Substitutions can save the day when the grocery store is out.
“Uh oh, there was no cream cheese at the store.
Faced with an empty dairy case at the market, you may find yourself asking this question.
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You need a cream cheese substitute, and luckily, there are quite a few.
Fortunately, there are more good substitutions for cream cheese than you’d think.
A wise starting point when considering a substitution is to look online for recipes that use the alternate ingredient.
Credit: Corinne Mucha
However, if you don’t see anything that comes close, there’s probably a good reason.
Substitutions can save the day, but we must be honest with ourselves.
In certain baked recipes, only the real thing will do.
Otherwise, add a cream cheese substitute from this list to your cart, and give it a try.
Neufchatel is creamy and spreadable, though it can have a slightly granular texture.
This is probably your best bet when baking.
Some work fine in bakeddairy-free desserts, casseroles, and warm dips, too.
Although that’s not completely accurate, they do perform similarly in recipes.
Mascarpone is richer and creamier than cream cheese, but it works well in some recipes likecream cheese frosting.
Let your recipe guide you on which throw in will work best.
It’s important to avoid inadvertently adding too much liquid to your recipe.
Use it in place of cream cheese in savory dips and sauces.
Mayo works well in dips and spreads.
Consider mayo instead of cream cheese if you’re preparingspinach artichoke diporjalapeno poppers.
Yes, tofu is sometimes used as the base for “vegan cream cheese.”
Blended with some lemon juice and herbs, tofu develops a spreadable and creamy texture.
Hummus can sometimes replace cream cheese in savory dips and spreads.
However, it won’t work when baking desserts.
No, cream cheese and sour cream are fairly different.
While cream cheese is made of milk and cream, sour cream is made offermented cream.
This is what gives sour cream its sour taste.
