Go Back
–+ servings
cream cheese
4.91 from 10 votes

How to Soften Cream Cheese

Trying to figure out how to soften cream cheese quickly? Here are 4 different ways to soften cream cheese for baking.
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 0 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Fat 10
Carbs 0
Protein 2
Yield 8

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. cream cheese brick-style

Instructions

Microwave

  • Remove chilled cream cheese from its packaging and place it on a microwave-safe plate.
  • Microwave on high in increments of 10-15 seconds. It should take around 1 minute to 1.5 minutes to soften until your desired texture.
    A plate with cream cheese and strawberries, alongside a guide on how to soften the cream cheese.

Countertop

  • Remove cream cheese from its packaging and place it on a plate.
  • Either leave it whole or slice it into chunks for faster results and let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour to soften to desired texture.
    A plastic bag containing tofu on a marble countertop.
  • Tip: turn your oven onto low and then place the cream cheese wrapper on top of the oven and then place the cream cheese on top of the wrapper.

Warm Water

  • Fill a large bowl with warm water.
  • Keep cream cheese in it's sealed packaging and then place the cream cheese into the water.
    A glass bowl covered with plastic wrap for softening cream cheese.
  • Let sit in the warm water for 5-10 minutes or until softened.

Hands

  • Keep cream cheese in its packaging.
  • Then, use your hands to massage the cream cheese brick for 10-15 minutes or until softened.
    Learn how to soften cream cheese using a bag of aluminum foil.
  • Tip: run your hands under warm water so that the heat helps speed up the process.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g