Honey Walnut Cream Cheese

Honey Walnut Cream Cheese is a quick and easy dip that pairs well with your favourite crackers! Using simple easy to find ingredients with a focus on taste and texture, we create a special kind of yum.

Recipes like my Funfetti Dip, Thanksgiving Dip and Christmas Dip are smart easy recipes.

My Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Dip, Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip and Halloween Dip are intended to be unique, original and focused on flavour.

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that I think you will come to know and love about this dip in the points below:

• Back to basics: nothing about this dip is difficult. It is smart easy. No oven is needed, no electric beaters, it simply involves layering with textures.
• Simple ingredients: whilst these are not so much 'everyday ingredients', they are all simple and easy to find at the local shops. The cream cheese has the shortest shelf life, usually a block will have an expiry date that is within one month of the purchase.
• Spread or dip: sometimes you want to spread something on some crackers but not have it be plain old softened cream cheese. Through the use of honey, walnuts and crushed nuts, we create a textured delicious kind of yum.
• No bake: there is no food processor, appliance or fancy gadgets needed for this one.
• Perfect game day appetizer: use your air fryer to cook some crostini or simply toast some thinly sliced bread and use that with this spread as a tasty combo sure to thrill the eaters!

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for exact measurements.

As you can see, the recipe calls for:

• Cream cheese: we need an 8 oz, 250 gram block of this. Thick and creamy, it lends itself to sweet and savory recipes. You can use a tub if you really want or if it is just the 2 of you for date night. However, for parties, I think the block presents better and you have more surface area for the toppings. Everywhere sells this from Walmart to Tesco, Woolies and Coles, you will easily be able to get your hands on it.
• Honey: sweet and sticky, I love using this ingredient in the kitchen! For this recipe we drizzle it over the top of the cheese and it provides flavour and texture as well as allowing the other ingredients (chopped pecans and crushed nuts) to stick to it.
• Walnuts: I recommend either purchasing chopped ones (bits and pieces) or whole ones which you pop into a glass jug or mug and use kitchen scissors to roughly chop. (This is what I do).
• Crushed nuts: I am referring to crushed peanuts here. They are sold in the cooking aisle with the dried fruits and might be labelled 'granulated nuts'. They offer great texture, convenience and are great from anything like ice cream through to using as a salad ingredient.
• Crackers: I use robust round crackers. This is because we want to 'spread' the dip onto the crackers. Even these break if the portion of cream cheese is too thick. So anything thinner (water crackers) is not the best choice for pairing. They will work, but you will likely encounter many broken bits.

Tasty tip: you don't have to use the exact same crackers as me. By all means use your favourite. Another option that comes to mind is those healthy grain or rye crackers which are all the rage these days. Choose ones which you love!

👩‍🍳How to Make Honey Walnut Cream Cheese

To make the recipe, start by plating the cream cheese in the centre of the serving board. Get your honey and drizzle it over the top to form a layer. Use a teaspoon to help spread it, flip it and use the back of the spoon to spread it out.

Once that is done, sprinkle the chopped walnuts across to form their own layer. They will easily stick to the honey and if some slides down the edges, well that's ok (sticks finger in this bit and licks the honey off the finger tip 😂 ).

Next, grab the crushed nuts and use your fingers to pinch these in the bowl and sprinkle them over the top of the walnut. This layering of the 2 types of nuts on top of the honey gives a lovely colour contrast and tastes super yum too (yum, yum ❤ ).

• Place crackers around the side for serving (Photo 5)

Of course, people need something to eat this delightful combination and whilst I am using crackers in the photo throughout the post, if you scroll to my substitutions and variations, then you will be able to hear my other ideas (including a healthier one!).

🍽 Serving Suggestions

To serve the honey walnut cream cheese combo, grab a cheese knife or butter knife. You want to provide this so that the eaters can cut into the dip and spread their chosen morsel be it cracker or chip (or even bagel) with the deliciousness.

Polly and everyone else will want a cracker when they see the sticky yum combo in front of them and they will be reaching for the knife to get their share! The combination is really simple but seriously so yum.

The cracker is firm and full of crumbs, the honey is thick, sweet and sticky. The walnuts provide the crunch factor and the crush nuts pops of another kind of yum. That first bite brings it all together and the taste is sensational!

The desire to have more and more bites will soon follow! With the textures mixing around in your mouth sweet and blissfully.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

If you want to make this dip and store the leftovers, ensure you use an air tight container that can be sealed.

You can store leftovers to combine them as this will allow you to use them as a 'spread'. Use the spread for bagels, toast, crostini, sandwiches and wraps.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my ins and outs that I know you enjoy reading so that you can make the recipe work for you. Try each or any of the following:

• Use reduced fat cream cheese, instead of the full fat variety.
• Use pistachio nuts instead of the crushed nuts.
• As an alternative to crackers or chips, you can use this combination as a spread on bagels with smoked salmon.
• Use this combination and spread on thawed puff pastry to make pinwheels like my Pecan Pinwheels.
• Alternatively use this combination spread on toast in the mornings and pop some freshly sliced fruit on top!

🛎 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you for when you come to make the recipe:

• A block (as shown in the pics) is a better way to serve this combination if you want to serve it like a dip. If however, you want to make this combination, stir it together to use as a spread, you can use the spreadable tub variety of cream cheese. Despite their visual difference in appearance, they are actually the same size quantity!
• You can also purchase cream cheese in a roll, like a log. You can use that as alternative idea if you want to make it a dip with a little difference (of appearance).
• Use mini toasts or toast points and spread this on them for an appetizer to get the party started or as a light brunch!
• Toast some flat breads or make Air Fryer Pita Chips and use those as a serving pairing for the recipe.
• Instead of using bread or crackers, try a much healthier option and stuff celery sticks with the walnut honey cream cheese combo.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

What can cream cheese be used for?

Cream cheese is a a very versatile ingredient and lends itself to a number of pairings, both with sweet and savory options.

It is popular in cheesecake, dips, used as a frosting, pizza or pasta sauce and sandwich spread.

How many calories are in honey walnut cream cheese?

There is approximately 121kcal per portion or serving size of this dip.

What flavours of cream cheese are sold in stores?

Chive and onion cream cheese, plain cream cheese and reduced fat honey walnut cream cheese.

Panera is a popular bakery style cafe in USA which offers a selection of spreads made from cream cheese for their homemade sandwiches.

Does cream cheese go bad?

Cream cheese like every ingredient has a shelf life. This will be printed on the packaging with an expiry or best before date. It is advisable to use the product before this date, although if it passes the sniff test, it is often ok. The general rule of thumb for this is if in doubt, throw it out.

Can you bake with expired cream cheese?

My personal recommendation is to use in date, fresh, unexpired cream cheese. Exercise discretion when using any product (especially dairy) past its shelf life.

😍 More Easy Dip Recipes

If you want to dip and dunk your way through some more days of your life, here are some combinations that I know you will love.

• Honey Pecan Cream Cheese
• Pistachio Spread
• Baked Brie with Honey
• Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
• Microwave Brie
• Gherkin Dip
• Cream Cheese Onion Dip
• Corn Relish Dip
• Cream Cheese Spinach Dip

You can also find all of my dips and spreads in the one spot or try my Grazing Platter if you are feeding a crowd.

Adrianne xx

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