On Saturday I stopped into the most adorable Italian bakery (Prato) and bought myself a giant loaf of still-warm multigrain bread. It was so fresh and so tasty and it was the best $3.80 I’ve spend in a while.
Naturally, everything I’ve eaten since purchasing said loaf has revolved around things to eat with bread. I didn’t have any avocados (boo), nor vegan cream cheese (double boo) and wanted something savory to eat with my bread.
So I decided to use some tofu to make a plant-based whipped cream cheese spread. I figured, if delis can make cream cheese out of tofu, so can I. So there.
Now. I whipped this cream cheese up with a whisk because I don’t have my food processor with me in NJ yet. I keep forgetting to bring it out here and am setting a reminder to do so when I come back from spring break.
Anyways, whipping the tofu gave me a whipped fluffy texture, like a whipped cream cheese.
If you like whipped cream cheese, do this. If you want it smooth, process it in a food processor or blender. Either way, YUM.
I also only had firm tofu on hand, but I highly suggest using silken for a smoother texture.
Lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and a hefty dose of salt give the tofu a tangy salty slightly-cheesy flavor reminiscent of cream cheese.
You can certainly add a wide variety of mix-ins to make this cream cheese flavored. I think fresh herbs would be delicious, as would some berry compote, or some maple syrup and walnuts.
This easy homemade vegan tofu cream cheese excellent on bread and bagels with jam or jelly or Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Salt (which I can’t get enough of).
I hope you make this and I hope you love it! If you do, let me know. Comment below or hmu on Insta (@katherinebaker4).
Easy Homemade Vegan Tofu Cream Cheese
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Servings: about 1 cup vegan cream cheese
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces silken tofu (1/2 a 16-ounce package or 3/4 of a 12-ounce package)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Optional mix-ins: fresh herbs, walnuts + maple syrup, fruit puree, diced jalapenos, everything bagel seasoning
Method:
- Open tofu package and drain liquid. If using a firmer block, press any additional liquid out from tofu by placing tofu on a plate, covering with a paper towel, and pressing down with a cutting board on top of the paper towel.
- If using an electric mixer or whisk, mash tofu in a bowl. Add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt, and whip until fluffy. If using a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients and process until smooth.
- Enjoy with all the carbs your heart desires. 🙂
Would I be able to use this in a vegan peanut butter pie recipe? I’d much rather make my own vs. buying vegan cream cheese. Thanks in advance!
Hi Janet! I haven’t tried using it for that sort of thing. My hunch is that for a dessert a premade cream cheese (like Kitehill or Trader Joe’s or Tofutti) will work better. I’m not sure though! If you use this I’d maybe add a tablespoon or two of coconut oil for richness since this isn’t super rich cream cheese. Good luck! Peanut butter pie sounds yummy!