Smoked Cream Cheese

Smoked cream cheese is the perfect appetizer to serve when you have friends over for a barbecue! This recipe is so easy to throw together, and everyone who's tried it seems to love it! The cream cheese gets soft and gooey, but doesn't fully melt, making for an incredible texture when you serve it fresh from the smoker. I typically serve it with a cheese knife and crackers (as a spread), or with plain kettle chips (as a dip).

My favorite thing about this smoked cream cheese is that it works well at a wide range of cooking temperatures, so I just throw it in my pellet grill with whatever meat I'm smoking. It also works great with pretty much any dry rub, so you can whip up a quick batch of homemade rub or use a spoonful of your favorite pre-mixed rub. I typically use my standard brown sugar dry rub, which I've included in the recipe! It's the same rub that I use for my Smoked Chicken Breast.

I think there are a lot of possibilities for other fun topping and flavor combos using smoked cream cheese, so I'm planning to work on some additional recipes soon! You won't regret trying this easy appetizer.

Smoked Cream Cheese Recipe:

• Preheat a pellet smoker, or classic smoker, to 200 F (or really any temp between 180 and 250 F). Use any type of pellets or wood chips you prefer!
• Coat the blocks of cream cheese with olive oil, then cover with your favorite seasonings.
• Use a sharp knife to score the top of the cream cheese block, create a crosshatch pattern like the photos. Place the cream cheese block on a piece of foil in a small baking pan or cast iron skillet.
• Smoke for at least 1 hour. For the best smoky flavor and gooey texture, I recommend smoking for at least 2 hours.
• See the recipe block at the bottom of the post for more details and progress shots.

FAQ

How long to smoke cream cheese at 250?

Cream cheese will take 1 to 2 hours to smoke at 250 F. When you pull it out is really up to personal preference, I like to leave mine in until the outer crust is really caramelized, which usually takes at least an hour and a half.

How long to smoke cream cheese at 225?

Cream cheese will take 1 to 2 hours to smoke at 225 F. When you pull it out is really up to personal preference, I like to leave mine in until the outer crust is really caramelized, which usually takes at least an hour and a half.

Is 275 too hot to smoke cream cheese?

Nope, 275 F is an OK temperature for smoking cream cheese. I typically recommend keeping it under 250 F so the cream cheese cooks slower, but you it will work fine at 275 F if you are smoking other things at that temp. The cream cheese may be ready eat after just one hour.

What's the best seasoning for smoked cream cheese?

I strongly suggest a brown sugar based dry rub for the best smoked cream cheese! The brown sugar in the rub caramelizes to give that beautiful crust you can see in these photos.

What are the best crackers for smoked cream cheese dip?

My favorite crackers to serve with smoked cream cheese are actually not crackers at all, they're plain kettle chips! The kettle chips are more sturdy than most crackers, and make the smoked cream cheese into more of a dip than a spread. If I want to use crackers instead, I usually opt for butter crackers like Ritz crackers. You can also try it with tortilla chips, pita chips, apple slices, bagel chips, or whatever you can think of!

Can you use low-fat cream cheese?

Unfortunately, we don't recommend using low-fat cream cheese in this recipe because the results will be different.

Key Tips - Smoked Cream Cheese

Smoke the cream cheese at whatever temp your other recipes call for.

• This cream cheese will come out great if you set your smoker to any temp between 180 F and 250 F, and that covers the smoke temps for almost everything else. This makes it super easy to add to your smoker while you have another recipe (likely your main course) going as well.

Use whatever dry rub you have on hand.

• I included a recipe for my favorite simple brown sugar dry rub, but this will work with whatever rub you already have mixed up as well. I think brown sugar spice rubs give the best result because the sugar makes for an awesome outer crust.

Serve hot, with crackers or kettle chips.

• I serve this cream cheese appetizer straight from the smoker, with either a cheese knife and butter crackers (like a spread), or plain kettle chips (like a dip).
• I don't recommend serving this cream cheese cold, but some people do love it that way! I think the gooey texture of the warm cream cheese is what makes this dish so irresistible.

Store leftovers in the fridge.

• Leftovers should be moved to an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator. Some people like to use this seasoned cream cheese straight from the fridge. Personally, I think this so much better warmed up, so I like to rewarm it in the oven, air fryer, or microwave before enjoying again.

More Ways to Season Smoked Cream Cheese

My favorite seasoning is a brown sugar dry rub, which is the focus of this recipe, but there are so many other ideas to try!

• Your favorite BBQ rub
• Taco seasoning
• Ranch seasoning
• Italian seasoning
• Cajun seasoning
• Everything bagel seasoning (try it topped with green onions at the end)
• Dessert version: coat in dark brown sugar and smoke, then top with jam, pie filling, Nutella, dark chocolate, or your favorite sweets! Serve with gram crackers, nilla wafers, or rtiz crackers.

Dietary Restrictions

This dish is naturally Gluten-Free.

• Just make sure that your dry rub is gluten-free (the included dry rub recipe is gluten-free).

This dish is naturally Vegetarian.

A Note On Serving Sizes

Serving sizes are a very personal thing, which makes it difficult to choose a serving size that suits everyone. I've listed the serving size for this recipe as 1 oz, so ⅛ of a standard brick of cream cheese, but some people may choose to have more than one serving.

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