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Hi Bold Bakers!
Once I landed on the perfect New York Style Bagel recipe it seemed like a waste if I didn’t pair it with my popular How To Make Cream Cheese Recipe.
And, because I don’t do anything by halves, I came up with some new Big and Bold flavors to enhance your bagel eating experience even more: Strawberry, Chocolate, and Garlic & Herb Cream Cheese Flavors.
Even if you have access to cream cheese in stores, I strongly recommend you try making your own at home. There is something really rewarding about making a basic baking ingredient like cream cheese from scratch. Once you see what I mean, you can then move on to other baking essentials like ‘How to Make Homemade Butter’ (yes, it’s possible and so much fun) and ‘How to Make Ricotta Cheese’.
What You Need To Make Different Cream Cheese Flavors
Nothing too fancy, just a standard kitchen blender, food processor, or NutriBullet. Basically, anything pieces of equipment with a blade to really blend your homemade cream cheese spread lovely and smooth.
How to Make Cream Cheese Flavors
As it turns out, making flavored cream cheeses is just as simple as making the cream cheese itself (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, down below)!
- Starting out with the cream cheese, blend it in a food processor or blender until smooth and lump-free. Run a spatula around the machine to get any cream cheese you missed.
- Once smooth, add in your flavors and other ingredients.
- Chill the cream cheese spreads in the fridge for 2 hours before serving on bagels, brioche, french toast, or any bread you like for breakfast.
Tips and Tricks for making Cream Cheese Flavors
- What Cream Cheese to use? Store-bought cream cheese will do the trick, BUT you can also make your own cream cheese from scratch at home with my easy ‘How To Make Cream Cheese Recipe.’
- Silky Smooth: Get your cream cheese very smooth and lump-free first BEFORE adding any of your flavors to it.
- Fat = Flavor: Use full-fat cream cheese for maximum flavor. I would stay away from whipped as it will be too soft.
- Be Prepared: Make the spreads up to 48 hours in advance to have them ready to go for a special breakfast.
- Dried V’s Fresh: When adding herbs feel free to use dried. They often have more flavor and vibrant color.
- Customize: This recipe is very forgiving! Add in any flavors you like to make a spread. You really can’t go wrong.
How do I Store these Cream Cheese Flavors?
Store the cream cheese flavors in an air-tight container in the fridge. I do not recommend storing it in the freezer as the texture of dairy can change when defrosted and lose its silky smoothness. They’ll last in your fridge for up to a week.
If you want, you can make it in smaller batches for ultimate freshness.
Get More Basics!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking cookbook for even more recipes!
Full (and printable) recipe below the video!
Try These Recipes!
3 Homemade Cream Cheese Flavor Recipes For The Perfect Bagel Bite
Ingredients
Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread
- 1 cup (8oz/225g) cream cheese
- 1/2 cup (2 ½oz/71g) strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread
- 1 cup (8oz/225g) cream cheese
- cup (1 1/2oz/43g) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Spread
- 1 cup (8oz/225g) cream cheese
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons parsley (dried or fresh)
- 1 tablespoon dried onion
Instructions
Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread
- In a blender or food processor blend the cream cheese until it is very smooth and there are no lumps. Run a spatula around to make sure you have reached all of the cream cheese
- Add in the strawberries and sugar and continue blending until combined.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread
- In a blender or food processor blend the cream cheese until it is very smooth and there are no lumps. Run a spatula around to make sure you have reached all of the cream cheese
- Add in the cooled, melted chocolate and sugar and continue blending until combined.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Spread
- In a blender or food processor blend the cream cheese until it is very smooth and there are no lumps. Run a spatula around to make sure you have reached all of the cream cheese
- Add in the garlic and parsley and continue blending until combined.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated for up to a week.
What is the cup measurement for the bittersweet chocolate in the chocolate cream cheese. It appears the number or fraction of a number is missing.
hi gemma!!!can i use onion powder instead of dried onion in garlic and herb cream cheese?thankyou!!!!
Thank you for sharing this rec
ipe. Absolutely 💯 delli
How can you make strawberry cream cheese without sugar?I cannot have sugar but would like to have the sweetness.
Do you have a recipe for walnut raisin cream cheese?
Hi Gemma,
does dried onion mean onion powder?
Can I use block cream cheese or should it be whipped?
I did the Herb cream cheese, its very good and can’t wait to get the fresh bagles, from our bagles store yum ????.
Can i use a yogurt strawberry flavor as an alternative to fresh strawberry?
What other herb can be used here? Thanks Gemma!