Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread

This smoked salmon cream cheese recipe takes five minutes and just a handful of ingredients: cream cheese, smoked salmon, scallions, lemon juice, and fresh dill. Creamy, savory, and beautifully pink, this is great as a classic bagel spread or as a salmon cream cheese dip for crackers and vegetable appetizer platters.

Prep Time5

Cook Time0

Servings: 6 servings (1 cup)

Calories: 150kcal

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Essential Equipment

▢
food processor
▢
Spatula (for scraping the bowl)

Ingredients

▢ 8 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened preferably Philadelphia brand
▢ 3 ounces smoked salmon preferably not Nova lox, which is too delicate
▢ 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
▢ 2 scallions, green and light green parts only, sliced very thin
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill (optional)

Instructions

Combine the smoked salmon and cream cheese. In a food processor, pulse the cream cheese and smoked salmon until blended about 2/3 of the way, but small salmon chunks remain. Scrape the bowl with the spatula.
PRO TIP: Cold cream cheese won't blend smoothly. Let the block sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before starting.
Add the lemon and fresh herbs. Add the lemon juice, scallions, and dill (if using). Pulse in the food processor again, and scrape with a spatula to make sure everything is fully combined. Taste for seasoning.
Reserve a sprinkling of scallion slices for garnish.
Serve. Transfer the salmon cream cheese to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh sprigs of dill or extra scallion slices if you'd like. Spread on bagels and or serve as a dip with crackers, bagel chips, or vegetables.

Notes

No food processor? Just finely chop the salmon, make sure the cream cheese is well softened, and mix everything together with a spoon or sturdy spatula. The texture will be more chunky, which is not a bad thing!

A note on choosing the smoked salmon (smoked salmon vs. lox): For this recipe, regular cold-smoked salmon is the better choice. Lox's high fat and delicate texture causes it to dissolve somewhat when blended, meaning you'll lose texture and color. Smoked salmon holds its body and gives the spread a deep pink color. My favorite is wild Alaskan smoked salmon.

Make it a dip: For a looser consistency suitable for crackers and crudités, stir in up to one tablespoon of sour cream after blending.

Make ahead and storage:

The flavor improves after a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator as everything melds together. This is a good recipe to make the night before a brunch.
This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Do not freeze. Cream cheese breaks down in the freezer and the texture will become grainy.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.