Oatly Launches Vegan Oat Cream Cheese Nationwide: ‘We’re Extremely Excited’

Oatly, the world’s largest oat milk manufacturer, has announced its vegan cream cheese is now available nationwide in the US.

Sweden-based Oatly says its new oat cream cheese innovation was spearheaded by the company’s Philadelphia-based food scientists. Philadelphia is also the name of the top-selling brand of conventional cream cheese.

‘Versatility and opportunity’

“Oatly has always been at the forefront of providing delicious plant-based alternatives and this new product is no different,” Mike Messersmith, President, Oatly North America, said in a statement. “We’re extremely excited about the launch of our new cream cheese in the U.S., as it not only expands our mission to bring more plant-based consumption occasions to consumers, but also continues to prove the versatility and opportunity for oat-based products.”

“This cream cheese is an important step toward growing our portfolio of delicious plant-based products, and we want to first introduce it to the city it was invented in,” Leah Hoxie, SVP of Innovation at Oatly North America said in February when the company first debuted the cheese. Hoxie says the cream cheese has “deep and authentic Philadelphia roots,” much like the popular cream cheese brand that bears the city’s name, which also recently released a dairy-free version of its iconic cream cheese.

Innovating with oats

Oatly has been leading the plant-based dairy market, with its oat milk one of the most popular dairy alternatives in supermarkets and coffee shops.

Oatly’s use of oats has led the brand to innovate in the category including alternatives to milk, ice cream, yogurt, cooking creams, spreads, and on-the-go drinks, but this marks its foray into the dairy-free cheese category.

“For decades, we’ve focused on the power of oats and the magic that happens when you unlock their potential,” Hoxie said. “With this new cream cheese, our U.S. R&D team spent over a year focused on bringing to market a truly great-tasting and performing plant-based option that mimics dairy cream cheese in all the best ways possible, minus the dairy.”

Oatly Plain and Chive & Onion cream cheese varieties (8 oz) have begun to roll out at retailers nationwide.