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You are here: Home / Desserts and Pastries / Cream Cheese Melts

Cream Cheese Melts

January 22, 2021 by Tristin 20 Comments

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Cream Cheese Melts are a heart shaped, delicious combination of powdered sugar, cream cheese, and almond extract. This Cream Cheese Candy is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

This candy hearts recipe is easy to make and they are pretty enough to give away as hand made gifts. I mean look at them, aren’t they gorgeous?! Or try making Nutella Truffles, just as pretty but full of chocolatey goodness.

Pink and white Valentine candy hearts in small and big sizes spilling out of a pink and white striped bag onto brown polka dot paper.
This is the BEST Valentine’s Day Heart Candy and SO FUN to Make

You guys, these cream cheese melts are FUN to make! I felt like a kid again playing with play-doh. Adding food coloring, mixing it in and watching the dough change colors, using little cutters, getting colored sugar everywhere. So great…and very therapeutic.

I love that that this candy heart recipe is very customizable, you can change out the coloring options, flavors, and shapes of your candies to suit any season!

I’ll be making these for every holiday…green shamrocks for St. Patricks Day, Easter eggs for Easter, red, white, and blue stars for the 4th of July. The list goes on and on.

Rolled out cream cheese candy dough with hearts cute out of it, red and pink sugar sprinkles, and heart shaped cookie cutters.
Make This Cream Cheese Candy Using Different Colors, Flavors, or Shapes

Just Two Ingredients to Make Cream Cheese Melts!

Only 2 ingredients are needed to make these Valentine’s Day candy hearts. Cream cheese and powdered sugar. The flavoring, food coloring, and sugar sprinkles are completely optional.

Most of the time, these candies are made with peppermint extract which is great for the holiday season and you could use it for Valentine’s Day. But, I wanted a different flavor for this heart candy. I actually wanted to try strawberry extract to make these, but couldn’t find any. I chose to try almond extract in them because it’s a flavor I love.

Easily learn how to make Candy Hearts with this easy Valentine’s candy recipe.

Square bowl of pink and white candy hearts with a striped bag in foreground and a round tray with two small hearts in background.
Give These Valentine’s Day Candy Hearts Away as Homemade Gifts

While making these I came across some slight obstacles. Make sure to check out the helpful tips list (down below called Tips for Making the Best Cream Cheese Candies) to use along the way to make it easier for you to make this candy heart recipe.

Cream Cheese Melts Ingredients

  • Cream Cheese: Full fat cream cheese.
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Extract: I used almond extract. You could use vanilla extract or any other flavors. The flavorings are optional.
  • Food Coloring: The food coloring is optional. You can keep the candy white or add make it any color you want.
  • Sugar Sprinkles: These are optional. I prefer no sugar sprinkles.
All of the ingredients needed to make Valentine Candy Hearts including powdered sugar, cream cheese, almond extract, and colored sugar sprinkles.
Store Valentine’s Day Heart Candy Layered Between Wax Paper & in Fridge for up to 5 Days

How to Make Cream Cheese Candy

  • Add softened cream cheese and flavoring to the bowl of a mixer and mix until blended.
  • Add in 1/2 of the powdered sugar and mix.
  • Hand mix in the rest of the powdered sugar.
  • Separate the dough into as many sections as you have colors. Add one or two drops of food coloring (I used neon pink), mixing completely after each drop till you reach your desired color. Roll each colored dough section into big balls.
  • Place the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  • Pull out of fridge and flatten balls (I used my hands) into discs to a couple centimeters thickness. Press in cookie cutters. Place the cut shapes on parchment or wax paper on a cookie sheet. (Or shape into 1/2-inch balls, roll in sugar, and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Press each ball with a fork to flatten.)
  • Let stand 1-2 hours until firm. Store in fridge.
All of the steps needed to make cream cheese candies.
It Was Easiest to Use my Hands to Flatten Out the Dough Instead of Using a Rolling Pin

Tips for Making the Best Cream Cheese Candies

  • I liked my biggest heart shaped cutter the best (the blue one in the picture below), it is about 1 1/2 inches across at the widest part of the heart.
  • I found it easiest to flatten the dough out with my hands rather than trying to use a rolling pin.
  • Once you get everything mixed, it should be the consistency of a soft dough. If it’s too sticky, you can add more powdered sugar. If it’s too dry just add in a little more cream cheese.
  • I found it easiest to make these on a sticky surface, like a granite countertop so that the cut shapes stay on the surface and you aren’t trying to pry them out of the cookie cutters. Or try coating the cutters in some powdered sugar to keep the dough from sticking to them.
  • I’m not gonna lie, the sugar sprinkles on these were a bit of a pain. I originally sprinkled the sugar on top of the dough before cutting with cookie cutter. They were cute, but the sugar didn’t fully want to adhere to the dough. You could mix the sprinkles into the dough if you like, but I think the next time I make these, I think I will leave off the sugar sprinkles.
  • Once you run out of area in the flattened dough to make shapes, just roll dough back into a ball and flatten back out again to do more cutting.
Pink and white Valentine candy hearts in small and big sizes on a silver tray on a pink and white striped background
Only Two Ingredients are Needed to Make This Candy Heart Recipe

Cream Cheese Melts Variations

  • Try other flavored extracts in this recipe like strawberry extract or banana extract.
  • Use different colored food coloring in these cream cheese melts.
  • Roll the cream cheese dough into 1/2-inch sized balls and flatten with a fork instead of flattening all the dough out and using a cookie cutter to make shapes.
  • Work the sugar sprinkles into the “dough,” sprinkle on top of candy hearts, or omit completely.
  • Make these as thick or as thin as you like.

Storage Instructions for Candy Heart Recipe

  • How to Refrigerate Cream Cheese Melts: Store the candy hearts layered between parchment or wax paper in a glass container or BPA-free airtight plastic container or zipper bag. The candy should last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Pink and white Valentine candy hearts in small and big sizes on a silver tray on a pink and white striped bag.
Roll the Cream Cheese Candy Dough into 1/2-Inch Balls & Flatten w/ a Fork Rather than Hearts

Try these other sweet recipes!

  • Nutella Truffles
  • Apple Cinnamon Bread
  • Apple Cider Slushies
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Pink and white Valentine candy hearts in small and big sizes spilling out of a pink and white striped bag onto brown polka dot paper.
Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Cream Cheese Melts

Cream Cheese Melts are a heart shaped, delicious combination of powdered sugar, cream cheese, and almond extract. This Cream Cheese Candy is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Prep Time15 mins
Refrigerator Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 141kcal
Author: Tristin @ Home Cooked Harvest

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 3 cups powdered sugar divided
  • colored sugar optional
  • food coloring optional

Instructions

  • Add softened cream cheese and flavoring to the bowl of a mixer and mix until blended.
  • Add in 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar and mix well.
  • Hand mix in the other 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.
  • Separate the dough into as many sections of colors you want to make.
  • Add one or two drops of food coloring, mixing completely after each drop till you reach your desired color. Roll each colored dough into a big ball.
  • Place the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  • Pull out of fridge and flatten balls (I used my hands) into discs to a couple centimeters thickness. Press cookie cutters into the dough. Place the cut shapes on parchment or wax paper on a cookie sheet. (Or shape into 1/2-inch balls, roll in colored sugar if you like, and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Press each ball with a fork to flatten).
  • Let stand 1-2 hours until firm. Store in fridge.

Notes

  • I found it easiest to flatten the dough with my hands instead of a rolling pin.
  • If dough is too sticky, add more powdered sugar. If too dry just add in a little more cream cheese.
  • Use any flavoring, food coloring, or cookie cutter shapes you want.
  • Cream cheese melts will last about 5 days stored in the refrigerator.
 
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 11mg | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

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Filed Under: Desserts and Pastries

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gloria

    February 8, 2021 at 3:00 pm

    5 stars
    Well isn’t this the cutest idea. We are having the grandkids this weekend for a sleepover. I always try to find a tasty treat….and this looks perfect. I will even get them to help.

  2. Tristin

    February 8, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    Thanks Gloria. I hope your grandkids love making them as much as they love eating them!!

  3. Chef Dennis

    February 9, 2021 at 3:44 am

    5 stars
    I am so excited for Valentine’s Day! These Valentine Candy Hearts look soooo mouthwatering! I can’t wait to make this at home.

  4. Tristin

    February 9, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Me too! Even more now that I have kids to give treats to. Hope you enjoy your Valentines Day Chef Dennis.

  5. Lauren M Vavala

    February 9, 2021 at 12:59 pm

    5 stars
    How cute are these! My son asked me if we could make something for Valentine’s Day – he will love these!

  6. Tristin

    February 9, 2021 at 1:02 pm

    Thanks Lauren, I really hope your son has fun making them and eating them.

  7. Jenny

    February 11, 2021 at 6:12 pm

    5 stars
    OMGoodness, these hearts are the cutest! I loved how they look, and I imagine they are delicious candy! I am making a chocolate cake for Valentine’s that is pretty plain looking (tastes great, thankfully) and need something else to add to our Valentine’s table to make it more festive and attractive. I will add these hearts to my menu, they will look terrific with the cake, and the kids will love them! Thanks so much!!

  8. Tristin

    February 11, 2021 at 8:48 pm

    Thanks Jenny! I can picture these hearts with your yummy chocolate cake, it’s going to be so cute. Hope your kids enjoy.

  9. Uma Srinivas

    February 12, 2021 at 4:02 pm

    5 stars
    Very fun and creative Valentine’s recipe! My kids are excited to do this kind of recipes. Looks so good!

  10. Tristin

    February 13, 2021 at 10:14 am

    These are perfect for kids Uma! Thanks, I hope your kids have fun.

  11. Veronika

    February 13, 2021 at 3:25 pm

    5 stars
    These candies look so cute! I think it will be a fun project to make them with kids!

  12. Tristin

    February 13, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    I have a lot of fun making these with my kids! Thanks Veronika!

  13. Kathryn

    February 14, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    These are so cute and would be perfect for Valentine’s Day! Love that they only need a few ingredients.

  14. Tristin

    February 14, 2021 at 12:04 pm

    Thanks Kathryn! They are super simple!!

  15. Helen

    February 14, 2021 at 3:12 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, I love creams and have not had them in years. These look super cute, I will defintiely make them for me and my husband soon.

  16. Tristin

    February 14, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    I hope you and your husband enjoy Helen!!

  17. Melanie C

    February 14, 2021 at 7:00 pm

    These are so cute! I made them today, for Valentine’s Day, for my kids. They loved them. Thank you so much for this recipe!

  18. Tristin

    February 14, 2021 at 7:04 pm

    Oh good, I am so happy the kids loved them. You are welcome Melanie C.

  19. Jamie

    February 14, 2021 at 11:28 pm

    5 stars
    These are so cute and adorable!! My niece will love these for Valentines day! I think I could eat a whole bowl of these!

  20. Tristin

    February 14, 2021 at 11:30 pm

    Jamie, I probably would eat them all if I didn’t have to share them lol.

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Hey there! Welcome, I am so glad you are here. I’m Tristin, the food-lover, recipe-maker, and photo-taker behind Home Cooked Harvest, which features easy recipes made with tasty ingredients. Read More…

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