Smoked Cream Cheese – An Easy & Addicting Appetizer Recipe

I finally broke down and tried the viral TikTok recipe of Smoked Cream Cheese. If you have not seen the popular recipe videos let me explain.

A block of cream cheese is placed in a cast iron skillet or on top of aluminum foil. It is then seasoned with your favorite dry rub seasoning and placed in a smoker.

After an hour or two the cream cheese absorbs the smoky flavor of the pellets or wood chips. And it becomes nice and creamy.

It is the perfect appetizer to serve at your outdoor barbecue, for your next game day tailgate party, or for any gathering. But I have to warn you, the warm, creamy dip is absolutely addicting!

You can serve it with celery, carrots or sliced cucumbers and bell peppers for a low-carb appetizer for your Keto dieting family and friends. Or serve it with tortilla chips or crackers for those who want to indulge and take advantage of this delicious appetizer.

Either way, your friends and family are going to enjoy it so much that they will ask you to make it over and over again. And luckily, with less than 5 minutes of hands on prep time, it is easy to do!

What Wood Is Best To Smoke Cream Cheese

Different types of wood will give your cream cheese different flavors. For the beginner, I suggest starting off with wood that gives a milder flavor.

Apple wood is always a good choice as it gives a mild smoky flavor, but still allows you to enjoy the flavor of the cheese itself as well.

However, you could also use hickory, pecan or oak to give the cream cheese more of a smoky bacon flavor. And for those who want a strong smoky taste, mesquite would be your best choice.

Therefore, your choice of wood really depends on what type of flavor that you are wanting.

What Type of Smoker To Use

Although you can use any type of smoker to make this smoked cream cheese appetizer, there are some smokers that require less hands on monitoring during the smoking process.

Propane Smokers

For propane smokers, you must adjust both the propane and air vents to maintain the low temperature required. Although it is possible, you must constantly check to make sure that the propane is still lit and not giving off too much or too little heat.

Electric Smokers

Electric smokers are easier to adjust and maintain the desired temperature than propane smokers. Set the temperature desired and when the smoker gets up to temperature, add the seasoned cream cheese.

The only downfall of upright electric smokers is that sometimes you need to add more wood chips during the cooking process. This is especially true if your wood cavity is small and you use dry wood.

Ceramic Kamado-Style Smokers

Also known by the brand name as Kamado Joe or Big Green Egg these barrel smokers are known for being a great smoker that holds the heat very well during the smoking process.

They come in various sizes from mini to XXL. They do a great job smoking meats that require low and slow cooking for an extended period of time.

However, if you have one of the larger size smokers, you will need to fill the bottom barrel with a lot of lump charcoal. And if you are only smoking one bar of cream cheese, that seems like a lot of work.

Not to mention, some individuals have a difficult time maintaining a low temperature on Kamado style smokers. But it is possible and the smoked cream cheese will turn out amazing.

Pellet Smokers

Pellet smokers use tiny wood pellets as fuel to maintain the smoker. The best part about a pellet grill that it has an electric auger that automatically adds more wood pellets to the fire to maintain the programmed temperature.

This is a huge advantage when compared to other types of smokers. You can simply set the temperature, add the cream cheese, and walk away.

There is no adjusting air flow vents for temperature control. I used my Z-Grills Pellet Grill to make this smoked cream cheese recipe using hickory wood pellets.

And I couldn’t be happier with the results. The flavor was delicious and it required only 5 minutes of my time!

If you want a smoker that requires little maintenance and hands on monitoring during the cooking process. than a pellet grill is the way to go! And when compared to other pellet smokers, the Z-Grills Pellet Grills gives you the most bang for your buck.

Smoked Cream Cheese Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

Ingredients

• 8 ounce block of cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons dry rub

Instructions

Open the cardboard package of cream cheese and discard. Then open the top of the foil package and pull the top layer off the block of the cheese.

Let the cream cheese sit on the bottom foil and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Although you will find smoked cream cheese recipes that don’t require chilling, I find the texture is much better when the cream cheese has a little time in the freezer before smoking.

Once the cream cheese has been in the freezer for 30 minutes, remove it and place the cream cheese on a cast iron skillet, a foil pain or a piece of aluminum foil.

Then rub extra virgin olive oil on all sides of the cream cheese. Using a sharp knife, score the top of the cream cheese diagonally with cuts spaced 1/2 inch apart. Then score it in the opposite direction.

You want to go about 1/2 inch deep with your cuts. This will help the smoke penetrate into the block of cream cheese.

Next, sprinkle the dry rub over the entire block of cream cheese, patting it gently so it sticks to the surface. Be sure to season the bottom of the block as well.

Smoking Temperature & Time

Preheat the smoker so that it maintains a temperature of 200°F (93°C). Then place the cream cheese in the smoker for 2 hours.

Remove the cream cheese from the smoker and serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or vegetable slices. That’s it, is that easy to make a creamy and delicious appetizer!

Other Delicious Smoker Recipes

I am sure if you have made the jump to purchase a smoker that you are wanting more recipes that you can make. Here are some of my most popular smoker recipes:

• Smoked Pulled Pork
• Baby Back Ribs
• Chicken Wings
• Brisket
• Pellet Grill Ribs

Enjoy! Mary

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