Homemade veggie cream cheese is ready in mere minutes and way better than store-bought! Plus, get my ideas of ways to use it (beyond bagels).
I would like to request positive energy and good vibes from you for this upcoming weekend. We are bunking down and I am in survival mindset. Food has been prepped. Bar has been stocked (a crucial step). Everything else must be put on hold.
Why? We are potty training.
J is 2 years and 8 months old and we’re giving it a go. M was already potty trained by this age and she was a rock star - took to it immediately and never had an accident. But boys… well, boys are different.
It may not go so well and even if it does, it makes for quite a long weekend. I will not want to hear the word “potty” for the rest of my life after all the times I expect to say it this weekend.
But on the other hand, once this is finished, we will be rid of diapers. We’ve had diapers for almost 5 straight years now and I am ready to say goodbye. To the diapers, to the wipes and to the diaper trash can that I guess sorta helps to contain the smell. But not really.
So no more diapers is reason enough to persevere. But I’d still appreciate the virtual support.
Moving on…. Today I’ve got a super simple homemade veggie cream cheese for you.
Just a few ingredients, a couple minutes of chopping and mixing and you’ve got yourself a creamy, spread with plenty of color, perfect for smearing on bagels and toast for a savory little breakfast.
I of course, don’t stop there - I love to add some crushed black pepper, a few dashes of hot sauce and maybe a few slices of cucumber and spinach leaves to my bagel for a layered and veggie-filled morning meal.
And if you’re in on the avocado toast craze, add this to the mix and you’ll be in breakfast heaven!
Or make this spread an accompaniment to some egg muffins and champagne brunch punch and make it a party. (Here's some other company-worthy brunch recipes if you've got a crowd or are making an Easter brunch spread.)
Here are some more ideas of how to use it.
Ways to use homemade veggie cream cheese:
- Bagels. Duh.
- Spread on some toast and make a killer turkey sandwich. Or tomato sandwich.
- Serve with smoked salmon on crostini for a fast and fancy appetizer.
- Add it to some crackers with lunch meat for an easy kids lunch or snack.
- Stir into scrambled eggs, when they’re almost finished cooking, for a really creamy breakfast treat.
If you love veggie cream cheese but don’t want to pay the deli prices or risk a store-bought version with all kinds of preservatives, mix yourself up this easy recipe and smear away.
I’ve got a batch on hand for the weekend. A quick and fast breakfast or snack I can grab in between potty breaks and possible clean-ups. Wish me luck!
And enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Homemade veggie cream cheese
An easy homemade veggie cream cheese that takes just minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 4 oz. plain cream cheese (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped spinach
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional: 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped bell pepper, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, a few dashes of hot sauce
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Ta da- done!
Notes
Feel free to use full-fat, reduced-fat or fat-free cream cheese in this recipe - whichever kind you prefer.
You can easily double this recipe if you are hosting a crowd for brunch or want extra veggie cream cheese to have for all my yummy ideas of ways to use it (see post above).
Leftovers can be stored in a covered container and kept for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food
What a lovely spread! Cream cheese based dips are the absolute best. So much you can do. Love the versatility of your recipe, Kathryn! Since it has some veggies, it kinda cancels out the calories in the cream cheese, doesn't it? Lol 😀 Good luck potty training and have a great weekend!! XO
Kathryn
It's totally health food 🙂 We are half a day in with potty training and I'm exhausted, but thanks for the encouragement! XO
Frugal Hausfrau
Good luck on the potty training! I remember it well, lol! The cream cheese sounds delish - I never understood why people bought it when it came out coz it's so much fun to make/customize your own!
Kathryn
Thanks for the well wishes - we are in the middle of it and yet to be seen how it ends up! And I'm so with you - love how easy it is to make it yourself with whatever you have around and enjoy the most 🙂
Sues
I used to loveeee veggie cream cheese, but have never thought of making my own... Great idea!
Good luck with the potty training 🙂
Kathryn
You need to make it! It's so much better homemade and you can fix it just like you want it 🙂 Thanks for the well wishes - fingers and toes are crossed he takes to it!
Ashlyn // Dollop Of Yum
Cream cheese is healthy when you put veggies in it right? 😉 This looks delicious and good luck with the potty training!!
Kathryn
Absolutely 😉 And thanks Ashlyn - hoping for the best!!
Nancy | Plus Ate Six
Hoping the potty training was successful 🙂 Love your idea of adding veggie cream cheese to scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Kathryn
Thanks Nancy 🙂 We're in the thick of it... and I'm trying to stay hopeful!
Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry
Sending you lots of virtual good luck and positive vibes to get through this weekend, Kathryn! Hoping all the tears and frustration are well worth it, and I'm sure they will be! 😉 It sounds like you're well and truly ready to banish those stinky nappies (our word for diapers here in the land of Oz!) from your life. This quick-mix veggie cream cheese looks fantastic too. I love that you know how to sneak veggies into literally anything! 🙂
Kathryn
Thank you, thank you Lisa! Much needed 🙂 And haha, you know I'm ALL about the veggies (hidden or not). XO
karrie@TastyEverAfter
Veggie cream cheese and bagels are soooooo good! I pinned this immediately because I can't wait to make it. I'll send lots of good vibes your way that this will be your last weekend potty training. Yay! 😉
Kathryn
Thank you Karrie! Potty training... eh, not so much. We will revert to diapers for a bit longer. But at least I had bourbon on hand to get me through it 😉
Anita
This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing at Foodie FriDIY. Good luck to your potty training.
Kathryn
Thanks Anita, we love this spread!
Angela
This looks so delicious! Pinned & Yummed 🙂 Thank you for sharing at the Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up!
Kathryn
Thanks Angela!
Karly
This looks great! Thanks for linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!
Kathryn
Thanks Karly!
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life
I hope the potty training went well! I love flavored cream cheeses! I'm sharing this on Facebook in the morning!
Kathryn
Thanks so much Michelle!
Malia @ Small Town Girl Blog
I love veggie cream cheese but never thought to make my own. This is great! Pinned and sharing. Best of luck with the potty training!
Kathryn
Thanks Malia! It's so easy and so much better than the store-bought kind - hope you try it!
Debbie
Hi there - can you tell me how much is a serving of this that matches the nutrition information? I've noticed your recipes don't mention the serving size so I get confused. Thank you and I love your receipes!
Kathryn
Hi Debbie! I just updated the recipe card to dictate that 2 tablespoons is a serving size (many of my older recipes didn't have this info so when I added the nutrition cards, that got left blank). But note that the exact nutrition info for this recipe will depend on the type of cream cheese you use: fat-free, 1/3 reduced fat or full fat. Hope that helps!
Debbie
Thank you!