Whether you are having a BBQ this weekend or want to try out the latest TikTok trend on your grill or smoker, run (don’t walk!!) to make our Smoked Cream Cheese recipe. Just three ingredients and hands-off smoking.
Pull out this recipe when you are looking to dazzle guests with something different where they are going to be asking you, “Wait, what is this? I need the recipe!” It is packed full of flavor with 3 simple ingredients.
The smoked cream cheese block is making the rounds on Tik Tok and Instagram like crazy and we decided to give it a spin out on the grill.
The results blew us away. There were no leftovers and also, everyone requested the recipe. Little did they know how simple it was. You’ll be using this in queso, mac and cheese, all of your dips and spreads, and stuffed jalapenos. Heck, pretty much all of your cream cheese appetizers.
🍽️ Why This Works
👉Melted Cheese – Before starting this, I thought the smoked cream cheese block would melt and turn into a gooey, dripping mess. I am so glad I was wrong. This recipe works with virtually any seasoning and any type of wood chips, so break out your creativity and make this fun!
👉Easy – This recipe is remarkably simple because there are just a couple of steps. You really can’t make a mistake.
👉Versatile – Yes, you can smoke cream cheese and the results are incredible! The rich smoke flavor, the herbs, and seasoning, and the cream cheese pair make an incredible cracker spread or veggie dip. It also pairs extremely well with virtually any side dish. You can also use this as a sandwich spread! We even added some to our Cedar Plank Stuffed Salmon for a luxurious treat!
🧀 Ingredients
Philadelphia Cream Cheese – Just use a standard eight-ounce block of cream cheese. I do not recommend using a generic brand of cream cheese without comparing the ingredients. Also, make sure to buy full-fat cream cheese. The lower fat options lack its rich taste and texture. If you are making this for a party appetizer, you should consider making more than one block. It will go fast!
Seasoning – Use your favorite. Seriously! We used a fun seafood seasoning because we planned to use it with some cedar-wrapped stuffed salmon. Choose a spice you like as when you slice off a piece of cheese, you will get some from the surface. I’ve suggested some different options below to give you choices.
⏲️ Equipment and Tools
Smoker | We used the Big Green Egg, but feel free to use another type of smoker. A pellet smoker, offset smoker, or an electric smoker will get the job done just as well. Alternatively, use a pellet grill like the Traeger, or a charcoal grill with a lid.
Foil or a Disposable Pan – I’m cheap, so I created my own “pan” by folding aluminum foil along the edges, but a disposable aluminum pan works just as well.
Press N Seal – Wrap the cream cheese after it has cooled and store it in the refrigerator. Tightly wrap it so the smoky smell doesn’t take over the fridge.
Wood Chips – I always caution against using too much. A little goes a long way. Use any type you want here. Bold varieties like mesquite, or mild ones like cherry work equally well. Check out my free printable Smoking Wood Chart for more options.
🔥 Smoked Cream Cheese Recipe Instructions
Step One: Cut two pieces of aluminum foil and stack them. Crunch up the edges so it forms a bit of a pan.
Step Two: Unwrap the full-fat bricks of cream cheese and lay it in the center of the foil. Gently score it with a sharp knife, cutting about ¼” deep. As this smokes, it will open up along the score marks.
Step Three: Sprinkle with your rub. Turn it over and get all sides. Above all, be generous with the rub. While it will only season the outside, when you serve it, it will spread to the center of the block too.
Step Four: Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil on top. You don’t need much!
Step Five: Set up the grill for indirect heat. For the Big Green Egg, add the plate setter. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners. Add some smoking chips of your choice. Because I prefer to keep the smoke flavor mild, I used Cherry.
Step Six: Let this smoke for 2-3 hours at 250 degrees. It will have darkened from the smoke and the score marks will open up. Remove it and let it cool.
⏲️ Leftover Storage
There likely is very little (if any) left to put in the refrigerator but, if you made too much, you can keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week after smoking it and use it for spreading or dipping.
Bonus Dip Recipe: Make a batch of smoked cream cheese dip by taking a block of already smoked cream cheese and adding 1 cup of milk. Combine well and serve with crackers, carrots, celery sticks, and peppers. The spices are already on the brick of cheese when it was smoked so no additional flavoring is needed.
🐟 How to Use Smoked Cream Cheese
Once you realize how easy and addicting this cream cheese is, you will want to use it in so many recipes to level up the flavor.
- Spread. Slather it on bagels, dinner rolls, baguettes, crostini, or a slice of fresh bread and you have a super quick snack with a ton of flavor.
- As a “Stuffing”. We made our Stuffed Salmon a couple of days after we started smoking cream cheese. This is one of those “roll your eyes up in your head” type of recipes.
- In Dips and Sauces. Apply the same principle to your favorite Smoked Salmon Dips, Smoked Trout Dips, Smoked Tuna Dip, Smoked Salmon Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.
- Pizza or Burger Topping. For a BBQ party, use smoked cream cheese as a topping for smoked hamburgers and grilled pizza. These pairings are the kind of stuff my food dreams are made of!
- Pasta Sauce Ingredient. Use for a dreamy and creamy pasta sauce that will make for a scrumptious, crowd-pleasing meal.
- Pie filling. Yes! Using smoked cream cheese as a pie filling guarantees a mind-blowing dessert and it works just as well for cheesecakes.
❗ Expert Tips
- After smoking, cut the cream cheese into sections for your various recipes. We kept some from our second batch for a smooth and flavorful cracker spread and used some with other recipes.
- Don’t forget to score the surface of the cheese. Not only will it separate slightly along with those cuts, but it will also provide more surface area for the smoke to adhere to.
- Don’t worry about smoking this too much. The interior of the cream cheese will remain virtually unaffected and when you mix it together, it will temper the flavors substantially.
- Use what you need immediately and freeze the leftovers. Wrap the unused portion in Press-N-Seal and then store in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Make sure to label it with the date and the seasoning.
- You can use a piece of aluminum foil folded on the edges as we did for smoking your cream cheese, but you can also use a disposable foil pan. In addition, you can place a sheet pan under the foil or pan to make it more sturdy if you like. These two options help you skip the cleanup that would be needed if using a cast iron skillet.
⚡Variations
This creamy delight can be sweet, savory, spicy, or everything at once. With an amazing smoky flavor on top, of course.
These 10+ smoked cream cheese variations are a fantastic way to enjoy this treat in new and exciting ways!
🌮Taco Seasoning
You are going to love this recipe on your tacos! Try using a Mexican spice blend and add a dash of ancho chile powder for a little heat. This version works well with tortilla chips and pico de gallo for serving! A block of this would also make a great bottom layer for a seven-layer dip.
🦀Seafood Seasoning
The old familiar Old Bay or your favorite seafood seasoning is going to be fantastic with lobster or crab meat. You could also serve this as a filling for stuffed seafood like salmon.
🧄Garlic and Pepper Blend
Keep it simple with this basic blend of equal parts pepper, and garlic powder. You don’t want to use a salt-heavy blend because the cream cheese already has salt and it easily becomes overpoweringly salty.
🥯Everything Bagel Seasoning
Make a fantastic dip reminiscent of your favorite bagel. This version is filled with so much flavor and would be fun with bagel chips for brunch.
🍩Cinnamon Sugar
Make a sweet version of the smoked cream cheese recipe for a fun twist. Serve it with apple slices, pita chips, bagel chips, pretzel bites, or dippable cookies such as crunchy sugar cookies.
🌰Crushed Pecans
For another sweet option, use crushed pecans mixed with brown sugar or even brown sugar and cinnamon.
🍝Italian Seasoning
Serve with marinara sauce and garlic breadsticks or garlic toasted naan for dipping. You could also add some crumbled sausage or diced pepperoni to the marinara sauce.
♨️Barbecue Rub
Use your favorite BBQ rub or try our all-purpose barbecue rub for grilling as a seasoning for the cream cheese because you are going to love it! You can also add some French fried onions after it comes off the smoker for a fun touch.
🔥Curry Spices
Served with a little fruit preserve to lighten things up and Triscuits for dipping.
🧁Sweet or Savory Toppings
You can create so many different unique versions of this recipe just by adding toppings when you pull it off the grill!
Add fajita toppings to the cream cheese for an interesting dip. Add black beans, taco seasoning and pico de gallo served with tortilla chips.
Try it with fruit and honey for a sweet dessert version. Use any of your fruit preserves, jams, or jellies. Crumbled bacon. Pepper Jelly. It’s almost like brie! In fact, you could try making smoked cream cheese with any classic brie preparation.
🥨 What to Serve with Smoked Cream Cheese
Listen. This is cheese we’re talking about so it goes with pretty much anything.
- Snack. This will be a fabulous snack served with smoked pretzels.
- Side Dish. On my list of go-to sides, smoked cream cheese is a must-have when I’m making grilled crab legs or honey-basted smoked salmon. I also serve it along with fun appetizers like grilled bacon on a stick or grilled bacon brussels sprouts kebabs.
- Appetizer. Keep it simple and dip some homemade soft pretzel bites, pita bread, or tortilla chips in that creamy goodness.
- Paired With Fresh Vegetables. Or, make it healthier by serving it with some raw crunchy veggies such as celery, carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers. Even the pickiest eaters will give it a try!
More Smoked Cheese Recipes
Smoking cheese is fun and you get the satisfaction of making something absolutely delicious. I’m on the same page and the good news is you have a lot of options for making smoked cheese.
Smoked Hard Cheese
Learn how to smoke hard cheese and you will never buy it again. It’s a snack but also an ideal ingredient for sauces, dips, as a pizza topping, in sandwiches and other foods.
I’m always shocked to see how fast this beer and smoked cheese dip disappears….only until I remember that rich and smoky taste.
Smoked Queso
Serve this smoked queso at a gathering right after pulling it from the smoker and your guests will enjoy an unforgettable treat.
Smoked Brie
Smoked baked brie is an excellent recipe for those looking to try smoking different types of cheese. It’s definitely a treat you can enjoy any time of the year, although it does make the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas dish, right?
Smoked Cheesecake
As a final treat, you have to try this sea salt caramel smoked cheesecake. The smoker will produce an out-of-this-world dessert that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Recipe FAQ
You can but it will change the texture. The leftovers for this one are a different texture all together though so if you want to freeze it, go for it. When you take it out if the texture is “off” to you, I would run it through your small food processor to help make it creamy again. If that doesn’t make it how you want, add a tablespoon or so of milk or fresh cream cheese to smooth it out. This is definitely doable and something to make early for game days.
This recipe turned out to be mildly drier than the wet cream cheese as we take it out of the container. This is still “wet” enough that it spreads on crackers and I used it to stuff salmon and it turned out fantastic. Just be prepared that the texture is not the same and you will be fine.
2-3 hours will be sufficient. The longer you smoke the cream cheese the drier it will get.
No. If smoked at the correct temperature, it does not melt and get gooey in the traditional way you think of cheese. It becomes a more dry, more spreadable version of cream cheese with incredible flavor instead!
Yes. Some people like to put it back in the refrigerator to “harden” back up but with the smokey flavor and seasonings. It can still be used for dipping or spreading after refrigeration.
We really enjoyed using cherry wood, however, you can smoke your cheese with hickory, pecan, almond, apple, or even oak wood.
Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Smoked Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Equipment
- Aluminum Foil
- Smoking Chips
Ingredients
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 tbsp Seasoning
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Create a small aluminum dish by layering two pieces of foil and crimping the edges to form a lip.
- Place the unwrapped cream cheese in the center of the foil pan and gently score it with a kitchen knife, cutting about ¼" deep.
- Sprinkle with your favorite rub. Turn the cream cheese over and cover all sides. Be a bit generous with the rub. Pour a little olive oil on top.
- Set up the grill for indirect heat. For the Big Green Egg, add the plate setter. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners. Add some smoking chips of your choice. I prefer to keep the smoke flavor mild and used Cherry.
- Let the cream cheese smoke for 2-3 hours at 250 degrees. It will have darkened from the smoke and the score marks will open up. Remove it and let it cool.
Notes
Nutrition
