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, healthy, ultra-creamy whipped cream cheese fruit dip. This easy fruit dip recipe takes minutes to make, and it’s the perfect pair 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!
Why You’ll Love This Healthy 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 this recipe is the best:
Less sugar. I swap out the high-sugar ingredients for Greek yogurt and a touch of brown sugar, for a healthier fruit dip that balances sweetness and tanginess. Rich and creamy. You won’t be able to resist the silky texture of this fruit dip! 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. The rich, marshmallowy vanilla flavor makes this dip seem sweeter, without any added sugar!
Recipe Ingredients
You need only 4 ingredients to make this light and easy fruit dip, plus your choice of fruit for dipping (see below). Below is a short overview of what you’ll need to make the dip, with the full amounts available in the recipe card.
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. This way it mixes smoothly with the other ingredients. Greek Yogurt: I make this fruit dip with non-fat 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: Adds just 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, and simply scrape out the seeds. Vanilla bean paste can be substituted for the extract and the seeds.
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
Below are some additional tips for the best cream cheese fruit dip:
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!
Make This Recipe Your Own
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 some fresh orange zest for a citrus kick. Orange with vanilla will give the dip a creamsicle flavor. Spices. Mix in a pinch or two of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for a cozier flavor. Great for dipping apple slices in the fall!
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’ll 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. Or, use it 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:
Fridge. 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. Freezer. 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.
Quick-Start Guide!
