This spread is tzatziki/Mediterranean-inspired. It's made with feta cheese, cream cheese, fresh dill, diced cucumber, lemon zest and juice, and Italian parsley. Spread it on bagels to start your morning off deliciously!
I love a good bagel. They are just so convenient especially when you're on the go. What goes best with bagels? A good cream cheese spread or schmear. Looking for fancy cream cheese to make your morning ah-mazing!? Check out this Tzatziki Feta Cream Cheese Spread. It's super fresh and delicious! Tzatziki is a dip or sauce in Southeast Europe and the Middle East and is made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs.
There are a few changes that make this spread more Tzatziki-inspired/Mediterranean-inspired. Instead of greek yogurt, feta and cream cheese are blended in a food processor with dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper (and chili flake for a little heat). It's topped with a diced cucumber, sliced cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and fresh herbs. It's the perfect way to start my day.
Looking for more breakfast ideas? These Ricotta Vanilla Bean Waffles are soft, tender, chewy and oh so flavorful.
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Quickly blended together in a few minutes! (Thanks to my mini Hamilton Beach Food Chopper)
- Stunning presentation
- Flavorful and fresh
- Spread on all the bread (bagels, toast, pita, naan, crackers, pita chips, you name it!)
Ingredients
See the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Spread Ingredients
- Feta: Salty, tangy, and incredibly scrumptious. Drain it and pat attention to how much salt is in it.
- Cream Cheese: Feta dip with cream cheese is ultra delicious! The cream cheese helps create the perfect texture and adds a little decadence and makes the spread extra creamy.
- Garlic: Garlic gives this dip an edge that keeps you coming back for more.
- Lemon Juice & Zest: Brightens up the dip and gives it some much-needed acidity.
- Dill: Highly recommend getting fresh dill
Topping Ingredients
- Cherry Tomatoes: due to their small size, the flavor can be a little more concentrated. They offer a brightness and sweetness. Can use another variety of tomato in a pinch. I love the added pop of color.
- Cucumber: I used a regular American cucumber but you can use any variety.
- Pine Nuts: once toasted, they offer a nice added crunch.
- Italian Parsley: I love the added pop of color.
Step-by-Step Process Photos
- Toast pine nuts in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant by continuing to shake the pan. It will take 3 minutes for it to start browning, 5-7 minutes total. Pour onto a plate and set aside.
- Slice cherry tomatoes, dice cucumbers, and pull Italian parsley. Place on a plate and set aside.
- Place crumbled or cubed feta into a food processor along with the cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Then, add in lemon juice, zest, and olive oil and pulse until smooth. Scrap carefully as needed with a butter knife.
- Add in the dill, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and chili flake (optional). Blend until smooth.
- Remove the lid and carefully remove the blade. Using a spoon or spatula to give everything a quick mix. Pour feta cream cheese mixture into a bowl. Top with cucumber, tomatoes, pine nuts, and herbs.
- Spread onto toasted bagels and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Beautify your bagels!: Spread Tzatziki Feta Cream Cheese Spread on toasted bagels, then top with tomatoes, Italian parsley, cucumber and pine nuts.
- Room temperature is key! Using room temperature cream cheese and feta will help the 2 ingredients blend together smoothly.
Recipe FAQs
Store any leftover spread in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container but keep toppings separated with tomatoes, cucumber and parsley in the refrigerator and pine nuts at room temperature.
The cheese is too thick to blend properly in a blender, so a food processor is really your best bet here. You need that wide bowl and spinning blade to get this dip nice and creamy! You can try using a blender if you have a small blending cup.
You can leave out the cream cheese if you need to, but it does make this feta dip ultra creamy and pairs best with bagels! The dip won’t be quite as smooth without it, but you can also use Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese, though the flavor will be much more tart.
While I love this spread on bagels. You can also serve it with pita, crostini, fresh or roasted vegetables but you might want to add a few extra tablespoons of olive oil to thin the spread out just a bit.
Variations
- No pine nuts? Try toasted almonds instead.
- Instead of a bagel, spread on toast, pita, naan, or with crackers
- Use any kind of tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes
- Use an English cucumber or Persian instead of an American.
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PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page? I always appreciate feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Tzatziki Feta Cream Cheese Spread
Equipment
- Hamilton Beach 3-Cup Stack and Press Food Chopper
Ingredients
Tzatziki Feta Cream Cheese Spread
- 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 4 oz feta crumbled or cut into cubes, room temperature
- 1 small lemon zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill not packed
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- flaky sea salt + fresh ground pepper to taste
- pinch dried chili flake optional
Tzatziki Feta Cream Cheese Spread Toppings
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ½ cucumber
- 3 tablespoon pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon italian parsley
Instructions
- Toast pinenuts in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant by continuing to shake the pan. It will take 3 minutes for it to start browning, 5-7 minutes total. Pour onto a plate and set aside.
- Slice cherry tomatoes, dice cucumbers and pull Italian parsley. Place on a plate and set aside.
- Place crumbled or cubed feta into a food processor along with the cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Then, add in lemon juice, zest, and olive oil and pulse until smooth. Scrap carefully as needed with a butter knife.
- Add in the dill, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and chili flake (optional). Blend until smooth.
- Remove the lid and carefully remove the blade. Using a spoon or spatula to give everything a quick mix. Pour feta cream cheese mixture into a bowl. Top with cucumber, tomatoes, pine nuts, and herbs.
- Spread onto toasted bagels and enjoy!