Easy Homemade Vegetable Cream Cheese for Bagels

Vegetable cream cheese is the perfect spread for toasted bagels. Once crisp, spread on a generous layer of this veggie cream cheese & enjoy!

Cream cheese and bagels are a fabulous pairing, but let's make the combo even better.

This flavoured, savoury cream cheese mixed with colourful veg makes the best bagel spread.

Slather a thick layer on your toasted (broiled) bagels next time you have them for lunch or brunch.

Hot, crisp bagels teamed with cold velvety cream cheese perked up with a few key flavours and some crisp veg.

Yum!

Jump to:

• 🥣 Flavoured cream cheese
• 🥯 Toasted bagels
• 📋 What you need to make homemade vegetable cream cheese
• 💭 Which vegan cream cheese?
• 📖 Variations
• 💭 Tips for the best vegetable cream cheese bagels
• 🍔 Ways to use vegetable cream cheese
• 🌡️ Storing veggies cream cheese
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Related recipes
• ⭐ Save your favourite recipes for free!
• 👩🏻‍🍳 How to make Easy Homemade Vegetable Cream Cheese for Bagels
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

🥣 Flavoured cream cheese

I took inspiration for this garden vegetable cream cheese from my recipe for a 70s retro cheese ball (or cheese log), where the cream cheese is flavoured with herbs and spices.

If you're old enough to be around in the 1970s you'll know just what I mean.

Just so tasty and of course you can play with different herbs and spices.

🥯 Toasted bagels

I like to use sesame bagels when I spread them with cream cheese, but you could use plain bagels instead.

Simply slice them in half and toast (broil) them until they are crisp.

Toasting them makes all the difference, a nice bit of crunch, but they are still soft inside.

Of course, it's best to let them cool a little before adding the cream cheese, as you don't want it to melt.

Warm rather than burn-your-fingers-hot is what you're aiming for.

📋 What you need to make homemade vegetable cream cheese

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this garden veggie cream cheese spread to make the tastiest bagel sandwiches.

• Cream cheese - we use vegan cream cheese
• Dried parsley - you could use fresh
• Dried dill - or fresh dill
• Garlic powder - or crushed fresh garlic
• Paprika
• Salt & black pepper
• Carrot
• Spring onions - scallions
• Sweetcorn

• Sesame bagels - or plain bagels to serve (you can use a gluten-free bagel if that suits your diet better), mini bagels would be fun too

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card, below the step-by-step photos.

💭 Which vegan cream cheese?

There are so many dairy-free cream cheese brands out there now and most supermarkets make their own version too.

Use your favourite cream cheese for this but do consider the texture.

We prefer Violife cream cheese (unless I want a flavoured cream cheese, then I like Tesco vegan herb and garlic cream cheese) to the vegan Philadelphia taste wise if it's spread on a sandwich or toast.

However, the texture of Philadelphia is better and as we are adding flavourings, it is just perfect for this recipe.

But as I said, use your favourite, just your regular cream cheese.

📖 Variations

Here are a few tweaks you can make to this cream cheese spread.

• Onion powder - instead of garlic powder
• Chilli powder - for a bit of a kick
• Fresh chives - or dried chives instead of parsley, or any fresh herbs
• Red onion - instead of the green onions (spring onions)
• Red pepper - (red bell peppers) finely chopped and added to the mixture

Love a homemade sandwich spread (bagel spread)? Try my carrot sandwich filler, vegan cheese and onion sandwich filler, vegan cheese savoury, vegan egg mayo or vegetable salad sandwich filler.

For more inspiration check out 101 Vegan Sandwiches - Back to School Kids Lunch boxes.

💭 Tips for the best vegetable cream cheese bagels

Here are a few tips so you can up your cream cheese bagel game.

• Fresh bagels are the best - but if you can't get those, buy the best ready-made bagels the supermarket sell
• Always toast (broil) the bagels - until golden and crisp
• Once you have added the flavourings to the cream cheese, mix well - and taste to check the seasoning
• Chop the chop fresh veggies finely - and dry on kitchen paper to remove any moisture, before adding to the cream cheese
• Once you have made the cream cheese mixture, place it back in the fridge - to chill before spreading on your freshly toasted bagel
• Spread the toasted bagels with a generous layer cream cheese - when they have cooled down and are just warm, so the cream cheese doesn't melt
• Eat right away - although they are pretty good cold in lunchboxes too

🍔 Ways to use vegetable cream cheese

Here are a few more serving suggestions for this delicious cream cheese.

• Sandwich - on a sandwich with salad and pickled beetroot or gherkins
• Burger - spread a thick layer of the raw vegetable cream cheese on your burger bn before adding the burger, then mustard to the top half of the bun
• Pasta salad - tossed through freshly cooked (and rinsed cold) glossy pasta to make a tasty pasta salad
• Toast - spread it on toast
• Wrap - spread it on a wrap and add a freshly cooked bean burger and iceberg lettuce
• Crackers - spread on crackers or oatcakes

Try it with all sorts of dishes, where you need a creamy spread.

Go crazy!

👩🏻‍🍳 Related recipes

Looking for more easy bagel recipes? Try these:

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I use this website and can highly recommend them.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to make Easy Homemade Vegetable Cream Cheese for Bagels

These step-by-step photos will show you how to make vegetable cream cheese.

Step 1

• Prepare your veggies and pat them dry in kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture.
• Soften the cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
• Add herbs (full recipe below).

Step 2

• Add the rest of the herbs and spices.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Taste to check the seasoning.

Step 3

• Add the veggies to the flavoured cream cheese and mix well to combine.
• Spread a thick layer on a freshly toasted bagel.
• Enjoy!