There’s something undeniably delightful about the combination of creamy, whipped cream cheese and the rich, smoky flavor of salmon. Whether you’re using homemade or store-bought smoked salmon, this simple yet delicious spread is perfect for bagels, bagel chips and other crackers, and more. This smoked salmon cream cheese spread is a crowd-pleaser and incredibly easy to make. Perfect for a quick breakfast, brunch, or a delightful appetizer.
It packs all the flavor of bagels and shmear (cream cheese) with lox, but with more convenience and transportability!
This recipe is so easy because you can still use pre-made cream cheese from the store, and the whipped variety is super easy to mix with your mix smoked fish.
Although it’s true there are salmon cream cheese spread products on the market, they are overpriced and only use a small amount of salmon (hopefully it’s salmon lol) for flavor. Those tiny little bits do just about nothing for the texture too!
For homemade gravlax/lox: My everything-bagel seasoned smoked salmon recipe is available in Insane in the Brine: The Official Cookbook. My citrus-dill cured/smoked salmon recipe is free here on the blog!
Salmon Cream Cheese Ingredients:
- 12 oz (340g) container of whipped cream cheese
- 100g (about 3/4 cup) finely chopped smoked salmon (cold or hot smoked)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Salmon: Finely chop the smoked salmon by hand to ensure it blends well into the cream cheese. For a nice texture, the pieces don’t need to be the exact same size.
- Combine Ingredients: In a medium bowl, add the finely chopped smoked salmon to the whipped cream cheese.
- Mix Thoroughly: Gently fold the salmon into the cream cheese using a spoon until well combined. Make sure the salmon is evenly distributed throughout the cream cheese.
- Chill (Optional): For the best flavor, cover the bowl and chill the spread in the refrigerator for at least 30-60 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together.
- Pack into Container (Optional): You may pack the salmon cream cheese back into the original cream cheese container. It’s a tight fit, but it works.
Serve: It’s great with toppings or garnishes like thin-sliced red onion, capers, tomato slices, chopped dill, cracked pepper, etc.
