11 Fantastic Substitutes for Cream Cheese (2024)

FAQs

11 Fantastic Substitutes for Cream Cheese? ›

If you're looking for something that can replicate the texture of cream cheese that might be lower in fat when you're cooking or baking, AllRecipes recommends two different cream cheese substitutes: "1 cup pureed cottage cheese [or] 1 cup plain yogurt, strained overnight in a cheesecloth" for 1 cup of cream cheese.

If you're looking for something that can replicate the texture of cream cheese that might be lower in fat when you're cooking or baking, AllRecipes recommends two different cream cheese substitutes: "1 cup pureed cottage cheese [or] 1 cup plain yogurt, strained overnight in a cheesecloth" for 1 cup of cream cheese.

How to Substitute Cream Cheese for Quark. Replace the quark with the same amount of cream cheese to maintain a roughly similar texture to smooth quark. If you want a curdy texture, substitute the same amount of quark for a 1:1 ratio of cream cheese to strained cottage cheese.

Mascarpone Cheese

A common swap for cream cheese is mascarpone, and for good reason—it's somehow even richer and creamier, and might have you asking why you haven't long been slathering mascarpone on everything in sight.

The staff of food professionals at Chef's Pencil recommend blending ricotta with an equal amount of full-fat (unsweetened) yogurt as a 1:1 substitute that better imitates both the texture and flavor of cream cheese in savory recipes.

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, and potentially cottage cheese can all be used in place of butter in some baking and cooking recipes. It is best to choose high quality so they are not too watery (or strain through cheesecloth) and check the fat content which can vary.

Can I Use Mayo Instead of Cream Cheese? Yes, you can. Mayo has a creamy texture, is spreadable, and has a sweet flavor like cream cheese. This will come down to the flavor profile you're looking for, as well as the consistency you need for the recipe.

Cream cheese is an excellent substitute for milk. It produces a tasty, creamy dish that you will love. This is my own personal preference when I find I do not have milk on hand. The consistency of cream cheese is obviously much thicker, which produces a thicker mixture once it's been cooked.

Can I use vanilla Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese? ›

Greek yogurt is a great alternative to cream cheese. It also gives your favorite dishes a healthy twist because it's rich in protein, calcium, and vitamin B12 ( 3 ). Use an equal amount of Greek yogurt in place of cream cheese to make dips, spreads, frostings, and baked goods.

You will get around half a cup of cream cheese substitute after hanging 1 cup of the greek yogurt for around 8 - 12 hours. Best Used: sweets, baking & frosting recipes, savory recipes, sauces, and dips.

Pureed silken tofu will provide a texture like cream cheese, and it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Nut cream cheeses: These vegan options are made from cashews or almonds. They are versatile, but almond cream cheese usually works better in sweet dishes, and cashew butter is better in savory dishes.

Quark is a soured milk, fresh, unaged cheese product which is gaining popularity in the U.S. because of its versatility. You also will hear it called dry curd cheese, farmer's cheese and sometimes pot cheese.

Quark was one of the top choices in Germanic cheesecake varieties and remains the mainstay in German Cheesecake recipes to this day. Used in place of cream cheese, it gives a slightly less sweet but equally creamy flavour with the firm texture needed to cut a perfect slice (or two!).

So, what does quark taste like? Mild, mild, mild. It has a very inoffensive taste — not sweet or sour — and is notably smooth and creamy. Its subtlety makes it an incredibly versatile ingredient in a wide variety of cuisines.

Sour Cream Substitute: Cream Cheese

Great news—it's a good replacement for sour cream! Cream cheese is thicker, so you'll need to loosen it up a little before using. For every 1 cup of sour cream called for in a recipe, use 6 ounces cream cheese thinned with a tablespoon or two of milk, buttermilk or water.

Greek cream cheese is a Greek yogurt that has had the excess moisture strained out creating a thick, cream cheese like spread.

Use 1 cup sour cream for 1 cup cream cheese to achieve desired results.

Is there imitation cream cheese? ›

Plain Imitation Cream Cheese, 8 oz at Whole Foods Market.

Cream cheese will work as a one-to-one substitute for heavy cream. Keep in mind that cream cheese may alter the taste and texture of the final product, so make sure to use it in suitable recipes in which the flavors will work together, such as in creamy soups or cheesy sauces.

Its smooth texture adds richness to frosting and makes wonderfully light and flaky pastry crusts. Cream cheese is the signature frosting for carrot cake and red velvet cake. It can also be used in simple no-bake cheesecake recipes that are especially popular with those looking for low-sugar desserts.

Substitutions: Half and Half and Heavy Cream - You can just use all whole milk, although then you'll really get more of a ricotta cheese than cream cheese. Heavy Cream - You can also just use half and half, or use any mixture of half and half and cream.

If you prefer your spread to be high in calcium or protein, opt for cream cheese. But if you're looking for less fat and fewer calories, margarine may be a better choice.

Miracle Whip is sweeter and contains other ingredients

While mayonnaise is tangy and rich, Miracle Whip is uniquely sweet because it contains added sugar and a blend of spices, including mustard, paprika, and garlic.

Sour cream or full fat yogurt can be substituted 1:1 for whole milk. Use this substitute in baking quick breads or for adding creaminess to pan sauces. Sour cream works especially well in recipes calling for buttermilk, too and vanilla-flavored yogurt can be used for sweet quick breads and cakes.

Ingredients: Water, Soybean Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Vinegar, Modified Cornstarch, Eggs, Salt, Natural Flavor, Mustard Flour, Potassium Sorbate as a Preservative, Paprika, Spice, Dried Garlic.

Sour cream has a high enough fat content—about 20%—to make it a good substitute for heavy cream in some savory recipes, such as soups or chili.

Greek yogurt doesn't have the same flavor or consistency as cream cheese. You couldn't use it in a cheesecake recipe as a replacement but you could use it for the cheesecake topping instead of sour cream. The taste would be different and there's no noticeable nutritional bonus for this change.

What's the difference between Greek yogurt and vanilla yogurt? ›

Regular and Greek yogurt are made from the same ingredients but differ in nutrients. While regular yogurt tends to have fewer calories and more calcium, Greek yogurt has more protein and less sugar — and a much thicker consistency. Both types pack probiotics and support digestion, weight loss, and heart health.

Yogurt. Yogurt is your best substitute for sour cream. Whether you're baking or making a dip or sauce, yogurt is a 1:1 sub. That means if your recipe calls for 1 cup of sour cream, you can replace it with 1 cup of yogurt.

8 ounces equals one cup of cream cheese. Just like 16 ounces equals 2 cups of cream cheese. Whipped cream cheese, on the other hand, is slightly different. Volume measures depend on how much air there is in an ingredient.

1/3 cup: 2.0 ounces | 5 tablespoons | 57 grams | 2.5 servings.

Neufchatel has one-third less fat than regular cream cheese with 80 calories, 6 grams of fat and 4 grams saturated in 2 tablespoons. Beyond its traditional uses (with lox, in cheesecake), cream cheese can enhance the flavor of many healthy recipes.

Cool Whip is available in an aerosol can using nitrous oxide as a propellant. From its introduction, Cool Whip was labeled and advertised as non-dairy, but as of 2018 it contains skimmed milk and sodium caseinate, a milk derivative.

Neufchâtel and cream cheese are similar in flavor, but Neufchâtel tastes a bit tangier with a grainier texture. The Neufchâtel also has an edible rind that gives a more pungent flavor.

Philadelphia Original Brick Cream Cheese blends the creamy goodness of Philly with real milk and cream, now available in Lactose Free! It's a great addition to any meal, from appetizers to desserts. Our delicious cream cheese contains no artificial colours or flavours.

Where to find quark. Quark is still very much unknown to most North Americans—you won't always be able to find it at your nearest grocery store,but rest assured that it's definitely out there. While it isn't widely available, supermarket chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joes will likely carry it.

If you head to the cheese section of a good grocery store and look carefully among the tubs of cream cheese, farmers cheese, and crème fraiche (or even near the yogurts), you might find something less common: a tub of a European fresh cheese called quark.

Where can I buy quark in USA? ›

Quark, 8 oz at Whole Foods Market.

Only a few dairies in Vermont, Illinois and California make quark in the country. One such dairy is Wunder Creamery, which made its debut in the US market in 2018, but quark can be found in some Whole Foods Markets and Safeway locations.

Quark is a soft unaged cheese with a smooth, creamy texture similar to cream cheese or thick yogurt, and a taste like a slightly sour cream cheese. It is made by fermenting a mixture of cheese and yogurt cultures in warm milk to form curds.

Hello, In some recipe yes. Just keep in mind that as quark is fat free the consistency will be different. So, it will work in a sauce or a set cheesecake but may not work well as a cake topping / filling.

Dictionaries sometimes translate it as curd cheese, cottage cheese, farmer cheese or junket.

Dictionaries typically define quark as curd or cottage cheese, however unlike most commercial cheeses, quark contains neither rennet nor added salt. And despite a very similar texture and appearance to Greek yoghurt, quark is not a yoghurt either.

Quark is very popular in Germany. Germans eat more than 17 lbs per person per year. It is eaten plain on its own or with herbs, nuts, garlic to make it savory or with fruit or jam to make it into a dessert or fruit spread.

Can I Use Mayo Instead of Cream Cheese? Yes, you can. Mayo has a creamy texture, is spreadable, and has a sweet flavor like cream cheese. This will come down to the flavor profile you're looking for, as well as the consistency you need for the recipe.

Substitutions: Half and Half and Heavy Cream - You can just use all whole milk, although then you'll really get more of a ricotta cheese than cream cheese. Heavy Cream - You can also just use half and half, or use any mixture of half and half and cream.

Pureed silken tofu will provide a texture like cream cheese, and it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Nut cream cheeses: These vegan options are made from cashews or almonds. They are versatile, but almond cream cheese usually works better in sweet dishes, and cashew butter is better in savory dishes.

Can I substitute cream cheese for sour cream? ›

Sour Cream Substitute: Cream Cheese

Great news—it's a good replacement for sour cream! Cream cheese is thicker, so you'll need to loosen it up a little before using. For every 1 cup of sour cream called for in a recipe, use 6 ounces cream cheese thinned with a tablespoon or two of milk, buttermilk or water.

For baked cheesecakes, acids such as lemon and orange juice as well as some alcohol are the best way to go about doing things. Not only do they provide a hint of flavor, but they can also keep your cheesecake as firm and thick as you can possibly have it.

Traditional buttercream is a combination of butter and confectioner's sugar. Cream cheese frosting, however, replaces some of the butter with cream cheese. Also, buttercream frosting has more of a sweet taste, while cream cheese frosting is both tangy and sweet.

To use as a cream cheese substitute in baked goods and dips, blend one cup ricotta with one cup plain yogurt to equal two cups substitute. For frosting and cheesecakes, blend one cup ricotta with one cup heavy cream to equal two cups substitute.

While sour cream is made by fermenting cream, cream cheese is made by curdling milk, draining it, and processing it into a smooth, soft cheese. As a result, cream cheese does not have the same sour taste that sour cream has.

Cream cheese

Use 1-1.5 tablespoons in place of each egg, if you're replacing a medium or large egg, respectively.