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Whipped cream cheese is light and fluffy: perfect for spreading on bagels or toast! Here’s how to make it and a few variations.
What’s better than cream cheese on a bagel? Whipped cream cheese! This light, fluffy version of the common spread is even easier to spread on bagels and toast, with a rich, luxurious texture.
You can buy it at the store, but you can also try it homemade! Make it at home and you can add fun seasonings to make different flavor variations. Here’s what to do!
Tips for whipped cream cheese
All you need for whipped cream cheese are two ingredients: cream cheese and milk! Just a bit of milk helps to loosen the texture to get it to whip up. The texture of the homemade version is slightly different from purchased whipped cream cheese: store-bought is a bit more airy, especially after refrigeration. But it’s fun, quick and easy to make at home! Here are a few tips (or head to the recipe below):
- Soften the cream cheese first. This is important for getting the correct fluffy texture.
- Use a food processor or stand mixer (or a whisk). With a large food processor, you’ll have to stop and scrape the bowl a few times.
- Whip ½ tablespoon milk and 8 ounces cream cheese for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
That’s it! The cream cheese comes out with a luxuriously light texture, perfect for spreading on bagels, toast, sandwiches and more.
Flavor variations
Serve this whipped cream cheese plain, or you can add different flavorings to make fun flavor variations! Make the whipped cream cheese per the recipe below, then consider one of the following flavor variations:
- Chive cream cheese: Add 3 tablespoons chopped chives and ¼ teaspoon each garlic and onion powder
- Herb cream cheese: Add ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, ½ teaspoon each garlic powder and dried dill, and kosher salt
- Veggie cream cheese: Add chopped carrot, bell pepper and green onion (head to the recipe for more)
- Smoked salmon cream cheese: Add 4 ounces chopped smoked salmon and 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- Blueberry cream cheese: Add blueberry syrup; go to Blueberry Cream Cheese
- Cinnamon: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Ways to serve whipped cream cheese
You probably have your eye on ways to serve whipped cream cheese already! But it’s endlessly versatile: it works as a breakfast, brunch, or lunch recipe, or you can use it as a dip as an easy appetizer! Here are a few great ways to serve this tasty spread:
- Bagels, or as part of a bagel brunch spread
- Toast
- Sandwiches
- Dip for pretzels, crackers or chips
- Dip for veggies or fruits
Whipped Cream Cheese
Whipped cream cheese is light and fluffy: perfect for spreading on bagels or toast! Here’s how to make it and a few variations.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Spread
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: Spread
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- ½ tablespoon milk
- Variation: 3 tablespoons chopped chives, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, or Herb Cream Cheese
Instructions
- Make sure the cream cheese is softened. Leave it out at room temperature for 1 hour, or place it on a plate in the microwave, cook 5 seconds, flip over the block of cheese and cook another 5 seconds. (If it’s not room temperature at this point, cook another few seconds, but err on the conservative side.)
- Whip the cream cheese and milk in a food processor or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy. In a large food processor, you’ll need to stop and scrape a few times.
- If desired, add the chives and seasonings for chive whipped cream cheese, or go to Herb Cream Cheese. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
More cream cheese recipes
Deli-style cream cheese recipes are fun to make homemade: they’re ideal for a bagel brunch spread or easy lunch idea. Here are a few more homemade cream cheese flavors:
- Try classics like herb cream cheese or chive cream cheese, or make veggie cream cheese by blending in vegetables.
- Go sweet with cinnamon cream cheese or fruity with homemade strawberry cream cheese.
- Make up a batch of smoked salmon spread with cream cheese and Greek yogurt.
- Or, try our top cream cheese recipes for more ideas.
Hi ! Thanks for the insightful recipe, how long can we keep them in the container ( chiller ) ?
Leftovers store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks!
Thank you for the recipes and the tips! I could eat cream cheese on just about anything! It is a staple in my house! My family laughs at me for trying it on and in so many things!
Subtly decadent
Can you use an immersion blender for this?
I think it would be too thick but I’m not sure.
So on a stand mixer, would I use a paddle attachment or the whisk attachment?
Great question! Paddle attachment. We’ve updated the recipe accordingly — thank you!
SO EASY! I love the whipped cream cheese from the store but I rarely buy it because I feel it is frivolous… BUT NOW I can make it at home! I had no idea it was so easy. Thank you!
I’m trying this out in a day or two, but I’m wondering if a hand mixer would be ok? I figured it might be but I want to make sure.
Also, in your instructions you said “air on the conservative side”. The proper word is “err”. Sorry for being a grammar nut, but those are two completely different words.
A hand mixer should work fine for this one! And thank you!
I love this!! I tried a combination of red onion and cucumber! About 3 or 4 tablespoons, finely chopped. After 24 hours of sitting the flavors really came though. Thank you for the instruction and combinations. This is a keeper!!
Let us know if you have any questions!