Here's everything worth knowing about cream cheese and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 2,054 recipes to cook tonight.
Cream cheese is a fresh, soft cheese made by curdling a blend of cream and milk with a lactic culture, then draining off some of the whey. It is mild and slightly tangy, dense enough to slice or spread straight from the fridge.
By US standard it has to be at least 33 percent milk fat with no more than 55 percent moisture, which is what gives it that smooth, almost buttery feel on a knife.
Unlike aged cheeses, it is never ripened. You eat it young, usually within days of opening.
That freshness is exactly what makes it the backbone of cheesecake, the body in a frosting, and the base for half the dips on a party table.
Cheesecake is the headline act. Beaten with sugar and eggs, cream cheese sets into the dense, tangy slab that defines an American Classic NY Cheesecake, and its low moisture is what keeps the filling from weeping.
In frostings it does the opposite of butter alone. The tang cuts sweetness, so a carrot or spice cake stops tasting like pure sugar. That balance is the whole appeal of Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
It carries fillings beautifully too. Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling and Kolache Cookies both lean on a sweetened cream cheese center that stays soft and rich after baking.
Savory, it is a dip workhorse. Frank's® RedHot® Buffalo Chicken Dip melts it down with hot sauce and chicken into something you can scoop, and a thin schmear on a bagel is its most famous job of all.
It loves both sweet and sharp company. On the sweet side: berries, lemon, pumpkin, chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon. On the savory side: smoked salmon, chives, garlic, dill, jalapeño, and a heavy crack of black pepper.
Now the mistake almost everyone makes. Cold cream cheese will not blend smooth. Beat it straight from the fridge and you get stubborn little lumps that no amount of mixing fully erases, especially in a frosting or a cheesecake batter.
The fix is simple: bring it to room temperature first. Pull the block out 30 to 60 minutes ahead so it softens to a paste, then beat it on its own until creamy before anything else goes in.
Add cold ingredients to soft cheese and you are right back to lumps.
For cheesecake, also beat gently once the eggs are in. Whipping air into the batter is what causes the puffing and cracking as it cools.
Mascarpone is the closest cousin. It is richer and sweeter with almost no tang, so it works one for one in cheesecakes and no-bake fillings, just expect a softer set and a more delicate flavor.
Neufchâtel, sold as ⅓-less-fat cream cheese, is the easiest direct swap. It runs about 23 percent fat against the standard 33, so it is a touch softer and tangier but behaves the same in almost any recipe.
Drained ricotta or cottage cheese, blended smooth, can fill in for spreads and some baked fillings, though the texture is grainier and the result less rich. Thick Greek yogurt works for dips when you want tang over body.
For frostings, stick with real cream cheese or mascarpone. The low-fat tubs are softer and wetter, and they slump.
Cream cheese comes three ways, and the form matters. Foil-wrapped blocks are firm and low-moisture, the only kind to bake or beat into frosting.
Whipped tubs have air and sometimes water beaten in, lighter to spread but too soft and wet for cheesecake. Soft "spreadable" tubs sit in between and are meant for bagels, not baking.
Buy full-fat blocks for any recipe that needs to set. Save the whipped and flavored tubs for spreading.
Keep it refrigerated at or below 40°F (4°C) and tightly covered, since it picks up fridge odors fast and dries at the cut edge. An unopened block keeps to its printed date and often a couple of weeks beyond if it has stayed cold.
Once opened, use it within about ten days. Pitch it at any sign of mold, a sour or yeasty smell, or a slimy surface.
Cream cheese can be frozen, but it thaws crumbly and a little grainy, so save thawed cheese for baked or melted dishes rather than a smooth spread.
Specific kinds of cream cheese and the recipes that use them.
Reduced-fat cream cheese, sold as Neufchâtel or "light" in a foil block, cuts the milk fat of full-fat cream cheese by about a third while keeping the same tangy, spreadable character.
It is built for the same jobs: bagels, dips, frostings, and cheesecake.
The thing to know is that fat is what carries richness and body, so the lighter block tastes a little leaner and feels slightly softer, which is why gums and stabilizers are usually added back to firm it up.
Nonfat cream cheese, also labeled "fat-free," is cream cheese with the milk fat removed entirely and replaced by extra water plus milk solids and gums. It comes in the same foil block and spreads on a bagel about the same.
Fat is what makes regular cream cheese taste rich and feel smooth on the tongue, so taking it all out changes the cheese more than a reduced-fat block does. Expect a cleaner, more sour tang and a slightly gummy, less coating mouthfeel.
Where to find cream cheese: Cream cheese is usually found in the dairy section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Cream cheese is a member of the Dairy and Egg Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 232 grams |
| 1 tbsp | 14 grams |
| 1 tbsp, whipped | 10 grams |
| 1 ounce | 28 grams |
| 1 cubic inch | 16 grams |
| 1 package, small (3 oz) | 85 grams |
There are 2184 recipes using and its varieties.
A low-carb version of Lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese that uses scrambled eggs to replace the classic bagel. Rich, creamy, and delicious, it is perfect for celebrating National Cream Cheese and Lox Day or anytime for an impressive Brunch or breakfast offering.
Cream cheese banana nut bread doctors a quick bread mix with cream cheese for an extra-rich, dense loaf studded with pecans. A 6-ingredient shortcut that tastes anything but quick.
Beneath a layer of ghostly whipped topping lies a chilling graveyard of cookie-crumb earth, with layers of creamy, eerie cheese filling and a tombstone of cookies marking the final resting place of your diet. Serve this spine-chilling dessert at your Halloween party, if you dare, and watch as your guests unearth the delicious secrets hidden within!
Warm French bread loaded with cream cheese, thin-sliced smoked salmon, cucumber, red onion, black olives, and peppery watercress. A deli-style hero sandwich ready in 20 minutes.
Foolproof chocolate truffles made with cream cheese, no tempering or ganache fuss. Just melt, mix, chill, and roll into balls coated in nuts or coconut. An easy, make-ahead candy for gifting or the holidays.
Cream cheese ice cream is an ultra-rich frozen dessert with the tangy cheesecake-like flavor of cream cheese, sweetened with sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a hit of lemon. Frozen cheesecake in scoopable form.
Lemon poppy seed cake builds a tender tube cake with butter, cream cheese, lemon juice and zest, whipped egg whites, and poppy seeds, finished with a tart lemon glaze.
Fudgy chocolate brownies amped with instant coffee for deep mocha flavor, studded with walnuts, and finished with optional creamy coffee-cream-cheese frosting.
A rich and decadent cheesecake that combines the classic flavours of coffee and chocolate with a spiced chocolate crust.
Learn how to make hot cross buns frosting with cream cheese, butter, and lemon zest. This frosting is a delightful and zesty twist on the traditional hot cross bun glaze.
If you enjoy a cream cheese frosting, you must try it with goat cheese! It adds a subtle tang to the frosting but complements the sweetness of the chocolate just perfectly!
Chocolate cream cheese sandwich cookies start with devil's food cake mix for soft, chewy chocolate rounds, then sandwich a tangy cream cheese frosting between them. An easy cookie you can tint for the holidays.
Favorite carrot cake loads a moist buttermilk batter with shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, coconut, and walnuts, finished with a hot buttermilk glaze and classic cream cheese frosting.
Aqua Aerobics regular, Norma Koob, has submitted this delicious appetizer recipe!
This is a perfect recipe. I'm in love with the red velvet flavoring and the icing is just delectable. Fabulous.
Suzy's lime cheesecake with a toasted coconut crust and a mousse-light filling set with gelatin, whipped cream, and beaten egg whites. Brighter and airier than a baked New York style.
Holley's classic cheesecake with a graham crust, dense sour cream filling, tangy sour cream topping, and a Grand Marnier-spiked hot fudge sauce. The crowd-pleasing dessert that tastes like a celebration.
If you love anything chocolate you will adore this simple recipe that makes treats that are simply decadent.
Pumpkin cake roll spirals a spiced pumpkin sponge around a tangy cream cheese filling. Classic Thanksgiving showstopper that slices into striking pinwheels of orange and white.
This is a very chocolate flavour cupcakes, if you do love the chocolate, try this recipe, very yummy!
Cream cheese brownies marbled with German sweet chocolate batter and a tangy cheesecake swirl. Fudgy, dense, and just slightly tangy thanks to the cream cheese running through every bite.
Carrot cake with lemon cream cheese frosting, made ultra-moist with pureed carrots, crushed pineapple, and toasted walnuts. The bright citrus frosting cuts the sweetness on this towering three-layer cake.
Chocolaty, creamy, smooth and rich. This chocolate cheesecake is an ultimate indulgence.
Super moist, chocolaty and rich. These delicious kaulua cheesecake bars will for sure satisfy your sweet tooth but without letting you feel too guilty.
Chocolate cheesecake with cocoa powder, Kahlua, and a chocolate wafer crust, finished with sour cream glaze. Coffee-spiked dessert for serious chocolate lovers.
Carrot muffins with hidden cream cheese and walnut centers, sweetened with raisins and brightened with orange juice. A lighter breakfast bake with cheesecake-like surprise.
Creamy cheesecake bars with fresh raspberries and a chocolate crust.
Decadent layered brownies with raspberry cream cheese filling and white chocolate glaze. Elegant Chambord-spiked dessert that slices into beautiful wedges for special occasions.
Tender blueberry cream cheese muffins made in the food processor with cake flour, juicy berries, and a tang of lemon. Soft cake-like crumb, ready in 45 minutes.
Pumpkin cheesecake bars with a buttery pecan streusel crust, spiced with cinnamon and allspice. A fall baking favorite that's easier to make and share than a whole cheesecake.
Love this lower-fat cheesecake. It well satisfied my cheesecake cravings but without giving me too much guilt afterwards. LOL.
Sweet potatoes wit apple cider, cinnamon and bacon for your slow cooker.
Cheesy mashed potatoes baked into a souffle-like casserole with Old English cheese, cream cheese, and whipped egg whites folded in. Parmesan-crusted top.
Tender cake studded with juicy blueberries meets tangy cream cheese batter under a buttery lemon-sugar crumble. This coffee cake balances sweet, tart, and rich in every generous slice.
Espresso brownie bars layered with a Kahlua-spiked cream cheese topping and feathered with melted chocolate for a marbled, bakery-window finish. Rich, fudgy, and built for a coffee-lover's dessert table.
A truly decadent french toast stuffed with almonds and cream cheese. Talk about kicking it up a notch!
So easy, so simple, and so deliciously creamy. An easy alfredo sauce enriched with garlic coats the tortellini. Best of all, it's ready in 20 minutes flat!
Creamy spinach and tomato pasta sauce built from fat-free cream cheese, frozen spinach, and chopped tomatoes. A 5-ingredient weeknight dinner that comes together while the pasta cooks.
If you love strawberries and love cake you should try this cake. A nice yellow cake with strawberry filling, and cream cheese frosting. ENJOY!
Oil-based pumpkin bundt cake with canned pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and a cream cheese frosting drizzle. A tender fall cake that stays moist for days straight from a single pan.
Intensely fudgy brownies made with melted unsweetened chocolate, swirled with a tangy chocolate cream cheese topping and studded with toasted nuts. Dense, rich and squidgy in the middle.
Celebrate Canada Day in a style sure to impress family and friends. Mildly garlicky and creamy cheese spread. Perfect when paired with our Maple Leaf crackers.
This cheesecake like strawberry tart is so fruity, creamy and refreshing, and it is so easy to make. Even you know nothing about baking, you can still make this delicious tart and everyone will tell you how good it tastes.
Basic cheesecake with a ricotta and cream cheese filling for a lighter, slightly tangy bite over a classic graham cracker crust. Bakes up tall, creamy, and clean enough to dress up with any fruit or sauce.
Chocolate lovers beware! This delicious cake is sure to have you begging for more after every bite.
Easy spinach artichoke dip: spinach and artichokes baked into a three-cheese, Alfredo-based dip until hot and gooey. A warm, crowd-pleasing party appetizer for chips and bread.
Roasted garlic pineapple dip blends cream cheese and Greek yogurt with sweet crushed pineapple, onion and a roasted garlic seasoning. A creamy, sweet-savory no-cook party dip for chips and crackers.
A delicious creamy ice cream with ripe strawberries and graham cracker pieces. A delightful summertime treat!
