I recently spotted Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread on sale and realized that I’d never reviewed it! Time to put that trial to rest.
Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread comes in three varieties: Plain, Strawberry and Chives & Onion. I was only able to get the Plain this time around, but will update when we sample the other two.
Upon opening, the Plain Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread looked appealing enough. My knife spread through it with ease – almost too much ease for a cream cheese alternative. It is definitely softer than “the real deal”, but that does make it spread much more easily, even on non-heated items.
When sampled atop an English muffin, the flavor of the Plain Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread was quite pronounced. It was much tangier than expected with lightly sweet undertones. Although, not bad, just a bit sharp and unbalanced. It required a bit of getting used to. I think they are close, but the flavor needs some tweaking.
While I don’t think it will be my first choice for spreading, the slightly bolder flavor does hold significant promise for recipes. With other ingredients added, to bring it all together, I can see it excelling in sauces, stuffed mushrooms, shakes, and perhaps even frosting (update: it’s my new favorite for cream cheese frosting!).
Curious, I checked the internet in search of other thoughts on the Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread. There seemed to be a consensus that the Plain is a bit too bold and slightly “off”. I did see many kudos for the Strawberry and Chive & Onion flavors though. It seems that just a couple additions do bring an appealing cohesiveness to this cheese alternative.
I also have to give a big shout out to all of the Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spreads for being top allergen-free (though, they do contain pea protein). Yes, they are made in Daiya’s dedicated facility, and to date this is the only soy-free, dairy-free cream cheese alternative.
Daiya is also very well distributed for a cheese alternative. It can be found at natural food and mainstream stores throughout North America, so it’s accessible in most cities.
The Facts on Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spreads
Price: $3.49 per 8-ounce tub
Certifications: Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spreads are Certified Kosher Pareve. They are labeled as vegan and made without gluten, but did not show certifications for these at our time of review.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spreads are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Nonetheless, check with the company on their manufacturing processes for all varieties if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. Processes and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company / product.
For More Product Information: Visit the Daiya website at www.daiyafoods.com.
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Works well in recipes
Daiya gets definite props for creating cheese alternatives like this one without any top allergens, in their dedicated facility. But the Plain falls a little short as a mimic – it is softer (but very spreadable) than traditional cream cheese with a tangy flavor that is sharper and takes a bit getting used to. That said, we’ve found that it works quite well in recipes (such as “cream cheese” frosting and even “stuffed” savories) – in fact, it might offer more punch than dairy.
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Kitehill is my only dairy free alternative! It is absolutely the best!
I have a dairy and soy allergy, so Daiya is pretty much my go-to brand. I tried the plain cream cheese and I believe my exact words were “… weird… and sweet…”
I actually found this thread in trying to find ways to incorporate it into cooked food. Has anyone tried it in homemade mac n cheese? or taquitos? I really miss dairy products so I’m hoping there’s a chance…
Hi Elli, as mentioned in my review, we had pretty much the same reaction tasting it straight up. Because of that it actually works really well in sweet recipes (like cheesecakes, ice cream, etc). For savories, I’ve had some luck with it, but I would use it in recipes where that sweetness is welcomed. I think taquitos could be a good fit, but would hesitate on mac ‘n cheese.
It does not work in baked items. I tried a few recipes and it just does not bake. It was in the oven for over an hour and a half and would not set up! I wasted $20.00 in ingredients!
Yikes! Thanks for the heads up Janet. It did work for us in a couple baked items, but savories and not in large quantities.
i hate the plain daiya cream cheese my cat won;t even try a tiny bit. I ‘ll take tofutti or go veggie my fav anyday. Those are awesome ! my cat loves to eat a tiny bit. lol I do like daiya shredded cheeses though and buy that . . i wish it had less salt and i wish they made soy products since soy tends to be way better.
I find that all of Daiya’s offerings tend to taste better the longer you’ve been away from the “real thing”. I’ve only gotten the chance to try the plain version so far but I think it’s decent for what it is. It does have a “daiya taste” to it that I’ve also experienced in the yogurt and cheese. I was also surprised that Daiya’s cream cheese is actually ten calories more than regular full-fat Philadephia for the same serving size! I did notice it had some sweet notes to it, though. I think it would rock in recipes that call for cream cheese. I don’t know if there are better versions of dairy-free cream cheese out there, but this one is the best I’ve had so far.
Yep, I think that for most dairy alternatives Erin – especially cheesy ones! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Thanks for the review. I haven’t tried the plain yet…but opted for the chive and onion. Just tried it on a bagel at first. I spread it on a warm, toasted bagel…and noticed the flavor of this too was a bit sharp and pronounced. ..only it wasn’t the chive or onion flavor I was expecting…but rather the undertones of the spread itself…was almost plastic tasting for lack of a better comparison. When I opened it it smelled wonderful and looked good…was expecting the taste to match…was a bit dissapointing. …I had a hunch that perhaps it would taste a bit better if it was spread on cold…..so I tried again with another toasted bagel…only let the bagel cool slightly first…..and yes! It was much better! Bo more funny aftertaste. 🙂 Happy experimenting!
Thank you for sharing this Genny! Yes, this Daiya product is a funny one – very finicky. Finding just the right applications seems to be the trick!
For some reason, this cheese does not react well with my dairy allergies. I think the ingredients say it has lactic acid for flavor, so beware if you are very sensitive. I had bad stomach pains and bloating 20 min or less after testing a few teaspoons ): very disappointed!! Cream cheese was one of my favorite things to eat and cook with before I developed an allergy 7 years ago ):
What a bummer! Lactic acid isn’t a dairy ingredient – it just sounds like one! It’s created via sugar fermentation, usually corn, potatoes or molasses in North America. You can see this list for detailed ingredient understanding quickly – Dairy Ingredient List
I wish I had read your review prior to purchasing two containers of Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread, Alisa. I, too, think they need to tweak that tangy tartness. I bought one in plain and one in the chive & onion flavor. I tried both on bagels and I didn’t get through the bagel with the chive & onion flavor before I just gave up and tossed it. Since then, I’ve tried to put different flavors of Ms. Dash seasoning on the plain flavor such as Tomato Basil Garlic, Southwest Chipotle, and finally adding chopped sun-dried tomatoes in it to see if I can overcome that tangy tartness. None of those attempts worked. Just can’t get over that odd flavor. I won’t even give the chive & onion a second chance. I’m intrigued by the strawberry flavor but did not see that in the store. If I were to base it on the previous two Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread flavors I tried, I’d be foolish to try a 3rd. If anyone wants the two open containers in my fridge, I’d probably even pay for postage as I hate to see something go to waste…but I ain’t gonna eat it! There are plenty of other non-intrusive flavored non-dairy cream cheese substitutes out there that I don’t mind eating.
I hear you Adrian! If you still have some left, I would definitely try the plain in a dessert (like frosting) as that seems to make it work better. For the chive and onion, baked into something it adds flavor without overpowering. I agree that just on bagels, it wasn’t the best.
Thanks Alisa! Great ideas on uses for the remainder of the spread. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one that found that it taste a little different.
Glad I can hep Adrian!
i tried mixing it in a buffalo chicken dip (chicken & wing sauce )- it was a big fail- the taste is just bad and i agree with the plastic-y taste too. i’m now terrified of the flavors, experimenting with the different brands in PLAIN, wish i had trusted my instinct and started there…
Yes, we really didn’t find that it worked well on its own or in savories. If you have leftovers, I would use it in a sweet application – that seems to work much better with the Daiya. As for your buffalo dip – if you can do soy, I would try the Go Veggie Vegan or Kite Hill (very pricey though!). Those two should yield better results based on our trials.
I loved it! And I honestly didn’t find it tasted much different than ‘real’ cream cheese. It was creamy and spread well. Had it on top of a bagel, was amazing! (Had the plain)
I’ll definitely be making some great goodies out of it. I wonder how it would react to being heated to make an Alfredo sauce… May have to try that! Mmmmm…
Thanks for sharing your review Kriss!
I haven’t had regular cream cheese in years, so for me there was no recent comparison to worry about and the Daiya Cream Cheese tasted pretty good. I liked the tart flavor and it went well with some hearty crackers. I shared it with some lactose intolerant friends and they liked it spread on scones. Then I made a vegan cheesecake using one of the recipes on the Daiya web site and that was a HUGE hit. Nice and creamy and the tangy flavor went well with the lemon and coconut. So, I thought it was a great product for folks who miss cream cheese desserts but can’t eat them due to lactose issues.
Thanks for your feedback Kimberly, it does seem to go really well in sweets! They actually have new Daiya cheezecakes out now, too! I’ll be reviewing those soon.
I use this cream cheese for cupcakes, even adults can’t taste the difference. I have also used it in sausage balls my little boy who is 4 loves it!
These both sound delish! I like it with sweets, too 🙂
I used this product to make the cream cheese frosting for a carrot cake. I tried it out of the container and thought it tasted a bit “off” from regular cream cheese…but let me tell you…. Did it make an amazing cream cheese frosting! Wow! A total hit!!!!!
Thank you for sharing this Wendy – cream cheese frosting was on my to-do list for this one – good to know it works well!
I used the Daiya plain for a cream cheese frosting; the Daiya went a long way so I iced another cake and also froze it – and both versions worked well. The consistency of the frozen and unthawed frosting was fine. My partner loves carrot cake (has to be gluten free and dairy free) so this was a great find.
Marvelous! thanks for sharing this Rebekah. Helpful to know that it freezes well.
I used cream cheese a lot before I became vegan so the Daiya was one of the first things I tried afterwards. I found it much too sweet. I ruined a recipe of olive/cream cheese spread (thought my son and I were going to throw up) and then tried it with pineapple which was one of our favorites–not any better. I have not tried their strawberry. I agree with you, the flavor needs work. I suppose it might be ok in cheese cake, but I don’t eat that.