The world’s largest oat milk firm is again at it with a brand new non-dairy product made out of—you guessed it—oats. Oatly’s plant-based cream cheese debuted this month nationwide, and you’ll discover it in grocery shops like Albertsons, Wegmans, and Recent Direct. The cream cheese is available in two flavors (plain and chive and onion) and it’s alleged to style identical to the dairy stuff.
However we’ve heard that earlier than. As a meals author tapped into the tendencies on this area, I’ve come throughout a bunch of plant-based merchandise touted as tasting indistinguishable from their dairy counterparts. And, I’ve to say, a lot of them fall brief. So when Oatly despatched me a few tubs, I made a decision to provide it a go to see how they actually examine.
I do know what makes cream cheese: I went to highschool in New York and spent my undergrad years virtually residing off bagels slathered with it. I’m additionally an avid baker, and I like incorporating the unfold into carrot cake frosting and melting it onto heat cinnamon rolls. So for me, an amazing cream cheese should style good by itself and complement my selfmade pastries. I stored this similar standards in thoughts when testing this plant-based dupe. Listed here are my total ideas on the way it measures up.
How the Oatly Cream Cheese line spreads and tastes
When it comes to texture, Oatly nailed it when it comes to mimicking the sleek but thick schmear of cream cheese. I might transfer my butter knife shortly throughout the carton to scoop up sufficient for my bagel. I’ve tried different plant-based choices the place it’s a battle getting it out of the bathtub, making it tough to unfold onto pastries.
However many plant-based firms have mastered making vegan meals look like the true factor, so for me, this wasn’t sufficient. It additionally must have the delicate, tart taste of milk-based cream cheese, which quite a lot of non-dairy choices wrestle with. Actually, I typically discover they’re too bitter.
What pleasantly shocked me about Oatly’s plain possibility was how shut its style got here to dairy cream cheese. It mimicked the delicate, creamy chunk the unfold often offers, and even included that slight (however not overwhelming) tang. It had a lightweight oaty afternote, just like that of its well-known nondairy milk, however I didn’t thoughts it. The chive and onion model hit the savory spot—it was bursting with garlicky taste. When spreading it, I used to be capable of see contemporary items of herbs slathered onto the bagel (which I beloved!).
After making an attempt the plant-based unfold by itself, I needed to see what it could style like with different added components. I like incorporating toppings to my bagels, whether or not that’s some sautéed spinach or some sort of protein like a fried egg or smoked salmon. Once I examined the latter with the chive and onion Oatly schmear, it maintained its taste even in opposition to some highly effective seafood bites. The mix of herbs paired with spicy fish have been so scrumptious I’d take into account nixing my non-vegan cream cheese for this one.
