20 Easy Cream Cheese Appetizers

These cream cheese appetizers are rich, delicious, and of course, creamy. 

Plenty of people love cream cheese desserts, but for me, appetizers are really where cream cheese shines. 

The smooth, silky texture and relatively mild flavor pair well with many different things.

I’m talking spicy, tangy, sour, sweet, zesty, and savory.

So for this list, I’ve tried to pull together a few different options to fit numerous occasions. 

If you’re a spicy food lover, check out the jalapeño poppers or the spicy cream cheese dip.

If you like things a little more sour and zesty, try the dill pickle dip.

No matter what you pick, these cream cheese appetizers will make your next party a success!

20 Best Cream Cheese Appetizer Recipes

1. Sweet and Spicy Cream Cheese Dip

You can make this simple, three-ingredient dip in less than 5 minutes.

Just spoon peach jelly over a block of cream cheese and add pepper relish on top.

It tastes great with whole-grain crackers or whatever you want to serve with it. It’s sweet, creamy, and full of heat. 

2. Cranberry Cream Cheese Appetizer Bites

These crispy pie crust shells contain sweet cranberry sauce and earthy green onions.

Add a few extras and it’ll have the best full-bodied, smoky-sweet flavor.

Each bite-sized morsel is like a little bite of heaven. And you won’t be able to stop at just one.

3. Canapes with Garlic Herb Cream Cheese and Avocado

These flaky, toasty canapes with garlic herb cream cheese and avocado are so good, everyone loves them.

And that includes self-proclaimed “avocado haters.”

They have a robust, herby, and earthy flavor and are pretty filling, despite their small size.

4. Bacon Cream Cheese Bites

If you’re looking for something a bit more decadent, bacon cream cheese bites are ideal.

Each one starts with a chives and cream cheese-covered slice of bread.

That’s tasty enough all by itself, but then you’ll wrap each one in a thick, yummy slice of bacon.

Put the whole thing in the oven until the cheese is gooey, and the bacon is crispy. 

The process takes about 30-35 minutes, and you can make nearly three dozen. 

They are perfect for Game Day treats, Sunday dinner appetizers, or any potluck where you need to bring finger foods to share.

5. Million-Dollar Cream Cheese Dip

Featuring cream cheese, smoked gouda, bacon, mayo, and cheddar cheese, this is one cheesy dish.

But there’s also almonds, green onions, and plenty of seasonings to make it extra special. 

It’s gluten-free and low-carb/keto-friendly. But the lack of gluten and carbs doesn’t take anything away from the flavor.

This stuff is incredible. 

Serve it with chips, or keep it keto with pork rinds. Yum!

(If you’re new to keto and wondering, “What are pork rinds?” check out my post to learn more.)

6. Salami Cream Cheese Bites

If you love easy, no-cook appetizers that you can make in 10 minutes or less using only three ingredients, this recipe is the one for you. 

If you can soften and spread cream cheese, roll up salami slices, and stick a toothpick through them, you can make these. 

That’s literally all it takes to pull them together.

I always add the optional green olives on top because I love the salt and slight sourness. But you can add them or leave them as you like.

7. Spinach Artichoke Dip

If you’re making spinach artichoke dip, you might as well make the best. And for my money, no one beats Applebee’s.

It’s creamy, cheesy, and packed with the rich earthiness of spinach and artichokes.

Whether you serve it with crackers or tortilla chips or eat it with a spoon, this dip is quite simply delicious.

8. Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

If you’re looking for a fantastic fall appetizer that’s both sweet and savory, cranberry cream cheese dip is an excellent option. 

It takes 25 minutes to make and requires fewer than 10 ingredients.

Containing sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness (if you add the optional jalapeno), it’s a real crowd-pleaser. 

9. Everything Bagel Cucumber Cream Cheese Bites

You can make these tiny treats any time of the year, but I prefer them in the summer when I have plenty of fresh veggies.

It’s another fabulous no-cook recipe that takes only 15 minutes to pull together. 

The cucumbers and tomatoes are cool and fresh. And the cream cheese/mayo/ranch is light and zesty.

10. Dill Pickle Dip

This four-ingredient dill pickle dip may not be for everyone. But if you love things that are sour and zesty, you’ll adore it. 

All it takes is some combining and mixing, and you’ll have a dip to rival any bag of dill pickle chips you can find.

11. Hormel Chili Dip

I think of Hormel chili dip as the “King of Dips.” Let me tell you why. 

First of all, it’s hands-down one of the most delicious dips you’ll ever taste. It’s rich, smooth, cheesy, and just a bit spicy.

(Purchase Hormel Hot No Beans for extra heat.)

Secondly, it requires only three ingredients – chili, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese.

Finally, it takes 5 minutes to make. Seriously. Just 5 minutes!

12. Cream Cheese Ball

It’s best to make this yummy ball of cream cheesy goodness the night before you plan to serve it.

It only takes about 25 minutes to make, but it needs to chill for a while before you eat it.

Be sure you wait until right before serving it to add the pecans, though. Otherwise, they won’t be as crunchy. 

13. Cowboy Crack Dip

Cowboy crack dip is a somewhat updated version of the traditional Rotel cheese dip.

It has the same wonderful creaminess as Rotel dip, however, it also has sausage, corn, and cream cheese.

Unfortunately, you can’t cook it quite as quickly as you can Rotel dip. This one needs at least an hour or so in the slow cooker. 

14. Jalapeno Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

There are dozens of different ways to prepare stuffed mushrooms, but there’s no better way than this one if you like heat and spice. 

You’ll stuff the mushrooms with jalapenos, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and plenty of seasonings. 

You can also add breadcrumbs, but if you’re trying to keep things low-carb or keto-friendly, you may want to leave those off. 

Either way, these spicy mushrooms are buttery and incredibly juicy. 

15. Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe takes all the zesty tanginess of buffalo chicken and turns it into a delicious dip for veggies, chips, and more. 

It’s a pretty amazing appetizer. 

16. Jalapeno Popper Dip

If you like dips that are thick and creamy but that have plenty of layers and a nice bit of texture, you’ll go crazy for the jalapeno popper dip. 

It takes 10 minutes to prepare and another 15 to cook.

With jalapenos, three types of cheese, and a delicious array of seasonings and toppings, you won’t find many people who don’t like it.

It’s a rich, thick dip, though, so be sure to use crackers, veggies, or very sturdy chips for dipping.

17. Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

If you’re not in the mood for jalapeno popper dip, why not make real jalapeno poppers instead?

They have the same excellent taste and all the heat, but they’re a bit more substantial.

Plus, you don’t need anything extra like chips or veggie sticks to eat them.

Oh, and you can even make them ahead and freeze them. I don’t normally freeze cream cheese, but in this case, they’ll bake or fry up perfectly.

18. Seven-Layer Taco Dip

This seven-layer taco dip is the ultimate appetizer for those who love Mexican food.

It manages to work all your favorite Mexican staples into one phenomenal dish.

There’s cheese, refried beans, peppers, onions, salsa, sour cream, olives, and more.

The only thing it’s missing is a guacamole layer, but that’s by design.

Without it, you can make it the night before you plan to eat it.

You can always add a last-minute guacamole layer before serving if you like, though.

19. Clam Dip

I know we’re getting near the end of the list, but I did promise you some umami flavor, and I always keep my promises. 

This five-ingredient clam dip takes less than 30 minutes to make and only requires you to mix the ingredients. 

The garlic compliments the clam perfectly, and those small dashes of Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice round out the whole recipe nicely. 

As you can see from the picture, I also like to add some chopped green onions to the top for added flavor.

20. Vegetable Cream Cheese Tortilla Roll-Ups

These veggie roll-ups may be small and simple to make, but they lack absolutely nothing when it comes to flavor. 

Everything from the cheese and garlic to the onions and veggies tastes marvelous, and as a bonus, they’re a relatively low-calorie lunch option, as well. 

It doesn’t get much better than that.