34 Recipes With Cream Cheese, From Creamy One-Pot Meals to Tangy Sweet Treats Make the most of this cheese drawer staple. Close Credit: Ryan Liebe Cream cheese is an essential ingredient to keep in your fridge. Whether you have a big sweet tooth or not, this versatile ingredient can elevate a wide variety of dishes. From creamy, cozy one-pot pasta meals for an easy weeknight dinner to decadent desserts that are truly worth the hype, its flavor transforms any dish. It adds a rich, creamy texture to savory meals and complements sweet treats with its tangy palette. Here, we share our favorite recipes that call for everything from pounds of cream cheese to just a simple scoop—ensuring none goes to waste. How to Store Cream Cheese the Right Way, According to Food Scientists and Chefs 01 of 34 Peach and Blueberry Tart With Cream Cheese Filling Credit: Paola + Murray Cheesecake takes on tart form in this no-bake cheesecake tart. It's made with a buttery press-in crust and is topped with peach wedges and blueberries. We toss the fruit in sugar, lemon, and salt to intensify the flavor. View Recipe 02 of 34 Creamy Baked Tortellini With Spinach Credit: Nico Schinco You can never go wrong with pasta for a comforting, delicious meal. This creamy baked tortellini with spinach comes together in 35 minutes. The small amount of cream cheese added to the sauce makes all the difference in the texture. View Recipe 03 of 34 Apricot and Cream Cheese Squares Credit: Yuki Sugiura A sweet pairing of apricots and cream cheese layered on focaccia dough rather than puff pastry in this unique dish. We bake this in one big sheet and cut it into squares for easy serving. View Recipes 04 of 34 Farfalle Pasta With Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Similar to the popular Lox bagel with cream cheese, try our farfalle pasta with smoked salmon and cream cheese. The cream cheese balances the intense, salty flavors of the capers and salmon. View Recipe 05 of 34 Martha's Cream Cheese Pound Cake Credit: Bryan Gardner Martha's cream cheese pound cake is a classic dessert. Serve with fresh whipped cream and berry compote of your choice. View Recipe 06 of 34 Honey Cake With Honey Cream Cheese Frosting A delightfully sweet honey cake topped with honey cream cheese frosting. The honey keeps the cake moist, and we like to serve it with afternoon tea. View Recipe 07 of 34 Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Cheese This recipe is foolproof and only requires two ingredients—and comes together in five minutes. Our sun-dried tomato cream cheese is a rich and flavorful spread that pairs well with any cracker or vegetable. View Recipe 08 of 34 Cherry-and-Cream-Cheese Hand Pies Credit: Kate Mathis A delicious mix between our sour cherry pie and a traditional cheese Danish, these flaky pastries are easily customizable to use other fruits. We like to enjoy them as a morning treat or with an afternoon tea. View Recipe 09 of 34 Big Martha's Mashed Potatoes With Cream Cheese Credit: Johnny Miller This is one of Martha's favorite family recipes—courtesy of her mother, Mrs. Kostyra. Big Martha's mashed potatoes will keep you coming back for seconds. They're incredibly rich and made with just six ingredients: Yukon Gold potatoes, cream cheese, butter, milk, and heavy cream. View Recipe 10 of 34 Blueberry-Cream Cheese Hand Pies Credit: Johnny Miller Our blueberry cream cheese hand pies will please guests of all ages—from children to adults. Their small size makes them the perfect sweet treat to enjoy at any time of the day. View Recipe 11 of 34 Cream Cheese Brownies These cream-cheese brownies are easy to make and are sure to delight. They are made just like regular brownies but with a few dollops of cream cheese before they go in the oven to create the creamy, marbled swirl. View Recipe 12 of 34 Cheater's Mac and Cheese Credit: Con Poulos A carbo-liciously cheesy and easy meal—this cheater's macaroni and cheese comes together in 20 minutes with just five ingredients. Cook the pasta and broccoli in the same pot, then stir together the pasta water, cream cheese, butter, and Parmesan. View Recipe 13 of 34 Squash and Chocolate Spice Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Credit: Murray Hall This cream cheese-topped cake is made with grated winter squash, semisweet chocolate chunks, and five-spice powder. Its texture is similar to carrot cake with a sweet yet tangy flavor contrast. View Recipe 14 of 34 Vanilla Sheet Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Our classic vanilla cake is coated with lemon cream cheese frosting and topped with lemon zest and granulated sugar. It's the ideal summer backyard dessert. Serve it with fresh, seasonal fruit to enhance the flavor. View Recipe 15 of 34 Date, Olive, and Goat Cheese Tart Credit: Louise Hagger Anything made out of puff pastry is delicious. This savory tart features a creamy, tangy filling topped with Medjool dates, Kalamata olives, and pickled serranos. View Recipe 16 of 34 Easy Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting Credit: Mike Krautter Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are the quintessential fall treat. They are simple to make and turn out perfectly moist. They're full of fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. View Recipe 17 of 34 Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Credit: Bryan Gardner This banana cake is a must-try for any banana bread fan. Cream cheese frosting is sandwiched between two layers of banana cake and topped with chocolate shavings. View Recipe 18 of 34 Apple Layer Cake With Cream-Cheese Frosting Credit: Mike Krautter Baking this cake deserves a celebration of its own. This apple layer cake features three layers of delicately spiced apple cake, filled and coated with cream cheese frosting. View Recipe 19 of 34 Creamy Baked Ziti Credit: Bryan Gardner The secret ingredient to this baked ziti is our silky cream cheese sauce. The mozzarella and Parmesan create a golden crust on top of this vegetarian baked pasta dish. View Recipe 20 of 34 Vanilla Bundt Cake With Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling Credit: Kate Mathis This vanilla bundt cake is infused with an irresistible chocolate cream cheese filling—a decadent dessert for any celebration. The bundt cake is topped with a glossy chocolate ganache. View Recipe 21 of 34 Baked Macaroni and Cheese Our baked macaroni and cheese recipe is the perfect serving size for kids but can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Instead of making one big pot, we divide the mixture into individual dishes. View Recipe 22 of 34 Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting Credit: Bryan Gardner An all-time classic dessert—red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They're a sweet treat perfect for Valentine's Day celebrations or a potluck party. View Recipe 23 of 34 Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms With Egg Noodles Credit: Johnny Miller This creamy chicken and mushroom dish with egg noodles comes together in one straight-sided skillet. The sauce combines Dijon mustard, chicken broth, and cream cheese, adding richness to the chicken and noodles. View Recipe 24 of 34 Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Credit: Ryan Liebe This chocolate zucchini sheet cake comes together in an hour and can serve up to 12 people. The zucchini makes this cake so moist, and the semisweet chocolate chips and cocoa powder add sweetness. We coat the cake in cream cheese frosting and place sugared zucchini blossoms for garnish. View Recipe 25 of 34 Creamy Lemon Chicken With Spinach and Artichokes Credit: Marcus Nilsson This chicken cutlet dish bursts with flavor from the lemon and artichokes. We use cream cheese instead of heavy cream for more tang. Serve this dish alone or with a side of white rice or pasta. View Recipe 26 of 34 Lemon Snack Cake With Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting Credit: Chris Simpson We love this lemon snack cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting for any sweet treat occasion. The pink-hued frosting tastes as good as it looks and pairs perfectly with the lemon-flavored cake. View Recipe 27 of 34 Cheese Ball If you have one pound of cream cheese and need to feed a crowd, then this is the dish for you. Our cheese ball combines cream cheese and cheddar cheese, seasoned with Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, then coated in finely chopped pecans. View Recipe 28 of 34 Cherry Cheese Strudel Pie Credit: Christopher Testani Our cherry cheese pie combines a strudel-inspired custard mix of cream cheese, ricotta, and egg with a swirl of tart cherry sauce. We love serving it for any celebration throughout the year. View Recipe 29 of 34 Hot Crab and Pimiento Cheese Spread Credit: Lennart Weibull This rich seafood dip is irresistible. The cream cheese and sharp cheese combination balances out the texture of the crab meat. We season it with scallions, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Serve this appetizer with endive leaves, cucumber spears, or celery sticks. View Recipe 30 of 34 Yeasted Cheese and Sour Cherry Coffee Cake An ode to the cheese Danish, this coffee cake contains swirls of cream cheese and cherries. View Recipe 31 of 34 Cheesy Asparagus Pasta Credit: Chris Simpson We serve this easy asparagus pasta in individual gratin dishes for added fun. We broil each dish, melting the cheese mixture to golden perfection. View Recipe 32 of 34 Cheesecake Cupcakes With Sour Cream Topping Mini cheesecakes make a delicious potluck party dessert. We top them with sour cream for extra flavor and dress them up with little bunches of white, pink, and red currants. View Recipe 33 of 34 Creamy Corn and Spinach Pasta Credit: Johnny Miller Everything cooks in one pot, producing a fresh and creamy pasta dinner that is ready in 35 minutes. We recommend making this dish in the summer when corn is at its peak sweetness and in season. View Recipe 34 of 34 Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting Credit: Yossy Arefi Our carrot cake cupcakes have everything you love about the classic dessert—but in mini form. They're moist, lightly spiced, and topped with our classic cream cheese frosting. The size is ideal for a potluck party. View Recipe 27 Cheesecake Recipes for Every Skill Level Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients