This homemade scallion cream cheese blends fresh scallions and a hint of garlic powder with 8 ounces of brick-style cream cheese whipped until smooth and creamy in a food processor. It takes less than 15 minutes to make and is so good on bagels, but can also be used as a savory spread on crackers or as a dip for veggies.
If you're going to make any of my fun homemade bagel recipes, it only makes sense to make a fun-flavored cream cheese to go with them! You can whip this easy scallion cream cheese together in less time than it takes your bagel dough to rise, so it'll be ready to schmear when your fresh bagels come out of the oven.
I also love using this scallion cream cheese as a filling for my cream cheese-stuffed bagel bombs with sesame seeds on the outside. Just a *chef's kiss* perfect combo!
You only need a few easy-to-find ingredients to make your own fresh scallion cream cheese. And yes, one of them is cream cheese. While you can absolutely use my DIY cream cheese recipe to make it for a true from-scratch situation, I usually reach for the store-bought cream cheese because it's faster and easier.
My goal in developing this recipe was to find the perfect ratio of cream cheese to scallions and the most straightforward, least fussy method for making a super flavorful scallion cream cheese with minimal effort. And the final recipe is so great, I really think I've nailed it!
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make this super easy homemade scallion cream cheese!
Fresh Scallions - You'll need one grocery-store-sized bunch. I've given the measurement in the recipe card by weight (and volume) in case you've got some particularly wimpy or gargantuan scallions on your hands. Regardless of size, wash and dry the scallions well before chopping them up.
Brick-Style Cream Cheese - In my testing, I found brick-style cream cheese has the best consistency for making scallion cream cheese. Whipped cream cheese and cream cheese spread are a lot looser and have more air in them, which can give a funny texture when you whip them even more.
Garlic Powder and/or Onion Powder- Technically optional, but a great way to highlight the lovely allium flavor of the scallions. You could use raw garlic, but when I tested it, I found raw garlic to be a little overpowering; I prefer the milder flavor of dried garlic.
Optional: A pinch of salt, white or black pepper, cayenne, or crushed red pepper flakes. You could also add a pinch of dried minced onion to further enhance those onion flavors.
How to Make Scallion Cream Cheese
Start by removing any browned or wrinkled skins from the white ends of the scallions and trim off any dead ends from the green end of the scallions.
Pulse the chopped scallions in a food processor a few times so the blades of the food processor whack them around, breaking down the cell walls and getting the scallions to start releasing their juices.
Do You Prefer A Chunky Scallion Cream Cheese?
If you want a scallion cream cheese with larger pieces of scallion in it, hold back about a quarter of the scallions when you first add them to the food processor. Follow the rest of the recipe as written. Add the reserved scallions back in at the end and pulse just a few times to incorporate the larger scallion pieces into the cream cheese.
📖 Recipe
10-Minute Scallion Cream Cheese with Fresh Scallions
Equipment
Ingredients
- 227 grams cream cheese (8 ounces, softened)
- 60 grams scallions (1 bunch, approx ¾-1 cup chopped)
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Instructions
- Prep. Wash and dry the scallions thoroughly. Remove any dead/brown layers from the scallion whites and trim any wrinkled/dead bits off the scallion greens.
- Chop. Chop the scallions into roughly ¼ inch pieces, all the way down to the scallion whites. Place them in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mash them up.
- Mix. Add the cream cheese and garlic powder to the scallions in the food processor and process until smooth, creamy, and well combined. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the blade a few times to make sure everything mixes together evenly.
- Serve!
RECIPE NOTES
- Chunky scallion cream cheese: Hold back about one-quarter of the chopped scallions when you first add them to the food processor. Follow the rest of the recipe as written. Add the of reserved scallions back in at the end and pulse just a few times to incorporate the larger scallion pieces into the cream cheese.
- Storage: Homemade scallion cream cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Press a sheet of plastic wrap flat against the surface of the cream cheese to prevent it from drying out.
- I use my 5-cup cordless mini food processor to make this, but it will also work in a 3-cup food processor, or even full-size food processor too. In a bigger food processor, you may need to pause and scrape down the bowl more often.
- For easy cleanup, run hot soapy water through the food processor! It will melt and dislodge any bits of cream cheese clinging to the blade and walls of the bowl, making it easy to wipe the rest clean with a sponge. Caution: Don't fill the food processor bowl too full of water, you're going to get lots of bubbles as that blade whips through the soapy water!
Laura says
Hi, I just discovered your wonderful page. My daughter is addicted to bagel bites from Dunkin' Donuts, and I would like to make your master recipe for those, including this cream cheese mixture. Have you tried freezing and reheating this filling for your bagel bites without any issues? Thank you!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I've used this filling in my bagel bites recipe without a problem! The filling freezes and reheats just fine in the bagels.
Felix M. Finkelbine says
I wonder how it would be with onion powder, instead of garlic powder...
Rebecca Eisenberg says
That would also be very good, I think! Give it a try!