This homemade flavored cream cheese recipe is incredibly simple, versatile, and affordable! I love that I can turn a regular block of cream cheese into a range of delicious flavors just by mixing in a few ingredients. I’m sharing 3 of my favorite flavored spreads, all of which take my morning bagels to the next level in just a few minutes.
Homemade Flavored Cream Cheese Spreads
Flavored cream cheese is an easy way to spice up my usual breakfast routine. It’s so easy to make a sweet or savory cream cheese spread for my bagels with wholesome ingredients. Each flavor has less than 7 ingredients, and they all come together in just minutes!
My favorite homemade flavors include garlic and herb cream cheese, honey pecan cream cheese, and veggie cream cheese. But once you learn how to do it, you can go wild and make any cream cheese flavor you can imagine!
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Soften the Cream Cheese
The cream cheese needs to be softened in order to properly mix in the ingredients. Using a stand mixer helps, but trust me, using a block straight from the fridge makes this harder than it has to be! The simplest way to soften cream cheese is to set it out on the countertop for an hour beforehand. If you need to speed things along, place a fully-sealed block in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes.
Flavored Cream Cheese Recipes
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature (¾ brick)*
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese:
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Honey Pecan Cream Cheese:
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup honey
Veggie Cream Cheese:
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot peeled and minced
- 1 rib celery peeled and minced
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese:
- Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in thyme, garlic powder, and parsley.6 ounces cream cheese, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Honey Pecan Cream Cheese:
- Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in pecans and honey.6 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup chopped pecans, ¼ cup honey
Veggie Cream Cheese:
- Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in dill, garlic, carrot, celery, and green onion.6 ounces cream cheese, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 2 cloves garlic, 1 carrot, 1 rib celery, 1 green onion
Chill:
- Once combined, store cream cheese in the fridge until ready to use.
- Spread on bagels or use as desired.
Notes
- Be sure to bring the cream cheese to room temperature ahead of time so that it is soft enough to mix in ingredients.
- This recipe is easiest using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. With fully-softened cream cheese and a little elbow grease, you could fold in ingredients by hand.
- Nutritional information is approximate for the veggie flavor. Other flavors and ingredients varieties will have slightly different values.
More Flavor Variations
This recipe is a great jumping-off point for making your own cream cheese spreads in any flavors you love. Here are some more ideas (adjust amounts to your taste).
- Herbed Cream Cheese: 1 teaspoon each of your preferred dried herbs (thyme, dill, rosemary, chives, etc.).
- Mixed Berry: 1/4 cup of dried or frozen and chopped berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.).
- Chive and Onion Cream Cheese: 1/2 teaspoon each of chives and onion powder or minced onion.
- Cinnamon Sugar: 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and brown sugar.
How to Make Flavored Cream Cheese Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this flavored cream cheese recipe. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. Prep ingredients for your preferred flavors.
Garlic Herb Cream Cheese: Place 6 ounces (¾ brick) of room-temperature cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley. Mix until combined.
Honey Pecan Cream Cheese: Place 6 ounces (¾ brick) of room-temperature cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in ¼ cup of chopped pecans and ¼ cup of honey. Mix until combined.
Veggie Cream Cheese: Place 6 ounces (¾ brick) of room-temperature cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in 1 teaspoon of dried dill, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 peeled and minced carrot, 1 peeled and minced rib of celery, and 1 thinly sliced green onion. Mix until combined.
Serve: Once ingredients are combined, place flavored cream cheese in the fridge to chill until ready to use. Then use and spread as you normally would, on bagels, toast, or anything you please!
How to Store
Store homemade cream cheese flavors in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It may keep slightly longer depending on your chosen add-ins, but the texture will be best if eaten within 4 days. I do not recommend freezing these spreads.
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