3 Ingredient Quick Vegan Mascarpone- No Cashews, No Tofu!
This creamy vegan mascarpone is made with just 3 simple dairy free ingredients using the traditional method. Quick to make, and perfect for both sweet and savory!
Why this is the *only* vegan mascarpone recipe you need:
If you’re looking for the most perfect vegan mascarpone recipe, then you have *arrived.*
This recipe is it.
A super creamy, smooth, mildly sweet and lush mascarpone that’s all dairy free, and SO simple to make.
We’re talking 3 ingredients, none of which are nuts, vegan yogurt, tofu, or the like. And the result? A dairy-free mascarpone suitable for anything from your favorite vegan dessert to your favorite vegan pasta dish.
This mascarpone is especially good when paired with my vegan ladyfingers in this top rated vegan tiramisu recipe!
This mascarpone is versatile, quick to make (only 5 minutes of actual work), and just SO delicious. You’re going to love it!!
What is mascarpone?
If you’ve never had mascarpone before, then you’re in for a treat, because this one is nearly identical to the classic dairy version.
Mascarpone is essentially the Italian cream cheese. It’s very very milld, and almost sweet in flavor, and is made by coagulating and simmering heavy cream with lemon juice or an acid. Then strained and served!
While traditional mascarpone is usually just 2 ingredients and since soy milk is lower in fat than heavy cream, we’re adding some more fat back at the end to create that super creamy texture!
The only 3 ingredients you need:
When I said simple, I really meant simple. Here’s what you need:
- Soy milk: The lovely thing about this vegan mascarpone is that it’s both gluten-free and nut free. Soy milk acts very similarly and a great dairy-free substitute to regular dairy milk (which is why it’s also a great substitute in vegan buttermilk!).
- Lemon juice: Or apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, white vinegar, or another vinegar. This will help curdle the proteins in the soy milk, similarly to dairy milk.
- Heavy vegan cream: Or coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk here- either or! The heavy vegan cream will help to create a super lush and smooth mascarpone texture. I like to use Plant Crock, Silk, or Califia here!
And that’s truly it! In terms of equipment, you’ll also need a sieve, cheesecloth, a large bowl, a saucepan, and a food processor. Other than that, let’s get started!
Overview: Step by Step How to Make Vegan Mascarpone:
The full measurements are found down below in the recipe card. However, this is a walk through of the entire process!
Why not just use tofu?
I’ve tried to use tofu (both firm tofu and silken tofu) for a homemade vegan cream cheese and a homemade mascarpone. Personally, I really didn’t like the texture, and I felt it did taste of soy. For some reason, the acid must neutralize the soy flavor, and the mascarpone does NOT taste of soy. A bonus!
What’s more, we’re honoring the traditional method of making mascarpone by using this method. This is how mascarpone is traditionally made, and I felt it was really cool to incorporate some of the longstanding traditions into our vegan baking skills!
Additionally, if my home bakers feel called to, you can even use your own homemade soy milk- how lovely would that be?! Everything from scratch!
How to use this vegan mascarpone:
What you’ll love about this dairy-free mascarpone is that it’s not only great for vegan desserts, for for vegan savory dishes as well.
Aside from just dipped some fresh berries or fresh fruit into this vegan mascarpone cheese, here are my top 10 favorite uses for vegan mascarpone:
- make the most amazing vegan tiramisu recipe (it’s top rated!!)
- use it in a vegan mascarpone cream to top on any dessert
- top your favorite soup recipe with it (especially this Tuscan white bean soup!)
- swap it into your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe!
- dollop it on homemade vegan pizza (or gluten free pizza!)
- incorporate it into your favorite vegan pasta sauce or dish
- on top of vegan pancakes or French toast
- as a cake or cupcake filling to your favorite cake recipe when made as a mascarpone cream
- stir it into vegan mashed potatoes in place of vegan sour cream
- spread it on toast or a homemade bagel, as you would vegan cream cheese!
Storage tips:
After you’ve made your homemade mascarpone, you can absolutely use it right away (but it might still be a little warm!). Or you can store it for later!
To store your vegan mascarpone: Spoon the mascarpone into a sealable storage container. Seal it, and keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Print
3 Ingredient Quick Vegan Mascarpone- No Cashews, No Tofu!
- Prep Time: 1
- Cooling time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Cheese
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This creamy vegan mascarpone is made with just 3 simple dairy free ingredients using the traditional method. Quick to make, and perfect for both sweet and savory!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (960 mL) soy milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup vegan heavy cream or coconut cream
Instructions
- Prep: Place a large sieve over a large bowl with a piece of cheesecloth. Set aside.
- Heat: Pour the soy milk into a medium saucepan, along with the lemon juice. Stir to combine, then turn the heat on to medium heat. Let the mixture cook until it’s foaming on the top, about 5 minutes. See photos in the blog post for reference. It should almost be overflowing. Those are the curdles.
- Strain: Pour the mixture into the sieve with the cheesecloth, and let stand for 10 minutes to cool down. Once the soy milk is easily handleable, squeeze the cheesecloth closed and gently squeeze out and drain any remaining liquid. Discard the liquid once you’ve squeeze it all out.
- Blend: Add the soy curdles to a food processor or high-speed blender along with the vegan heavy cream. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender. Blend the mixture until consistent and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Store: Scrape the mascarpone into a sealable storage container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Alternatively, you can use right away, but it might be a little warm still! Otherwise, you can chill it for 30 minutes, and then use in your recipes.
Notes
Soy milk: I have tried this recipe with almond milk, and it does NOT work. The almond curdles are too soft, and are not stable enough.
Why not tofu? Please see blog post for explanation!
Keywords: vegan mascarpone, vegan mascarpone recipe, vegan mascarpone cheese, dairy free mascarpone, mascarpone cream
What would you recommend for a replacement for the Lemon Juice? I’m allergic to all Citrus
products.
No problem!! You can use white vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or any type of vinegar that you can tolerate/have on hand! I’ve also made this with rice vinegar. All works the same!
Have you used coconut milk instead of soy???
Hi Melissa! Unfortunately, it won’t work- coconut milk won’t curdle because it doesn’t have any protein in it. I’m so sorry!
Would oat milk work instead of soy milk? Thanks!
Hi Tori! Unfortunately not, as the oat milk won’t curdle any proteins. I’m so sorry!
Some oat milk curdles. I used Oatly (as i ran out of soy for a second batch) and it worked fine
No way!! Wait I have to try this, I had no clue oatly curdles! That’s amazing!
Hey,
I am making this macaroons cheese recipe, but I just realized that I added everything together including the vegan whipping cream into the saucepan. will this mess up the whole process?
Thank you,
Taylor Massey
Hi Taylor! So you might need to add more heavy cream after you strain the curds- I’m a little worried it might have messed up the process (only because I’ve never tested it like that, so I actually have no clue how it would turn out, but my guess would be the heavy cream gets strained out from the curds, and you’d need to add more!). Were you able to save it?
hey britt! i recently made this recipe and it ROCKED! i first used vegan heavy whipping cream but don’t have that so i have coconut cream this go around. should i refrigerate it before using so it’s cold when added?
★★★★★
That’s so awesome!! I’m so happy to hear it 🙂 And yes, coconut cream will work! No need to refrigerate it!
What can I use instead of Lemon Juice? I’m allergic to all citrus products.
Hi Laura! You can use apple cider vinegar instead no problem 🙂
I loved how easy this was to make and how beautiful the result. I used my emulsion blender and the end product is silky and gorgeous. I made a double batch right away to use the entire soy milk . Do you know if this can be frozen for later use? Or if freezing will ruin the texture? Thank you for sharing! 😊
★★★★★
That’s AWESOME!! SO happy to hear it 🙂 Thanks so much for the review!! You can freeze it, but I would probably blend it once more once it comes to room temperature to ensure it’s creamy!