Food and Recipes Recipes 36 Recipes You Can Make With A Block Of Cream Cheese By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Senior Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on October 23, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Cream cheese is one of those simple yet hardworking ingredients that plays a role in some of our favorite recipes. It's so versatile it can be used for every course and meal from breakfast to dessert including appetizers, dips, casseroles, cakes, and more. We'll always love using cream cheese in classic desserts like cheesecakes and of course in frostings, but these recipes will show you just how many different ways there are to use cream cheese while cooking. Next time you have an unused block of cream cheese in the fridge, put it to good use with one of these delicious recipes. 01 of 36 Tomato Soup Cake Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless This cake is the definition of don't knock it 'til you try it. Your guests will think this is a delicious cake similar to a spice or carrot cake, but impress everyone with revealing the unconventional ingredient of a can of tomato soup. Get the Recipe 02 of 36 Possum Pie Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely If you're from Arkansas, you know that this local pie doesn't have any meat in it at all. Filled with layers of cream cheese and chocolate pudding, this dessert pie is a perfect treat that everyone will enjoy. Get the Recipe 03 of 36 Cream Cheese Sausage Balls Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Sausage balls are a holiday classic at any Southern gathering, and these cream cheese sausage balls are a tangy, creamy twist on the standard recipe. Get the Recipe 04 of 36 Carrot Cake With Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones It's not fall without a carrot cake, and this recipe features a maple cream cheese frosting to make it even more perfect for the season. Get the Recipe 05 of 36 Heavenly Angel Food Cake Angel food cake is beloved across the world, and this recipe is the perfect flavor, consistency, and portion to keep in your repertoire. Get the Recipe 06 of 36 Cream Cheese Brownies Micah A. Leal Upgrade your next batch of homemade brownies and make them even sweeter by swirling a cream cheese mixture over the top for perfectly soft squares. Get the Recipe 07 of 36 Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Photographer: Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Your Instant Pot will help you get chili on the table from start to finish in just 45 minutes. Get the Recipe 08 of 36 Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke We've upgraded the South's favorite appetizer of cream cheese and pepper jelly by using seasoned crackers as the base and then topping it with pan-fried shrimp. Get the Recipe 09 of 36 Rhubarb-Cream Cheese Spoke Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Make the most of rhubarb's short growing season with this tangy spoke cake. Get the Rec ipe 10 of 36 Leek-and-Mushroom Grits Frittata Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Delicious when served for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, this cheesy frittata will come together in just 35 minutes Get the Recipe 11 of 36 Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis These pretty cheesecake bars taste just as good as they look. Get the Recipe 12 of 36 Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake Greg Dupree This recipe starts with apple cake batter that's combined with cream cheese filling and then topped with praline frosting. Need we say more? Get the Recipe 13 of 36 Skillet Corn with Shrimp and Sausage Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Creamy skillet corn serves as a flavorful base for smoked sausage and shrimp. Get the Recipe 14 of 36 Praline-Cream Cheese King Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop styling: Claire Spollen; Food styling: Chelsea Zimmer You'll need not just one but two 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese for the filling of this decadent homemade King Cake. Get the Recipe 15 of 36 Party Poppers Hector Manuel Sanchez These two-bite appetizers are sure to please, in fact, don't be surprised when they fly off the platter. Just go ahead and double this easy recipe. Get the Recipe 16 of 36 Strawberry Cheesecake Salad Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Get the favor of cheesecake in a bowl in just 15 minutes. Get the Recipe 17 of 36 Baked BLT Dip Skyler Burt We turned the beloved sandwich into a crowd-pleasing dip. Get the Recipe 18 of 36 Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Perhaps the most classic dessert that makes use of cream cheese is the Red Velvet Cake. Get the Recipe 19 of 36 Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Make sure to allow your cream cheese time to come to room temperature before you start preparing your muffins. Get the Recipe 20 of 36 Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham This creamy dip can be prepared ahead of time and heated just before serving. Pita chips or toasted French bread are ideal for dipping. Get the Recipe 21 of 36 Lemon Cream Cheese Bars Micah A. Leal Jarred lemon curd and cream cheese create the gooey layers that sit on top of the cookie base. This citrus treat comes together in less than 30 minutes. Get the Recipe 22 of 36 Cranberry-Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely This dip needs to chill for at least two hours before serving, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week making it a great make-ahead option. Get the Recipe 23 of 36 Frozen Cheesecake Bites Micah A. Leal These no-bake bites are not only refreshing but they're also patriotic making them great for summer holiday cookouts. Get the Recipe 24 of 36 Stuffed Celery Recipe with Cream Cheese and Walnuts Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Pull together this 10-minute appetizer anytime you have company for a filling pre-dinner snack. Get the Recipe 25 of 36 One-Dish Blackberry French Toast Throw this one-dish breakfast together the night before serving and let it chill. The next morning, simply pop it in the oven for a decadent breakfast the whole family will love. Get the Recipe 26 of 36 Cream Cheese Ice Cream Photo: Jennifer Davick / Food Styling Marian Cooper Cairns This recipe can be compared to cream cheese frosting in ice cream form, so it's acceptable to eat with a spoon. Get the Recipe 27 of 36 Baked Goat Cheese Spread with Pepper Jelly Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall If you're tasked with making an appetizer, a cheesy dip is always a good idea. Get the Recipe 28 of 36 Cream Cheese Pastries Alison Miksch This recipe makes four loaves, so there's plenty for every member of the family. Get the Recipe 29 of 36 Hummingbird Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Cream cheese is one of the most important ingredients in our most popular cake ever. Get the Recipe 30 of 36 Cheesecake Cookies Caitlin Bensel While these cookies were made with holiday cookie swaps in mind, they can also serve as a bite-sized treat year-round. Get the Recipe 31 of 36 Salmon Bagel Sandwiches Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Mixing cream cheese with chives, radishes, dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice creates a flavor-packed spread for this indulgent bagel sandwich. Get the Recipe 32 of 36 Black-and-Blue Buttermilk Tart Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Top this chilled tart with fresh summer berries and basil leaves just before serving. Get the Recipe 33 of 36 Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake Jennifer Davick Upgrade this pound cake by garnishing with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Get the Recipe 34 of 36 Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese Southern Living You can thank two blocks of cream cheese for the extra creamy texture of these make-ahead mashed potatoes. Just don't over beat your spuds or else they could get gummy. Get the Recipe 35 of 36 Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas This quick-bread recipe can be made in either loaf or muffin form. Get the Recipe 36 of 36 Cream Cheese Pound Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Once you've added cream cheese to your pound cake, you'll never want to make it any other way again. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit