What is cream cheese?

Cream cheese is a very soft, spreadable white cheese. It first became popular in the 1800s on the East coast, but now it is popular worldwide. 

What does cream cheese taste like

Cream cheese is a very mild-tasting cheese with a slight acidic tang. The cheese’s mild flavor makes it an excellent vessel for other flavors. 

How can you use cream cheese?

This cheese is very mild in taste, making it a great choice when pairing with other foods. Cream cheese is a common spread for bagels; many people enjoy bagels and cream cheese as a breakfast or a snack with smoked salmon and red onions. Cream cheese also makes a great addition to cream sauces for pasta and vegetables.  

In addition to savory dishes, cream cheese’s mild flavor and creamy texture makes it ideal for deserts. Cream cheese is the main ingredient for cheesecakes and is also used for making cream cheese frosting for other cakes and cookies. 

Where do you buy cream cheese?

You can buy cream cheese at most grocery stores and find them near the other cheeses or in the dairy case. Cream cheese typically comes sold in blocks or tubs. There are also other variations of cream cheese that are flavored with other things, like garlic and herb, jalapeno, or strawberry. 

How do you store cream cheese? 

Cream cheese should be stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Once opened, use your tub or block of cream cheese within 10 days. 

Fun Fact About Cream Cheese

Unlike other cheeses that are given time to ripen or mature, cream cheese is designed to be eaten as a fresh cheese. Other types of cheese like this are fresh mozzarella cheese and Mexican cheese, queso fresco. 

Did you know?

You can actually make cream cheese at home with just three ingredients, whole milk, lemon, and salt!

It starts by bringing whole milk to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly stir in lemon juice and watch the curds separate from the whey. Using a cheesecloth, drain the liquid out of the curds and blitz them in a food processor with some salt until smooth! 

Our Recipes Using Cream Cheese 

Cheesecake

One of our most popular recipes is our cheesecake and for good reason. This recipe is very easy to make and comes together in the blender. We combine cream cheese with sour cream, eggs, condensed milk, and vanilla to make the delicious filling. 

Other Recipes Using Cream Cheese 

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

A twist on cheesecake, these bars have a delicious tang of lemon and make for a great summer dessert. Like our cheesecake recipe above, start by mixing graham cracker crumbs and butter and pressing it to the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Make your cheesecake filling with cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and eggs. Add the filling to the dish and top with blueberries before baking. Bake until the cheesecake is almost set and allow the bars to cool down before cutting. 

Cream Cheese Bacon Dip 

This delicious dip is great on just about anything, from crackers to vegetables – make it for your next family get-together or on game day! Start with softened cream cheese in a large bowl. To this, add mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, green onion, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir all of the ingredients together to combine, and garnish with chopped parsley and dill for freshness. 

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect topping for carrot cake – the creamy sweet frosting pairs well with the warm spices in the cake.

To make this classic dessert, start by grating carrots on a box grater and set it aside. In a large bowl, whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla until combined. In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Add your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the shredded carrots and add the batter to a prepared baking pan.

While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Add softened cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar, and lemon juice to a larger stan mixture. Beat the mixture until it’s fully combined and add in a splash of vanilla extract. Frost the cake once it has cooled.