Should you freeze cream cheese before smoking it?

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If you spent any time on social media in the last year you have probably seen the viral smoked cream cheese trend. 

It sounds odd and I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical when I first heard of the trend. 

But once I tried smoking cream cheese, I was blown away by how delicious it was. Plus, it’s one of the easiest recipes you will ever put on your smoker which is always great for parties or gatherings!

Table of Contents

• Smoked Cream Cheese
• How to make Smoked Cream Cheese
  • 1. Add an oil or mustard binder
  • 2. Score the cream cheese
  • 3. Season the cream cheese
  • 4. Fire up your smoker for low and slow
• Other ways to make smoked cream cheese
  • 1. Hot Honey Smoked Cream Cheese
  • 2. Taki's Smoked Cream Cheese 
  • 3. Nacho Cheese Doritos Smoked Cream Cheese 
• Love cream cheese as much as I do? Try these recipes next:
• Smoked Cream Cheese

Smoked Cream Cheese

The great part about smoked cream cheese is that you can put any twist on it that you like.

This recipe is a straightforward and basic version of smoked cream cheese, but don’t be afraid to spice it up! Swap out the binder, switch up the rub, add a touch of sauce… whatever you want – the possibilities are endless.

If you’re looking for ideas I’ll share three different versions of this recipe you can make including a version with a delicious nacho cheese Doritos crust. 

How to make Smoked Cream Cheese

Start with a block of cream cheese. I’m a die-hard Philadelphia fan, but whatever brand you prefer will work just fine.

1. Add an oil or mustard binder

The first step is to add a binder to your block of cream cheese. This will help the seasoning stick, so you end up with an even layer of flavor in every bite.

You can keep it simple and rub it down with a bit of olive oil, but I’ve found that I really like the flavor that a bit of mustard adds.

For this recipe, I used plain old yellow mustard, but I’ve made it in the past with Dijon mustard and even used a Hot Honey Beer Mustard once which was fantastic.

Using a small basting brush, coat the entire block of cream cheese in a light layer of mustard.

2. Score the cream cheese

Then, grab a knife and score the top of the cream cheese block in a crosshatch pattern.

Technically you can skip this step because I don’t think it really makes much of a difference in flavor, but it will allow the seasonings to get down further into the block of cheese and provide more surface area for flavor… plus it makes it look a lot prettier!

3. Season the cream cheese

Once your cream cheese is coated in mustard and you’ve scored it with your knife, it’s time to season it up.

You can use any barbecue rub or seasoning blend that you like, but I like to lean towards rubs that are made for pork or ribs because they usually have brown sugar in them.

The sweetness from the sugar combined with the creamy cheese really makes for a delicious combination.

If you don’t have a bottle of pork rub handy, check out our barbecue Pork Rub recipe. It’s easy to whip up and tastes amazing on cream cheese.

Sprinkle the rub all over the block of cream cheese, being sure to coat every side evenly. Once the cream cheese is fully coated in your rub, it’s ready to hit the smoker.

4. Fire up your smoker for low and slow

The key to smoked cream cheese is to smoke it very low and very slow. You don’t want to get your smoker or grill much hotter than about 225°F. I like to smoke it for about two hours around 200°F.

I smoked this on my Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 with B&B Charcoal Oak Lump Charcoal.

B&B Charcoal Oak Lump Charcoal - 20 LBS

You could also cook this on the grill or even in the oven, but you will miss out on some of the smoky flavor that really takes it to the next level.

After about 2 hours your cream cheese should be golden brown, and the crosshatch scoring should become much more prominent.

You can serve it immediately alongside your favorite crackers or tortilla chips.

Other ways to make smoked cream cheese

As I mentioned before, smoked cream cheese is extremely versatile, and you can really get creative with it. I’ve tried quite a few versions over the last few months and here are some of my favorite combinations:

1. Hot Honey Smoked Cream Cheese

Start with the PS Seasoning Hot Honey Beer Mustard as your binder, then season it with the PS Seasoning Hot Honey Chipotle Bee Sting Rub.

After it’s done cooking, drizzle on a generous layer of Mike’s Hot Honey and serve it alongside your favorite crackers.

You don’t have to use those exact brands.

Mike's Hot Honey

$13.49 ($1.35 / Ounce)

12/26/2022 02:02 am GMT

2. Taki’s Smoked Cream Cheese 

Start with an olive oil binder and season the cream cheese with your favorite BBQ Pork Rub.

Crush up about half of a bag of Taki’s and sprinkle them all over the top. After it’s done cooking, serve it alongside more Takis for dipping.

3. Nacho Cheese Doritos Smoked Cream Cheese 

Start with an olive oil binder and season the cream cheese with your favorite BBQ Pork Rub.

Crush up a cup of Nacho Cheese Doritos and sprinkle them all over the top. After it’s done cooking, serve it alongside more Doritos for dipping.

Love cream cheese as much as I do? Try these recipes next:

• The Ultimate Jalapeno Popper Dip
• Smoked Pig Shots
• Smoked Armadillo Eggs Wrapped in Bacon
• Bacon wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Smoked Cream Cheese

Smoked cream cheese will be the easiest thing you'll throw on your smoker. Coated in BBQ rub, smoked, and served with your favorite cracker, this is a flavor and texture sensation.

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