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Cream Cheese & Herb Stuffed Celery
Crunchy, fresh-tasting, and filled with velvety goodness, my Cream Cheese & Herb Stuffed Celery recipe is a real crowd-pleaser. Best of all, this easy recipe takes just 10 minutes to whip it up, making it equally accessible as an after-school snack or as a last-minute appetizer.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
There are few things that warm my culinary heart as much as giving humble ingredients a makeover that makes them irresistible. These cream cheese stuffed celery sticks are a real White Swan-style reveal. Made using a vegetable as unassuming as celery, you wouldn’t think they’d be particularly gourmet. But friends? People go nuts for them!
This recipe for stuffed celery is:
- Budget-Friendly. I honestly can’t think of a veggie that is as inexpensive year-round as celery is. If you grow your own herbs at home as I do, the whole recipe will cost less than $5 to make!
- Fast & Easy. It takes just 10 minutes to put this craveable snack together.
- Versatile. Celery can be stuffed with a lot more than herbed cream cheese. Read on below for more inspiration!
- Meal-Prep Friendly. Mix up the herbed cream cheese up to 3 days in advance. Wash and prep the celery up to a week in advance. Put them together up to 24 hours before you plan on serving.
Ingredients For Stuffed Celery
- Celery – You only need 5 stalks to make a whole batch, so one bunch ought to do the trick.
- Cream Cheese – Feel free to swap in Neufchatel or vegan cream cheese as needed.
- Milk or Cream – This is optional, but helps to create a lusciously smooth cream cheese filling.
- Fresh Chives, Basil, Dill & Parsley – Fresh herbs are not only beautiful but also have a lovely fresh flavor. Feel free to swap in about ⅓ as much dried herbs if needed.
- Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt & Black Pepper – Pantry staples FTW.
How To Make Stuffed Celery With Cream Cheese & Herbs
Be sure to check the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions.
This simple celery appetizer is a snap to make. Here’s how it’s done:
- Prep. Wash, dry, and cut each stalk into 3 pieces. Set aside. PRO TIP: Stalks must be completely dry or the filling won’t stick.
- Make Herbed Cream Cheese. Blitz cream cheese and milk in a food processor until smooth. Add the seasonings and pulse until combined.
- Stuff & Serve. Fill celery sticks with the cream cheese mixture, garnish with cracked black pepper and fresh chopped herbs. Arrange on a platter and enjoy!
FAQs
How far in advance can you make stuffed celery?
Feel free to make the herbed cream cheese and prep the celery up to 5 days in advance. To keep the celery crisp, it should be wrapped in damp paper towels and then wrapped in either foil or a zip-top bag. You can stuff the celery up to 24 hours in advance of serving.
How do I make celery tastier?
Why, by adding herbed cream cheese, of course! Or really any creamy filling that your little heart desires. Oh, and you can also get rid of the stringy exterior by giving it a quick once-over with a veggie peeler.
What can I use instead of fresh herbs?
With grocery prices on the rise, fresh herbs can be a bit expensive. Feel free to swap in dried herbs as needed, but be sure to cut back to just ⅓ the amount called for (dried herbs are more potent by volume than fresh).
If you don’t have the exact herbs called for, feel free to mix and match! Herbes de Provence, Italian Seasoning, Greek Seasoning, packaged Ranch Dressing mix, or even Everything But The Bagel Seasoning can add tons of flavor to your whipped cream cheese.
Serving Suggestions + Pairs Well With
This herbed cream cheese filled celery is an ideal snack at just about any time of day. I’ll make it for after-school snacks, as a bite after a workout, or as something to nibble on throughout my day.
In addition to being delightful to eat on their own, these creamy-crunchy stalks also pair beautifully with other finger food favorites like:
- Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
- Slow Cooker Chicken Wings
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets
- Oven-Baked Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings
Variations
These little snacks are pretty lovely just the way they are. That said, there’s always room for customization. Here are some of my favorite variations:
- Make it dairy-free (and vegan!). Swap in your favorite plant-based cream cheese and milk for a totally vegan appetizer.
- Pimento Cheese & Bacon Bits
- Ladybugs on a Log: halved cherry tomatoes on top of Boursin cheese
- Waldorf Salad Style: halved grapes and toasted walnuts on top of cream cheese mixed with sour cream and finely diced apples.
- Ants on a Log: raisins on top of peanut butter.
Storage
Once stuffed, these celery cream cheese bites can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days. That said, I recommend eating them within 24 hours of stuffing them, as the celery stalks will lose their crunchiness over time.
Expert Tips
- Peel your stalks for string-free eats. Hate that celery is stringy? I get it! Luckily, the strings are only on the exterior. Simply peel the stalks using a veggie peeler and you’ll get all the crunchy, earthy goodness without having to floss!
- Revive limp celery in water. Has your celery heart gone soft? Not to worry! Simply slice off a thin bit at the root end, then place the whole bunch in a vase or wide-mouthed mason jar filled with icy cool water. Let it rest for a few hours, preferably in the fridge. When you come back, the celery should’ve sucked up the water and become nice and crisp again!
- Store celery properly to keep it super crunchy. There are two ways to store celery so it stays crisp. You can either a.) keep it in water like a bunch of flowers, or b.) cut the stalks into individual pieces, wrap them in damp paper towels, then wrap the paper towels in foil and place in the crisper drawer. Either of these methods should keep your celery crunchy for up to 2 weeks!
More Healthy Appetizers
- Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
- Marinated Shrimp Recipe
- Watermelon Salad with Feta
- Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
If you’ve made this recipe, please come back and leave us a star rating or a comment below.
Stuffed Celery
Crunchy, fresh, and filled with herbed cream cheese, Stuffed Celery is a yummy after school snack or appetizer that's ready in 10 minutes.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 5 stalks celery 15, 3-inch pieces
- 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons milk or cream optional, to soften
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry stalks of celery and cut each stalk into 3 pieces. Set aside. Note – They must be completely dry or the filling won’t stick.
- Add cream cheese and milk to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add the herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper and pulse until combined.
- Stuff celery sticks with the cream cheese mixture, using a small spoon or spreader. Garnish with cracked black pepper and fresh chopped herbs, arrange on a platter and serve.
Notes
Once stuffed, these celery cream cheese bites can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days. That said, I recommend eating them within 24 hours of stuffing them, as the celery stalks will lose their crunchiness over time.
Nutrition
Calories: 19kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 3gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 156mgPotassium: 82mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 0.1mg
