Quick, fresh and simply heavenly! You’ll wonder why you’ve never made this Strawberry Cream Cheese before…
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This simple recipe is a game-changer. Why have plain old cream cheese for your cookies, bagels, and crackers, when you can have fresh strawberry cream cheese sweetened with honey?
Something about fresh strawberries just makes everything happier. Perhaps because they feel sun-kissed and are so bright and sweet. Their tanginess along with the creaminess of the cheese and the sweetness of the honey work together to create a little happiness event on your cream cheese ‘vehicle’ of choice.
You’re going to love how these small additions to cream cheese make such a big difference! Now about that vehicle of choice – you could just choose to eat this by the spoonful! (I’m told if you eat over the kitchen sink, the calories don’t count. True story.) But anyway, this is good as a spread on graham crackers or vanilla wafer cookies, bagels, or even as a dip for a hard fruit, like apples.
A heavenly strawberry twist to these Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cream Cheese is worth a try too!
Is Strawberry Cream Cheese Healthy?
This spread will be lower in saturated fat using any of the vegan options below, and the vegan fats are usually considered healthy fats. Still, any cream cheese should be used somewhat sparingly in most diets.
Can I Substitute Some of the Ingredients?
Looking to swap out the strawberries for something else? Use whatever is in season. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, or even gooseberries. If you use cherries or other very firm fruit, it makes sense to use a food processor if you have one available, to get them chopped small enough to blend in well.
Another possible substitution is the cream cheese. It’s possible to get vegan cream cheese – oh happy day! And to make it completely vegan, substitute agave nectar for the honey. Maple syrup will work, but will significantly change the flavor. Other options for vegan sweeteners include coconut nectar, date syrup, or brown rice syrup. If you use any of these, add slowly! You may find you don’t need as much of it as you would if using honey.
Is it important to get organic strawberries?
Strawberries. They are usually on the dirty dozen list of those fruits you shouldn’t consume unless you can find them organically grown. So either grow your own (not difficult) or find that store near you that stocks organic berries on a pretty regular basis. It’s worth it for the peace of mind.
If you must use berries that are not organically grown, one method of removing the surface residue is to soak them in a mixture of white vinegar and water for 5-10 minutes, then rinse under cold running water. Another option is frozen organic berries. This will work better if they are thawed first.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Blend
Whip cream cheese until smooth.
Mix
Incorporate strawberries and honey.
Chill
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
This can be made ahead and stored in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nice, but not absolutely necessary. The hull is that white, tasteless, NOT juicy middle part of the strawberry. Since this is a relatively small amount of berries and a small portion of cream cheese, I’d say it’s worth it in this case. If the berries are very small, they may not need it, however.
There are many different varieties of vegan cream cheese, and they are getting to be more readily available. You can even make your own. Some of the possible ingredients include raw cashews, tofu, coconut oil, or potato starch.
Serving Suggestions
This heavenly spread will go well on graham crackers, mini bagels, vanilla wafers, or used as a dip for sliced apples. A little shmear on these Breakfast Cookies is fit for a special occasion. Like a Wednesday. These Cinnamon Crunch Bagels are just crying out for Strawberry Cream Cheese too!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup fresh strawberries hulled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add the finely chopped strawberries and honey to the cream cheese, and continue to beat the mixture until the strawberries are well incorporated and the spread is uniformly pink.
- Taste the strawberry cream cheese and adjust sweetness if necessary. Transfer the spread to a serving dish or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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