How To Soften Cream Cheese

Learn how to soften cream cheese quickly in this baking tutorial! When baking with cream cheese, it’s important that it’s at room temperature. But waiting for cream cheese to soften can take awhile. Learn five different ways to soften cream cheese quickly!

When it comes to baking, like the rest of the things in my life, I tend to be a bit impatient. But I also know that I can’t let my impatience ruin my desserts. Letting ingredients come to room temperature is one of those tasks that I know is important but also I have little patience for.

And I’m going to guess you might just as impatient like me. When I want to start baking I want to start immediately. The last thing I want to do is wait for my cream cheese to soften! So I’ve tested out different methods on how to quickly soften cream cheese that I’m go share with you today.

See Also:

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• Out of brown sugar? Make your own at home with just 2 ingredients!
• Build your baking confidence with my top 10 baking tips!

Best cream cheese for baking

Cream cheese comes in two forms: brick-style or in a tub. You can also buy full-fat, low-fat, or fat free. Some tub cream cheeses may come in a whipped variety as well. Using the whipped cream cheese may also change the texture of your dessert, since has more air incorporated into it.

I always recommend using the brick-style and full-fat. Here’s why:

• More fat will yield a better baked good. The higher the fat in the cream cheese will lend to softer, tender baked goods and richer taste.
• Brick-style is easier to measure. The brick style cream cheese has measurements right on the package so you can measure how much you need if you’re not using a full brick.
• Brick-style is easier to soften. Since that’s the goal really is to soften cream cheese quickly, the methods I’m showing you today work better with a brick-style cream cheese.

Why do you need softened cream cheese?

Many baking recipes will call for softened cream cheese and it’s important to follow those instructions. If you use cold cream cheese instead of soft cream cheese then it could prove disastrous for your bakes!

• It will make a lumpy batter. First, it’s going to be very difficult to mix together smoothly with your other ingredients. For example, when making a cheesecake, like my no bake cheesecake recipe, you want a smooth, creamy texture. But cold cream cheese means you will end up with a lumpy mixture instead of a smooth one.
• Could cause your soften butter to solidify. If you’re combining cream cheese with softened butter, like making my cream cheese frosting recipe, then it may cause your butter to solidify as well making for a lumpy frosting.
• May cause you to over-mix. If it’s too cold you may need to mix longer than you intend for to get it to soften and get rid of the lumps. When making a cheesecake, like my triple chocolate cheesecake recipe, overmixing your batter could result in your cheesecake cracking.

Use cold cream cheese NOT frozen cream cheese

When softening cream cheese, make sure you’re starting with cream cheese that is simply cold, straight from the refrigerator, not frozen.

Frozen cream cheese would need to be thawed first before you can soften to room temperature. To thaw frozen cream cheese, place the cream cheese in refrigerator overnight to thaw.

How to soften cream cheese in the microwave

Softening your cream in the microwave is by far the fastest method of them all. The microwave method will take you about one minute total or less.

However, that being said, the microwave method can be a bit tricky and you may end up cooking your cream cheese and can be difficult to get the cream cheese softened evenly throughout using your microwave.

Here’s how to soften cream cheese in the microwave:

1. Remove the cardboard box and unwrap cream cheese from the foil packaging.
2. Place on a microwave safe plate.
3. Microwave for 10 seconds intervals at a time on high heat on your microwave safe plate. After each interval, flip over the cream cheese so both sides are heated evenly. For me, this takes about three 10-second intervals, for a total of 30 seconds.
4. Repeat the intervals as many times until the cream cheese is at the desired softness. The microwave total time can vary depending on your microwave.

If you have more than one block of cream cheese to soften, I recommend microwaving one block at a time so as not to over-heat and cook it by accident in the microwave.

Once it’s softened it’s ready to use!

How to soften cream cheese at room temperature

The laziest way to soften cream cheese is to simply let your it rest on the counter until softened. Although it’s the easiest method, it will also take the longest out of all the methods.

You can soften your cream cheese using this countertop method two ways:

Whole block method

Let the whole block of cream cheese soften at room temperature on your counter. This will take about an hour, depending on how warm your cream cheese is.

1. Remove the cardboard box and unwrap cream cheese from the foil packaging.
2. Place cream cheese on a plate.
3. Allow to sit on the countertop until softened, about an hour. The countertop total time can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
4. To speed things up, place near a sunny window or warm spot in your house.

Cube method

If you want to use the countertop method for softening cream cheese, but don’t have an hour to waste, then you will want to use this cube technique. By cutting it into small pieces it will take significantly less time, then the leaving it whole.

1. Remove cream cheese from the cardboard packaging and unwrap it from the foil packaging.
2. Place cream cheese on a plate.
3. Use a sharp knife and cut the cream cheese into cubes.
4. Allow to sit on the countertop until softened, about 30 minutes. The countertop total time can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
5. To speed things up, place near a sunny window or warm spot in your house.

Soften cream cheese in warm water

If you don’t want to use the microwave method, or don’t have a microwave then this warm water bath method is another great alternative to softening cream cheese quickly.

The only risk is if your cream cheese wrapper isn’t perfectly sealed and water could get inside.

1. Remove cream cheese out of the cardboard packaging but leave it in the foil wrapping.
2. Place the block of cream cheese, still wrapped, into a medium bowl of very warm water.
3. Allow to sit in the warm water for 10-15 minutes.
4. Flip the package over every few minutes so both sides soften evenly. If the water becomes too cold in your bowl, you can always replace again with warm water and continue to let the cream cheese soften in the bowl of water.

Use Your Hands

If all else fails, a quick way I’ll warm up the cream cheese is simply squish the package of cream cheese with my hands.

The heat from your hands will warm up the cream cheese in the wrapper.

How to use your softened cream cheese

Once your cream cheese is properly softened to room temperature it’s now time to bake with it! Here are some ,many recipes and wonderful ways to use up your softened cream cheese.

• Cupcakes: I love making cream cheese frosting and frosting cupcakes with it like my pumpkin spice cupcakes recipe or my red velvet cupcake recipe.
• Cakes: Or try my cream cheese frosting on a cake! Like my red velvet layer cake. Or try my popular peanut butter cream cheese frosting to use on my peanut butter cake recipe or try my strawberry cream cheese frosting with my strawberry layer cake recipe.
• Cheesecake: Use softened cream cheese to make for a creamy cheesecake like my pumpkin cheesecake, or key lime cheesecake.
• Brownies and bars: Make these cheesecake brownies or try my red velvet bars or pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.
• Cookies: Make one of my favorite Christmas cookies, these cream cheese sugar cookies!
• Muffins: Try these raspberry muffins with a cheesecake filling!
• Quick bread: Tryone of my favorite Fall breads, this pumpkin bread with a cream cheese swirl in the middle.

Recipe FAQs

More Recipes To Try

• How To Soften Butter Fast (4 ways!)
• The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting
• Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
• Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread

How To Soften Cream Cheese Quickly

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 8 ounces

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese brick style, full-fat

Instructions

Microwave method:

• Remove the cardboard box and unwrap cream cheese from the foil packaging.
• Place on a microwave safe plate.
• Microwave for 10 seconds intervals at a time on high heat on your microwave safe plate. After each interval, flip over the cream cheese so both sides are heated evenly. For me, this takes about three 10-second intervals, for a total of 30 seconds.
• Repeat the intervals as many times until the cream cheese is at the desired softness. The microwave total time can vary depending on your microwave.

Room temperature method (cube or whole block)

• Remove cream cheese from the cardboard packaging and unwrap it from the foil packaging.
• Place cream cheese on a plate.
• Use a sharp knife and cut the cream cheese into cubes. You can also leave it whole, but it will take longer to soften.
• Allow to sit on the countertop until softened, about 30 minutes (for cubes) or up to an hour (for whole block). The countertop total time can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
• To speed things up, place near a sunny window or warm spot in your house.

Water bath method:

• Remove cream cheese out of the cardboard packaging but leave it in the foil wrapping.
• Place the block of cream cheese, still wrapped, into a medium bowl of very warm water.
• Allow to sit in the warm water for 10-15 minutes.
• Flip the package over every few minutes so both sides soften evenly. If the water becomes too cold in your bowl, you can always replace again with warm water and continue to let the cream cheese soften in the bowl of water.

Hands method:

• Remove cream cheese out of the cardboard packaging but leave it in the foil wrapping.
• Use your hands and squish the cream cheese until softened.

Notes

• Times can vary depending on method. 
• Microwave times can vary depending on microwave model.
• Soften cold cream cheese from refrigerator NOT frozen cream cheese. If your cream cheese is frozen, place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight before bringing to room temperature.
• This method is used on block style (or brick style) cream cheese NOT tub variety.

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