Homemade Cheddar Cheese Spread

In case you missed it, cheddar cheese spread is ridiculously easy to make at home! All you need is a handful of ingredients like sharp cheddar, cream cheese, and spices for a smooth, creamy, and super flavorful appetizer. Serve this dip with pretzel chips, crackers, and crudités – it’s such a crowd-pleaser at holidays and parties!

Growing up, my family owned a cabin in Utah where I spent pretty much every weekend. Aside from having complete freedom to roam through the forest and stay up way too late watching Dumb and Dumber on VHS, the best part of cabin weekends was the pantry full of ‘cabin-only’ snacks.

‘Cabin-only’ snacks was not an official thing, just an unspoken rule that there are certain foods you only eat in the forest. Top among this list for me was Cap’n Crunch, Keebler fudge drop cookies (RIP), and spreadable cheddar with pretzel rods.

To be honest, I haven’t thought of these snacks in forever, but the other day out of nowhere, I had a mad craving for spreadable cheese. So I ran to the fridge, unearthed some cream cheese and cheddar, and here we are.

This recipe is inspired by the pub cheese we used to make and snack on after-hours when I was in culinary school. It’s smooth and creamy, takes less than 15 minutes of work, and it’s 100% addictive. Serve it with pretzels, crackers, veggies, or anything else you like. This dip is also make-ahead and can be served cold or at room temp for dinner parties, holidays, and the like.

Also, once you’re done making this recipe, you should try one of my other many cheese dips! Pepper jelly cream cheese dip, whipped ricotta dip, whipped goat cheese, or whipped brie just to name a few.

Room temp cheese

The important thing to know about this recipe is that you’ll need room temperature cheese. Especially cream cheese, because it’s super hard to whip if it’s too cold! Before you start, make sure to take the cream cheese and shredded cheddar out of the fridge about 30 minutes to 1 hour beforehand.

Everything you’ll need

• Cheddar cheese – you’ll want a good-quality sharp or extra sharp cheddar for the best flavor.
• Cream cheese – make sure it’s full-fat or the dip won’t have the right texture!
• Mayo – for a little richness and creaminess.
• Worcestershire sauce – this will give the dip a little umami. You can also use soy sauce.
• Spices – dried ground mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and white pepper. Black pepper will also work but leaves little black specks.
• Kosher salt – I use Morton’s Kosher salt. You’ll only need a little since the cheddar also gives this dip saltiness.
• Fresh chives – for a little pop of freshness, I like finishing the dip off with snipped chives!

Freshly shredded cheddar is absolutely key in this recipe. I use a box grater to shred the cheese, which I think it easiest. Pre-shredded cheese has additives that will make the dip grainy and flavorless.

Food processor

To get that fluffy texture, you’ll need a food processor! If you don’t have one, a hand mixer or stand mixer will work too. But, the cheddar won’t break down as much so you will end up with small chunks of cheddar cheese. If you want that super smooth, completely creamy texture, a food processor is the way to go!

Let’s make the dip

1. Start by shredding the cheddar cheese with a box grater. Add the shredded cheese to the bowl of a food processor with the cream cheese, mayo, & spices.
2. Whip the cheeses, spices, and mayo together until it’s light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl every minute or so.
3. Spread the dip into a shallow serving bowl and garnish the top with fresh chives. Enjoy!

To save a dish, you can use the shredder attachment of your food processor to grate the cheddar. Just make sure to let it come to room temp before you add the rest of the ingredients.

Using this spread

Obviously, I love this dip as an appetizer, but you can use it in all kinds of ways! Here’s a few ideas.

• As an appetizer with pretzel chips, crackers, or bread.
• With crudités – carrots, cucumbers, peppers, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, etc.
• Serve it on a cheese platter with olives, nuts, or pickled veggies.
• Spread the cheese on sandwiches, burgers, bagels, or toast.
• Mix a little into scrambled eggs – so delicious!

Make-ahead & refrigerate

I whip up this spread all the time as an easy make-ahead appetizer! To store it, just cover the dip and refrigerate it for up to 4 days.

Serve the dip at room temp

It’s important to serve the spread at room temperature so that it’s fluffy and creamy. If you make this recipe in advance, just pull the dip out of the fridge about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. This will also bring out all of the best flavors in the cheddar!

Flavor variations

You can pretty much use anything that you have in the fridge to switch this dip up with different flavors! Just make sure you’re using flavorful cheeses or the spread will taste flat.

• Cheese – try a mix of cheeses like pepper Jack, gouda, or Swiss. Just avoid hard cheeses like parmesan or the dip will come out grainy!
• Add-ins – try finely chopped hot peppers, onions, garlic, pimento peppers, or bacon.
• Herbs – you can also add minced herbs like thyme, parsley, rosemary, or sage.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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