Watch this maple walnut cream cheese disappear when you serve it at your next party!

A Sweet Surprise

Most cream cheese-based spreads tend to be of the savory variety. Here’s one that breaks that mold!

Cream cheese spreads and appetizers are for the most part loaded with veggies or scallions. Eaten before a meal, those flavors will wake up your appetite for the main course.

But how about serving a sweet spread with crackers on a dessert buffet? It’s a bit different and unusual. But moreover, it’s delicious!

Healthy? Probably!

I’m certainly not a dietitian so I cannot say this with any authority, but this is one recipe that just may be healthy. At any rate, it has some redeeming nutritional value because it contains some pretty healthy ingredients.

There’s no sugar. Pure maple syrup takes the place of that plus it adds a subtle flavor to the spread. Then you have walnuts which are full of protein and some fiber too. So far, so good!

Where I tend to use regular cream cheese in most things, this could also be made with Neufchatel cheese (which they now are calling “low-fat cream cheese”–it’s been around forever) and it will be 30% less fat and still taste great! FYI I wouldn’t recommend fat-free varieties of cream cheese because the texture is NOT the same and it tastes pretty awful too. Neufchatel, where it’s naturally lower in fat, tastes great so opt for that.

Don’t Forget Breakfast Bagels

If you have bagels at breakfast sometimes, this spread is perfect on them!

Spread on a whole-grain bagel, this would be like a power breakfast that starts your day well! It would go well with most plain or fruit-based bagels. I don’t think it’d be so hot on onion or garlic bagels, but who knows???

Add What You Like

The recipe for this maple walnut cream cheese is pretty basic, but it does lend itself to additions you may like.

Try it with some raisins, dried cherries or other dried fruit. That would pack a bigger nutritional punch.

Add a variety of nuts too–it can only get better, and if you want a hint of spice, a pinch or two of cinnamon would probably be great.

The Recipe

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Maple Walnut Cream Cheese

Watch this maple walnut cream cheese disappear when you serve it at your next party!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Appetizers

Cuisine: American

Keyword: appetizers, cream cheese, flavored cream cheese, party dip

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2-3 tbsp pure maple syrup

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Refrigerate unless serving immediately.
• Recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Notes

You can also add dried fruits and other nuts. If you like a hint of spice, a pinch or 2 of cinnamon would be nice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 508IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

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Make a big batch of this vegetable cream cheese to last through the holidays!  It’s very versatile!

I was first introduced to fancy cream cheeses about 40-odd years ago when I spotted them in Waldbaum’s deli department back when I lived in NYC.

These cream cheese concoctions were primarily meant to go on bagels and bialys–and they are perfect for that–but they have many other delicious uses.

In this, I used green onions and red and orange peppers.  Some broccoli and carrot would be nice too. It’s pretty much up to you what you use and use what you like! In fact, you could make 2 varieties at the same time. Add the green onions and remove half and you have scallion cream cheese. Add the peppers and whatever else you like, and you have vegetable cream cheese. In addition to using it on the traditional bagels and bialys, try it on some crackers or hard rolls. I decided to make roll-ups with it.

The other day I happened upon some fancy flatbreads in my local supermarket. In addition to plain and spinach, I saw a tomato-basil variety that I thought would be perfect for this appetizer.  Spinach would do just as well too and in a pinch you could use plain old flour tortillas!

The cream cheese must be room temperature and soft enough to mix with a spoon.  You can add as much veggies as you want.  My measurements are what I use because to me it provides the perfect balance of flavors.  Use it as a guide and then taste it.  If you like it more crunchy and veggie based, add more of your desired vegetables.  Same goes with the seasoning. I tend to undersalt things having gotten into the habit when my late husband was on a sodium-restricted diet.

This cream cheese will come in handy over the holidays–especially if you’re having parties!

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Vegetable Cream Cheese Bites

Make a big batch of this vegetable cream cheese to last through the holidays!  It’s very versatile!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Appetizers, Dips, dressings, sauces

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cream cheese, vegetable recipes

Servings: 12

Calories: 7kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 large 12-inch diameter flavored flat breads or flour tortilla

VEGETABLE CREAM CHEESE

• 2 8 oz pkgs each cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 green onions white and green part, chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet red bell peppers finely diced (mixing colors looks very nice)

Instructions

• Mix all vegetable cream cheese ingredients.
• Divide cream cheese between the 2 flat breads, spreading to the edge of the bread.
• Roll up jelly roll style and wrap in aluminum foil
• Refrigerate until cheese is firm.
• Slice in 1/2-inch slices.

Nutrition

Serving: 1person | Calories: 7kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 298IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

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