• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Soya Eats
Home » Tofu Recipes » Silken Tofu Recipes » Vegan Mascarpone Substitute

Vegan Mascarpone Substitute

July 14, 2022 · Harriet Britto · 1 Comment

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe

If you are looking for a mascarpone alternative, make this vegan mascarpone. This mascarpone substitute is light and healthy and ideal for use in desserts.

Homemade vegan mascarpone with an assortment of biscuits in the background.
Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • ? Cost to Make
  • What is Mascarpone Cheese
  • Why This Recipe
  • ? Ingredients
  • ? Instructions
  • ? Serving Size
  • ? Calories Per Serve
  • ? Serving Suggestions
  • ? Variations
  • ?️ Storage
  • ✏️ FAQ
  • More Tofu Recipes
  • Homemade Vegan Mascarpone Substitute

❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Made with silken tofu and plant-based yogurt – this recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and nut-free.
  • It is smooth and creamy in texture, similar to soft peak whipped cream, and can hold its shape for simple piped decorations.
  • This recipe makes about two and three-quarter cups of homemade vegan mascarpone.

? Cost to Make

Estimated cost = $8.70 or $1.24 per serve based on 7 (1/4 cup) serve

What is Mascarpone Cheese

Mascarpone cheese is an Italian cheese made from two ingredients, heavy cream, and citric acid. This simple cheese is used in sweet and savory cooking.

It is thick, creamy, rich, slightly sweet, and has a fat content of about 70%. It tastes similar to cream cheese, ricotta cheese, or creme fraiche.

Why This Recipe

This recipe came about because we wanted something healthy, dairy-free, simple, and budget-friendly.

We could have opted to make it with cashew nuts and coconut cream. But, we decided not to use cashews because they are pricey where we are.

Also, cashew nuts and coconut cream are both high in fat, which is something we wanted to reduce.

We could have also made it with two tubs of plant-based yogurt, which is easy enough to do, but after costing it, it did not fall into the budget-friendly category.

We then looked at other alternatives and decided to test it with silken tofu.

Silken tofu is budget-friendly, low in calories and fat, and can be blended silky smooth, but it can be bland and thin on its own.

To help improve the flavor and give this mascarpone alternative some thickness and body, we chose to mix it with dairy-free yogurt and were pleasantly surprised with the results.

? Ingredients

Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Image showing ingredients needed to make a dairy free mascarpone substitute.

Silken tofu – is super soft and creamy in texture and can easily be blended into a smooth creamy mixture. Don’t use medium or firm tofu for this because these don’t have the same texture. At a stretch, you could use soft tofu.

Plant-based yogurt – try to use plain unflavored yogurt, but if you can’t get plain, use vanilla or coconut yogurt.

OPTIONAL

The ingredients below are optional and will depend on the yogurt used.

  • If using plain unflavored yogurt, we would add the following to make it taste better.  
  • When using a flavored yogurt and it is sweet, then you don’t need to use these.

Sugar – for sweetening plain unflavored yogurt. 

Baking soda – This alters the ph of plain yogurt and brings it up to neutral, making the yogurt less sour tasting.

Salt – a little bit of salt helps to balance all the flavors.

? Instructions

Image showing silken tofu before and after blending.

Step 1 – Place the tofu, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric blender and blend to a smooth paste.

Blended silken tofu being added to a jug.

Step 2 – Place the yogurt into a mixing bowl, add the blended tofu, and beat well to combine.

Vegan mascarpone in a sieve lined with muslin.

Step 3 – Transfer the mixture to a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin and suspended over a bowl.

Image showing the set up for draining the vegan mascarpone.

Step 4 – Gather sides of the muslin and twist to close. Place a flat bottom bowl on top of the twisted muslin and arrange it in a way that the bowl sits flat. 

Then add weight like a 400-gram (14 ounces) unopened can of beans or tomatoes – the weight of this will help press out some of the liquid.  

Place in the fridge and allow to drain for at least 12 – 24 hours. 

Note: Note the amount of liquid that comes out of the yogurt and tofu mixture is not very much.

Image showing the consistency of drained vegan mascarpone.

Step 5 – After draining, scoop the vegan mascarpone out from the muslin cloth and transfer it to a bowl. If you think the mixture is too thick, mix back in a little of the drained liquid to get your desired consistency.

A close up of the dairy free mascarpone.

? Serving Size

The serving size of this vegan mascarpone substitute is about 1/4 cup (90 grams, 3.17 ounces), which is about three times more than the average 30 grams (1.06 ounces) serving of mascarpone cheese.

? Calories Per Serve

A 90 grams (3.17-ounce) serving of this vegan mascarpone has about 110 calories and 6 grams of fat.

A 30-gram (1.06-ounce) serving of mascarpone cheese has about 120 calories and 14 grams of fat.

? Serving Suggestions

We used this vegan mascarpone substitute in our dairy-free tiramisu. You can also use it in frostings, as a side for cakes and sweet bakes like crumbles, and in creamy sauces.

? Variations

Savory foods – This mascarpone alternative is best made with unflavoured plain yogurt or coconut-flavored yogurt because these go well with savory flavors.

For sweet dishes – For desserts, use vanilla yogurt. You could also use coconut-flavored yogurt, but there will be a hint of coconut in the food.

?️ Storage

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

✏️ FAQ

Is there a dairy free alternative to mascarpone?

Yes, you can use this recipe, made with soft tofu and plant based yogurt.

Mascarpone substitute.

More Tofu Recipes

  • Silken tofu sour cream
  • Sesame ginger tofu
  • Scrambled silken tofu

If you have tried this or any other of my recipes, don’t forget to come back and rate the recipe and leave a comment below, because I love hearing from you!

CONNECT WITH SOYA EATS

Be sure to follow us on social media, so you never miss a post!

Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter

A jar of homemade vegan mascarpone substitute.

Homemade Vegan Mascarpone Substitute

This vegan mascarpone substitute is very creamy and low in fat and calories. It is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 0 mins
Overnight draining 12 hrs
Total Time 12 hrs 5 mins
ESTIMATED COST : $8.70 or $1.24 per serve based on 7 (1/4 cup) serve
Course Dessert
Cuisine Western
Servings 7 x 1/4 cup servings
Calories 110 kcal

Equipment

  • Digital scales
  • Fine sieve
  • Muslin cloth (cheesecloth)
  • Food processor
  • Large bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 300 grams (10.6 ounces) of silken tofu
  • 500 grams (17.6 ounces) of plant-based yogurt plain, coconut, or vanilla
  • 20 grams (2 tablespoons) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon level baking soda (optional)
  • 1 pinch of salt
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • Place the tofu, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric blender and blend to a smooth paste.
  • Place the yogurt into a mixing bowl, add the blended tofu, and beat well to combine.
  • Transfer the mixture to a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin and suspended over a bowl.
  • Gather sides of the muslin and twist to close. Place a flat bottom bowl on top of the twisted muslin and arrange it so that it sits flat.
    Then add weight like a 400-gram (14 ounces) unopened can of beans or tomatoes – the weight of this will help press out some of the liquid.
    Place in the fridge and allow to drain for at least 12 – 24 hours.
    Note: The amount of liquid that comes out of the yogurt and tofu mixture is not very much.
  • After draining, scoop the vegan mascarpone out from the muslin cloth and transfer it to a bowl. If you think the mixture is too thick, mix back in a little of the drained liquid to get your desired consistency.

Notes

This recipe makes about 630 grams (22.20 ounces) or about 2 3/4 cups of vegan mascarpone substitute.
VARIATIONS
Savory foods – This mascarpone alternative is best made with unflavoured plain yogurt or coconut-flavored yogurt because these go well with savory flavors.
For sweet dishes – For desserts, use vanilla yogurt. You could also use coconut-flavored yogurt, but there will be a hint of coconut in the food.
 
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Vegan Mascarpone Substitute
Serving Size
 
1 x 1/4 cup
Amount per Serving
Calories
110
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Trans Fat
 
0
g
Cholesterol
 
0
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
411
mg
18
%
Potassium
 
0
mg
0
%
Carbohydrates
 
11
g
4
%
Fiber
 
0
g
0
%
Sugar
 
7
g
8
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Dairy Free Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Silken Tofu Recipes, Tofu Recipes, Vegan Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marinna

    September 16, 2022 at 11:48 am

    5 stars
    What a great idea.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Author image

Hi, I'm Harriet! I am the face behind Soya Eats. I, with my small family team, test, photograph, and create the best possible soya recipes just for you.

More about me →

Popular

  • Cooking With Silken Tofu
  • Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad
  • Dairy-Free Tirokafteri Greek Feta Dip
  • Vegan Greek Wrap

Silken Tofu

Silken tofu smoothies

Firm Tofu

Marinating tofu

How to press tofu

Can you freeze tofu

Okara

What to do with soy bean pulp

What is okara?

Okara recipes

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • About

Copyright © 2023 Soya Eats