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Creamy and tangy with diced fresh veggies throughout, this dairy free veggie cream cheese spread is perfect on bagels or toast, as a spread in sandwiches or wraps, or as a dip for crackers or raw vegetables.
When I was in college (Go Hawkeyes!) I ate a LOT of sundried tomato bagels with veggie cream cheese from the local bagel joint, Bruegger’s Bagels. Breakfast, lunch, snack – I loved them! I still dream about that bagel/cream cheese combo.
Since giving up dairy, I haven’t found a store bought cream cheese that I love. Luckily for me, and now you, I created the tangy, creamy, dairy free Veggie Cream Cheese of my dreams.
Now I just need to find some vegan sun dried tomato bagels and my life will be complete!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Garden fresh veggies and herbs make this vegan cream cheese so flavorful and delicious! I used bell peppers, carrots, and green onions – all of which were included in that amazing cream cheese I remember from my college days. I went one step further and added fresh parsley and dill – because – yum!
A few extra ingredients and you’ve got tangy, creamy, dairy free veggie cream cheese! It’s super easy and made with the ease of a food processor.
Cashews ~ Use raw, unsalted cashews for the best flavor and smoothest texture.
Lemon juice ~ Fresh squeezed lemon juice is best. 100% bottled juice will work in a pinch.
Apple cider vinegar ~ This adds to the tangy flavor that cream cheese is known for. If you don’t have it or can’t have it, pickle juice would be the next best thing.
Spices ~ A little onion powder and garlic powder, and of course, salt is all you need. I like adding a dash of paprika from time to time – it’s delicious, but be aware that it will turn the color of the cream cheese darker and more orange.
Herbs ~ I love fresh parsley and fresh dill. You can use just one or the other, if you prefer.
Add-ins ~ Bell pepper, carrot and green onion work perfectly in this recipe. Be sure to dice/shred the veggie very small so they incorporate well into the cream cheese.
Red onion, radishes, and celery would all be good choices, too. You could even add a jalapeño if you like a little heat.
How to make the recipe
Soak the cashews in hot water for several hours (1) or even overnight. This will allow them to soften and blend up perfectly smooth.
After soaking them, rinse them well (2) and add them to a food processor fitted with the S blade (3). Add the spices, fresh lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides every so often to ensure all the ingredients get mixed in thoroughly. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time through the tube in the top until you reach the desired consistency (4).
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl (5) and add the veggies (6). Mix well until the veggies are fully incorporated throughout (7).
Serving Suggestions
This veggie cream cheese is perfect for breakfast on bagels or toast, for lunch as a spread on a sandwich or in a wrap, or for snack as a dip for crackers or raw vegetables.
I use it as the spread in my easy Veggie Tortilla Rollups, which I often take to parties and everyone loves them!
If you prefer your vegan cream cheese on the sweet side, check out my Maple Walnut Vegan Cream Cheese – it’s amazing!
Storage/Freezing
This vegan cream cheese will keep in the fridge in an air-tight container for 4 to 5 days.
You can also freeze it! Transfer it to a freezer safe container or plastic bag. It should keep well for up to 3 months.
Pro tips for success
~ Use raw unsalted cashews.
~ Soak the cashews in hot water for several hours or even overnight to ensure they blend up smooth and creamy.
~ Stop the food processor and scrape down the sides as necessary to allow for all the ingredients to get fully incorporated.
~ Be patient when processing. It will take several minutes to come to the correct smooth consistency.
~ Stir in the veggies by hand. Do not process them in the food processor with the cashews.
~ Place the veggie cream cheese in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow it to set up and get cold.
FAQs
Soaking the cashews will soften them up helping them to purée into a smooth consistency.
Yes! Store this veggie cream cheese in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Cashew cream cheese has protein, fiber, healthy fats, and no cholesterol. This veggie version also boasts plenty of vitamins and minerals.
More vegan dips and spreads
- Pumpkin Seed Pesto
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Sun Dried Tomato Spread
- Roasted Carrot Navy Bean Hummus
- Gingerbread Cashew Butter
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
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Veggie Cream Cheese Spread
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked in water for several hours or overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika optional
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup diced sweet bell pepper any color
- 2 tablespoons diced green onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Be sure your cashews have soaked for several hours, or ideally, overnight. The longer they soak, the creamier your cream cheese will be. After soaking, drain and rinse the cashews.
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the soaked cashews, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika, if using. Start to process to break up the cashews. You'll need to stop the food processor and scrape down the sides frequently to keep the mixture moving. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time until it comes together into a smooth spread. Be patient as this could take 5 to 10 minutes.
- Once it’s smooth, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the carrots, red pepper, green onion, parsley, and dill. Stir to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or a tiny splash of vinegar or lemon juice, if necessary.
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge. It will set up and thicken slightly as it sits in the fridge and gets cold. You could eat it right away, but it’s better cold.
Haley says
I’ve made this cream cheese 4 times now and I’m FINALLY leaving a review! This is beyond delicious! I could never find a vegan veggie cream cheese, I decided to make some and I stumbled upon this recipe. It tastes better than what dairy ones I’ve had. It has that fresh taste to it but it also tastes like comfort food when you’re eating it. It’s the perfect veggie cream cheese recipe!
Jenn S. says
Haley, this makes me so happy! I’m thrilled that you love it so much! Thank you for your great review!
Ashley says
This is absolutely delicious! I added a bit of nutritional yeast to it just for a bit more cheesy flavour!
Love it!!!
Jenn S. says
I’m so happy to hear you loved it! Thank you, Ashley! Love the addition of the nooch too!
Ashley says
This looks ridiculously yummy. You could use it on/in almost anything! ❤️
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Ashley! It definitely is quite versatile! Enjoy!
L says
Are we able to freeze this veggie spread?
Thanks
L
Jenn S. says
I’m not sure. I have never tried freezing it. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
Liz D. says
This is a go-to recipe in my household. I like to add 1 Tbsp of nutritional yeast for a creamy, cheesy flavor. Thanks for such a yummy vegan veggie cream cheese!
Jenn S. says
So glad you hear that, Liz! I bet nooch is a great addition. Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon says
Made this for a sandwiches at a baby shower. It is so delicious and I think even better than dairy cream cheese, Thank you for the recipe.
Jenn S. says
That’s so great, Sharon! Thank you so much for sharing that with. I’m so happy you loved it!
Janice Watson says
Question on your vegie cream cheese spread I’m suppose to stay away from vinegar could I use more lemon?
Jenn S. says
Hi, Janice! The vinegar adds a bit more of that tangy flavor that cream cheese has, but you don’t want it to taste lemony. I would just leave it out at first. Once it’s made, taste it and see if you think you need more. Let me know how it turns out.
Laura Vincent says
Would this be preseve-able?
Jenn S. says
It will last for several days in the fridge if that’s what you mean.
Virginia says
I have a child who is gluten free, dairy free, soy free. Along with that she also cannot have white potato, parsley, cinnamon, coconut, or cashews.
So my question is. Can I substitute almonds for the cashews and basil for the parsley?
Jenn S. says
Hi, Virginia. You can absolutely sub basil for the parsley. As for the almonds, I honestly can’t say for sure as I’ve never made it with anything other than cashews, but I have a feeling it would work. You might need to add an additional tbsp or so of liquid – water would work fine if so. Definitely soak the almonds so they get nice and soft and just be patient when blending, scraping down the sides as necessary. Let me know if you try it!
Amy Szendofi says
Hello~ thank you for the wonderful recipe. I was wondering, how long do you believe you can store this cream cheese in the fridge for?
Thank you,
Amy S
Jenn S. says
Hi, Amy! I think you could store it for at least 3-4 days, maybe even a little longer (it probably won’t last that long!). Enjoy! 🙂
Terry5 says
This is excellent! I followed the directions perfectly, and it is delicious. I cannot tell the difference between this and dairy cream cheese spread. I now make it regularly. The whole family loves it. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Jenn S. says
Hi, Terry! Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m so happy to hear everyone loves it. I’m working on some other flavors too…stay tuned!
Noel says
Hi..
Can I exchange the cashew with walnuts?
Thanks
Jenn S. says
Hi, Noel. I don’t think walnuts will have the same creamy texture and might be a little strong taste-wise too. If you decide to try it, let mw know how it turns out.
Kelsey says
This may be a silly question but I’m new to the dairy free world as we just found out about my sons allergy. I would love to make this but have zero experience with this type of recipe. What do you soak the cashews in? Just water? This sound so yummy so I would really love to try it! Thank you!!
Jenn S. says
Hi, Kelsey! No silly questions here – I didn’t know any of this when I started either. Yes, you just soak them in warm water. Then drain and rinse before using them in the recipe. Be patient when processing and scrape down the sides of the food processor often to make sure everything gets combined to a smooth texture. I hope you and your son love it! Please come back and let me know how it turns out! I have plans to create a Maple Walnut flavor too for a little bit of a sweet version. Hopefully coming in the next few months. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Shohreh says
I made this this week and it is AMAZING. I have made plenty of vegan cream cheeses before, but this one definitely takes the cake. So goooood.
Jenn S. says
Thank you so much, Shohreh! I’m delighted you liked it so much. It’s a staple around our house for sure. Thanks for the taking the time leave your great feedback!
Sarah says
My husband loves bagels with cream cheese—I bet he would like this!!! Hopefully someday we’ll get clearance for Jonathan to eat cashews and we can give it a try!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Sarah. I’m making another batch this week! That’s so tough that he’s allergic to cashews…we put them in so many things.
Mary Ellen -VNutrition says
Yum! I used to get a bagel with veggie cream cheese every Sunday when I was in college!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
Jenn S. says
That’s awesome! Great minds (tastebuds?) think alike! 🙂 I hope you love it, Mary Ellen! Let me know if you try it.