The Best Cream Cheese Substitutions for Your Holiday Recipes During the Shortage

A shortage has affected the cream cheese in most grocery stores and manufacturers have been struggling to keep up with demand.

Here https://orzare.com/ are some of the best cream cheese substitution ideas you can use this Christmas season. Instead of cream cheese, try these!

1. Sour Cream

Use sour cream instead of cream cheese in your dips, spreads and buttercream frosting recipes. It will give you a similar texture and tanginess. A bonus? Sour cream is a fat-free product, so you don’t have to worry about taking out more oil than necessary.

2. Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta cheese is a good substitute for mild flavored cheesecakes and dips (like spinach dip). It has a creamy texture that blends well with other ingredients. We’re not sure if it will work in making frosting though as it alters the consistency of the end product.

3. Yogurt

Although not to everyone’s taste, yogurt is a good substitute for cream cheese. It’s tangier than sour cream, so it adds zest to the dip or spread you’re making. Try using it in place of sour cream in your favorite Taco Dip recipe too!

4. Egg Yolks and Egg Whites

Use egg yolks in place of cream cheese in your cakes, mousse and frosting recipes that call for heavy flavoring like vanilla or chocolate sauces. You can also use them for spreading on bread or on a bagel for breakfast instead of cream cheese.

Use the egg whites in place of cream cheese in your recipes that call for egg whites only. If you’re looking for eggs, here are a few suggestions:

Whole Eggs:

Use the whites and yolks in your baked goods, meringues and other recipes where you want the meaty texture egg whites provide.

Egg Whites:

Use them in place of cream cheese in angel food cake, cupcakes and other desserts that need heavy white frosting.

5. Vegan Cream Cheese

If you’re trying to live a vegan lifestyle or simply want to cut off the cream cheese from your diet, try using whipped tofu in place of cream cheese. You can also use silken tofu and whip it with a whisk or a hand mixer for about a minute for an almost-identical texture.

Tip: If you’re not trying to live vegan, you can also use ricotta cheese in place of whipped soft tofu. It blends really well with other ingredients.

6. Buttercream Frosting

This is not an exact substitute, but if you don’t have cream cheese available and still need frosting on your holiday cake, try making buttercream instead. Buttercream frosting is simply butter and powdered sugar beaten together and then flavored with extracts or other flavorings. It’s heavy but it gets the job done.

Tip: If your frosting turns out too runny, you can add 2-3 tablespoons at a time of powdered sugar until the consistency is thicker.

7. Sour Cream Alternative

If you’re trying to cut down on dairy during your festive eating season, try using soy cream cheese alternative instead. This will give you a similar texture and consistency to regular cream cheese.

8. Goat Cheese

If you’re looking for something with a strong flavor, try using goat cheese instead. It will blend well with other ingredients in a dip or spread and add to the zesty flavor of your recipes. It also gives the dip or spread it has been added to a distinctive tangy taste.

Tip: Make sure that the goat cheese you’re using for your substitute is room temperature before using it in your recipes. Cold goat cheese will not blend well with other ingredients. If it’s too stiff, let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before trying again to work in with your recipe.

9. Soy Cream Cheese Alternative

Soy cream cheese alternative will give you the same texture and tanginess in your recipes that regular cream cheese does. It’s a cheap substitute, easy to work with and has a relatively neutral taste to it.

Tip: Put the soy cream cheese substitute in a microwave safe bowl and heat it up for 10 seconds before mixing it with other ingredients to get rid of its initial whiff of soybean oil. You can also add a bit of cocoa powder or jam to your recipe to mask the odor.

10. Sour Cream Alternative

If you’re looking to cut down on dairy, try using a soy sour cream alternative instead. This will give you a similar texture and tanginess to regular sour cream. It’s also easy to work with in your recipes.

Tip: Use the same method as the one we’ve mentioned in tip #2, but add some cocoa powder or jam to make this substitute more neutral-tasting and odorless.