Smoked Cream Cheese is an easy appetizer made with a block of cream cheese, simple seasonings, and smoky flavor from the smoker. This creamy dip is perfect for cookouts, game day, parties, and holiday gatherings because it takes very little prep and always disappears fast.
Serve warm with crackers, chips, bread, or fresh vegetables for an affordable appetizer everyone will love.
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If you are looking for an easy appetizer to smoke this summer, make this recipe. This cream, delicious dip is seasoned with simple ingredients and placed in the smoker and cooked to perfection.
This smoker recipe is loaded with smoke flavor and is so creamy after it is smoked. If you love to use your smoker for appetizer, make this Smoked Queso. You may even like this Smoked Salmon Dip.
Why We Love This Recipe
Make this easy appetizer with your favorite seasonings. It takes your block of cream cheese to the next level with so much flavor with the seasoning blends. Serve with your favorite crackers, apple slices or raw vegetables for a crowd pleasing dip.
Everyone will love the smoky flavor and how creamy it is. We have even used this same seasoning when making Grilled Chicken Breast Recipes.
Ingredients
- Brown Sugar – If you are out make Homemade Brown Sugar
- Garlic Powder – Check out these Garlic Powder Substitutes if you are out.
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Smoke Cream Cheese
Step 1 – Heat Smoker – Preheat a pellet smoker with a water pan to 225 degrees F.
Step 2 – Stir Seasoning Ingredients – Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Coat the top and the sides of the cream cheese with the seasoning mixture.
Step 3 – Cut Cream Cheese – With a sharp knife, cut a criss-cross pattern diagonally on top of the cream cheese approximately halfway through the cream cheese.
Step 4 – Place Cream Cheese in Skillet – Place the cream cheese in a small cast iron pan, disposable aluminum pan or baking pan.
Step 5 – Place cream cheese in smoker – Immediately place the cream cheese in the smoker.
Step 6 – Smoke Cream Cheese – Smoke for approximately 2 hours until the cream cheese is warmed throughout.
Step 7 – Serve warm with your favorite type of dippers and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Wood Chips – Make sure to add chips to the smoker every 15 minutes if your smoker does not have an automatic feature. Make this recipe with pecans, oak, or cherry wood chips. You can also use a pellet grill.
- Cream Cheese – Make sure that the cream cheese is cold when putting it in the smoker or it might melt when cooking.
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese – We recommend using Full Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Low fat cream cheese doesn’t melt as well as full fat cream cheese.
- Seasoning – We recommend completely cover the bricks of cream cheese with the seasoning. This allows for the cream cheese to be full of flavor.
- Cast Iron Skillet – Place the cream cheese in a cast iron skillet to cook the cream cheese. It cooks in the skillet and you can also use it for serving. You can also smoke the cream cheese on aluminum foil.
- Cut the Cream Cheese – Cut the cream cheese in criss-cross pattern before cooking. This is allows for the cream cheese to cook thoroughly.
Variations Ideas
- Make a Sweet Variation – If you would like to serve this dish with a hint of sweetness, season with sugar and cinnamon. Add in brown sugar and honey for the perfect sweet dip. Serve with apples, cinnamon chips or cannoli shells.
- Sweet and Savory Dip – Top the cream cheese with pepper jelly for a delicious sweet and savory dip. You can season the cream cheese and smoke or smoke it with not seasoning. Then top with the pepper jelly for a delicious appetizer.
- Mexican Dip – Change up taco Tuesday and make a Mexican Dip. Seasoning the cream with taco seasoning and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
- Ranch Dip – Sprinkle the top of the cream cheese with ranch seasoning packet. You can also use onion powder, garlic powder, dip, salt and pepper.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning – This dry rub seasoning is so popular and we always have it stocked. It is easy choice to add to your cream cheese and smoked. We have even used a cajun seasoning blend for a delicious variation topped with green onions.
- Favorite BBQ Rub – Smoke your cream cheese and then pour your favorite BBQ Sauce. You can make your own or use store bought BBQ Sauce.
How to Serve
There are many ways to serve this delicious cream cheese. This budget friendly dip is perfectly served a variety of ways.
- Crackers – We love making a charcuterie board when we make this cream cheese. We have tray loaded with different types of crackers such as pita chips, Nilla Wafers or bagel chips.
- Bagels – Get some mini bagels and spread some cream cheese over the top. We like to toast and drizzle with olive oil and then spread the cream cheese.
- Tortilla Chips – If you are making a Mexican dish, top your cream cheese with taco seasoning. Then serve with a side of tortilla chips to take Taco Tuesday to the next level.
- Vegetable Tray – Make a vegetable try loaded with raw vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and cauliflower for a delicious side.
- Mac and Cheese – For even more flavor, add this recipe to your mac and cheese.
How Long to Smoke Cream Cheese
Depending on your smoker, it will take about 2 hours to cook the cream cheese. You want to make sure the cream warm throughout for the best cream cheese dip.
What is the Best Wood Chips to Smoke Cream Cheese?
Feel free to use wood chips or type of pellets of your choice. We like to the flavor that hickory wood chips give the cream cheese. But you can also use Mesquite or Oak wood chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this recipe we recommend using full fat cream cheese. Low-fat cream cheese does not turn as creamy.
This dip is better served hot.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. We recommend covering with plastic wrap and allow the plastic wrap to touch the cream cheese. This helps to prevents moisture in getting on the leftovers.
Yes, you can freeze cream cheese but we do not recommend using frozen cream cheese for this recipe. When the cream cheese thaws, the texture may change which could result in the dip not being good. But if you prefer to freeze cream cheese, make sure to wrap in plastic wrap before freezing.
Reheat the leftovers in the oven on a baking sheet or the air fryer to easily warm up your leftovers.
More Easy Smoked Recipes
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Smoked Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese full-fat
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Favorite Dippers: Crackers veggies, etc.
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Instructions
- Preheat a smoker with a water pan to 225 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, stir together ½ teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- With a sharp knife, cut a criss-cross pattern diagonally on top of the cream cheese approximately halfway through the cream cheese.
- Place the cream cheese in a small cast iron pan or baking pan.
- Immediately place the cream cheese in the smoker and smoke for approximately 2 hours until the cream cheese is warmed throughout.
- Serve warm with your favorite type of dippers and enjoy!
