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Creamy, rich, with just the right amount of acidity and umami – a vegan cream cheese full of character.
My homemade, vegan, kefir-based cream cheese is a true all-rounder in the kitchen. Whether plainly spread on bread, seasoned with herbs, garlic, or chili, or used as a base for dips, sauces, and desserts – its smooth texture and delicately tart flavor make it very unique.

Vegan kefir cream cheese with roasted vegetabled on bread. — Creamy, rich, with just the right amount of acidity and umami – a vegan cream cheese full of character.

Vegan cream cheese – kefir based

I make my vegan cream cheese using water kefir grains (tibicos, Japanese water crystals, California bees). Unlike cashew cream cheese.

This plant based cream cheese is a real upgrade for authentic fresh cheese flavor and creaminess.

My vegan cream cheese combines wonderfully with both sweet and savory ingredients— from homemade dandelion honey and figs to roasted vegetables or purely plant-based smoked salmon. My vegan kefir cream cheese becomes liquid when heated and firmer in the refrigerator—incredibly authentic. It’s perfect on bread, as well as for sweet and savory creams and dips.

Especially popular at our home:

As a spread with fresh herbs and spices on home baked bread
As a creamy filling for wraps, pancakes, or a vegan spinach and salmon roll
Or as a velvety ingredient in carrot cake or peanut butter and salted caramel rolls with cream cheese frosting

Cream cheese is more than just cheese – it’s a creamy indulgence that adapts to every taste.

Vegan cream cheese made from kefir on buns with herbs on one and marmelade on the other — Vegan cream cheese made from kefir

This is how I accidentally developed a perfect plant based cream cheese

How did this vegan cream cheese recipe come about?
This recipe is actually based on a failure. I experimented with water kefir and soy milk for drinks, but it turned out to be less than satisfactory.

The soy milk curdled so much and separated so dramatically from its brine that I couldn’t help but taste the solids and consider what I could do with them. I was so impressed by the flavor, acidity, and umami that I wanted to use it for vegan cheesemaking. And so this kefir cream cheese recipe was born. Vegan, with a pleasant acidity and depth of flavor, as well as a fantastic spreadability and an extremely creamy mouthfeel.

Plant based cream cheese with herbs on bread and in a bowl — I accidentally developed a perfect, creamy, plant based cream cheese

Healthy vegan cream cheese: probiotic and rich in protein

My vegan cream cheese is not only delicious and wonderfully creamy, it’s also very healthy. Fermented with water kefir, it’s packed with beneficial probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. Since its soy milk base is used, this vegan cheese is also high in protein.

Vrischkäse – vegan cream cheese without any nuts

I make my cream cheese completely nut-free. This makes it suitable for people with nut allergies. Perfect if you’re intolerant to almonds or cashews.

Plant based cream cheese on buns, with herbs and marmelade. — Plant based cream cheese without any nuts

More vegan cheese recipes

Are you looking for vegan cheeses that will truly impress?
Then browse through my “V Cheese” category here on Daily Vegan.
Or try these vegan cheese recipes:

This plant based cheese combines wonderfully with both sweet and savory ingredients, here with herbs on toasted bread.

How long does kefir cream cheese last?

Since this cream cheese is based on a water kefir ferment, the finished Vrischkäse won’t keep forever. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, as the cold pauses the fermentation process, but doesn’t completely stop it. After a few days, the cheese will become increasingly sour, and at some point, it will no longer be tasty.

I therefore recommend consuming the Vrischkäse within 3-4 days.

Vegan kefir cream cheese in a small bowl. — The perfect, probiotic vegan cream cheese

Show me your homemade vegan cream cheese

Please follow me on Instagram or Facebook. And I’d be delighted if you made my plant based cream cheese and posted a photo of it, tagging my account. Because I always find it really great and exciting to see how my recipes have been prepared in other kitchens!

Plant based kefir cheese with herbs on a slice of roasted bread. — Please show me your plant based kefir cheese.

Vegan cream cheese – Preparation in Pictures

The following photos show you step by step how I prepare my soy kefir cream cheese. Then, I’ll skip straight to the recipe.

1. All 3 ingredients for kefir fermentation.

Heated soy milk in a pot with a thermemeter, showing 85°C — 2. Heat the soy milk to 80-85°C (176°F-185°F), but do not boil.

Heated soy milk in a pot with a thermemeter, showing 32°C — 3. Cool to 30-37°C (86°F-99°F).

A pot with sweetended soy milk and a wooden spoon in it. Also a small bowll with water kefir grains. — 4. Now stir the sugar into the soy milk.

Soy milk fermenting with kefir crystals in a jar. — 5. Add the water kefir grains and let it ferment at room temperature for about 30 hours.

Soy milk, fermented for 30 hours. It has separated into solid and liquid components and is nicely fermented. — 6. After 30 hours, the soy milk has separated into solid and liquid components and is nicely fermented.