Perfect Vegan Cream Cheese

Rarely have I had to experiment so much to get a recipe right.

I’ve made cream cheese before from cashews, and the results were good. However, I can’t get raw cashews where I live, and the process is pretty long and involved. I can, however, get excellent tofu. I knew there had to be a fairly simple way to made a cream cheese that would beat out the commercial versions I used to buy when I still lived in the US.

Getting the right flavor wasn’t too hard. It turns out the secret to the flavor was just enough acid from a combination of lime juice and vinegar, and the addition of a light miso. That’s right: miso. Who would think that miso would be the secret sauce needed to get the flavor right.

Getting the right texture was more of a challenge. A lot of experimentation went into getting the right blend for a cream cheese that would hold its shape but still be super creamy.

You’ll probably need to do some experimentation of your own, as the firmness and water content of your tofu will affect the results. The tofu I get, made by a local business, is quite firm. I eventually found that just blending it longer and scraping down the sides works better than adding any liquid, which will separate from the tofu.

Most of my recipes double well. This one doesn’t. To get a larger quantity of tofu super smooth, you’ll need to add plant milk. If you do that, you’ll also need more coconut oil to get the firmer texture.