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Don’t have any cream cheese for your pasta and realized you’re all out last minute? If you have none, here are the best ways to substitute for cream cheese in pasta!
Most creamy pasta recipes require a creamy sauce to impart all the goodness to the dish – cream cheese pasta, Alfredo pasta, vodka sauce, and creamy mushroom sauce. A lot of these recipes often use cream cheese as an ingredient, but, if you have no cream cheese, what else can you use?
There is no need to forgo your favorite pasta dish simply because you’re missing one ingredient as there are at least 10 solid ways to sub for cream cheese in pasta without the creamy pasta dish losing its taste.
In fact, some of these cream cheese substitutes in pasta are so good, that you may even consider giving up the cream cheese in favor of a few of them.
It is important to note that no other cream cheese alternative is an exact match for cream cheese. Therefore, you should expect some changes in the flavor of the overall creamy pasta dish.
But, generally speaking, most of the substitutes will do a fine job because their consistencies and flavors are close to cream cheese.
So, what are the best cream cheese substitutes for pasta?
The short answer is that the best substitutes for cream cheese in pasta are:
- Heavy cream
- Heavy Whipping cream
- Half and half
- Crème Fraiche
- Sour cream
- Evaporated milk + roux
- Whole milk + roux
- Nondairy milk + roux
- Nondairy milk + cornstarch
- Vegan cream cheese
- Vegan sour cream
- Cashew cream
Each of these replacements is discussed in more detail and includes a handy substitution ratio below.
Best substitutes for cream cheese in pasta
Heavy cream
One easy-to-find ingredient that makes a great cream cheese substitute for pasta is heavy cream. Heavy cream works because it adds creaminess and richness to this dish. It should be noted that heavy cream will increase the fat content of the creamy pasta, but if you don’t mind this you’re good to go.
Also, heavy cream is pourable, and unlike cream cheese, you won’t need to add extra elbow grease to get it to melt!
A good substitution ratio for cream cheese to heavy cream is 1:1. This means if a recipe calls for 1 cup of cream cheese, replace that with 1 cup of heavy cream.
Also, I’ve shared my favorite heavy cream substitutes for pasta here since most people tend to use heavy cream in pasta so feel free to check that out too.
Heavy Whipping cream
Another good substitute for cream cheese in creamy pasta sauces is heavy whipping cream. It is very much like heavy cream except for the fact that heavy whipping cream has more milk fat so it’s even richer.
It’s easy to use in pasta sauces. Simply pour it in and gently cook while the sauce thickens up.
A good heavy whipping cream substation ratio is 1:1. which Means if a pasta recipe asks for 1 cup of cream cheese, replace it with 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
Half-and-half
Another pourable liquid that can replace cream cheese in pasta is half and half. Half-and-half is an equal combination of cream and milk. Use it in place of milk if you want a lighter cream cheese alternative for your pasta.
A 1:1 substitution ratio of cream cheese to half-and-half is fine here.
Crème Fraiche
If you have it, creme fraiche can also be used to substitute cream cheese in pasta. Creme fraiche has a similar slightly tart, creamy flavor to cream cheese, although it is not as dense.
Because it is not as dense, it is very easy to use in creamy pasta recipes as it can be incorporated into the dish easily without needing to be thinned out with another dairy product like milk.
It is also quite rich which makes it even better when added to pasta. I suggest a conversion ratio of 1:1 for these two ingredients.
Sour cream
Sour cream works great as a substitute for cream cheese in pasta. This is so because sour cream is creamy and can add a nice flavor to pasta dishes or pasta sauces.
Use sour cream only if you want a lighter sauce as it has significantly less milk fat than cream cheese.
It also has a tangy, tart flavor, but the richness and creaminess are still there. Use it to make some yummy sour cream and onion pasta for example.
Most times when sour cream is used in a pasta recipe, it is used in combination with some milk and a flour and butter roux.
For every 1 pound of pasta, you need about 1 ½ cups – 2 cups of pasta sauce. Therefore, use 1 cup of sour cream, 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of butter, and some freshly chopped garlic to make this pasta sauce.
Melt the butter while cooking the garlic. Then add the flour to make a roux. Next, add your milk, then the sour cream, and gently cook as the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and other seasonings you like.
Whole milk + roux
This combination is another good alternative for cream cheese in pasta. This substitute is great because you can easily get a thick, rich white sauce with simple kitchen staples such as flour, garlic, butter, and whole milk.
For every pound of pasta, you will need 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of grated cheese, 3 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of butter, finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and dried parsley to make a creamy white sauce.
Evaporated milk + roux
You can also replace cream cheese in pasta with an evaporated milk alfredo sauce. Many times, I use evaporated milk just like I use regular milk. In my opinion, it makes an even richer, more delicious creamy pasta sauce than whole milk.
For every pound of pasta, you will need 2 cups of evaporated milk, 1 cup of grated cheese, 3 tbsp of flour, 3 tbsp of butter, freshly chopped garlic, and parsley.
Nondairy cream cheese alternatives for pasta
Nondairy milk + roux
An easy cream cheese replacement for pasta is a pasta sauce made of nondairy milk (like almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, etc) and a simple roux.
For this, you will need to make a roux with 3 tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of butter. Then pour in 2 cups of your favorite unsweetened nondairy milk, and cook until it begins to thicken. Then add 1 cup of shredded cheese. This could be either dairy-free cheese or regular cheese depending on your preference. Let the cheese melt and season the sauce to taste. Add in your cooked pasta, then serve.
Nondairy milk + cornstarch
Another easy cream cheese substitute for pasta is a creamy sauce made of nondairy milk (like almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, etc) and cornstarch.
Vegan cream cheese
A simple substitute for cream cheese in pasta is vegan cream cheese, especially if you’re following a vegan lifestyle.
A good brand I’ve used is the Plain Almond Milk cream cheese by Kite Hill which you can check out on Amazon.
Vegan sour cream
Since sour cream can easily replace cream cheese, vegan sour cream can also be used in place of cream cheese in pasta. Tofutti Better than Sour Cream is an option worth looking into. You can check it out on Amazon if you’re interested in this dairy free cream cheese substitute.
Cashew cream
A healthy cream cheese substitute for pasta is cashew cream. To make it as a sub for cream cheese in pasta, this is what you will need.
2 cups of cashews (soaked in water for 3 hours prior), 1 ⅓ cups of vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast which I get for a great price on Amazon, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 3 fresh garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Blend until creamy and use to coat your pasta.
With these cream cheese alternatives for pasta, you have so many options at your disposal when you want to enjoy creamy pasta without cream cheese!
