Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Easy Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

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

I’ve lightened up this dip with Greek yogurt and flavored it with real vanilla beans. The cream cheese makes it tangy, and a bit of sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness. You can customize it, make it ahead, and store it in the fridge for all your warm-weather soirées. You’re going to love it!

A Healthier fruit Dip Recipe

Many fruit dip recipes call for powdered sugar and marshmallow fluff. While delicious, I was determined to whip up something lighter with this recipe. And it was a success! Here’s why I think this recipe is the best:

• Less sugar. I 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.
• Rich and creamy. Even though you won’t find sour cream or cream cheese in this fruit dip, it has an amazingly silky texture. It’s seriously so smooth and creamy, the perfect consistency for dipping.
• 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.

Ingredient Notes

You need only 4 ingredients to make this light and easy fruit dip. 

• 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: I make this fruit dip with nonfat plain Greek yogurt but you can just as easily use full-fat. Feel free to play around with flavors, too, like strawberry or coconut. (See further on in the post for more recipe variation ideas).
• 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: I 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 easy to simply scrape out the seeds. Vanilla bean paste can be substituted for the vanilla extract and the seeds, if you prefer.
• Fruit suggestions: 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 the best-tasting fruit. Here are some of my favorites: strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, apple slices, and watermelon.

How to Make Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

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.

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.

Tips for Success

• Soften the cream cheese. It makes it soooo much easier to mix.
• Beat the cream cheese first. I tested this recipe by beating everything together in one go, and also by whipping the cream cheese on its own before adding the other ingredients. The latter resulted in less overall mixing time and the dip came out smoother and less clumpy. So, whip the cream cheese first!

Possible Recipe Variations

This vanilla-flavored cream cheese fruit dip is the perfect foundation for mixing things up. Try these fun dip variation ideas:

• Different yogurt. As mentioned earlier, you can use flavored yogurt in place of plain yogurt. Try strawberry, coconut, lemon, blueberry, or even peach yogurt. The sky’s the limit. Since flavored yogurt is sweetened, you can reduce or eliminate the brown sugar.
• Strawberry. Use strawberry cream cheese spread instead of regular cream cheese, along with strawberry Greek yogurt to make strawberry fruit dip. The consistency will be a little softer.
• Chocolate. Mix in cocoa powder for chocolate cream cheese fruit dip.
• Orange. Stir in a splash of orange juice or orange extract, along with a teaspoon of fresh orange zest for a citrus kick. Orange with vanilla gives the dip a creamsicle flavor.
• Spices. Mix in a pinch or two of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for a cozier flavor. Perfect for dipping apple slices in the fall (or try my apple dip!).
• Funfetti: Be sure to try my popular funfetti dip, too. It goes well with fruit, vanilla wafers, or pretzels.

Ways to Serve Fruit Dip

Serve this sweet cream cheese fruit dip as part of a fruit platter at your next get-together. A colorful platter of fresh fruit is perfect for celebrations like Memorial Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day. For the 4th of July, I serve this dip with fun patriotic fruit kebabs made from red, white, and blue fruit!

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!). It’s also a treat to serve with graham crackers for dessert. It can be used as the “sauce” for a fruit pizza!

Make Ahead & Storage Tips

Cream cheese fruit dip is very make-ahead friendly! You can make a big batch and it will keep for days in the fridge. You can even freeze it. Here’s how to store your fruit dip:

Refrigerate: This homemade fruit dip will last for up to 1 week in the fridge. Make 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.