Hey everyone. I was just wondering if there are any good substitutions for cream cheese that are not yogurt or cottage cheese? I highly dislike all three, but so many pasta and dessert recipes call for cream cheese - will it depend on each individual recipe what can be used?
Substitutions for Cream Cheese
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Dawgluver
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Welcome to DC! Have you tried Neufchatel? A lot less fat than cream cheese, a Philly brand as well. Or try draining Greek yogurt with a coffee filter and colander and make yogurt cheese. It tastes pretty good. Sour cream might work, ricotta too. It would depend upon what you're making.
What flavor are you looking for?
What flavor are you looking for?
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Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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Yes, tastes just like it. Philadelphia makes it, there are also generic brands.
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Yup.
It is a soft, unripened cream cheese,and one of the oldest cheeses from France. While it has a little more moisture, have no fear in using it as a substitute. Often, they are right next to one another in the store, heck, even in like the same packaging.
Well, the Neufchatel is the IDEAL candidate for a cream cheese sub, which you were asking for, what recipe are you trying to change up.
Without knowing what applications you are using it for, it's hard to recommend heavy cream, or whatever. . .
Yea, I figured I would probably need to find a substitution on a case by case basis. At the immediate moment these two recipes are the ones I'm looking at:
Envy My Cooking: Italian chicken pasta
Pumpkin Dessert Bars Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes
I'm thinking I can probably get away with using a heavy cream for the pasta, but for the pumpkin bars I just want to find something that doesn't taste like cream cheese (or yogurt), but has the same consistency.
Envy My Cooking: Italian chicken pasta
Pumpkin Dessert Bars Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes
I'm thinking I can probably get away with using a heavy cream for the pasta, but for the pumpkin bars I just want to find something that doesn't taste like cream cheese (or yogurt), but has the same consistency.
Dawgluver
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Mexican crema? It's like a really thick cream.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
You could sub sour cream for cream cheese and adjust other liquids in the recipe to compensate.
Frankly, I think you're better off looking for recipes that don't call for these products.
If you like the taste of recipes that include these products, you should use them or the taste you like won't be there.
Frankly, I think you're better off looking for recipes that don't call for these products.
If you like the taste of recipes that include these products, you should use them or the taste you like won't be there.
Sir_Loin_of_Beef
Chef Extraordinaire
Mascarponi
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Except that it's probably the WORST if it's the taste of cream cheese that she doesn't like. Which is the case here.
I agree that marscapone would probably be a good choice.
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It's sour cream.
Except that OP didn't say that until later on in the thread.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Not in the OP, agreed.
But before your post...
At any rate Neufchâtel is a good low fat substitute. But in some preps you need the fat.
I suspect that Kraft had been out there planting recipes that uneccesarily include cream cheese. I'm serious about this.
bakechef
Executive Chef
I'm with Andy on this, look for recipes that don't contain these ingredients.
Cream cheese is often used because it is very thick and creamy and adds body to a dessert or dish, it is going to be very very difficult to find something of similar texture that will perform the same, but not taste like cream cheese.
Cream cheese is often used because it is very thick and creamy and adds body to a dessert or dish, it is going to be very very difficult to find something of similar texture that will perform the same, but not taste like cream cheese.
bakechef
Executive Chef
I've seen so many recipes out there by manufacturers that call for their ingredient and have seen very similar recipes without it. It seems like there are countless recipes out there with cream cheese as an ingredient now, many of them savory dishes.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Goat cheese might work.
jabbur
Master Chef
Looking at the pasta recipe I would try mascarpone first but I could see this also using other good melty cheeses like Gruyere or Swiss. Maybe even (gasp) Velveeta. The pumpkin bars would be harder to sub since the cream cheese is a layer.
msmofet
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Brie melts nicely without the rind.
