Cream cheese with red pepper jelly is a very popular sweet-and-savory appetizer in the U.S. and Canada. 🧀🌶️ It’s incredibly simple but tastes great because the rich, tangy cream cheese balances the sweet-spicy jelly.
Basic Version
Ingredients
- 1 block of cream cheese
- ½–1 cup red pepper jelly
- Crackers or toasted bread for serving
How to make it
- Place the block of cream cheese on a small serving plate.
- Spoon the red pepper jelly over the top.
- Serve with crackers, pretzels, or sliced baguette.
Why People Love It
- 🧀 Creamy + spicy-sweet contrast
- ⏱️ Takes under 2 minutes to prepare
- 🎉 Very common at parties and holiday gatherings
Variations
- Add chopped green onions on top.
- Sprinkle crushed nuts (like pecans or pistachios).
- Warm it slightly in the oven for a hot dip.
Good Things to Serve With
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Toasted baguette slices
- Vegetable sticks
If you want, I can also show you a very easy homemade red pepper jelly recipe 🌶️ that tastes amazing with cream cheese.
