If you’ve never tried out a smoked cream cheese recipe before, you’re in for a real treat! It’s a perfect smoking side dish or appetiser that you can serve with the crackers of your choice, on bagels, baguettes or with tortillas. It pairs particularly well with smoked salmon, and makes a great dip for crunchy raw veg like carrot batons or celery.

It also works extremely well with a charcuterie board.

We are going to treat our block of cream cheese like a cut of meat – it’s going to be covered in a binder (butter, mustard or oil), dusted all over in a dry rub, scored with a knife (like a piece of pork belly) and then smoked low and slow at 225°F on the pellet grill.

The cream cheese block will develop a nice bark on the outside while remaining moist (but not melted) on the inside.

What Does Smoked Cream Cheese Taste Like?

This delicious smoked cream cheese recipe tastes spicy, smoky, and savoury with a hint of sweetness, as well as light and creamy. Don’t take our word for it, try it out yourself!

Other ways to make Smoked Cream Cheese

You can of course make smoked cream cheese in the oven, but it won’t be anywhere near as smoky. If you don’t have a smoker adding smoked paprika to the rub will add a little smokiness, as well as adding wood chips soaked in a little water to the bottom of your oven.

How to make Smoked Cream Cheese?

Step 1 – Make the Dry Rub

Step 2 – Cover Cream Cheese Block in a binder (oil/mustard or butter) and Coat All Over With Rub

Step 3 – Score the Top of the Block

Step 4 – Smoke the Block at 225°F for 2-3 Hours

Step 1 – Smoked Cream Cheese Dry Rub

1 Tablespoon of Coarse Salt 

2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika

1/2 Teaspoon Chilli Powder

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Onion Powder 

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, until combined.

Step 2 – Coat and Cover the Cheese Block with Binder and Dry Rub

Using a binder of your choice (we like mustard but you can use butter or olive oil too) cover the cream cheese block all over. This will help the rub stick to the cream cheese.

Now coat the cheese block all over with the dry rub mixture, making sure you cover the top, bottom and sides.

Step 3 – Score the Top of the Cheese

Using a sharp knife, score the top of the cream cheese with 5-6 diagonal parallel lines This will allow the smoke and rub flavours to really get into the whole block of cream cheese.

Your cream cheese block will look a little like a loaf of bread.

You would do something very similar with the fat at the top of a pork belly for example, and for the same reason.

Step 4 – Place the Cream Cheese in the Smoker at 225°F

Place your wood pellets of choice (pecan, maple, cherry or apple are all great choices) in the hopper of your smoker. Set the grill to the smoke setting, and leave it for 10 minutes or so with the lid open.

When the temperature is up to 225°F, place your cream cheese into the smoker on a tray lined with foil. (foil helps contain any mess to save time on cleaning up later).

Smoke for around 2 hours, until the cheese is a lovely golden brown colour.

Serving Your Smoked Cream Cheese

Serve your smoked cream cheese with a variety of breads and dips, or a charcuterie board for an amazing appetiser. Alternatively serve it after your main meal with crackers, other cheeses, grapes, and chutneys for an outstanding cheeseboard to wow your guests.

Does Smoked Cream Cheese Melt?

Contrary to what you might think smoked cream cheese does not melt. The smoke and rub help to form a bark around the outside, keeping the cream cheese moist but fairly solid on the inside, much like when you are smoking a large cut of meat.

How Long Will Smoked Cream Cheese Last in the Fridge?

Soft cheeses such as cream cheese will last 1-2 weeks in the fridge after they have been opened. Hard cheeses still in their packaging will last for 3-4 months.

How Long to Smoke Cream Cheese?

Cream cheese should be smoked slow and low for around 2 hours at 200-225°F, until the cheese is a golden brown colour.

Further reading on the topic of Smoked Cream Cheese Recipes here:

https://kitchenlaughter.com/smoked-philadelphia-cream-cheese/