Whipped Garlic Herb Cream Cheese

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This easy whipped cream cheese spread blends fresh parsley and a clove of garlic into soft cream cheese for a unique dip. Perfect as a quick snack with crackers and crudité, or alongside a toasted bagel at breakfast or brunch.

It's amazing how fresh herbs and a bit of garlic can make even simple homemade whipped cream cheese feel special. This garlic cream cheese spread is quick and easy: Just throw a few basic ingredients in a food processor and you're good to go!

This recipe was inspired by the parsley garlic cream cheese at Collegetown Bagels, one of my favorite local spots when I was in grad school!

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Ingredients
Variations and Substitutions
Instructions
Storage
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments & Reviews

Ingredients

Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.

Cream cheese. You'll need one full 8-ounce block of cream cheese; we prefer using a full-fat variety.
A clove of garlic adds a bit of bite to this dressing. Swap it for a roasted clove of garlic or a garlic scape (à la our garlic scape pesto!) for a more mellow garlic flavor.
Fresh parsley is our go-to here, but you can use any herb combo you like (we love fresh basil, mint, oregano, tarragon, thyme, fresh chives, dill, or cilantro).

Variations and Substitutions

Add protein. A scoop of cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or canned, drained butter beans adds a protein boost to this whipped cream cheese.
For a fluffier whipped texture with extra creaminess, add 1-2 Tablespoons of heavy cream at the very end of blending.
Flavor enhancers. Add a spoonful of sour cream, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or some fresh lemon zest for extra depth of flavor.

Instructions

Cream cheese, parsley, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.

Whipped cream cheese in a food processor.

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until you have a creamy consistency. You may need to pause and scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to ensure you get a smooth, even mixture.

Pro Tip: Break the cream cheese into a few large pieces and roughly tear the parsley before adding them to the food processor. Smaller pieces blend more efficiently, so you won't have to stop and scrape down the bowl as often.

Storage

Store whipped cream cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

FAQs

Can I use dried herbs?

We don't recommend using dried herbs here. Fresh herbs bring so much brightness and flavor to this dip (or any cheese spreads!). It just isn't the same without them. So please use fresh herbs here!

However - if you don't have a garlic clove handy, you CAN substitute ¼ to ½ teaspoon of garlic powder for the fresh garlic clove in this recipe. The flavor won't be quite as bright, but it will work in a pinch.

Can I make this recipe without a food processor?

Yes! Chop the garlic and parsley into very fine pieces, then blend the cream cheese ingredients together with a hand mixer in a large bowl or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

What kind of cream cheese should I use?

We prefer a full-fat variety of cream cheese for the best flavor and smoothest texture. We've tested this garlic herb cream cheese recipe with Wegmans Cream Cheese and Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese - both are good!

This recipe has not been tested with vegan cream cheese or other dairy-free cream cheese substitutes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this whipped cream cheese on a toasted bagel, spread a layer on your favorite sandwich, add a dollop to an easy white pasta sauce with some spinach fettuccine, or use it as a dip for crackers and fresh veggies (we love snap peas, bell peppers, carrots, or celery) on a summer cheese board. Some of our favorite places to add this cream cheese:

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!

📖 Recipe

Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Spread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

Author: Jessie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 ½ cups 1x
Category: Dip
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This bright and colorful whipped cream cheese features fresh parsley and a clove of garlic. Use on bagels, sandwiches, and more!

Ingredients

Scale

8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup fresh parsley (35 grams)
1 clove garlic, peeled
kosher salt, to taste

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Instructions

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse again until you have a smooth spread.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Additions and Substitutions. Use any combination of herbs you like here (we love adding chives, basil, or mint). Use a garlic scape or a clove of roasted garlic in place of the raw garlic.

Serving suggestions. Spread this cream cheese on bagels or toast. Add a layer to your favorite sandwich in place of mayonnaise. Stir a dollop into pasta sauce for added creaminess. Serve as a dip alongside veggies or crackers.

Equipment note. In our recipe testing, smaller, less powerful food processors sometimes struggled to cut through a full block of cream cheese quickly and efficiently. Depending on the strength of your food processor, you may want to break the cream cheese up into smaller pieces, and/or let it come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes before blending.

We prefer using full-fat cream cheese here for the best flavor and texture.

This recipe was inspired by the Parsley Garlic Cream Cheese spread at Collegetown Bagels.