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Delicious and addictive, Cream Cheese Wontons are crispy, creamy heaven with every bite. This Chinese takeout favorite is easy to make at home, and you can easily make a lot. Be sure to serve them with pepper jelly, a classic Midwestern condiment and my “secret” dipping sauce.
Cream Cheese Wontons are basically Crab Rangoon without the crab. This is a useful recipe tweak to make for people who don’t eat seafood or for kids who “think” they don’t like crab.
It’s also great for your budget because honestly, crab is the most expensive part of Crab Rangoon! Take that out and it’s money in your pocket.
Once you learn how to fold Cream Cheese Wontons into that iconic little package, the rest is smooth sailing. I have easy instructions below, so don’t worry. After that, you can deep fry the wontons, or bake them, or fry them in an air fryer—whatever gets that crispy dumpling into your mouth the fastest.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Cream cheese: I like whipped cream cheese because the light, airy texture is easy to mix with other ingredients. Regular cream cheese, softened to room temperature, works just fine.
- Egg: An egg wash helps seal the wonton wrappers together.
- Wonton wrappers: Look for square wonton wrappers made with wheat (not rice) that measure about 3 1/2” square. They are often sold in the produce section (refrigerated). Each package will probably have a LOT of wrappers, so you can wrap up what you don’t need and freeze them for another Cream Cheese Wonton evening (and there will be.)
- Red pepper jelly: This sweet-and-spicy condiment cuts through the richness of the cream cheese perfectly. The easiest thing is to buy it, but you can also make pepper jelly yourself.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and green onions. To make egg wash, in a small bowl whisk together egg and water. Working in batches, arrange 5 – 10 wonton wrappers on a clean, dry surface. Brush all 4 edges of each wrapper with the egg wash using a pastry brush or your finger. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each wonton wrapper.
- To wrap, first lift and press the seams of 2 opposing corners together over the filling. Then, lift the remaining 2 opposing corners and bring them also to the middle to form a small parcel. Press all seams together and fold over the top where all 4 corners meet. If the wrapper does not seem to stick, apply additional egg wash. Repeat with all remaining wonton wrappers and filling.
To fry the Cream Cheese Wontons:
- In a deep fryer or deep pot, heat oil to 375 degrees (do not let the temperature greatly exceed 375 degrees or the oil may smoke and burst into flame). Fry wontons in small batches until golden brown, about 15 to 20 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Serve with pepper jelly if desired.
To bake the Cream Cheese Wontons:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 24 regular-sized muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 1 filled wonton in each cup.
- Bake until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving and serve with pepper jelly if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 24 Cream Cheese Wontons, enough for 6 servings, 4 pieces each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The best way to reheat them is in the oven or an air fryer.
- Make ahead: The Cream Cheese Wontons can be made a few hours in advance, then fried up when it’s time to eat. Space out the filled wontons on a sheet tray, then cover with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap to keep them moist.
- Air fryer: To air-fry Cream Cheese Wontons, preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees as directed by the manufacturer (mine suggests preheating for 3 minutes, others not at all). Add in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. Flip each crab rangoon, then continue frying until your preferred level of crispiness is reached, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Air Fryers vary by manufacturer so adjust your cooking times as needed.
- Seal the deal: Above all, the most important part of making crab rangoon is sealing the wontons properly. When you fry the Cream Cheese Wontons, if the edges aren’t sealed, the filling may leak out. Pre-made wrappers tend to be drier and firmer than those you make from scratch, so closing can be a little more difficult. Press the seams together very well so the filling stays inside the dumpling as they fry. Use more egg wash as glue if you need to.
- Start small: Make only a couple dumplings at a time, until you get the hang of it, so the wrappers don’t dry out too much as you go. Once you’ve got the technique down, you can throw down more wonton wrappers and make larger batches.
- Portion control: Consider using a small cookie scoop to portion out the delicious cream cheese filling, or a teaspoon dipped in cold water in between scoops (that keeps the filling from sticking to the metal).
- Keep the oil hot: Deep-fried Cream Cheese Wontons get greasy if fried in oil that’s too cool. Make sure the oil is 375 degrees before lowering the dumplings in to cook.
- Dipping sauces: Pepper jelly, Chinese plum sauce, my favorite Asian sauce, or Sriracha (mix it with honey, soy sauce, or sesame oil if you want to).
Recipe FAQs
Are cream cheese wontons the same as rangoons?
Crab rangoon have a cream-cheese filling with crab meat (or imitation crab meat). Cream cheese wontons have the same cream-cheese filling but no crab meat.
What are cream cheese wontons made of?
Cream cheese wontons are made with cream cheese, mayonnaise, scallions, wonton wrappers, and an egg with water for egg wash (sealing the wontons).
More Asian-inspired recipes
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Hibachi Steak with Grilled Wasabi Potatoes
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Cream Cheese Wontons
Delicious and addictive, Cream Cheese Wontons are crispy, creamy heaven with every bite. This Chinese takeout favorite is easy to make at home, and you can easily make a lot.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whipped cream cheese (see note 1)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 scallions sliced
- 1 large egg (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 24 Wonton wrappers (see note 3)
- Pepper jelly for serving, optional (see note 4)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and green onions. To make egg wash, in a small bowl whisk together egg and water.
- Working in batches, arrange 5 – 10 wonton wrappers on a clean, dry surface. Brush all 4 edges of each wrapper with the egg wash using a pastry brush or your finger.
- Place 1 rounded teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. To wrap, first lift and press the seams of 2 opposing corners together over the filling. Then, lift the remaining 2 opposing corners and bring them also to the middle to form a small parcel.
- Press all seams together and fold over the top where all 4 corners meet. If the wrapper does not seem to stick, apply additional egg wash. Repeat with all remaining wonton wrappers and filling.
To fry cream cheese wontons:
- In a deep fryer or deep pot, heat oil to 375 degrees (do not let the temperature greatly exceed 375 degrees or the oil may smoke and burst into flame). Fry wontons in small batches until golden brown, about 15 to 20 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Serve with pepper jelly if desired.
To bake cream cheese wontons:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 24 regular-sized muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 1 filled wonton in each cup. Bake until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving and serve with pepper jelly if desired.
Notes
- Cream cheese: I like whipped cream cheese because the light, airy texture is easy to mix with other ingredients. Regular cream cheese, softened to room temperature, works just fine.
- Egg: An egg wash helps seal the wonton wrappers together.
- Wonton wrappers: Look for square wonton wrappers made with wheat (not rice) that measure about 3 1/2” square. They are often sold in the produce section (refrigerated). Each package will probably have a LOT of wrappers, so you can wrap up what you don’t need and freeze them for another Crab Rangoon evening (and there will be.)
- Red pepper jelly: This sweet-and-spicy condiment cuts through the richness of the cream cheese perfectly. The easiest thing is to buy it, but you can also make pepper jelly yourself.
- Yield: This recipe makes 24 Cream Cheese Wontons, enough for 6 servings, 4 pieces each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The best way to reheat them is in the oven or an air fryer.
- Make ahead: The Cream Cheese Wontons can be made a few hours in advance, then fried up when it’s time to eat. Space out the filled wontons on a sheet tray, then cover with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap to keep them moist.
Nutrition
Serving: 4piecesCalories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 7gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 478mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 476IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 1mg
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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.
Darn, these look great!!!