There’s nothing more satisfying than sinking your teeth into a spongy bagel with a luscious cream cheese schmear. So here’s how to enjoy it in your own home: try this homemade Chive Cream Cheese! This recipe brings the intense freshness of this bright green herb to the forefront, pairing it with garlic and onion for an unforgettably savory spread. It’s ideal for lunches throughout the week, or an impressive bagel brunch spread for a party. Here’s how to make this deli-style chive cream cheese!
Tips for making chive cream cheese
Chive cream cheese is fast and easy to make at home: and so much tastier than the store-bought kind! Purchased cream cheese can have a vaguely artificial aftertaste. But make it at home and it’s beautifully fresh and savory! Here are a few tips for whipping up a batch (or jump to the recipe below):
Soften the cream cheese first. This is important for getting the correct fluffy texture. Leave it out at room temperature for an hour, or zap a few minutes in a microwave.Chop the chives. Fresh chives are easy to find in the refrigerated section of the grocery, and if it’s the right season it’s even better to grow them at home! See How to Grow Herbs.Mix with seasonings, adding a bit of Greek yogurt or milk to soften if desired. If the cream cheese is very thick, add 1 tablespoon Greek or plain yogurt or ½ tablespoon milk as you’re mixing it. It should come together into a soft and tasty spread!
Variation: make it whipped
If you like, you can make whipped cream cheese first for this recipe! Whipped cream cheese has an airy, light texture that’s even more spreadable than the standard. All you have to do? Mix the cheese with ½ tablespoon milk in a food processor or stand mixer, stopping and scraping as necessary. You can also simply use a whisk if you prefer! Go to Whipped Cream Cheese.
Ways to serve chive cream cheese
This chive cream cheese is fantastic as a bagel schmear: but there are so many more ways to use it! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Bagels, or as part of a bagel brunch spread with cream cheese flavors like Herb, Whipped, Strawberry, Veggie or CinnamonToastSandwiches, like a Smoked Salmon Sandwich or Fried Egg SandwichDip for pretzels, crackers or chips (this is especially good with whipped cream cheese)Dip for vegetable sticks like carrots, celery, broccoli, bell pepper, or kohlrabi sticks
More recipes with chives
During the summer, we always have a big pot of chives growing in our garden! They’re very easy to grow and much cheaper than buying them at the store. Here are a few more recipes to try:
Try these 10 Chives Recipes to TryGo for simple Eggs with ChivesMix up Roasted Baby Potatoes with Chive OilAdd them into Ranch Dip with ChivesMake Savory Waffles with Chives & Cheddar
This chive cream cheese recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. 4.3 from 3 reviews
