Easy Vegan Cream Cheese (5 Minutes)

4.91 from 10 votes

This dairy-free Vegan Cream Cheese is ready in just 5 minutes. It's packed with plant-based protein and vitamin B12. Plus, it's meal-prep friendly, and healthy. Add it to sandwiches, bagels, toast, or veggies for more protein.

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Modified: Sep 15, 2025 by Nisha Melvani, RDN · This post may contain affiliate links · 24 Comments

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This easy Vegan Cream Cheese is ready in just 5 minutes. Plus, it's packed with plant-based protein and vitamin B12, and it's oil-free, gluten-free, and can be made nut-free. You can meal prep this delicious recipe ahead of time to enjoy throughout the week. It's perfect for bagels, sandwiches, and veggies.

Vegan cream cheese spread on a bagel and in a small bowl.

This recipe was inspired by my 5-Ingredient Easy Vegan Tzatziki Sauce, as well as this Easy Vegan Mayonnaise Recipe on my site. Try my High-Protein Vegan Cream Cheese recipe made with super-firm tofu for more protein.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits
🥯 Substitutions
📖 Tips for Making Vegan Cream Cheese
Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe
⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
✔️ Serving & Storage
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽 Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits

Tofu, cashews, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, miso, onion powder, lemon, and miso on a gray backdrop.

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, my goal is to highlight the health benefits of each ingredient. Below, I've included notes on the ingredients from a nutrition expert's perspective.

Extra-firm tofu or firm tofu is best suited for this high-protein cream cheese replacement. Super firm and extra firm tofu contain the highest amount of protein, but firm tofu is creamier in texture.
Mellow white miso, also known as shiro miso, is generally milder in flavor compared to other types of miso, such as red miso or barley miso. It is made from soybeans that have been fermented for a shorter period of time and typically contains a higher proportion of rice or barley koji, resulting in a lighter color and sweeter taste. Miso is a pantry staple in my house. I use it to flavor soups, dressings, marinades, and sauces.
Cashews are a good source of healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals, including magnesium, copper, and zinc. They are often used in vegan cuisine to create creamy sauces because they have a high fat content and a mild flavor that blends well with other ingredients. If you do not own a high-speed blender, soak them before blending for a creamier texture. They are a popular alternative for people with lactose intolerance.
Nutritional yeast (optional) adds a cheesy umami quality to this dairy-free cream cheese, as well as vitamin B₁₂, protein, and an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Use fortified nutritional yeast if you are looking to increase your vitamin B₁₂ intake.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🥯 Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.

Tofu - use super firm tofu (no pressing required) plus 1 tablespoon olive oil for the highest amount of protein
Cashews - instead of cashews, use sunflower seeds or blanched almonds
Nutritional yeast - this ingredient is optional, but I highly recommend adding some to this recipe
Chives - use finely chopped red onion or shallots instead, or omit entirely
Onion powder - omit as desired
Pressed garlic - add some for a vegan Boursin-style cheese
Seasoning - add desired seasonings (garlic powder, everything bagel seasoning, oregano, paprika)
Add-ons - add sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, or roasted red peppers to the food processor with the other ingredients for a variety of flavor profiles

Pair with my 2-ingredient Flax Seed Crackers on this site for a healthy snack. For more vegan spread or dip recipes, visit my Vegan Sandwich Recipes page.

📖 Tips for Making Vegan Cream Cheese

These additional tips will help you get the best results from this recipe.

Optional cashew soak: For the best texture, I highly recommend soaking the cashews beforehand. For a quick soak, place them in boiled water for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Otherwise, refrigerate them in room-temperature water overnight. Drain and rinse them before using.

Tofu, miso, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar in the canister of a food processor.

For a silky vegan spread, combine tofu and soaked cashews in a food processor, add nutritional yeast, miso, lemon juice, vinegar, onion powder, and salt, then blend, scraping down the sides until ultra-smooth.

Smooth vegan cream cheese in the canister of a food processor.

Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

Vegan cream cheese, red onion, and chives in a white bowl.

Optional for serving: Fold in the chives and red onion, if using.

Vegan cream cheese with chives on sourdough toast with sliced tomatoes and chili crisp.

Optional: Top crispy sourdough toasts with Best Vegan Cream Cheese, seasoned tomatoes, and my 7-minute homemade Easy Chili Crisp.

⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)

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✔️ Serving & Storage

Keep your Vegan Cream Cheese fresh with these simple steps:

Add-ons: If blending the chives or red onion, chop them very small so they do not overwhelm the taste or texture of the cream cheese. Or add a sprinkle for serving.
Storage: Refrigerate any remaining cashew tofu cream cheese in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Can I make dairy-free cream cheese without tofu?

For a tofu-free option:
Soak 1 ½ cups (220 g) raw cashews or blanched almonds for 30-60 minutes (nut-free: 1 ⅓ cups (200 g) sunflower seeds for 60 minutes). Drain.
Blend with the remaining ingredients, streaming in water until spreadable (about ¼-1/2 cup; sunflower seeds ½-3/4 cup).
Omit the extra ¼ cup nuts/seeds from the original recipe. Chill 2-4 hours to set.

How can I make vegan cream cheese without nuts?

You can make this cream cheese substitute with sunflower seeds instead of cashews for a nut-free option.

Is vegan cream cheese healthier?

Vegan cream cheese is generally lower in saturated fat and calories than regular cream cheese. However, it is also lower in protein and calcium. Processed cream cheese alternatives tend to be higher in sodium, so check your labels.
This homemade version has a good amount of protein, and you can add the salt to taste. Some homemade versions use coconut oil, which is higher in saturated fat than cashews, and unlike cashews, lacks heart-healthy fats.