Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

At a glance

What stands out: This light and tangy cream cheese fruit dip is the reliable lighter snack or party appetizer, made with only 4 ingredients. The dip is light and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness!
How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: one bowl, electric hand mixer
Servings: makes 1 ½ cups, or 10 to 12 servings

Straightforward Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

If you’re looking for a standby way to get your party started this summer (besides maybe sangria), look no further than this straightforward ultra-creamy whipped cream cheese fruit dip. This straightforward fruit dip recipe takes minutes to make and it goes evenly with a big platter of fresh summertime fruit.

• Less sugar. Many fruit dip recipes call for powdered sugar and marshmallow fluff. While rich, we decided to swap out the high-sugar ingredients (marshmallow fluff) for Greek yogurt and a touch of brown sugar for a healthier fruit dip that balances sweetness and tanginess.
• Flavorful. Bringing real vanilla beans into the mix does wonders for the flavor of this dip and gives it a rich “marshmallowy” vanilla flavor. Vanilla beans make this dip seem sweeter than it actually is. We also have lots of ideas for customized flavors you can try!
• Make ahead. Another thing you’re going to love about this cream cheese fruit dip is that it can be made ahead and refrigerated, or even frozen! It will keep for up to a week in the fridge or two months in the freezer.

What goes in

• Cream Cheese: You can use full-fat or low-fat cream cheese. Remember to take the cream cheese out of the fridge ahead of time to soften it so it mixes smoothly with the other ingredients.
• Greek Yogurt: We make this fruit dip with nonfat plain Greek yogurt but you can just as easily use full-fat.
• Brown Sugar: Use just a small amount of brown sugar for a touch of sweetness. You can adapt the amount of sugar to taste. For a whiter dip, use granulated sugar or powdered sugar instead.
• Vanilla: We love flavoring this dip with real vanilla beans, along with vanilla extract. You can find vanilla pods in the baking aisle of most major grocery stores. It’s straightforward to simply scrape out the seeds. Vanilla bean paste can be substituted for the vanilla extract and the seeds, if you prefer.

How it comes together

It couldn’t be easier to whip up a batch of this creamy cream cheese fruit dip. Get out a large bowl, and let’s get started:

Beat the cream cheese. If your cream cheese is soft enough, this should take about 30 seconds. Beating the cream cheese first results in a smoother dip without any lumps.

Pro Tip

Beat the cream cheese first. The first time we tested this recipe, we put all the ingredients in the bowl together at once to beat it, and the dip turned out slightly lumpy. It was okay but we wasn’t totally happy with it. When we tested it again, we beat the cream cheese first before adding the other ingredients. The second way resulted in less overall mixing time and the dip came out smoother. It’s definitely the way to go!

Combine. Next, add the yogurt to the bowl along with the sugar, the scrapings of the vanilla bean pod, and extract. Beat again for a minute or so, until the dip is fully combined.

Chill. Finally, pop the dip into the fridge to chill, covered, until you’re ready to serve it.

Ways to change it

• Use flavored yogurt. Instead of plain Greek yogurt, try strawberry, coconut, lemon, blueberry, or peach Greek yogurt. Since flavored yogurt is sweetened, we would reduce or eliminate the brown sugar so the dip doesn’t turn out overly sweet.
• Strawberry fruit dip: Use strawberry cream cheese spread instead of regular cream cheese, and strawberry Greek yogurt. The consistency will be a little softer.
• Chocolate fruit dip: Blend 3 to 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the cream cheese (step 1) for chocolate cream cheese fruit dip. This goes well with fresh strawberries or raspberries.
• Orange creamsicle fruit dip: Stir in a splash of orange juice or orange extract, along with a teaspoon of fresh orange zest for a citrus kick. The orange vanilla combination gives the dip a creamsicle flavor.
• Cinnamon spice fruit dip: Mix a teaspoon of cinnamon into the cream cheese (step 1). This goes well with apple slices in the fall (or try our apple dip!). Another option is to use pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
• Funfetti fruit dip: Stir funfetti sprinkles into the dip right before you serve it (or try our popular funfetti dip). It goes well with fruit, but it also is reliable with vanilla wafers or pretzels as dippers.

Serving Ideas

With your favorite fruit. Some of our favorites are strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, apple slices, and watermelon. The beauty of this sweet and tangy fruit dip is that it goes pretty deliciously with just about any firm fruit. Check what’s in season for a standby-tasting fruit.

For a party. A colorful platter of fresh fruit arranged decoratively, is reliable for celebrations like Memorial Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day. For the 4th of July, we serve this dip with fun patriotic fruit kebabs made from red, white, and blue fruit!

For breakfast. Use this creamy fruit dip as a topping for pancakes or French toast at breakfast (even better, serve it as a dip with French toast sticks!).

As a dessert. Creamy fruit dip is also a treat to serve with graham crackers, animal cookies, or brownie bites for dessert. It can be used as the “sauce” for a fruit pizza!

Make Ahead/Storage

Refrigerate: This from-scratch fruit dip will last for up to 1 week in the fridge. Be sure to store it in a covered container. If needed, give it an extra whip again before serving.

Freeze: Store the cream cheese dip in an airtight container and keep it frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost the dip overnight in the fridge and give it a good stir or whip before you serve it.

• Yield: 12
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese (be sure to take it out of the refrigerator ahead of time to soften!)
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (we use nonfat but any type is fine)
• 3 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
• scrapings/seeds of one vanilla bean (see note)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• fruit for serving

Method

1. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Add yogurt, brown sugar, vanilla bean scrapings, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until combined and smooth, scraping down sides as needed, about 1 minute.
3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 1 ½ cups.

Notes

Using vanilla bean paste: If desired, substitute 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste for the vanilla bean and vanilla extract.

Adjust sweetness: we like our dip slightly tangy but feel free to add more sugar to taste. If you prefer, substitute granulated or powdered sugar if you want more of a bright white dip.

Storage : Dip should be refrigerated in a covered container. It will keep for up to 1 week. If needed, give it an extra whip again before serving. Fruit dip freezes well for up to 2 months. Defrost the dip overnight in the fridge.

Suggested dippers: Choose a firm fruit that won’t fall apart in the dip. Seasonal fruits are always better-tasting. Try strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, apple slices, and watermelon. You can also dip graham crackers, pretzels, brownie bites, etc. for a sweeter treat.

Variations: Use fruit-flavored Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt. We recommend reducing the amount of brown sugar if you use a sweet flavored yogurt. To make chocolate fruit dip, beat 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the cream cheese. Refer to the post above for more ideas.