{"id":4495,"date":"2022-07-08T14:08:03","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T14:08:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=food&p=4495"},"modified":"2022-07-08T14:33:13","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T14:33:13","slug":"plant-based-philadelphia","status":"publish","type":"food","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/food-drink\/plant-based-philadelphia\/","title":{"rendered":"Plant-Based Philadelphia: Vegan Philly Is Here!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Philadelphia cream cheese is a much-loved, versatile kitchen staple for many non-vegans but now there is a genuinely superb plant-based version for vegans to enjoy! We have looked at vegan cheese substitutes<\/a> and indeed vegan cream cheese<\/a> substitutes before and it is safe to say that they are not always the best but having sampled (perhaps a little too extensively!) Plant Based Philadelphia<\/a> we can confidently say that vegans will be thrilled with this product.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are lots of criticisms levelled at vegan versions of different dairy cheese and cheese-based products. Sometimes they are too sweet, others can be cloying, occasionally they taste a little too strongly of coconut or some other base that has replaced the dairy, whilst many spread-style options are grainy or texturally just not quite right.<\/p>\n However, the people behind this vegan Philly have really nailed it and both our vegan and non-vegan taste-testers agreed. It lacks the same milky, \u201cdairyness\u201d of the original (which was invented in New York, not Philadelphia, more than 150 years ago) but has the same cooling, creamy texture and mouthfeel that is so important to the core products.<\/p>\n Aside from that milkiness that non-vegans will be used to, the only minor criticism we could level at this spread is that it has a very slightly sweet taste. This is despite the fact it actually contains less sugar than Philadelphia Original and is, in fact, very low in sugar. Even when used as a savoury cheese substitute this isn\u2019t off-putting though but it really comes into its own when using Plant Based Philadelphia in sweet dishes.<\/p>\n It is really easy, for example, to use this excellent product to make a cracking vegan cheesecake, whilst it would also work well as the basis for vegan icing for your favourite vegan cake. Every vegan has their own food that they miss and if yours is Philadelphia we think you\u2019ll be really satisfied with this, whether you use it as part of a quick, relatively healthy and certainly very easy snack, or you get a bit more creative and use it to make dessert.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why this product works is, we believe, down to the way they have combined three different base ingredients that are often used to make vegan milks<\/a>. It uses almonds, oats and coconut milk and, for those who do not like heavily processed vegan food, contains relatively few ingredients. The full list is:<\/p>\n That really isn\u2019t many ingredients and most of them are minimally processed, \u201cnormal\u201d ingredients that many vegan cooks would use on a regular basis. We\u2019ve talked about locust bean gum elsewhere on the site and, needless to say, it isn\u2019t made from locusts! It actually comes from the seeds of the carob tree and, as such, is fully vegan.<\/p>\n Sadly, for the time being, it is only the single plant-based option that is available. When it comes to non-vegan versions of this popular cream cheese there are a few to choose from. There is a light version (with 40% less fat than the original, though as we explain below, the vegan option itself is lower in fat than the standard Philly), an even lighter \u201cLightest\u201d Philly, as well as Garlic & Herbs, jalape\u00f1o-flavoured cream cheese, Philadelphia minis, a sweet version (featuring milk chocolate) and a range of snacking version (containing breadsticks alongside the standard cream cheese).<\/p>\n If Plant Based Philadelphia proves as big a hit as we predict it will then we would not be at all surprised to see Kraft expand their vegan offering. Adding flavours would be simple enough whilst it would also, we assume, be easy to create a sweet, plant-based offering using vegan chocolate<\/a>. Watch this space…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fat and calories are far from the only things that matter when it comes to eating healthily but for those looking to lose weight they are certainly very important. And whether you are looking to slim down or simply control your calorie intake, it is good news when it comes to Plant Based Philadelphia because by these, and certain other metrics, it is at least no worse, and sometimes healthier than the traditional version of this product.<\/p>\nHow Does Vegan Philadelphia Taste?<\/h2>\n
What Is Plant Based Philadelphia Made Of?<\/h2>\n
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Do Philadelphia Do Any Other Vegan Options?<\/h2>\n
Vegan Philadelphia Nutrition<\/h2>\n