I love my smoker, but I don’t love projects that take more than a few hours. I’ve created a lot of recipes that are done in just a couple of hours so I don’t have to babysit my smoker all day! This smoked cream cheese is one of my favorites and will shock you at how delicious it is.

Yes, you can smoke cream cheese. No, it doesn’t melt all over. It absorbs all of that smoky flavor from your wood pellets and turns into one of the very best shmears I’ve ever eaten.

Smear it on a bagel, use it as a veggie/cracker dip, top your burger with it, stir it into Mac ‘n’ cheese! But be sure to smoke at least two or three bricks at a time because it’s a sad day when you eat the whole thing in one day.

Smoked Cream Cheese Recipe

When I heard this was a thing I wondered what kind of witchcraft was happening. “Cooking” cream cheese? Wouldn’t it melt? Would it make a mess all over my smoker? What would I even do with it?

After tinkering with this idea I realized that smoked cream cheese is the best thing you can keep stashed away in your refrigerator. Smear it on a bagel, use it as a veggie/cracker dip, top your burger with it, stir it into Mac ‘n’ cheese!

FYI, it won’t make a mess of your smoker. But it might just change your life.

Smoked Cream Cheese Dip ingredients

• Cream cheese – I like to use the blocks for this because it’s easier to manage. But if you have a big tub of cream cheese, you can scoop out a big mound and use that too.
• Seasoning – I really like using steak seasoning to play off the smoky flavors from your pellet grill/smoker, but you can tinker with this and see what you like! I linked to a few more seasoning blends below that I think would work well here.
• Smoker or pellet grill – You’ll need a smoker or a pellet grill (like a Traeger or a CampChef) where you can control the temperature easily. This will be a low-temp smoke session.

I’ve had a CampChef Woodwind Pellet Grill for a few years now and really love it!

How to Smoke Cream Cheese

1. Preheat your smoker or pellet grill to about 225F.
2. Line a small pan or baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Place the cream cheese block on the parchment. Score the top with a knife, if you like.
4. Cover the cream cheese with a good amount of seasoning. Drizzle a little oil over the top.
5. Place the pan in the smoker and let it smoke for 2 hours.
6. Remove and serve the smoked cream cheese immediately or let it cool and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.

What temp to Smoke Cream Cheese?

You can smoke the cream cheese between 200-250F. I like 225 because it’s warm enough to make the insides gooey, but it won’t start melting the cream cheese.

How long to Smoke Cream Cheese 

I’d recommend at least 45 minutes up to 2 hours for a mild smoky flavor. If you like you can smoke it for 3 hours to incorporate more smoke flavor into the cream cheese.

Best Smoked Cream Cheese Recipe Variations

Smoke your dip! Make a cream cheese based dip and smoke it in a shallow container to add more smoky flavor.

Change up the seasoning – Try using different kinds of seasoning to see what you prefer! I listed some recommendations below.

Tips for Smoking Cream Cheese

• Lining your baking pan with parchment lets you move the cream cheese around more easily and eliminates one more pan to clean up.
• If you like, you can use a cookie cutter and gently press it into the cream cheese to create a design. Scoring it with a cross-hatch pattern also works well here.
• The longer you smoke the cream cheese the stronger the smoky flavor will be.
• Be sure not to smoke it above 250-275F or the cream cheese will begin to melt.

Best seasoning for Smoked Cream Cheese

Here are a few seasoning I’d recommend for smoking cream cheese:

Montreal Steak Seasoning – My top pick and what I use most often.

Chipotle Seasoning – If you want to do a Tex-Mex version of this, try my smoky twist on a taco seasoning. I can see this cream cheese being good to smear inside of a burrito or incorporated into some queso dip.

BBQ Rub – Rubs that have a sweet, brown sugar undertone would be great.

Everything Bagel Seasoning – This smoked cream cheese is delicious on everything bagels and using everything bagel seasoning on the cream cheese would give it a little boost of “everything”.

Blackening Seasoning – You can find a blackening seasoning mix in my Blackened Fish post!

Smoked Cream Cheese Block Serving Suggestions

Here are some serving suggestions for smoked cream cheese

• Serve as is! This stands alone as a yummy dip for crackers and veggies.
• Use it as a smear – It’s delicious on bagels, burgers, sandwiches, and wraps.
• Use it as a base for a dip – If you have a dip recipe that calls for cream cheese, try using smoked cream cheese instead to add some smoky flavor.
• Stir it into creamy pasta dishes – If you’re adding cream cheese to a Mac ‘n’ cheese recipe or another type of creamy pasta, try smoked cream cheese instead!

How to store Smoked Cream Cheese

Just let it cool off then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or two.

FAQs for How to Make Smoked Cream Cheese

More Pellet Grill Recipes on Perry’s Plate

If you like this smoked cream cheese recipe, try one of these other recipes I make on my CampChef Woodwind Pellet Grill!

Smoked Chicken Wings

Smoked Burgers

Smoked Chicken Breast or Smoked Whole Chicken

Smoked Salmon

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If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

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