Sweet Cream Cheese is so simple, but packs such a great punch for elevating simple desserts, baked goods, and sweet bagels. With just cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and milk, it comes together in just minutes.
Serve this creamy sweet topping as an alternative to whipped cream on cake, brownies, or cupcakes or as a creamy fruit dip for strawberries, apples, and cookies. It’s fantastic on Gingerbread or Lemon Cupcakes drizzled with Lemon Sauce and a great Bagel Toppings.
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If you’re looking for an easy dessert topping or creamy dip for cookies and fruit, this Sweet Cream Cheese is just the thing. With just four ingredients that are easily pantry staples, this recipe mixes up quickly and tastes amazing.
Why Make This
It’s easy. You can whip up this topping in just minutes.
It’s versatile. Whether you serve it as a cream cheese dip or a topping for desserts, there’s no end to the ways to serve this recipe. This is great to go with your summer baking or holiday desserts.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this:
cream cheese – You can use full fat or Neufchâtel cream cheese. Just make sure you’ve got the cream cheese softened for easy mixing.
powdered sugar – I go fairly light with the sugar in this recipe, but you can add more to taste. It should be powdered sugar for easily dissolving or you can use maple syrup or honey.
vanilla bean paste – I love the flavor punch you get from vanilla bean paste and the little flecks of vanilla bean look cool in the Sweet Cream Cheese. You can also use vanilla extract or another favorite extract if you prefer.
milk – You need just a bit of milk or heavy cream to help smooth out this cream cheese and make it more spreadable. Add more if you’d like to make it a dip recipe.
Variations
I love this vanilla bean cream cheese, but you can take the flavor profile in many different directions. Flavored Cream Cheese is super easy to make. Consider adding in any of the following:
- ground cinnamon
- pumpkin pie spice
- apple pie spice
- instant coffee or crushed coffee beans
- cacao nibs
- citrus zest, such as lemon or lime
- jam, such as strawberry or raspberry
- another extract such as almond, coffee, or maple
This is a great addition to your table of Easter Dessert Recipes!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make this:
In a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese with the milk, sugar, and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Add more milk if you want a thinner texture.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve this as a topping for brownies, cake, and cupcakes, as a dip for fruit or cookies, or as a filling for cream puffs, cake, or crepes.
Promptly refrigerate leftovers and consume within four days. Freeze for longer storage in an airtight container.
FAQs
You can purchase it or make it yourself. Chances are making it yourself is cheaper.
It is great on bagels, muffins, cookies, and cakes. It also works well as a fruit dip.
Wrap cream cheese well and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Best Uses for This Recipe
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Sweet Cream Cheese
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the milk, sugar, and vanilla. Blend until smooth.1 8-ounce package cream cheese, 1 tablespoon milk, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- ground cinnamon
- pumpkin pie spice
- apple pie spice
- instant coffee or crushed coffee beans
- cacao nibs
- citrus zest, such as lemon or lime
- another extract such as almond, coffee, or maple
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