Trader Joe's Vegan Cream Cheese

A few weeks ago, I finally crossed off a baking bucket list item - homemade bagels. Which is silly if you live near bageries that do a fine job of churning out hot, fresh bagels every day. Anyhoo, I love a bagel with plain cream cheese sprinkled with the GOAT seasoning (everything but the bagel - I might start calling it GOAT seasoning), but I've been wanting to try something that is easier for me to digest. Thanks, vegan consumers/allied-consumers for demanding this into the market. 

I've tried plant-based nut milks, dairy-free yogurt (don't like any of the TJ's options at present), and dairy-free cheese (never wrote a formal review but very depressing) but never cream cheese.

 TJ's carries another brand of vegan cream cheese that is cashew based. This one is oil-based, which makes me wonder how in the world it can imitate cream cheese.

 Naturally, the nutrition facts reflect the fact that the main ingredients are coconut and sunflower oil.

I must say I was both impressed but kinda turned off by the first glance. The actual cream cheese part does look like a whipped cream cheese, but that liquid separation is a little off-putting. It makes sense though because water and oil don't mix; separation seems inevitable, so unlike regular cream cheese it isn't a sign of spoilage. 

Does anyone else think it's weird that we put cream cheese on bagels but don't put it on toast? Isn't it all bread?

1) When you spread it, it does in fact have a whipped texture similar to a Neufchatel cream cheese.

2) It tastes creamy but has a milder flavor compared to regular cream cheese.

3) My initial impression wasn't too accurate as I took a quick taste right out of the container. That's like eating butter straight. Who does that. You can't just eat straight fat - you have to use it with other stuff to realize its potential.

4) If you're going to end up sprinkling GOAT seasoning on your cream cheese, it's a fine dupe.

5) $2.99 for 8 oz is comparable to whatever supermarket flavored cream cheeses anyway, so it's not terribly expensive.

6) I have no idea if you can use it in the same way as you would cream cheese in other formats, like as the base for dips, in baking, etc. Holler if you've done so with success.

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Vegan Cream Cheese. Comparable taste and texture without the lactose. Great for breakfast; can't vouch for anything else yet. 8 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? Actually, maybe yes.