Smoked Cream Cheese
Published July 19, 2023 • Updated March 13, 2026
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I keep making this smoked cream cheese because it's five minutes of actual work for two hours of hands-off smoke. A cold block, BBQ rub, and the Traeger turns it into a creamy, golden keto appetizer that vanishes at cookouts.
Instead of bringing the same old dip to every cookout, I bring a block of cream cheese that’s been seasoned and smoked on the Traeger. Two hours at 225°F and you get this smoky, almost caramelized crust on the outside with a warm, spreadable center that people crowd around. I finish it with a drizzle of honey, red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, and the whole thing looks like I spent hours on it (I didn’t).
The crosshatch scoring is the part that makes the biggest difference. I cut diagonal lines about half a centimeter deep across the top, and that’s where the BBQ rub settles in and the smoke actually penetrates instead of just sitting on the surface. Without it, you get a pretty block with smoke on the outside and plain cheese on the inside. With the scoring, every bite pulls real smoke flavor.
I’ve tested this with apple, hickory, and mesquite pellets, and they each give a noticeably different result. Apple is the most forgiving (lighter, slightly sweet smoke that won’t go bitter even if you run a little long). Hickory is what I reach for when I want a more traditional BBQ flavor. Mesquite is intense, so I save it for bold pairings like keto cocktail weenies or grilled bacon at a cookout.
If you don’t have a pellet smoker, this works on a charcoal Weber too. I’ve done it with indirect heat: coals banked on one side, the block sitting on the cool side, a handful of apple or pecan wood chips right on the coals. Close the lid and give it about 30 minutes. That’s enough for solid smoke flavor without going bitter. The pellet smoker holds temperature more consistently, which is why I default to it, but the smoke from charcoal is just as good.
I serve this as a low-carb spread with sliced cucumbers, sweet peppers, and celery. For more crunch, set out pasta chips or tortilla chips alongside it. It’s also great spread onto salmon cucumber bites before topping with the salmon. Put the skillet straight on the table and let people scoop.
How to smoke it
The whole process takes maybe five minutes of hands-on time. Keep the block cold from the fridge so the crosshatch cuts come out clean and the rub sticks to the surface instead of sliding off. I smoke mine at 225°F for the full two hours because lower and slower gives the smoke more time to work into those score lines. You’ll know it’s done when the top looks slightly golden and the block has softened but still holds its shape. If you’re nervous about it melting, don’t be. At 225°F it stays together every single time.
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Ingredients
8 oz block cream cheese, cold -
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
-
2 tablespoons favorite BBQ rub
-
1 tablespoon sugar free honey
-
minced parsley, for garnish
-
red pepper flakes, for garnish
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prep Traeger
Preheat Traeger to 225°F.
Coat with olive oil
Brush cream cheese with olive oil.
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 oz cream cheese
Score & season
Using a knife, score the top with diagonal crosshatch marks. Only slice through about 1/2-1 cm deep. Sprinkle BBQ rub all over the block of cream cheese.
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ rub or seasoning
Traeger smoked cream cheese
Place seasoned cream cheese on a 8-10 inch cast iron skillet, cross hatch marks facing up. Smoke at 225°F for 2 hours.
Finishing seasonings
Remove skillet from the Traeger or smoker. Drizzle the top with honey and garnish with minced parsley and red pepper flakes.
- 1 tablespoons sugar free honey
- minced parsley
- red pepper flakes
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Will it melt in the smoker?
I've smoked dozens of blocks and never had one melt or collapse. At 225°F, the inside softens into this warm, spreadable texture but the block holds its shape the entire two hours. The key is starting with a cold brick straight from the fridge. If you go above 250°F, things can get too soft, but at my standard 225°F I've never had an issue.
Can I use whipped or spreadable instead of a block?
I tried it once and it was a mess. The whipped kind doesn't have enough density to hold shape under heat, and within 30 minutes it started spreading flat in the skillet. You need a standard 8 oz brick (the foil-wrapped kind) because it scores cleanly and holds up for the full two hours. That's the only style I use.
Can I make this ahead of time?
I actually prefer prepping it the night before. Score the block, rub the seasoning all over, wrap it and refrigerate overnight. The rub penetrates deeper when it sits, so you get more flavor throughout. Day-of, all I do is fire up the smoker and set the block on the skillet.
Can I freeze smoked cream cheese?
I've frozen it and it works, but the texture changes slightly. It gets a little denser after thawing compared to fresh off the smoker. I wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and it keeps for about a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and let it sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes before serving.
How do I reheat leftovers?
I pull it from the fridge about 30-40 minutes before serving and let it come to room temperature. That's usually enough to get it soft and spreadable again. If I want it warm like it was fresh off the smoker, I put it in a 250°F oven for 10-12 minutes. Don't microwave it. The texture goes rubbery.
Can I make this on a charcoal grill instead of a pellet smoker?
I've done this on my charcoal Weber and it works well. Set up indirect heat with coals on one side and a handful of apple or pecan wood chips on the other. Place the block on the cool side, close the lid, and give it about 30 minutes. That's enough for solid smoke flavor without going bitter. The pellet smoker is more convenient for holding temperature, but my results from charcoal have been just as good.
What wood pellets work best for this?
I've tested apple, hickory, mesquite, and pecan. Apple is my go-to because it's forgiving (lighter smoke, slightly sweet, won't go bitter even if you run long). Hickory gives a more traditional BBQ flavor. Mesquite is the most intense, so I save it for when I'm pairing with bold flavors. Pecan lands somewhere between apple and hickory. Any of them work, but I'd start with apple if it's your first time.
I've been making this eight or nine times now and switched up the rub a few weeks ago after grabbing everything bagel seasoning by mistake while reaching for my BBQ blend, and I'm glad I didn't catch it right away because the half I'd already covered came out with this completely different garlicky sesame crust, more toasty and savory than the smoky-sweet BBQ side, and now I split the block on purpose. The two halves really do come out like different appetizers. The crosshatch cuts help with this too since the sesame seeds settle into the grooves during the smoke rather than sitting loose on top. Also, everything bagel seasoning is already pretty salty, so if your BBQ rub has salt in it you'll want to go lighter than you'd think. I worked that out the somewhat-over-salted way the second intentional time. The sugar-free honey drizzle ended up working even better on the sesame-garlicky half than I expected, it does this honey sesame thing that just felt right. I put both halves out now with different dippers on each side and people always end up at the everything bagel end without knowing why.
The smoke smell coming off the Traeger when I pulled the lid at the halfway mark stopped me cold. First time I'd smoked anything. Wasn't expecting how much the cream cheese would change color, mine went almost copper in the crosshatch cuts. The BBQ rub absorbs into the fat somehow, it's not just sitting on top by the end. Does wood pellet type change the flavor much, or does the rub dominate?
Swapped olive oil for melted butter and there's an extra richness at the end I can't fully trace back to it, but it's real. Apple wood pellets if your Traeger takes them, the smoke goes softer and more even through the whole block. Also been running it 15 minutes longer past the two hours, exterior picks up more color on the crust. Not going back.
BBQ rub on cream cheese. Cookout food is back.
Mine's gone in about 10 minutes at a cookout. I make two blocks now.
First time smoking anything, first run on the Traeger. Does the BBQ rub actually matter flavor-wise? Going back and forth on sweet vs spicy after two hours at 225.
It's the whole flavor. Cream cheese has no seasoning, so the rub is what you're tasting. Go sweet, the honey drizzle at the end is why.
Swapped the sugar-free honey for pepper jelly at the end, just because the jar was sitting on the counter and felt worth trying. The pepper jelly plays against the smoke in a way the honey doesn't, there's this little trailing heat that settles in after the smoke flavor and makes you keep going back. Two hours of hands-off time, thirty seconds of a different drizzle. Still doing the cold block and the cast iron exactly as written because those parts matter. Crosshatch cuts packed full of rub, that part's non-negotiable. But the finish is where I've been rotating through options and this one stuck. Third cookout I've brought this to this summer, always the pepper jelly version now.
Jeff, pepper jelly after smoke is something I haven't tested yet but now have to. That layered finish you're describing, where the smoke settles and then the heat comes in a beat later, is a completely different payoff than honey gives you. Honey is sweet plus smoke. Pepper jelly is sweet plus heat plus smoke, and the heat landing second is the part I'm actually curious about in person. I've got a jar in the back of the fridge right now. It's going on the next block.
Used the cast iron skillet like the recipe says and threw a handful of sliced jalapeños on top before it went on the Traeger. Two hours later the heat had mellowed out almost completely but they had this soft, smoky sweetness that worked really well with the BBQ rub. Worth trying if you like a little something extra.
That jalapeño sweetness after two hours is the best part. I've done diced ones pressed into the crosshatch cuts, but sliced on top sounds even easier. Might try that next time.
Made this for a spring cookout and it really was as hands-off as you said, which I appreciated as a first-timer with a smoker. One tip though: cut the crosshatch marks deeper than you think you need to. Mine were pretty shallow and the BBQ rub mostly sat on top instead of getting pulled into the cheese. Flavor was still there, but I'm betting deeper scoring makes a real difference. Already planning round two.
Yep, deeper cuts matter. I go about a half inch now. The rub settles into the grooves as the cheese softens and you taste it all the way through.
Fourth time on the Traeger and I finally tried skipping the sugar-free honey drizzle. Big mistake. That little bit of sweetness against the smoke is the whole thing. Won't skip it again.
I had real doubts about this one. Two hours on a smoker for a block of cream cheese felt like a lot of effort for something probably going to underwhelm. Made it anyway. Cast iron skillet, crosshatch scoring, pulled it off the Traeger and it was golden, almost caramelized on top. Didn't expect that. Still creamy inside but smoky all the way through. Made it three times this month and I'm not done.
Three times in a month. That smoky-all-the-way-through texture doesn't happen if you start with room temp. Cold block, straight from the fridge, the full two hours.
Tip for anyone making this: press the BBQ rub into the crosshatch cuts with your fingers before it goes on the smoker. The rub settles into the grooves and comes out with this caramelized crust that looks intentional and tastes way better than just sprinkling it on top. I used to wonder why mine looked flat compared to photos. Five extra seconds. That's it.
The caramelized crust from packed-in rub is what makes the scoring worth doing. Loose sprinkle just blows around the smoker. Five seconds of pressing and you get something that looks like you actually tried.
I've made smoked cream cheese from four or five different recipes and most of them skip the scoring, which I never thought mattered until I tried this one. The BBQ rub settles into the cuts instead of just sitting on top, and the cast iron gives it a golden crust I could never get before. I also always let mine sit out first because I assumed you had to. Starting cold is what changes the texture -- it holds together in a way it just doesn't when the cheese is already soft going in. Made this for an outdoor thing last weekend and it's replaced my old standby. The sugar-free honey at the end I almost skipped (seemed like overkill) and that would've been a mistake.
The crosshatch thing. Most recipes skip it and you end up with seasoning that just blows off in the smoker. Getting it down into the cuts is what makes the bark.
Tried probably four different smoked cream cheese recipes before landing on this one, and the crosshatch scoring is the thing nobody else mentions. The rub gets into those cuts so you actually get seasoning in every bite instead of just a crust on the outside. Doing this at every cookout this spring.
Yeah, nobody talks about it. Flat block you're just eating a seasoned crust. The cuts fix that.
Was unsure going in. Never smoked anything before, and two hours for cream cheese felt like a lot to ask. Cut into it right off the skillet and the inside caught me off guard, almost custardy. The crosshatch scoring actually pulls the rub into the cheese instead of leaving it all on the surface. Every other keto appetizer I've tried feels like a consolation prize next to this. The honey drizzle at the end is not optional.
The custardy center gets me every time. And yeah, the honey is not optional. Found that out the hard way.
We fired up the Traeger for the first time this spring and threw this on mostly as filler while the ribs were going. My mother-in-law, who gives my 'keto stuff' a polite one-bite and calls it good, worked her way through half the skillet, kept coming back saying she couldn't figure out how something on a smoker for two hours could taste that fresh and creamy. The crosshatch scoring is doing real work there, pulling the rub all the way through instead of just sitting on the surface. Four stars because I went too heavy on the rub and it completely buried the honey drizzle, which is honestly the best part. Already doing it again this weekend with the rub dialed back to one tablespoon so the honey can actually land.
Half the skillet from someone who 'politely one-bites' keto food. That's the whole review. One tablespoon on the rub is right, the honey gets buried so fast when you go heavy.