Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
If you love a sweet cream cheese spread on your morning bagel, this honey walnut cream cheese is such an easy upgrade. It combines creamy, tangy cream cheese with honey, toasted walnuts, cinnamon, and vanilla for a spread that tastes like a little treat without requiring much effort.
Make it ahead, let it chill in the refrigerator, and you’ll have a delicious homemade spread ready whenever you want- just like my Dulce de Leche spread.
I recently tried making sugared walnuts with brown sugar, and they turned out to be such a hit with everyone. I really wanted to try and use those delicious, deep, caramel-like flavor in another recipe, and a rich cream cheese dip seemed like the perfect idea.
Team these up with crackers or my crispy cinnamon sugar tortilla chips and feature on your holiday grazing table.
Quick Look: Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
- ⏱️ Prep time: 5 minutes
- ❄️ Refrigeration time: 2 hours
- 🍽️ Servings: About 1 cup of spread
- 🥣 Main ingredients: Cream cheese, honey, walnuts, cinnamon, and vanilla
- 🧑🍳 Cooking method: Mix → refrigerate → serve
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🥯 Best served: On bagels, toast, English muffins, buttermilk raisin scones or as part of a brunch spread.
Jump to recipe
- Quick Look: Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
- What You'll Love About this Recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
- Tips and Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
- Troubleshooting & FAQs
- More Fall Snacks & Appetizers
- Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
What You'll Love About this Recipe
- It takes just a few minutes to mix together. This is one no-cook recipe that is totally worth the 5 minutes you spend making it.
- It packs in sweet and slightly tangy flavors with a delicate spice undertone,a nd a delightful crunch from the walnuts.
- You can make it ahead and keep it refrigerated for up to a week- like my favorite spiced Christmas jam.
Recipe Ingredients
Cream cheese: The creamy base of the spread- use softened cream cheese for the smoothest texture.
Honey: Adds sweetness and pairs beautifully with the walnuts. Use an infused honey if you want some extra depth.
Walnuts: Finely chopped and toasted for nutty flavor and texture.
Cinnamon: Adds a warm, lightly spiced flavor. You can also add a dash of nutmeg or Air Fryer dried ginger powder if you want to.
Vanilla extract: Rounds out the sweetness and complements the honey and cinnamon.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use pecans instead of walnuts for a slightly sweeter, buttery flavor, or try chopped almonds (like my orange sugared almonds) if you prefer a firmer, crunchier texture.
- For a stronger honey flavor, drizzle a little extra honey over the finished spread. I like using my orange spiced honey.
How to Make Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
Step 1: Add the softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about 3–5 minutes, until it becomes light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the finely chopped toasted walnuts, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to the whipped cream cheese.
Step 3: Pour in the honey and beat everything together until the mixture is evenly combined and creamy.
Step 4: Transfer the cream cheese spread to a covered container and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Tips and Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing for the fluffiest texture.
- You can also toast the walnuts before chopping them to bring out their nutty flavor. Just remember to chop them fairly finely so they distribute evenly throughout the spread.
- Refrigerate the honey walnut cream cheese spread before serving so the flavors have time to develop.
- You can also spoon some apple cider caramel sauce over the spread right before serving for some extra fall flavors.
How to Serve Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
This sweet cream cheese spread is perfect on toasted bagels (like my keto everything bagels), toast, English muffins, or croissants. For brunch, serve it alongside fresh fruit, coffee, and tea.
You can also spread it onto pancakes or waffles (try my peanut butter brownie waffles) when you want something a little different. A drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts on top make it especially inviting when serving guests.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Store the cream cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Give it a good stir before serving, especially if it has been sitting for several days. Keep it refrigerated rather than leaving it out at room temperature for extended periods.
The most common reason is that the cream cheese was too cold. Let it soften at room temperature before beating it, and whip it for several minutes until smooth and fluffy.
More Fall Snacks & Appetizers
If you tried this honey walnut cream cheese recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon toasted walnuts finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese for 3–5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the chopped toasted walnuts, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
- Add the honey and beat until everything is well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Serve on a bagel or toast.
- Top with extra chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey before serving.
Notes
- For the best texture, bring the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing.
- Toast the walnuts before chopping for more flavor.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Stir before serving if the spread has been refrigerated for several days.
- Pecans or almonds can be used in place of walnuts.
