
The Best (and Worst) Cream Cheeses to Use in Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

What makes the best cream cheese frosting? It’s obvious- the cream cheese! We try three different non dairy cream cheeses available locally to us, and determine which brand is going to replace our beloved original Tofutti cream cheese spread. Let’s get frosting!
The Best (and Worst) Cream Cheese for Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
What makes the best cream cheese frosting? It’s obvious- the cream cheese! For years we have relied on Tofutti brand cream cheese for the BEST vegan cream cheese frosting (which we use on our red velvet cake , carrot cake , or anything). It’s super smooth, not overly “vegan” tasting (oil blends can sometimes taste strange), forms a nice “hard” layer once piped, is stable at extreme temperatures. It’s the best. And that’s all thanks to the fact that it contains partially hydrogenated soy bean oil.
Hydrogenated oil is a red flag word, we get it. We try to avoid it like the plague in our baking because its often not needed. However, for frosting, especially frosting made with unsaturated oils rather than milk fat, hydrogenated vegetable oils provide the stability and longetivity you need for a tasty frosting.
But, Tofutti stopped producing it. The retail sized packs at least (I’ve heard rumours you can buy 30lbs of it from them). Legislation was passed last year (2017) in Canada that processed foods could no longer contain hydrogenated oils. And slowly, it has been replaced fully with their non-hydrogenated (yellow container) cream cheese. Still decent tasting, but just NOT THE SAME!!
Or so we thought. We tried 3 different non dairy cream cheeses available locally to us, and determine which brand is going to replace our beloved original Tofutti cream cheese spread. Here’s what we found:
Prep Time | 7 minutes |
Servings |
cupcakes
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- 1/3 cup Non-Dairy Butter Room temperature
- 3 tbsp Vegetable Shortening Room temperature
- 1/2 cup Non-Dairy Cream Cheese Room temperature Tofutti Non-Hydrogenated Original Cream Cheese
- 4 cups Icing Sugar, sifted.
- 2 tsp Flavour of choice
Ingredients
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|
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat and combine the butter, shortening and cream cheese on a medium high speed in a medium/large mixing bowl. Beat for approximately 2 minutes until soft, light, whiter and fluffy.
- Turn the mixer speed to the lowest speed. Add 1/2 cup of sifted icing sugar to the buttery blend. Mix until all combined and no dry patches present. Repeat this until all icing sugar is combined. Add in flavours as desired.
- Beat icing for an additional 2-3 minutes on high speed to increase fluffiness of icing.
- Use immediately. Best kept in the fridge overnight to let any flavours "sit". It will be a more even tasting frosting the next day.
STORAGE
Store icing in mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap or an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Can also be frozen for 2 months but must be rewhipped. Rewhip to warm it up for piping or decorating.