Do you dream of strawberry cream cheese? Me, too. While it tastes like dessert, it’s breakfast-approved!
It’s one of the most delicious bagel toppings. I mean, it transforms basic breakfast food into dessert.
And yes, you can buy pre-made strawberry cream cheese at the store. But why would you?
Store-bought strawberry cream cheese uses strawberry extract and preservatives. This recipe uses the real thing.
Fresh strawberries transform regular cream cheese into something magical.
Grab your bagels and fire up that toaster. Let’s look at this fantastic homemade strawberry cream cheese recipe.
Strawberry Cream Cheese
This strawberry cream cheese recipe is a must-have in your fridge at breakfast time.
A decadent strawberry cream cheese dollop takes your morning bagel over the edge.
What I love most about this recipe is that it’s 100 percent natural.
The cream cheese is sweetened and flavored with fresh strawberries. No artificial ingredients here!
Plus, it’s so easy to whip up in a jiffy.
You can even make this super simple cream cheese while your bagel toasts.
Bonus points: it has a long shelf life in the fridge. So, you can bust it out whenever you need a sweet treat.
Ingredients
Pre-made strawberry cream cheese has a very long ingredient list. But this homemade recipe only calls for three simple ingredients.
- Cream cheese– The type of cream cheese doesn’t matter much in this recipe. You can use low-fat Neufchâtel cheese to keep calories low.
- Just make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Sugar– Strawberries are naturally sweet, and just a dash of sugar helps amplify their natural sweetness.
- Strawberries– Always use fresh strawberries in this recipe! Strawberries are the star of this show. You want them to be plump and ripe.
How to Make Strawberry Cream Cheese
If you have 10 minutes in the morning, you can make this excellent cream cheese. Just follow these quick and easy steps below.
1. Bring cream cheese to room temperature.
- Allow your block to reach room temperature if you want ultra-creamy cream cheese. This will take about 30 minutes.
- Cut your block into smaller cubes to cut the softening time in half.
2. Make the strawberry mash.
- Add strawberries and sugar into a medium mixing bowl and mash.
- Add it to your blender and pulse until smooth for a smoother consistency.
3. Combine the cream cheese.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, combine strawberries and cream cheese until smooth.
Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Strawberry Cream Cheese
Follow these easy tips to ensure your strawberry cream cheese is breakfast-worthy.
- Bust out the food processor. If you prefer your cream cheese ultra-creamy, add strawberries to the food processor or blender!
- This step ensures the strawberries are evenly blended.
- Don’t overmix. Mix the cream cheese until it turns a delicate shade of summery pink. Stop there.
- If you overmix your cream cheese, it will become thin.
- Add some extract. A great way to add bold flavors is with just a drop or two of extract.
- For more intense strawberry flavors, try strawberry extract.
- Or, if you want your cream cheese to taste like cheesecake, try vanilla extract.
Variations
Strawberry cream cheese is magical, but you don’t have to stop with strawberries!
For fabulous variations on a classic, check out some of these suggestions below.
- Add fruit that’s in season. If strawberries are too expensive this time of year, opt for seasonal fruit.
- Additions like peaches, raspberries, blueberries, or pineapple are lovely substitutions.
- Mix up your fruit. To create a blended masterpiece, mix and match your fruit. Add strawberries with raspberries for a berry blend cream cheese!
- Make sure that any berries you use equal one cup in this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
This cream cheese is excellent for breakfast, but there are many other uses!
Here are a few ways to squeeze in some strawberry cream cheese for any occasion.
- Toast: Toast is a classic go-to breakfast on the go. You can jazz it up with this cream cheese.
- Add strawberry cream cheese to a piece of toast. But don’t stop there! Pile it with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of honey.
- Party dip: Everyone will go crazy for this dip when paired with tasty sides.
- Pair strawberry cream cheese with slices of fresh fruit, crunchy crackers, and pretzels. This dip is ideal for your next potluck or holiday party.
- Add it to a smoothie: Transform your healthy breakfast smoothie into a decadent dessert.
- Combine protein powder, fruit, and milk with your smoothie.
- Throwing in a dollop of strawberry cream cheese makes it feel more like dessert!
How to Store
The great news is that this recipe holds up well in the fridge.
Place cream cheese in an air-tight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 10 days.
It won’t go bad after 10 days but will become very watery.
Sadly, this recipe is not a great candidate for freezing. Once thawed, the texture won’t be the same.
But that’s ok because it’s so delicious that it won’t last long!
Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread (Best Recipe)
6
servings10
minutes10
minutes152
kcalDo you like strawberry cream cheese? Well, there’s nothing better than this easy, tasty, 3-ingredient recipe! It’s my favorite way to use fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese (1 package)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mash fresh strawberries and sugar.
- Combine strawberry mash with cream cheese, and blend until combined. Enjoy!
