Recipes

27 Cream Cheese Recipes To Use What's in the Back of Your Fridge

These 27 cream cheese recipes offer savory and sweet options.
Image may contain Food Dessert Chocolate Fudge Confectionery and Sweets
Alex Lau

We love cream cheese for its serious tang. But we're also guilty of holding onto that tub or package a bit too long. Here's what you should do with it.

  • A creamy spinach and artichoke dip recipe filled to the brim of a crusty sourdough bread bowl.
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    1/27

    Stovetop Spinach-Artichoke Dip

    Serving this creamy, delicious dip in a bread bowl is not mandatory, but we highly recommended going for it.

    View Recipe
  • Slices of cheesecake with graham cracker crust on a blue background with forks to the side.
    Photograph by Emma Fishman, Prop styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi
    2/27

    BA’s Best Cheesecake

    Meet the absolute best cheesecake recipe. Room temperature ingredients ensure a smooth and creamy texture; take the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs out of the refrigerator about 2 hours ahead of time.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Food and Meatball
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    3/27

    Savory Cheese-Filled Croquembouche

    This croquembouche is constructed with cheesy gougères and an herbed cheese filling. It’s the showstopping holiday appetizer you didn’t know you needed.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Food and Bread
    Photo by Chelsie Craig
    4/27

    Spicy Cheddar Cheese Spread

    An easy, cheesy dip you can serve this with pretzels, your favorite kind of crackers, or a platter of crudités.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Plant Cutlery Spoon Food Vegetable and Produce
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    7/27

    Kimchi Toast

    If we had to give this toast a bunch of random personality traits, we’d describe it as a rule-breaking hothead with a softer side.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Plant Food Produce Vegetable and Meal
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Alison Attenborough
    8/27

    Spinach and Artichoke Melts

    Your favorite creamy dip—but in a form you (and your kids) can happily eat for dinner.

    View Recipe
  • This image may contain Cutlery Fork Food and Dessert
    Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Rick Martinez
    9/27

    Pumpkin Cheesecake

    With a gingersnap cookie crust!

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Confectionery Food and Sweets
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susan Spungen, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    10/27

    Raspberry Rugelach

    These bright, sweet-tart beauties are the perfect addition to the typical cookie plate.

    View Recipe
  • Topdown view of a burntstyle Basque cheesecake with one wedge removed.
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    11/27

    Basque Cheesecake

    This light, fluffy, cloudlike cheesecake wants to get cooked at high heat for a burnt, cracked surface that’s rich with flavor.

    View Recipe
  • Carrot loaf cake with cream cheese frosting on a platter with one slice cut.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    12/27

    Basically Carrot Loaf Cake

    The most casual-cool carrot cake of all time.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Plant Food Cake Dessert Birthday Cake Meal and Dish
    Peden + Munk
    15/27

    Trout Roe and Turnip Toast

    No need for specific measurements of ingredients here. Make the toast how you want it.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Food Pasta and Macaroni
    Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Anna Billingskog
    16/27

    Stovetop Mac and Cheese

    Muenster and Fontina are pretty soft cheeses and can be difficult to grate, so just stick both in the freezer 10 minutes to let them firm up before starting.

    View Recipe
  • Bowl of spinach artichoke dip surrounded by crudite and potato chips on a beige surface.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman
    27/27

    Spinach Artichoke Dip

    Be sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach. Adding spinach that is too wet could upset the creamy harmony of the rest of the ingredients.

    View Recipe