This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.
Cream cheese with pepper jelly is a Midwestern delicacy, a beloved appetizer made from just 2 ingredients. It’s creamy, spicy, and sweet, and you’ll love it.
If you’ve never tried cream cheese with pepper jelly, you’re in for a real treat. And nothing could be easier! Open a block of cream cheese; open a jar of red pepper jelly. Pour the jelly on the cream cheese and serve with crackers.
It’s perfect on a charcuterie board, too! The combination of textures and flavors is absolutely delightful.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Pepper jelly: Make your own pepper jelly with 5 ingredients (red peppers, habañeros, sugar, vinegar, and pectin) or use store bought.
Red Pepper Jelly
Sweet and spicy, Red Pepper Jelly is one seriously delicious multitasker. It’s fantastic with any type of creamy cheese, works wonders as a glaze on salmon or pork, and adds a zesty kick to a…
View Recipe
Instructions
- In a serving dish, set the block of cream cheese. Top with pepper jelly and serve with crackers.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 servings, ¼ cup each (assuming 2 ounces cream cheese and 2 ounces pepper jelly).
- Storage: This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you don’t love the sweet and spicy heat of red pepper jelly, cream cheese is also delicious with strawberry or apricot jelly.
Pepper jelly is available at many national grocery stores including Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods. Look for brands like Stonewall Kitchen, Reese’s, or Tabasco brand.
Midwest Charcuterie Board
A Midwest Charcuterie Board ripe with regional offerings is perfect for all-day grazing and parties with people you love. Make a few things, buy the rest, and enjoy it all! I never met a charcuterie…
View Recipe
More classic appetizers
Appetizer Recipes
Veggie Pizza
Appetizer Recipes
Ham Roll Ups
Appetizer Recipes
Deviled Eggs
Appetizer Recipes
Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce
Join Us
Cream Cheese with Pepper Jelly
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces red pepper jelly (see note 1)
- crackers for serving
Instructions
- In a serving dish, set the block of cream cheese. Top with pepper jelly and serve with crackers.
Notes
- Pepper jelly: Make your own pepper jelly with 5 ingredients (red peppers, habañeros, sugar, vinegar, and pectin) or use store bought.
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 servings, ¼ cup each (assuming 2 ounces cream cheese and 2 ounces pepper jelly).
- Storage: This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Do you heat the jelly or pour it cold?
Hi Gramma, thank you for writing! I prefer to have the jelly cool so it spreads evenly over the cream cheese, but still hold some of it’s shape. I also recommend allowing the the cream cheese to soften some before serving, so it’s easier to spread. Take care! – Meggan
Can you substitute green chilies jelly in place of the red pepper jelly? I vaguely recall attending a dinner party where the hostess served cream cheese with what I believe was green chilies jelly(?) over the cheese. It was quite good, but I can’t recall if it was green chili jelly! I simply remember it was green.
Hi Mary Ann, absolutely! Green pepper jelly is similar to red pepper jelly, but typically uses green bell peppers and jalape̱os instead of red peppers and habaneros. Take care! РMeggan