Smoked Cream Cheese

A total showstopper, this smoked cream cheese is incredibly easy to make. You’ll find my plain version as well as a cranberry hot honey holiday variation, too. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and ultra impressive to make for entertaining, with very little effort involved.

Smoked cream cheese on a plate topped with cranberry sauce and green onions. - 2

One bite of smoked cream cheese and I decided I needed to make a gazillion variations! Today I have two for you, but there are definitely going to be more coming because smoked cream cheese is too delicious.

With the holidays here, I’m bringing you my cranberry hot honey version today because I can’t think of a better appetizer for any holiday party.

And I have a couple of tricks for you to make scoring the cream cheese easier and to give it a more smoky flavor. So let’s dive in and make this!

Smoked cream cheese with a rib rub seasoning on it surrounded by 2 kinds of crackers and potato chips. - 3

Ingredients & Substitutions

A block of cream cheese, oil, and rib rub seasoning in bowls on a wood cutting board. - 4

Cream cheese – regular cream cheese (full-fat, not reduced fat/light/Neufchâtel) is what works best here.
Oil – I use a little avocado oil to help the seasoning rub stick, but olive oil works as well.
Seasoning – I used my rib rub from my Oven Roasted Ribs recipe , but you can use any rub you enjoy. Ranch seasoning and other seasonings like Italian dressing, etc., also work well with smoked cream cheese. Just be careful about the seasoning you use if you want to add a topping, like my cranberry version.
Toppings – we like thinly sliced green onions for the plain smoked cream cheese because it adds a nice savory note. You’ll also find my cranberry holiday version in the recipe card, and more variations are coming. Taco toppings, bruschetta topping, berries & balsamic are all great options.

How to make this recipe step by step

Scoring the block of cream cheese with a paring knife on a wood cutting board. - 5

Step 1: Start by freezing your block of cream cheese for 45 minutes. This gives it a much firmer texture, making it much easier to score with a pairing knife .

When the cream cheese is ready, lightly oil the knife , then score it diagonally in a diamond pattern.

Rubbing the scored cream cheese with oil and rib rub. - 6

Step 2: Next, rub the block of cream cheese with a bit of oil and spread your choice of seasoning over it. I’m using my rib rub, which is listed in the recipe card below.

Smoking the seasoned cream cheese in a baking dish on a smoker grill. - 7

Step 3 : Smoke the cream cheese on a smoker grill, away from direct heat, at 190ºF for 2 hours.

Removing the finished cream cheese from the parchment paper with a spatula onto a serving platter. - 8

Step 4: When the cream cheese is completely soft with the score marks opening up, remove it from the smoker and carefully slide it onto a serving platter. You can serve it as is with crackers and potato chips (and/or bagel chips).

Four photos in a collage showing the smoked cream cheese being topped with cranberry sauce, green onions, jalapeno slices, and drizzled with hot honey. - 9

Step 5: Or for my holiday version, serve this cream cheese with cranberry sauce, green onions, jalapeño, and a drizzle of hot honey.

Smoked cream cheese topped with cranberry sauce, green onions, and jalapeno with crackers around it. - 10

Ways to serve this

Serve this smoked cream cheese with crackers and/or potato chips, both have great flavor.
Try my holiday-inspired cranberry hot honey topping in the recipe card.
Upcoming variations: taco toppings with taco seasoning on the cream cheese, berries & balsamic, bruschetta topping, roasted peppers & hot honey, buffalo sauce with ranch seasoning on the cream cheese.

Any rib rub or meat seasoning works really well with smoked cream cheese. Ranch seasoning, Italian dressing seasoning, etc., all have great flavor too. Think of the cream cheese like a blank canvas.

I like to smoke cream cheese low and slow for the most flavor at 190ºF. Boiling point is 212ºF so you don’t want the smoker too high because the cream cheese will finish before you get much smoke flavor.

Storing leftovers

To store – Place any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheating – Gently reheat in the oven at 200ºF until warmed, or serve the leftovers cold from the fridge.

Smoked cream cheese topped with green onions on a platter surrounded by 2 kinds of crackers and potato chips. - 11

Tips & Tricks

Don’t skip freezing the cream cheese block for the listed time, because it will be very difficult to cut up.
I like to keep the temp low on my pellet grill so that the cream cheese can smoke longer. My lowest temperature is 190ºF and it allows you to smoke for at least 2 hours. Then I turn up the grill for around 30 minutes at the end to make the cream cheese even softer.
The sky is the limit with what you can do with smoked cream cheese, and I’m getting my variations written down one by one. But if you want to get started sooner, here is my list so far: topped with taco toppings, buffalo style, tomato basil, berry balsamic, and roasted peppers with hot honey.
A fun way to serve this is to mash the finished smoked cream cheese together, swirl it in a pattern in a bowl plate, then pile on your choice of toppings. This allows the seasoning and outer smoked layer to be mixed into the interior cream cheese, which lacks flavor.

Smoked cream cheese topped with taco meat, green onions, cilantro, and tomatoes with corn chips on the side. - 12

More Smoked Recipe Inspiration

Smoked Mac and Cheese
Smoked Prime Rib
Smoked Chicken Breasts
Smoked Chicken Thighs
Smoked Turkey Breast

INGREDIENTS1x2x3x

8 ounce cream cheese - block, not in a tub
1 tbsp avocado oil - or olive oil
1 tbsp seasoning - liked rib rub, see notes

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by freezing your block of cream cheese for 45 minutes. This gives it a much firmer texture, making it much easier to score with a pairing knife .
Preheat your smoker pellet grill to 190ºF or a similar low temperature.
Place the cream cheese on a small piece of parchment paper. Then lightly oil the knife , and score it diagonally in a diamond pattern.
Next, rub the block of cream cheese with oil, and spread your choice of seasoning over it. I’m using the rib rub in the notes below.
Place the block of cream cheese in a baking dish of your choice. Smoke the cream cheese on a smoker grill, away from direct heat, at 190ºF for 2 hours. Turn the grill temperature up to 350ºF if the cream cheese isn’t fully done for 15-30 minutes.
When the cream cheese is completely soft with the score marks opening up, remove it from the smoker and carefully slide it onto a serving platter. Serve with crackers and potato chips (and/or bagel chips).

NOTES

nutrition facts