Savory Cream Cheese Spread with Warm Cherry Sauce For The Holidays

Please Share This Post!

Topped with a warm cherry pecan sauce, this savory Cream Cheese Spread is going to take boring, plain crackers from blah to wow during the holidays! Ready in just 30 minutes, it is ideal for serving at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

This post is part of Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) – a series of festive recipes, crafts, printables, and more on The Purple Pumpkin Blog!

Savory Cream Cheese Spread

The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.

If you enjoy entertaining around the Holidays and are looking for a new appetizer to serve, you simply must try this savory cream cheese spread (a humble block of cream cheese!) topped with a fantastic warm cherry sauce, fresh herbs, and chopped pecans.

It’s so easy to prepare and looks stunning on a serving plate with a selection of crackers for guests to enjoy.

The Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog is filled with free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Christmas and the Winter Holidays! You can check out Create the Holidays from 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 and 2012  for tons of awesome Holiday ideas and inspiration!

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe

While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.

It may not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.

• Fresh Produce – Dark Cherries (Fresh or Frozen), Rosemary
• Dairy – Cream Cheese
• Honey – try to buy locally produced honey when possible.
• Dried Rosemary
• Ground Cumin
• Ground Cinnamon
• Pecan Halves
• Crackers – your choice, for serving.

Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).

More Recipes Using Cherries

One of the hero ingredients in this dish is cherries, so here are some more recipes using the same:

• Gluten-Free Black Cherry Crisp Recipe
• Cherry Almond Cookies
• Brie and Cherry Appetizers with Phyllo Pastry Cups

More Cheese Appetizer Recipes

Looking for more appetizers to make? Check these recipes out next:

• Instant Pot Baked Brie and Apple Appetizer
• 30-Minute Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Appetizers
• Classic Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Glaze – An Easy Party Appetizer

Recipe Tips

• Fresh or frozen cherries can be used for this recipe, but you’ll save time using frozen.
• Place frozen cherries in a large bowl and thaw at room temperature.
• Use the liquid in the bowl and reduce the amount of water to one-quarter cup.

How Do I Make Savory Cream Cheese Spread?

Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.

Continue to Content

Cream Cheese Spread with Warm Cherry Sauce

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Topped with a warm cherry pecan sauce, this savory Cream Cheese Spread takes plain crackers from blah to wow!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz/225g) block cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups dark cherries, pitted and chopped
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ tsp dried rosemary (or 1½ tsp fresh leaves, finely chopped)
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup water
• ¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped, optional
• Crackers, to serve

Instructions

1. Place a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add cherries, honey, rosemary, cinnamon, salt, and water. Stir to combine.
2. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid is reduced by one-half and a thick sauce develops. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Place the cream cheese on a serving platter and pour half the warm cherry sauce on top. Reserve the remaining sauce to top off the spread, as needed, or serve on the side. Top with chopped pecans and the finely chopped rosemary, if desired. Serve immediately with crackers. Enjoy!
   
   

Notes

• Fresh or frozen cherries can be used for this recipe, but you’ll save time using frozen. Place frozen cherries in a large bowl and thaw at room temperature. Use the liquid in the bowl and reduce the amount of water to one-quarter cup.
• Prep time: 5 minutes (frozen cherries + time to thaw) or 20 minutes (fresh cherries)

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 177mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 14gProtein: 2g

This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.

Did you make this recipe? Share it!

Tag @_ThePurplePumpkinBlog on Instagram with the hashtag #TPPBRecipes!

Make It A Holiday Dinner!

You’ve made the appetizer, but what about the rest of the courses?

Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a holiday dinner party!

• Soup: Loaded Cauliflower Leek Soup Recipe – Can Be Served Hot or Chilled!
• Salad: Apple Walnut Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Main Dish: Rosemary Garlic Beef Tenderloin Recipe for the Holidays
• Side Dish: Comforting & Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Red Potatoes
• Beverage: Blackberry Vodka Cocktail
• Dessert: Rich & Chocolatey Decadent Chocolate Layer Cake For Any Occasion

There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.

Please Share This Post!