You have two options if you are looking for a lactose-free cream cheese. The first is a dairy alternative cream cheese that is not made from milk. Secondly, you can choose a milk-made, real cream cheese that is made lactose-free from an enzyme that the manufacturer uses an ingredient. Let’s dig a little deeper into these two lactose-free cream cheese options.
Dairy-Free & Lactose-Free Cream Cheese Brands
Lactose is a natural sugar found in dairy milk, therefore, if a cream cheese is dairy-free it will also be lactose-free. Technically, we would not consider a dairy-free “cream cheese” to be cream cheese. Rather, we would consider it to be a cream cheese style spread. The popular main ingredient used to create a dairy alternative cream cheese is coconut oil or soybean. Below we have provided examples of some dairy-free cream cheese style products with their ingredients.
The popular main ingredients used to create dairy alternative cream cheese are coconut and soybean oil. Below we have provided examples of some dairy-free cream cheese style products with a list of their ingredients.
Daiya, Plain Cream Cheese Style Spread – filtered water, coconut oil, tapioca starch, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, potato starch, pea protein isolate, sea salt, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, lactic acid (for flavor), agave syrup, natural vegan flavors, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), vegan enzyme, cultured sugar.
Daiya, Strawberry Cream Cheese Style Spread – filtered water, coconut oil, tapioca starch, non-gmo expeller pressed canola and/or non-gmo expeller pressed safflower oil, evaporated cane sugar, strawberries, potato starch, pea protein isolate, sea salt, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, lactic acid (for flavour), natural vegan flavours, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), fruit and/or vegetable juice (for colour), vanilla extract, vegan enzyme, cultured sugar.
Daiya, Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Style Spread – filtered water, coconut oil, tapioca starch, non-gmo expeller pressed canola and/or non-gmo expeller pressed safflower oil, potato starch, pea protein isolate, sea salt, chives, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, lactic acid (vegan, for flavour), natural vegan flavours, white onions, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), vegan enzyme, cultured sugar.
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, Original Plain – water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, non-gmo (isolated soy protein), maltodextrin, tofu, nondairy lactic acid, sugar, locust bean, guar, sugar, salt, vegetable mono and diglycerides, and potassium sorbate (added as a preservative).
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, Non-Hydrongenated Plain – 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, xanthan and carrageenan), organic sugar, vegetable mono and diglycerides, salt.
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, Garlic & Herb – 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, vegetable mono and diglycerides, salt.
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, Herbs & Chives – 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, chives, onion powder, parsley, organic sugar, vegetable mono and diglycerides, salt.
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, French Onion – 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, dried onion, garlic, parsley, spices, white pepper, vegetable mono and diglycerides, salt.
Go Veggie, Classic Plain Cream Cheese style spread – filtered water, coconut oil, mid-oleic sunflower oil, soy protein concentrate, cornstarch, sea salt, tricalcium phosphate, natural flavors, organic locust bean gum, xanthan gum, organic guar gum, vegan culture.
Go Veggie, Strawberry Cream Cheese style spread – filtered water, coconut oil, mid-oleic sunflower oil, evaporated cane juice, strawberries, soy protein concentrate, cornstarch, natural vegan flavors, sea salt, tricalcium phosphate, organic locust bean gum, xanthan gum, organic guar gum, fruit and vegetable juice (for color), vegan culture.
Go Veggie, Chive & Garlic Cream Cheese style spread – filtered water, coconut oil, mid-oleic sunflower oil, soy protein concentrate, cornstarch, sea salt, tricalcium phosphate, chives, natural flavors, organic locust bean gum, xanthan gum, organic guar gum, garlic, vegan culture.
Lactose-Free Cream Cheese Brands
Lactose-free cream cheese that is produced from real milk has an enzyme known as lactase added as an ingredient. Lactase is naturally formed in the intestines and assists in breaking down lactose to make it easily digestible. People with lactose intolerance lack sufficient lactase production in their bodies. By adding lactase to dairy, it creates a lactose-free product by breaking down the product’s lactose. The bad news about lactose-free cream cheese is that there just are not that many options available.
Green Valley Organics, plain – organic pasteurized cream (milk), lactase enzyme, sea salt, live active cultures.
Liddells, plain (Australia) – milk, cream, salt, stabiliser (410), starter culture, enzyme (lactase).
