Cream cheese isn’t just for bagels. This versatile ingredient can add a creamy, tangy twist to a variety of dishes, from savory dinners to sweet desserts. There’s a whole world of easy cream cheese recipes to explore, and the ones below are a great way to get you started.
Related: 10 Midwestern Dessert Recipes Perfect for Summer
1. Cheese Dip
Who doesn’t like cheese dip? Cream cheese makes complete sense here and this dip is basically just throwing a bunch of ingredients together and pushing “go,” which is our kind of recipe.
Recipe: Easy Recipes
Related: Old-Fashioned Dips That Are Surprisingly Delicious
2. Southwest Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is the ideal addition to soup or chili if you want to achieve a creamy texture. This chili is exploding with flavor thanks to the green chiles, ranch seasoning, cumin, and chili powder, and the cream cheese is the bridge that connects all of the bold flavors.
Recipe: Pitchfork Foodie Farms
3. Classic Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe
There is no world in which we talk about cream cheese recipes that we don’t mention cheesecake. This classic cheesecake recipe is tried, true, and pretty easy to put together too.
Recipe: State of Dinner
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4. Cream Cheese Cookies
The ingredients for these cookies mimic those found in cream cheese frosting, which means the flavor and texture of these bad boys is next-level. The powdered sugar sprinkled on top is the chef’s kiss.
Recipe: Simply Homecooked
5. Cream Cheese Corn Casserole
There are lots of C’s and plenty of cheese in this recipe. The milk, cheese, and cream cheese deliver a decadent and creamy texture to this casserole. The pickled diced jalapeños give this dish an unexpected kick that we’re all the way here for.
Recipe: Five Heart Home
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6. Cream Cheese and Chicken Taquitos
Taquitos are elite, but sometimes the filling inside can dry out during the frying or baking process. Not with this recipe. The cream cheese keeps the texture inside moist and velvety.
Recipe: Delishtasty
7. Cream Cheese Pasta
Leave the jars in the sauce aisle at the grocery store on the shelf — you don’t need ’em. This penne is brought to life with cream cheese, olive oil, spices, spinach, and corn. Simple flavors and simple prep. This is the ideal no-frills pasta dish.
Recipe: Green Bowl 2 Soul
8. Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
We love a good blueberry muffin and our biggest stipulation is that they have to be moist. The cream cheese in this recipe guarantees consistent moisture throughout. You could even do a stuffed muffin version with a little surprise cream cheese belly inside.
Recipe: Good for Recipes
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9. Cream Cheese Brownies
Cream cheese brownies are somewhat of a hybrid dessert. One bite gives you the experience of cheesecake and a fudgy brownie all at once which is probably the most perfect dessert combination ever in the history of the world.
Recipe: Small Town Woman
10. Cream Cheese Danish Recipe with Crescent Rolls
Store-bought Danish is all good, well, and fine, and maybe you only opt for that because you think it’s too complicated to make at home. This recipe makes things a lot easier since it uses canned crescent roll dough and cream cheese.
Recipe: Spaceships & Laser Beams
11. 3-Ingredient Cream Cheese Rotel Dip
Not to be dramatic, but this slow cooker dip is so delicious it’s life-changing. The zestiness of the sausage and the mild bite of the Rotel are balanced by the creamy, tangy cream cheese. This stuff is incredible with tortilla chips.
Recipe: Crayons & Cravings
