• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Simple Vegan Recipes
  • Recipes
  • Books
    • 40 Days of Green Smoothies
    • Bowls!
  • Recipe Videos
    • My YouTube Channel
    • Video Blogging FAQ
  • Simple Vegan Starter Guide
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Get the vegan starter guide!
  • Latest Recipes
  • Air fryer recipes
  • Instant Pot recipes
  • My YouTube channel
  • Podcast
  • Recipe video production
  • SHOP
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Vegan recipes » Breakfast recipes

    Vegan herbed cream cheese (oil-free!)

    Last Modified: May 6, 2022 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Print
    vegan cream cheese on a cheesecloth on a wooden table, text overlay
    vegan cream cheese on a cheesecloth on a wooden table

    A rich, creamy homemade vegan cream cheese recipe packed with flavorful herbs. Your bagels will never be the same!

    vegan cream cheese on a cheesecloth on a wooden table

    I am so delighted to be sharing the vegan cream cheese recipe from Annie Oliverio's new book Crave, Eat, Heal. Annie is one of my favorite food bloggers and food photographers.

    This book is extra special to me, because not only do I love Ann, but I contributed a recipe to the book. My Gingered Coconut Sweet Potato Soup is in the warm cravings section.

    Jump To:
    • Recipe notes
    • How Does it Taste?
    • Storage directions
    • Easy Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe

    Recipe notes

    Oil-free vegan cream cheese might sound kind of impossible, but it's totally doable! This recipe uses cashews and coconut to achieve a rich, creamy texture without added oil.

    To start, get a head of garlic roasting. You can follow Annie's oven directions, but I have to admit that I cheated here. Instead of oven roasting, I used my pal Cadry's recipe for air fryer roasted garlic. It cuts the cooking time in half!

    image collage showing the roasted garlic, the texture after the first blending, and adding the garlic to the blender

    Normally, I wouldn't condone putting foil in the air fryer, but for roasted garlic, it's a must. Just place it carefully, and do not shake. When it's time to remove it, open the basket slowly, and remove it with tongs, taking care at every step not to scratch your basket with the foil.

    While the garlic roasts, soak your cashews and coconut flakes to soften them. I used a shortcut here, too. Instead of soaking the cashews overnight, I quick soaked them in hot water for 15 minutes.

    Transfer the soaked cashews and coconut flakes to a blender with a bit of salt, and blend until you have a pretty smooth mix. It's ok if it doesn't get completely smooth, so don't worry about perfection at this point.

    By now, your roasted garlic should be cool enough to handle. Squeeze the cloves into the blender, and add lemon juice and garlic powder. Blend again, this time going for a really smooth, creamy mix.

    image collage showing the roasted garlic, the texture after the first blending, and adding the garlic to the blender

    You're almost ready to press now!

    Line two small ramekins (or, in my case, one lidded Pyrex glass container) with cheesecloth and sprinkle some herbs onto the cloths.

    Then, divide the cashew-coconut mixture between the containers (or pour it all in, if you're using one container).

    Sprinkle even more herbs on top of your cream cheese, and use cheesecloth to press the mixture firmly into the containers.

    image collage showing layering the herbs and vegan cream cheese into the ramekin and wrapping it in cheesecloth

    Now, it's pressing time! Stack your containers up, and fill an extra container with water. Put the water container on the top of your cream cheese stack, and stick the whole thing into the fridge overnight.

    In the morning, pop out the cream cheese, and you are ready for the best bagel of your LIFE!

    image collage showing pressing the vegan cream cheese with a container of water and popping it out of the bowl after pressing

    How Does it Taste?

    This vegan cream cheese recipe does have a slight coconut flavor. If you're not mad about coconut, I'd suggest using ¼ cup more cashews in place of the coconut flakes.

    I am a coconut fan and really liked the way the lemon, coconut, and garlic flavors melded in this recipe.

    Even before pressing, the resulting cream cheese was thick and spreadable. You could totally skip the overnight pressing in a pinch, though the extra time does yield a more cream cheese-y texture.

    Storage directions

    To store your leftovers, transfer the cream cheese to an airtight container. You could even transfer it back to the same Pyrex lidded container you used to press to save yourself a dish to wash.

    It will keep for a week in the fridge.

    vegan cream cheese on a cheesecloth on a wooden table

    Easy Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe

    Rich, creamy homemade vegan cream cheese packed with flavorful herbs. Your bagels will never be the same!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: vegan cream cheese, vegan cream cheese recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Pressing Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 125kcal
    Author: Annie Oliverio

    Ingredients

    • 1 small head of garlic - See notes.
    • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs - such as thyme, rosemary, chives, and/or oregano
    • 1 cup raw cashew pieces - soaked in water 8-10 hours, rinsed and drained (See note for my quick soak alternative!)
    • ¼ cup coconut butter - ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, soaked in water for about 15 minutes, drained (See notes.)
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

    Instructions

    • Preheat toaster oven (or oven) to 450° F. Cut off the top ⅓ or so of the garlic and wrap the head in foil. Place the garlic in the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes, or until fragrant and very soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before unwrapping
    • Line two ¾ cup ramekins (see notes) with cheesecloth. Sprinkle the bottoms of the ramekins with one tablespoon each of the herbs, reserving the remaining herbs.
    • Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the cashew pieces, coconut butter or coconut flakes, and salt until fairly smooth. (It will not get completely smooth.)
    • Squeeze the cloves from the roasted garlic and drop into the bowl of the food processor. Add the garlic powder and the lemon juice and process until thoroughly combined.
    • Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins, pressing the cheese down into the herbs and cheesecloth. Tap the ramekins on the counter a few times and level the top. Divide the remaining herbs between the two ramekins, gently press them into the cheese and cover with the ends of the cheesecloth. Put one ramekin on top of the other and fill a third ramekin with water and place it on top of both ramekins (you’ll have a “tower” of 3 ramekins). Place them in the refrigerator and let set overnight.
    • The next day, remove the water-filled ramekin. Gently tug the cheesecloth to remove the cream cheese from the other ramekins and serve with bread or crackers - or place them in an airtight container for up to one week.

    Notes

    Recipe reprinted with permission from Ann Oliverio and Front Table Books.
    About the garlic: Instead of roasting in the oven, I saved some time and used Cadry's recipe for Air Fryer Roasted Garlic.
    Becky's Cashew Quick-Soak Method: Instead of soaking overnight, soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
    About the coconut flakes: I soaked these along with the cashews to save myself a dish.
    The prep and cook times assume you use my shortcuts above.
    Your vegan cream cheese will keep for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 125kcal
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!
    « Easy quinoa and lentil meatloaf with sticky ketchup glaze
    Addictive Sauteed Collard Greens in Less than 15 Minutes »

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara

      April 11, 2015 at 1:16 am

      I'm not a cream cheese fan but I think my husband and kids may enjoy. They love to eat cream cheese!

      Dividing recipes by cravings is so neat!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 11, 2015 at 8:01 am

        It's fun to make. Popping it out the next day feels so satisfying!

        Reply
    2. [email protected] Talk

      April 10, 2015 at 10:13 pm

      Does it taste like coconut? I am not a big fan of the taste but sometimes when you use with other products, you can't taste it as much.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 10, 2015 at 10:17 pm

        It does, a bit. I think you could use maybe an extra 1/4 cup cashews in place of the coconut.

        Reply
    3. Jen @ Go Green

      April 10, 2015 at 10:06 pm

      That looks so good Becky. I am going to step outside of my comfort zone and make it!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 10, 2015 at 10:09 pm

        Hurrah! You will not be sorry. I can't wait to make it again! I'd recommend definitely using the green onions in your herb mix. They're so nice with the garlic.

        Reply
    4. [email protected]

      April 08, 2015 at 9:58 pm

      Love this! I am looking forward to following along with the tour!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 08, 2015 at 10:01 pm

        Thank you! It's an awesome book. So happy to be a part of it.

        Reply
    5. Emma

      April 06, 2015 at 2:25 pm

      I love the concept of this book! So clever. This recipe looks delicious too. Look forward to following the blog tour :)

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 06, 2015 at 2:49 pm

        It was super delicious, Emma! My two year old liked it so much.

        Reply
    6. Poppy

      April 06, 2015 at 1:05 pm

      Looks fabulous. I haven't made this one yet! By the way, Diana didn't contribute the recipe, she was a tester :)

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 06, 2015 at 2:16 pm

        Ooh thank you for letting me know, Poppy! I will fix that as soon as I'm back at my computer!

        Reply
        • Poppy

          April 23, 2015 at 6:27 am

          Of course! :)

          Reply

    Have a question? Tried this recipe? Share your thoughts! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    As Seen On: Buzzfeed, How Stuff Works, Parade Magazine, Follow Your Kind Podcast, Peta, Curiously Veg Radio, Shape Magazine

    About

    • About Becky Striepe
    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Ads
    • Video Blogging FAQ

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Trending now

    • Two-ingredient Instant Pot yogurt from soy milk
    • Vegan spinach artichoke dip with garlic cashew cream
    • Crispy, flavorful air fryer tofu

    Copyright Notice

    All content Copyright © Glue & Glitter/Cattington Inc. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. You may post a short excerpt and/or one photo, as long as you provide clear credit and a link back to the original recipe or tutorial post at glueandglitter.com. Please do not repost recipes in full without my express permission.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Glue & Glitter