5 Minute Vegetable Cream Cheese

Name: 5 Minute Vegetable Cream Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 small carrot, peeled and finely grated; 2 small spring onions, finely chopped; 1/2 red pepper (or 1 small), finely diced; 300 g (~ 1 cup) cream cheese; 50 g (~ 1/2 cup) grated cheese; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; 1 teaspoon garlic granules; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; To serve: toasted bagels

ByBecca Heyes September 15, 2025September 15, 2025

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Total time: 5

Servings: 4 people

5 from 3 votes

This easy vegetable cream cheese can be made in just 5 minutes, and enjoyed on bagels, crackers, or as an easy vegetarian sandwich filling!

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I love a bagel smeared with cream cheese, but this homemade vegetable cream cheese really takes it up a notch. It’s so simple, but it’s genuinely one of the tastiest things I’ve made in a long time. It’s creamy, it’s garlicky, and it’s packed with colourful, crunchy veggies.

And the best part? It’s ridiculously easy to make, in just a few minutes! I made a big batch on a Monday and enjoyed having it on hand for lunches over the next few days. I loved having something to look forward to each lunchtime!

A halved bagel stuffed with vegetable cream cheese on a plate.

This veggie cream cheese is perfect for spreading on bagels, toast or crackers, or even using as a dip for even more fresh vegetables! It’s also great used as a vegetarian sandwich filler on some crusty bread, packed into a lunchbox.

Overhead shot of a tub of vegetable cream cheese with a knife.

🥕 What Vegetables Can I Use?

This is such an adaptable recipe, and a great way to use up any leftover veggies from the fridge. You can use pretty much any vegetables that you enjoy eating raw.

I used:

finely grated carrot
finely chopped red pepper
finely sliced spring onions

You could also add:

canned sweetcorn
fresh herbs (e.g. chives, parsley, dill)
red onion
celery
black or green olives
broccoli

I would avoid using anything that’s particularly wet, like cucumber or tomatoes, as they can make the mixture soggy (especially after it’s been in the fridge for a day or two).

You only actually need a fairly small amount of each vegetable, so this recipe is a great way to use up any scraps you’ve got left in the fridge.

Cheesy Vegetarian Bakes ebook on an ipad screen.

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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegetable cream cheese recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for vegetable cream cheese laid out with text overlay.

cream cheese
your chosen vegetables – see above for lots of ideas! I used red pepper, carrot and spring onions.
grated cheese – I used a 4 cheese blend. Ideally, go for a mature cheese that will bring plenty of flavour.
garlic granules
dried parsley

Becca’s Top Tip

Make sure you chop or grate your chosen vegetables really finely, so you can get a little bit of each flavour into every bite!

A hand holding a bagel stuffed with vegetable cream cheese.

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

Yes – this veggie cream cheese is perfect for making at the start of the week and enjoying over the next few days. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can I make a vegan version?

Sure! Just use your favourite vegan cream cheese, and your favourite vegan grated cheese, and follow the recipe as written.

🥪 Other Lunch Recipes

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Becca Heyes

Vegetarian Food Blogger

Becca Heyes has been a vegetarian food blogger, recipe developer and cheese eater extraordinaire since 2011. She's been a vegetarian for significantly longer, after having stopped eating meat out of pure stubbornness at the tender age of 9. She spends her life testing recipes, sharing them with fellow veggie-lovers, and trying to think of new ways to say 'cheesy'.