-bought are both okay. You could try to make it with coconut yogurt.
    • Depending on the consistency of your yogurt, you may need to keep it in the fridge for a shorter or longer period of time. It depends on how thick it is. For example, coconut yogurt is usually thicker than soy yogurt.
    • Try the cream cheese and add more salt if needed.
    • To easily customize this non-dairy cream cheese, feel free to incorporate any ingredients to give it a little bit more flavor. You could use seeds, chives, spices, herbs, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or sea salt to taste.
    • You could even use nuts like peanuts, almonds, or raw cashews. There are so many options!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoon | Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.9g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 0.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 77mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.3g

    Update Notes: This post was originally published in January of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in June of 2022.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gloria Dumais Sutton says

      June 03, 2022 at 4:17 pm

      5 stars
      This is now my absolute favorite, go-to recipe for making delicious vegan cream cheese. I used plain flavored Silk brand yogurt for this recipe, and pink Himalayan salt…this is wonderfully flavored, and divinely easy. I am going to be experimenting with a lot of flavoring combinations in the next few weeks.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        June 06, 2022 at 10:43 am

        Hi! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂

        Reply
    2. Anna says

      November 17, 2021 at 10:42 am

      Hi there, I used full fat coconut milk yogurt, used coffee filters since I didn't have a cheesecloth, left in the fridge overnight and no liquid dripped from it? What am I doing wrong? Should I try again and use a cheesecloth this time?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 19, 2021 at 10:04 am

        Hi Anna! The full-fat coconut yogurt doesn't have much liquid in it. Also, I think a coffee filter is not the best choice 🙁

        Reply
    3. Tahira Akhtar says

      February 14, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      5 stars
      What can I use instead of a napkin? Thank you. Is this the same as vegan Greek yoghurt?

      Reply
      • Robert T Turner says

        February 14, 2021 at 3:08 pm

        I use Butter Muslin

        Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        February 15, 2021 at 7:37 am

        Hi Tahira! Thanks for writing to us 🙂 A but milk bag, a cheesecloth, or even a fine-mesh strainer! I think it is not so similar to a vegan Greek yogurt.

        Reply
    4. Eugene Powers says

      February 10, 2021 at 9:36 pm

      5 stars
      And few more questions.
      If I used soy milk this time, can I use almond milk next time plus add soy yogurt as a starter?
      Why not use salt right away in the yogurt before straining it to make cheese? Salt will melt easier and it should help to drain faster. What do you think?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        February 12, 2021 at 9:18 am

        - I have never tried to mix 2 different types of milks, sorry!
        - You can try to add it before straining the yogurt to make cheese 🙂

        Reply
        • Eugene Powers says

          February 12, 2021 at 12:46 pm

          5 stars
          I did not mean mix two different types of milks. I meant adding soy yogurt to the mixture made out of almond milk as a starter.
          BTW, I used very thin kitchen towel as a filter and it has been way more than 24 hours. I poured out at least 2 tbsp of water from the bottom of the jar. Yogurt got thicker but it is still an yogurt. It didn't solidify in to cheese yet. Oh well, at least the yogurt is excellent. Oh, I have a real yogurt maker too.

    5. Eugene Powers says

      February 10, 2021 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      I have a few questions.
      I just made soy yogurt using your recipe and it came out good on the first try.
      But, after using agar agar there were many small clumps, I used submersible blander and it still didn't help. And then these small clump eventually ended up on the bottom of the container. Is there a way to dilute agar agar first ?
      You say to use napkin to get rid of the liquid in yogurt to make a cheese. Single layer? Or multiple napkins? You know napkin will get wet and may break.
      Do you know if the liquid that is collected on the bottom of the cup contains bacteria that can be reused to make the yogurt?

      Thank you in advance.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        February 12, 2021 at 9:16 am

        Hi Eugene! - Why have you used agar agar? It's not necessary but to dilute it you have to mix it with a liquid and cook it to disolve.
        - We use a special bag/napkin for plant-based milks-
        - I'm not sure if the liquid that is collected on the bottom of the cup contains bacteria that can be reused to make the yogurt, sorry!

        Reply
        • Eugene Powers says

          February 12, 2021 at 12:39 pm

          5 stars
          I used agar agar because it is in your recipe for making soy yogurt. I did cook soy milk at 195 degrees as per instructions on the yogurt mix but agar agar did not completely dissolve even after using blander. I will try to dissolve it next time first in the small container.

    6. Robert Turner says

      October 08, 2020 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      This is a really nice recipe, I make it both with plain yogurt and plain with coconut yogurt (both Alpro). I usually leave to 'drain' for a couple of days.

      Sometimes however I would like it a bit thicker. Could I use a thickener such as arrowroot?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        October 09, 2020 at 9:58 am

        Hi Robert! I have never tried it myself so I'm not sure if it will work, sorry! Have a nice day 🙂

        Reply
    7. Dharma says

      January 27, 2020 at 1:26 am

      4 stars
      Giving 4 stars because I can see it being good with soy yogurt, and it’s EASY. But I couldn’t find soy yogurt & made one with unflavored, unsweetened Ripple (pea protein) yogurt & one with plain coconut yogurt. I was able to bury the Ripple one with enough sun dried tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, & basil to use it, but by itself it was strangely sweet. The coconut one...well, tastes like coconut. Would work for spreading on bagels with fruit. Neither was what I was looking for. Will try again with soy yogurt.

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        February 28, 2020 at 10:57 am

        Hi Dharma! I think this is a 5-star recipe, but you didn't use the right ingredients 🙂 Hope you enjoy it with soy yogurt!

        Reply
    8. Midwestieveggiegirl says

      January 12, 2020 at 10:18 pm

      Love this! So simple and delicious.

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        February 27, 2020 at 3:31 pm

        Hi! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂

        Reply
    9. Nancy Nurse says

      January 01, 2020 at 1:05 pm

      Oh boy, so much oil!! Oh, how I wish there was a way to make this with no oil! Oil absolutely kills my knees and my hips... any suggestions to substitute? Thanks so much... you're amazing!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        February 26, 2020 at 3:43 pm

        Hi Nancy! This recipe is oil-free, it's made with just soy yogurt 🙂

        Reply
    10. Agnes Chrismer says

      December 29, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      Hi, I really appreciate the recipe, buying store bought does get really expensive. My sister likes cinnamon cream cheese, how would I do that ? Do I eliminate the salt or still use it? She gets that Philadelphia stuff, I have no idea how it tastes since I'm vegan, and never ate that flavor before I was. Thank you

      Reply
    11. Nuno Dias says

      March 25, 2018 at 6:19 pm

      Hey,

      "½ tsp onion powder (optional)"

      Have you tried using fresh or chopped frozen onion? If doing it, how much shoud be used?

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        March 26, 2018 at 3:16 am

        Hi Nuno! No, I don't, but I think it should work 🙂

        Reply
    12. Amitty says

      November 17, 2017 at 11:44 pm

      Hi, I’m really bad at measurements and don’t mean to be a dummy, but does this recipe equal one block of non-vegan cream cheese? Or two?

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        November 22, 2017 at 9:50 am

        Hi Amitty! I'm so sorry, but I don't know. It depends on the size of the block.

        Reply
    13. tanya says

      August 01, 2017 at 8:17 pm

      Where I live I cant get any non dairy yoghurt. How can I get round that?
      Tanya

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        August 02, 2017 at 11:34 am

        Hi Tanya! You can make your own yogurt: http://simpleveganblog.com/soy-yogurt/ Have a nice day!

        Reply
    14. Bri says

      March 27, 2017 at 7:06 pm

      Can you bake with this?

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        April 01, 2017 at 6:26 pm

        Hi Bri! Yes, you can 😀

        Reply
    15. Maggie says

      March 27, 2017 at 4:47 pm

      Many thanks for this recipe and for your blog. I have very recently started eating a plant based diet and am enjoying discovering a whole new selection of foods. I also live in Spain, in Andalucia. Can you tell me if you buy soy yoghurt in a supermarket and if so, which one?

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        April 01, 2017 at 6:25 pm

        Hi Maggie! You're so welcome 😀 We live in Andalucia as well. We usually buy it at big supermarkets (El Corte Ingles, Carrefour) or health stores. Have a nice day!

        Reply
    16. Chanti says

      March 17, 2017 at 2:11 pm

      Thank you for this recipe! I've put paprika spices in it and it's absolutely mint! Love it!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        March 24, 2017 at 1:54 pm

        Hi Chanti! You're so welcome 😀 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    17. María Laura says

      February 25, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      Hi guys! It seems really delicious. How long can you keep it in the fridge?
      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        February 28, 2017 at 1:02 pm

        Hi María! It lasts for about 5 days 🙂

        Reply
    18. Julia Moore says

      January 26, 2017 at 12:34 pm

      5 stars
      Hey there! I just came here to say that I tried your recipe and it is utterly delicious! Even my husband that turns his nose to vegan recipes admitted it was simply delicious! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        January 30, 2017 at 10:29 am

        Hi Julia! Thanks a lot 😀 I'm so glad you liked it. Have a beautiful week!

        Reply
    19. Sue says

      January 20, 2017 at 2:20 am

      5 stars
      Could I use the vegan cream cheese to make a cheesecake?
      Love all your recipes by the way.

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        January 23, 2017 at 12:38 pm

        Hi Sue! Yes, you can, but don't add the onion powder and the dried dill 😉

        Reply
    20. La Kerie says

      January 19, 2017 at 4:11 pm

      My youngest son has an allergy to soy. What would you consider would be an alternative to make this recipe?

      Reply
      • Dan says

        January 19, 2017 at 6:05 pm

        It's any yogurt style, so coconut or almond should work too. There's a link in the article for soy yogurt that has that I need it as well.

        Reply
        • Dan says

          January 19, 2017 at 6:08 pm

          Sorry for the mistypes, im on my phone. There's a link for soy yogurt in the article that covers that part.

        • Iosune says

          January 23, 2017 at 12:38 pm

          Hi Dan! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 Have a nice day!

      • Iosune says

        January 23, 2017 at 12:34 pm

        Hi! You can use coconut yogurt or any plant milk yogurt you like 🙂

        Reply

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