If you’ve been looking for a super-healthy, easy-to-make cream cheese substitute, look no further!
When we took a trip to New York City a few years ago, we were thrilled to see all the delis and bagel shops had house-made tofu cream cheese. It’s a simple tofu puree that doesn’t exactly taste like cream cheese, but it definitely does a good job of recreating the cool sensation and creamy texture of the real thing. It’s also, like, a million times healthier. As soon as we had it on a bagel sandwich, we were hooked, and that became our go-to breakfast for the rest of the trip.
I’ve noticed most other recipes for tofu cream cheese use silken tofu, but I find that super firm tofu is much better for recreating the thick and creamy consistency of real cream cheese. Even firm silken tofu is better suited for sour cream than cream cheese, in my opinion. Again, the flavor of this recipe is not going to trick your tastebuds into thinking you’re eating real cream cheese, but the texture and appearance are pretty much spot on. It actually reminds me of whipped cream cheese, which used to be my favorite kind before I gave up dairy.
For me, this cream cheese is totally a sandwich spread, but you could also use it to make vegan cream cheese frosting, or simply use it as a dip. Come to think of it, I bet this would be really good on toast with avocado… might have to try that tomorrow. If you try this recipe, let us know down in the comments how it turned out, what you did with it, how you seasoned it, etc… we’d love to hear your feedback.
Thick and creamy homemade tofu cream cheese on a toasted bagel topped with red onion, tomato, fresh greens, and capers.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg super firm tofu, pressed and drained well
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp chives, diced (optional)
- Vegan-friendly bagel of choice, toasted
- Red onion, sliced into thin rings
- Red vine tomato, thinly sliced
- Baby kale
- Baby spinach
- Capers
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Crumble tofu into small pieces and add to a food processor along with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt.
- Pulse several times, then process on high until the mixture is silky smooth. Add chives, or any other herbs and spices you like, and then pulse a couple times to incorporate.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover, and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
I recommend seasoning the cream cheese to your liking. It's quite bland on its own, and serves more as a texture than a flavor. I like adding chives to mine, but you may also want to try basil, paprika, or roasted red pepper.
