Strawberries paired with fresh basil is a classic flavor combination that screams Summer! This strawberry and basil cream cheese combines fresh strawberries, garden-fresh basil and a little bit of sugar with cream cheese to create a Summery breakfast treat.
A breakfast bagel charcuterie board
A few weeks ago on father’s day, I had a little bit of fun with a charcuterie board. I created a bagel board loaded with fresh bagels (plus my favorite gluten free bagel, Canyon Bakehouse, for myself), sliced red onion, garden-fresh tomato slices, capers, lox and three types of homemade flavored cream cheese: strawberry basil cream cheese, green onion and chive cream cheese and blue cheese cream cheese with toasted walnuts and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Two out of the three were a success! I’m still working on the blue cheese flavor…stay tuned.
Pair the board with simple scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and breakfast dessert which is otherwise known as coffee cake, and there you have it…the perfect breakfast for a special occasion.
Fresh ingredients must be drained and dried.
The key to this recipe is removing any excess water from your fresh ingredients to avoid cream cheese soup….yuck! Rinse and drain the strawberries and basil and pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Once they’ve been drained I like to place the fresh ingredients in the center of a towel, squeeze lightly and allow them to sit on the towel for 20-30 minutes to ensure all excess moisture has been removed.
What’s in strawberry basil cream cheese?
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened. To soften cream cheese you can set it on the counter for about 30 minutes or submerge the sealed pack of cream cheese in warm water for a few minutes.
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, chopped. Once they’ve been rinsed and drained I like to place the fresh ingredients in the center of a towel, squeeze lightly and allow them to sit on the towel for 20-30 minutes to ensure all excess moisture has been removed. Excess will change the consistency of the cream cheese.
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar. I prefer 2 tablespoons sugar but if you prefer a sweeter cream cheese, add another!
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, diced. Again, pat it dry once rinsed to ensure it doesn’t add too much liquid to the cream cheese.
How to make strawberry basil cream cheese
- Use a standing mixer or hand mixer to mix the room temperature cream cheese, strawberries and sugar on medium for about 1 minute. The mixture should be pink with some pieces of strawberries.
- Stir in the basil using a spoon.
- Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.
Looking for more tasty breakfast recipes?
Strawberry Basil Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened. To soften cream cheese you can set it on the counter for about 30 minutes or submerge the sealed pack of cream cheese in warm water for a few minutes.
- ½ cup fresh strawberries chopped. Once they’ve been rinsed and drained I like to place the fresh ingredients in the center of a towel, squeeze lightly and allow them to sit on the towel for 20-30 minutes to ensure all excess moisture has been removed. Excess will change the consistency of the cream cheese.
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar. I prefer 2 tablespoons sugar but if you prefer a sweeter cream cheese add another!
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil diced. Again, pat it dry once rinsed to ensure it doesn’t add too much liquid to the cream cheese.
Instructions
- Use a standing mixer or hand mixer to mix the room temperature cream cheese, strawberries and sugar on medium for about 1 minute. The mixture should be pink with some pieces of strawberries.
- Stir in the basil using a spoon.
- Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.
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