Blended cream cheese is flavored with a few ingredients, then topped with decadent warm sugared pecans in this French Quarter Cheese Spread. It’s sweet and salty, and just an incredible tasting easy, festive appetizer for holiday gatherings!
Put this appetizer out with some crackers and hot buttered rum and everyone will love you forever.
Easy and Decadent Cheese Appetizer
Well, I guess anything named after the French Quarter is bound to be naughty, right? And this French Quarter Cheese Spread really is. But you don’t need to draw your blinds to enjoy it! HA.
I was first introduced to this gem by my sister many years ago, at which point I had to force myself to slowly back away from the counter or I wouldn’t have room for dinner. Crazy good. Even my kids, who aren’t big cream cheese fans, begged me to let them “ruin their appetite.”
Made with blended, flavored cream cheese and a warm sugared pecans mixture, it’s just an incredible sweet and salty combo. I now make this countless times during the year, and always for Thanksgiving and Christmas for a festive holiday appetizer. Everyone looks forward to it!
Ingredients Needed
You only need a few ingredients to make this cheese appetizer. The taste will blow your mind, though.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- Onion, grated
- Garlic, minced
- Unsalted Butter
- Brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Spicy brown mustard
- Finely chopped toasted pecans
- Assorted sturdy crackers, for serving
How to Make French Quarter Cheese Spread
This comes together in 20 minutes…and will be eaten in seconds. It’s so good.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Form the cream cheese. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, onion, and garlic. Transfer to a serving plate; shape into a 6-inch disk. Set aside.
- Make the pecan topping. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in pecans.
- Assemble and serve. Cool slightly. Spoon over cheese. Serve with crackers.
Video: French Quarter Cheese Spread
Serving and Storage
- Serving suggestions. Serve this appetizer spread with assorted crackers, such as water crackers or wheat thins, or your favorite – but something sturdy. French Quarter Cheese Spread is best served while the pecan topping is a little warm, although nobody is going to shy away from it at room temperature. It’s stupid delicious, either way.
- Leftovers. We’ve never had it cold because there’s never anything leftover to store, but if you do happen to have extra, it should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 4 days.
More Holiday Appetizers:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
French Quarter Cheese Spread
Ingredients
- 8 ounce package cream cheese , softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 1 clove garlic , finely minced
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter , cubed
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- 3/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
- assorted sturdy crackers , for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, onion, and garlic until thoroughly incorporated. Transfer to a serving plate; shape into a 6-inch disk. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour, then bring to near room temperature before you make the pecan mixture.
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Cook and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in pecans.
- Cool slightly for a couple minutes. Spoon over cream cheese mixture, allowing it to fall over the sides.
- Serve immediately with crackers and watch everyone fight over it!
This is, hands down, my favorite appetizer. I get asked all the time for the recipe. Thank you for bringing this awesome-ness to my parties!
This is a recipe I will make over and over! We loved it so much and it is so easy. Thanks Amy
Recommend.
how would you serve if you’re making it to take somewhere else? does it need to be chilled? do you top the cheese w/pecan mixture, then cover and chill till you arrive?
I would make the cream cheese mixture, place on the serving plate, then refrigerate until ready to transport. Make the pecan mixture and transfer to a bowl and cover. Then when you get to your destination, reheat the pecan sauce and pour over the cream cheese, then serve.
Amaaaazing!!
What type of cracker do you recommend servings with this recipe?
This lasted all of .000005 seconds at a party we just had. Incredible.
Delicious!!!
This was AWESOME!!! So yummy.
Wow, really, I can’t get over that delicious taste! So simple and yet – sooo great. Thank you for this recipe – it’s a real keeper
My wife made this for Thanksgiving and we are all begging her to make it again for Christmas.
This sounds amazing! Definitely a different type of cheese ball!
This is a keeper!! So easy, but tastes like a million dollars. Rave reviews, thank you!
Made this for a small party, served with other appetizers and red wine. I’d give it 10 stars if I could. FANTASTIC.
This looks fantastic! Definitely putting this on my Thanksgiving app list!!!