Updated September 2022! Tofutti isn’t a glamorous brand. In fact, with all of the new dairy alternative trends, it sometimes gets lost. But Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese was the original dairy-free cream cheese alternative, and it’s changed (just barely) over the years to keep up with the times (somewhat).
Their original version was made with hydrogenated oils. They soon added a non-hydrogenated option, and eventually phased out the hydrogenated variety. They’ve also added a couple flavors, and in 2017 they came out with a “Whipped Cream Cheese” alternative.
We’ve just updated this post (it’s been well over a decade!) to include all current varieties, and with our rating and review format so you can share your own opinion on Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese.
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese comes in Classic, Flavors, and Whipped
I think Tofutti fell out of favor because it’s soy-based, and soy unfairly became a villain in natural food circles. They also haven’t kept up in the fast-paced world of online marketing. But Tofutti still has a loyal following of people that rely on this cream cheese alternative as a household staple. Plus, unlike many most other brands, this one is both nut-free and pea protein-free.
We haven’t tried the newer Whipped version, but the other varieties have a very soft, rich, and creamy consistency that is impressively like cream cheese alternative. We asked a dairy consumer to try it, and they confirmed that even the taste was near identical, but perhaps just a touch less sharp than cream cheese made from cow’s milk.
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese holds up well in dairy-free cream cheese frosting (not all brands do), but I haven’t tried it in baked recipes. But Hannah used it to make this Vegan Carrot Cake Bread with good results. And in the cookbook, Amazing Dairy-Free Desserts, the author explains how to best use Tofutti (apparently there is a trick or two) and offers six different “cheezecake” recipes. Dairy-free Toffee Pecan Cheesecake anyone?
Plain
Ingredients: water, expeller processed natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit and olive), maltodextrin, non-gmo (soy protein, tofu), non-dairy lactic acid, blend of natural gums (locust bean, guar, cellulose and xanthan), organic sugar and salt. contains soy.
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 60 calories, 5g fat, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein.*
Herbs & Chive
Ingredients: water, expeller processed natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit and olive), maltodextrin, non-gmo (soy protein, tofu), non-dairy lactic acid, blend of natural gums (locust bean, guar, cellulose and xanthan), organic sugar, and salt. contains soy.
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 60 calories, 5g fat, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein.*
Garlic & Herb
Ingredients: water, expeller processed natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit and olive), maltodextrin, non-gmo (soy protein, tofu), non dairy lactic acid, blend of natural gums (locust bean, guar, cellulose and xanthan), spices, garlic, onion powder, parsley, organic sugar and salt. contains soy.
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 60 calories, 5g fat, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein.*
Whipped
Ingredients: water, expeller processed natural oil blend (soybean, and palm eruit), maltodexterin, soy protein, tofu, non-dairy lactic acid, blend of natural gums (locust bean, guar, cellulose and xanthan) organic sugar, salt. contains soy.
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 60 calories, 5g fat, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein.*
More Facts on Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
- Price: $4.49 per 8-ounce tub
- Availability: Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese is sold refrigerated at Whole Foods, Albertsons/Safeway stores, and various other grocers and small chains in the U.S.
- Certifications: Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese is Certified Kosher Parve.
- Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, and vegetarian.*
- For More Product Information: Visit the Tofutti website at www.tofutti.com.
*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy.
Average Reader Review
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What Others Are Saying ...
Solid contender
We did a taste test with 10 dairy-free cream cheeses, and this one stood firmly in third place, well behind first and second, but notably ahead of the rest. It seems to perform well, and everyone liked it, at least “ok” including the dairy eaters. I’d use it as a back up when I can’t find the top two (Kite Hill and Treeline), or as a lower cost option.
Terrible aftertaste
I was asked to use nondairy cream cheese in a pound cake and the frosting. The cake is “okay” but has an unpleasaant aftertaste. The cream cheese frosting is just awful with the same bad aftertaste. Why can’t our chemists come up with a decent fake cream cheese?
Dairy free cream cheese
I’m dairy and nut , including coconut,allergic. This makes it hard for me to eat a lit if things. I have found the Toufitti products are a very acceptable substitute. It took me a couple of times if using the cream cheese to get used to it but now I use it quite often. Love the sour cream. When you can’t have the real thing you learn to really enjoy what you can have.
I would like to try making bagels with cream cheese in them but haven’t tried cooking with it. Any suggestions?
Response from Go Dairy Free
It cooks fairly well.
better than cream cheese
get over your spoiled self and give it a try! this stuff is very tasty, and just might be a little healthier for you! also a great alternative for people who cant have dairy{ like myself ) .
Delicious, non-dairy alternative
I’m not sure if previous reviewers had old product but my husband and I love Tofutti cream cheese. We have not baked with it but the taste is so comparable (maybe better) it’s amazing. I accidentally bought the herb and chives and that is equally delicious and the flavor is mild. We have even given a few tubs away to people and they too cannot believe it is dairy free and they love the taste.
Not even close.
Not even close. It literally, and I mean this in the most LITERAL sense of the word, tastes like construction paper. I don’t know if you’ve ever bitten into a corrugated box, but it’s about the same taste profile. The smell is awful as well. The only thing similar to cream cheese this has going for it is the texture. Only through mixing in a cream cheese extract could you possibly make this taste like cream cheese.
I swear I remember Tofutti tasting better.
I never really bought Tofutti cream cheese for myself but I have plenty of vegan friends and customers who consume it happily. I recall having tried it years ago and it tasted really good with no off flavors, couldn’t really tell it wasn’t cream cheese. Today I bought some to make a dairy free no-bake cheesecake for pi day thinking, I’ll get Tofutti, that stuff’s great. Well, it in fact was not great. The texture was good and as I remembered, but the flavor has an off, yucky, chalky?, weird flavor that is very off-putting. I added more sugar that I planned, to mask it but I wouldn’t mark it in the great success column.
I’m wondering if they changed the recipe since the last time I had it.
Tofutti...regular
I discovered this item a few years ago. It tastes identical, and looks identical to regular cream cheese. I think it’s impossible to even tell the difference between the two. When I serve it to others, they like it, as well. I’ve never gone back to Philly cheese.
Not edible
I don’t understand the hype of this product. After hearing so many good things about it, I picked some up at my local sprouts store. I’m completely vegan and the taste of this cream cheese literally makes me gag. Tastes nothing like cream cheese. Has a funky powdery soy flavor that is hard to stomach. The texture is the only thing good about it. Aside from that, it is horrible. Every brand I’ve tried is better than this brand, and miyokos cream cheese is the best I’ve found so far.
Gagville
I’m surprised people like this stuff. It is disgusting. There is some sort of chemically, unnatural, doughy/pastey flavor this has. It tastes nothing like cream cheese: not even close!
7 Comments
And I don’t have a soy allergy either. A near tub of Tofutti cream cheese on a few bagles today – killed my weekend.
My reaction is much worse & different than eating dairy itself. Stomach cramping, gurgling & felt like a blob of mass that wan’t going anywhere – then BAM. Boy did this make me sick. This is not the first time Tofutti brand dairy free has made me sick. If you eat way too much of dairy free anything – it’s not that great. But Tofutti itself – must make it’s great tasting things chemically different. I know I can’t eat casein. The only thing I can think of is there is SO MUCH ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN. If I google isolated soy protein – they sell it with whey & casein (I can’t digest casein either) – as isolated soy protein appears to be a somehow related product to whey & casein. My wife is Asian & I have no problems with soy sauce or things like soybeans. Perhaps the there is so much isolated soy protein in this – that is the problem. Too bad because I really like the Tofutti taste.
Hi Ryan, This is terrible. But isolated soy protein isn’t related to casein or whey at all. Casein and whey are the two main proteins in dairy. While soy protein is the protein from soy – it is free of all dairy and isn’t related to dairy in any way. The only thing they have in common is that both dairy proteins and soy protein are complete proteins, which means they contain all essential amino acids. This is why on some forums people might compare soy to dairy. But they are in no way the same. Tofutti is a dairy-free brand. It is possible to have an issue with soy, which is in a lot of products. As a heads up, we don’t share anything here that contains any dairy, in any form. I’m allergic to casein myself!
Tofutti brand makes me sick worse than dairy itself. Stomach gurgling for days. Some weird chemical other than casein. Possibly soy protein. Ruined my holiday weekend & Tofutti did this to me last year. I eat spy sauce dishes almost daily fyi. I’m giving up Tofutti brand.
More importantly is it GMO free?
As noted, the only certification is kosher parve. Here is their statement on GMO’s – http://www.tofutti.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/TofuttiBrandsInc-StatementonNon-GMO-June.1.2013.pdf
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really needed this thank you