Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese
This easy vegan strawberry cream cheese is made from tofu and fresh strawberries in just minutes, and it turns an ordinary bagel into a delicious meal. With just a few simple ingredients you can make homemade vegan cream cheese that tastes better than anything you can buy at the store.
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Whip up a batch of this plant-based strawberry cream cheese to go with your bagels and make your family very happy!
Why make this recipe
This dairy-free strawberry cream cheese is made from tofu, refined coconut oil, and flavorings to give it the authentic taste and texture of real cream cheese. Because it contains similar protein and fat ratios as traditional cream cheese, you can swap it out for traditional cream cheese in any recipe.
I’ve been making tofu cream cheese for years in all sorts of flavor varieties, like garlic herb, vegan bacon scallion, garden veggie, chocolate, and cinnamon, but this strawberry version is my kids’ favorite flavor.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Tofu – to give it a creamy plant-based protein that will work like real cream cheese. Firm or extra-firm water-packed tofu works best. For best results, don’t use high-protein super firm tofu or silken tofu.
- Refined Coconut Oil – to give it the fat content of regular cream cheese and make it firm when cold. You can use unrefined coconut oil, but it will have a coconut taste.
- Note: This vegan cream cheese is meant to simulate dairy cream cheese in taste and texture as well as in your cooking and baking. This is not an oil-free recipe. (You can use my cashew cheese or cashew cream recipes if you’re looking for that). You have to use coconut oil to make it firm when it’s cold and spreadable at room temperature.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – for a little tanginess and to give it acidity to emulsify. You can replace this with lemon juice if you don’t have apple cider vinegar, but I think that apple cider vinegar has a more authentic flavor.
- Sea Salt – for flavor.
- Nutritional Yeast – for a little extra cheesiness and umami flavor. (You only need a small amount, if you don’t have it you can leave it out).
- Powdered Sugar – for added sweetness. (You can leave this out for a low-sugar option, but if you want it to taste like store-bought, it needs some sweetness.) Look for organic powdered sugar to ensure that it’s vegan. You can use granulated sugar, but it will be a little grainy.
- Fresh Strawberries – for the best flavor and texture, use fresh strawberries, but you can use frozen strawberries as well.
Helpful tools
- Food Processor or Immersion Blender – to blend the tofu, coconut oil, and other ingredients into a smooth consistency.
- A Tofu Press – is helpful to press all of the liquid out of the tofu, but it’s not necessary. You can also press it between 2 cutting boards with something heavy on top.
How to make vegan strawberry cream cheese
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Drain and press your tofu very well getting out as much liquid as possible. A tofu press is helpful, but not necessary. At the same time, the tofu is pressing wash, and cut fresh strawberries into chunks.
Step 2 – Break up the tofu and add it to a food processor. Add melted refined coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, and salt.
Step 3 – Blend on high for about 1 minute, then stop and scrape the edges and blend for another minute or two working all the ingredients together until it’s smooth and creamy.
Step 4 – Add the powdered sugar and blend again until creamy.
Step 5 – Add the strawberries to the food processor and pulse a few times until the strawberries are mixed in. (You can puree longer if you don’t want chunks of strawberries.)
Pro Tips
- Be sure to blend the mixture for at least 2-3 minutes until it becomes very smooth and creamy with the texture of traditional cream cheese. (It takes a little while for it to get smooth and come together.)
- You can adjust the amount of sugar to suit your taste and dietary needs. I find that 1/2 cup of powdered sugar makes it taste like store-bought strawberry cream cheese.
- I just plus the food processor a few times to mix in the strawberries, but I still have a few large strawberry chunks. You can also blend the strawberries until creamy if you would rather it be smooth.
- You can swap out the strawberries for any other berries that you wish for different flavors.
Storage
Refrigerate: This vegan strawberry cream cheese will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: Leftover strawberry cream cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. However, freezing the cream cheese gives it a little bit of a grainy texture.
If you love strawberries, check out my recipes for strawberry pie, strawberry spinach salad, strawberry muffins, vegan strawberry cupcakes, and strawberry chia seed jam.
More homemade vegan basics
- Vegan Butter
- Tofu Sour Cream
- Vegan Mayo
- Vegan Feta
- Tofu Cream Cheese
- Homemade Vegan Cheese
- Vegan Cottage Cheese
Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese
Ingredients
For the plain cream cheese:
- 1 14 oz package extra-firm tofu, (water-packed)
- 1/2 cup refined coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup strawberries, (chopped)
Equipment
Instructions
- Drain and press your tofu very well getting out as much liquid as possible. A tofu press is helpful, but not necessary. While the tofu is pressing wash and cut fresh strawberries into chunks.
- Break up the tofu and add it to a food processor. Add melted refined coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, and salt.
- Blend on high for about 1 minute, then stop and scrape the edges and blend for another minute or two working all the ingredients together until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and blend again until creamy.
- Add the strawberries to the food processor and pulse a few times until the strawberries are mixed in. (You can puree longer if you don’t want chunks of strawberries.)
Notes
- Be sure to blend the mixture for at least 2-3 minutes until it becomes very smooth and creamy with the texture of traditional cream cheese. (It takes a little while for it to get smooth and come together.)
- You can adjust the amount of sugar to suit your taste and dietary needs. I find that 1/2 cup of powdered sugar makes it taste like store-bought strawberry cream cheese.
- I just plus the food processor a few times to mix in the strawberries, but still have a few large strawberry chunks. You can also blend the strawberries until creamy if you would rather it be smooth.
- You can swap out the strawberries for any other berries that you wish for different flavors.
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Is it possible to use an oil other than coconut? Avocado maybe? would like to avoid the saturated fat. Thanks for all your effort with these recipes. Enjoyed many.
You can switch out the oil, but it won’t be as firm. It’s fine if you just want to use it as a spread, but it won’t work like traditional cream cheese in recipes without an oil that is solid at room tempature.
Love Love Love this recipe! Thank you.
So happy! 🙂