Healthy Cream Cheese Recipes

Find healthy, delicious cream cheese recipes from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Cucumber Sandwich

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This creamy, crunchy cucumber sandwich recipe strikes a lovely balance between decadent and light. The cream cheese-yogurt spread complements the crisp refreshing cucumber while the hearty flavor and texture of the whole-wheat bread holds everything together. Removing the crusts makes it more delicate than your average sandwich.
By Amanda Stanfield

Chicken & Zucchini Casserole

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This baked chicken and zucchini casserole is creamy, hearty and low-carb! The whole family will love this easy casserole, plus it's a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies (concealed in a delicious cheese sauce!).
By Adam Hickman

Breakfast Strawberry & Cream Cheese Oatmeal Cakes

Fresh strawberries add the perfect touch of natural sweetness to these breakfast oatmeal cakes. When strawberries aren't in season, you can easily substitute frozen ones.
By Sara Haas, RDN

Breakfast Lemon, Raspberry & Cream Cheese Oatmeal Cakes

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Fresh lemon juice and zest add the perfect pop of brightness and acidity to these delightful oatmeal cakes. You can use fresh or frozen raspberries, depending on what you have on hand. Enjoy these oatmeal cakes for a healthy breakfast or snack.
By Sara Haas, RDN

French Onion Dip Chicken & Rice Casserole

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This creamy French onion dip chicken and rice casserole topped with crispy potato chips is perfect for game day or whenever you want a comforting meal the whole family will love.
By Liv Dansky

Creamy Skillet Chicken with Everything Bagel Spice & Spinach

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This cozy skillet dinner combines two favorites: chicken cutlets and everything bagel spice—and it's ready in less than 30 minutes. This meal includes a healthy portion of spinach, and a creamy sauce makes it perfect for serving over pasta or grains.
By Carolyn Casner

Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

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This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili recipe comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.
By Robin Bashinsky

One-Pot Chicken Alfredo

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This creamy, simple chicken Alfredo recipe is incredibly comforting and cheesy from the combination of Parmesan and cream cheese. You'll taste a nice pop of pepper and nutty notes from the whole-wheat pasta, too. Plus, it's a one-pot meal, which means less cleaning for you and a dish that will quickly become your best chicken Alfredo recipe.
By Robin Bashinsky

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta

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If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.
By Carolyn Casner

20-Minute Creamy Chicken Skillet with Italian Seasoning

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Chicken cutlets cook quickly and are highlighted with a creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. Serve it with whole-wheat pasta or rice to make it a meal.
By Carolyn Casner

Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

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This healthy stuffed mushroom appetizer is a nice balance of soft mushrooms, creamy filling and crunchy topping. This combination tastes downright decadent, but it's actually good for you. Be sure to get all of the moisture out of the chopped mushrooms before moving on to the next step; if not, the filling will be soggy and make the mushroom caps watery.
By Karen Rankin

Twice-Baked Potatoes Casserole

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This twice-baked potatoes casserole has all the classic fixings in a creamy, smooth casserole. Leaving the potato skins on adds texture, while the bacon adds a little crunch. This crowd-pleasing casserole can be prepped ahead of time, making it perfect for your next big gathering.
By Jasmine Smith
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Inspiration and Ideas

9 Cream Cheese Dips That Are Rich, but Healthy
These cream cheese dip recipes are so delicious you'll want to eat them for dinner. Cream cheese adds a velvety texture to these dips and works well with sweet or savory recipes. Whether you eat these dips hot or cold, you can easily pair them with veggies, pretzels or bread for a filling meal. Recipes like Easy Scallion-Salmon Dip and Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip are tasty and satisfying.
10 Rich, but Healthy, Cream Cheese Desserts
Take your desserts to the next level with these recipes using cream cheese. Whether it's in the batter or part of the frosting, cream cheese adds a rich texture to any dessert. Plus, any extra cream cheese you don't use can easily be used on a bagel or toast. Recipes like Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel and Cinnamon Roll Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting are delicious, creamy and perfect for any sweet tooth.
Cheesy Spinach-&-Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
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Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel
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Diabetic Carrot Cake
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Chicken Enchilada Soup
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Corn tortillas thicken this chicken enchilada soup, but Cheddar and cream cheese give it the richness you'd expect from an enchilada. Serve it with something fresh and crunchy like a jicama slaw dressed with a little olive oil and lime juice for a healthy dinner that will appeal to the whole family.

All Healthy Cream Cheese Recipes

Skillet Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

This skillet sun-dried tomato dip is creamy, but also gets a hit of sweetness from roasted bell peppers to complement the sun-dried tomatoes. It's cooked and served all in the same skillet, cutting down on dishes. Serve it with crackers, toasted bread or fresh-cut veggies.
By Liz Mervosh

Sweet Potato Pie with Cream Cheese Swirl

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This creamy sweet potato pie recipe is seasoned like a pumpkin pie with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and gets nice ginger flavor from the gingersnap crust. For the best results, roast sweet potatoes in the oven; in a pinch, microwave them instead.
By Stacy Fraser

Chicken & Cauliflower-Rice Casserole

2
Get your veggies and your protein fix in this easy, gluten-free chicken and cauliflower-rice casserole. Riced cauliflower stands in for traditional rice, making this creamy casserole low in carbs but—with the simple combination of Cheddar cheese and chicken—suitable for even the pickiest of eaters.
By Julia Levy

Slow-Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

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This creamy, crowd-pleasing dip comes together with ease in your crock pot. Leave it in the slow cooker all party long to keep it warm for serving with perfect, melty cheese in every bite. Whole-wheat bread and raw veggie dippers allow you to dig in without the guilt.
By Carolyn Casner

Brussels Sprouts Casserole with Bacon

Brussels sprouts and bacon are a natural pairing in this easy low-carb dish. Extra-sharp Cheddar cheese adds a punch of flavor to the creamy base of this stove-to-oven casserole.
By Carolyn Casner

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mini Peppers

Wrapping prosciutto around mini bell peppers is an easy way to upgrade the vegetable into an impressive, tasty appetizer.
By Andrea Mathis, M.A., RDN, LD

Smoked Tuna Spread Canapés

Need an appetizer for your next cocktail party? Look no further than these easy canapés. A blend of smoked tuna and seasoned cream cheese is stacked with crisp cucumber slices atop crunchy almond crackers in an appetizer that your guests will be reaching for first.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pumpkin Cheesecake for Two

Single-serving pumpkin cheesecakes are the perfect way to finish off a Thanksgiving meal for two (or any other meal, given that they take just 15 minutes of active prep time!). You can make them a day or two ahead of time and keep them tucked away in the fridge in their sturdy ramekins until you're ready to enjoy them.
By Hilary Meyer

Pumpkin Roll Cake with Pecan-Cream Cheese Filling

Many pumpkin roll cakes have the starring ingredient only in the cake, which is a missed opportunity to enjoy all the flavor, plus you end up with leftover canned puree sitting in your fridge. Here, the remaining pumpkin is whipped with cream cheese, pecans and crystallized ginger for a tangy filling.
By Virginia Willis

Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Make these healthy no-bake pumpkin cheesecakes for your next party or gathering. These mini cheesecakes can be made ahead of time and are already portioned out, so they're easy to serve. Look for graham cracker crumbs in the baking aisle of major supermarkets, or make your own by pulsing graham crackers in a food processor until fine.
By Sara Haas, RDN

Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

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Inspired by artichoke dip, we made a creamy cheese topping to serve on quick-cooking chicken breast cutlets for an oh-so-satisfying meal.
By Adam Dolge

Low-Carb Broccoli & Cheddar Casserole

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This simple cheesy casserole is comforting while keeping the carbs in check. Serve it alongside roasted chicken or pork.
By Carolyn Casner

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Pumpkin swirl cheesecake is a delicious dessert that everyone will love, especially during the holiday season. Swapping in reduced-fat cream cheese for regular saves you approximately 50 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat per slice.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Cranberry Cheesecake Bars

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A great dessert option for your next holiday party, these sweet cheesecake bars have an oat crust and a cranberry-orange sauce that's swirled on top and baked right in.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Omelet

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The key to this healthy smoked salmon omelet recipe is cooking the eggs over low heat so the curds set up nice and soft. A splash of milk in the eggs is added insurance to keep the salmon omelet from turning rubbery.
By Kathy Gunst

Easy Scallion-Salmon Dip

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Inspired by the classic combination of smoked salmon and cream cheese, this spread is perfect for slathering on a bagel or serving as a dip with bagel chips. This salmon dip recipe is a great way to use up leftovers from Miso-Maple Salmon (see Associated Recipes).
By Devon O'Brien

Creamy Spinach Dip

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Try this light spinach dip made healthier with reduced-fat cream cheese, nonfat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It will save you a whopping 84 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving when compared to traditional versions. Serve it with pita chips and crunchy vegetables or spread it on a sandwich.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamy Turkey and Rice Bake

This family-pleasing casserole features lean turkey tenderloin pieces, brown rice, zucchini, and mushrooms, all baked in a creamy sauce and topped with crunchy crumbs and cheese.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Creamy Broccoli & Mushroom Casserole

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This creamy broccoli and mushroom casserole is as comforting as it gets. A cheesy sauce filled with mushrooms coats tender-crisp broccoli, and a panko breadcrumb topping adds a crispy finish. Serve this crowd-pleasing side with roasted chicken, pork or steak.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Cream Cheese & Veggie Roll-Up

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With sliced vegetables, a whole-wheat tortilla and baby spinach, these roll-ups make the perfect healthy lunch for your kids to take to school.
By Carolyn Casner

Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

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This is not your grandma's cheese ball. It has all the flavor of an everything bagel without all the carbs and with just 3 ingredients! Want to emphasize the bagel taste? Serve it with bagel chips and some raw veggies for dipping to keep things healthy.
By Melissa Fallon

Carrot Cake

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Carrots give carrot cake a health-halo effect--people think it's health food, but it's usually very high in fat and calories. But our version has about 40 percent less calories and 50 percent less fat than most. First, we use less oil in our batter. Then we skip the butter in the frosting (don't worry, it's still light and smooth). To ensure the cake is moist, we add nonfat buttermilk and crushed pineapple.
By Patsy Jamieson

Noodle-Less Butternut Squash Lasagna

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Slices of butternut squash stand in for noodles in this veggie-packed lasagna with spinach, mushrooms and a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. You can make the Parmesan cheese sauce with regular flour or swap in gluten-free flour to make this dish gluten-free. Look for a squash with a long, straight neck for the best results. Serve with a green salad for a vegetarian meal that you'd be happy to serve to company.
By Carolyn Casner

One-Pot Chicken Pasta with Cajun Seasonings

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This one-pot chicken pasta dish with Cajun seasonings is a snap to whip up. Here we use the technique of stirring often to help the starches release for natural creaminess. We love the spicy flavor profile of Cajun seasoning, but you can substitute different spices depending on what you have on hand.
By Julia Levy
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