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Cream cheese wontons are the perfect appetizer. You will love these crunchy wontons with or without hot crab filling. Enjoy them dipped in a sweet and sour sauce.
Featured with this recipe
- Easy Cream Cheese Wontons Ingredients
- Cream Cheese Wontons With or Without Crabmeat
- How to Make Crispy Cream Cheese Wontons
- Tips for the Best Cream Cheese Wontons
- Other Ways to Cook Homemade Wontons
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing Wontons with Cream Cheese
- More Appetizers to Try
- How to Make Cream Cheese Wontons
- Cream Cheese Wontons Recipe
These cream cheese wontons are so tasty. They are one of my favorite party appetizers and work for any gathering or holiday. Cream cheese wontons have a crispy exterior that gives a nice crunch when you sink your teeth into them, and then on the inside is all that yummy cream cheese goodness.
They taste best when they are fried but are also baked in the oven. Baking the wontons is a healthier alternative that will still give you a crisp wonton. These cream cheese wontons are always a crispy and delicious appetizer and the first to go!
Easy Cream Cheese Wontons Ingredients
Cream cheese wontons are perfect as an appetizer or a side dish. We love to make these with fried rice and General Tso’s chicken for a complete meal. These ingredients are perfect for creating a delicious bite-sized snack that everyone loves!
- Wonton wrappers – These will wrap up the filling inside and be the outside layer of the wonton. The uncooked wontons can be found in your refrigerator aisle or at any local Asian market store.
- Cream cheese – Soften your cream cheese for it to be able to mix more easily in the mixing bowl.
- Fresh crab meat – This is an option that we love. It adds flavor with some substance and texture to enjoy in every bite.
- Egg whites – Whisk together the egg whites to have an egg wash. This will be brushed around the edges of the wonton wrappers, binding the corners together.
- Oil – Grab your pan and you will use your vegetable oil for cooking the wontons.
Cream Cheese Wontons With or Without Crabmeat
I generally make these crispy wontons with an imitation crab mixture in the filling. I like how the buttery, sweet crab plays off the cream cheese flavor. It is a great combination if you love seafood.
Since not everyone loves crabs, you can easily make these without crab too. Simply just omit the crab from the recipe when you make it. It’s really good either way, promise! You can even make a batch that’s half and half and see.
How to Make Crispy Cream Cheese Wontons
- Filling – Put about one heaping teaspoon of cream cheese in the center of the wonton wrapper. If you are using crabmeat, mix the crab and cream cheese in a small bowl before adding to the wonton wrapper.
- Fold – Brush egg white (or you can just use water) around the edge of the wrapper and fold over to seal. If you are confused about how to fold it, look at the back of the wonton wrapper package. It will show you step-by-step how to do it.
- Cook – Fry in oil until golden brown. That’s it! Serve with sweet and sour sauce combined with chili paste (or if you don’t like it spicy, just serve with sweet and sour sauce).
Tips for the Best Cream Cheese Wontons
So many great options and tips to substitute or add-in, as well as how to make it easier when making these cream cheese wontons. Start with a basic cream cheese wonton and make it your own with these extra tips and ideas. Skip the Chinese takeout and get ready to make your favorite right at home!
- Seasonings – Add in a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, or seasoning salt to add a little more flavor to the cream cheese mixture.
- Filling – If you are not a fan of seafood or crabs, you can add in another type of meat if you would like, or leave it with the cream cheese filling only. Vegetables and pork are usually the most popular choices to mix with the cream cheese.
- Oil – We used vegetable oil, but you can use peanut or canola oil as well when frying your wontons.
- Paper towels – These are a MUST when frying homemade wontons. You will want to use a damp paper towel on top of the opened wonton wrappers. They tend to dry out and this will help keep them moist while you are filling them.
- Removing wontons – Use a slotted spoon when picking up the wontons from the fried oil. This will help avoid any excess oil on the wontons. Place the cooked wontons on a plate with paper towels over it. This will soak up any extra oil left over.
- Dipping sauce – We use this homemade sweet and sour sauce that is perfect for dipping.
Other Ways to Cook Homemade Wontons
Frying is not always the easiest or the healthiest way to make wontons. Some other options are baking or using your air fryer. Try each of these options and see which one is best for your family!
- Air fry – Place the filled wontons in the tray of the basket of the air fryer. Fry them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
- Bake – Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use cooking spray to keep them from sticking to the pan. Place the wontons on top of the parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes or until they are crisp on the outside.
“Delicious combination of crab and cream cheese. These Appetizers are awesome for a party platter. Crispy and yum.”
-Veena
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find the pre-made wonton wrappers at pretty much any grocery store, near the produce section in a refrigerated section. Look close to where the fancy cheeses or the tofu are—or simply ask a grocery store employee for help.
One thing that’s helped me is that I often Google the package wrapper before I go to the store so that I can have a visual clue of what I’m looking for.
Crab rangoon and cream cheese wontons are essentially the same thing – in their basic form, they both are deep-fried and usually stuffed with a crab and cream cheese mixture.
Storing Wontons with Cream Cheese
These usually don’t last too long once they are set out, but if you have some leftovers, store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. These will last in the refrigerator for four to five days. When ready to reheat them, either bake, microwave, or air fry them to hold their crispiness.
More Appetizers to Try
Here are some of our family’s favorite appetizers that are simple to make and taste delicious!
How to Make Cream Cheese Wontons
Cream Cheese Wontons
Ingredients
- ½ package wonton wrappers you can find these in any grocery store near the produce
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup fresh crabmeat optional
- 1 egg white whipped
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Put about 1 heaping teaspoon of cream cheese in the middle of each wonton wrapper (if you are using crabmeat, mix the crab and cream cheese together before adding to the wonton wrapper).
- Brush egg white (or you can just use water) around the edge of the wrapper and fold over to seal (if you are confused about how to fold it, look on the back of the wonton wrapper package. It will show you step by step how to do it).
- Fry in oil until golden brown. That's it! Serve with sweet and sour sauce combined with chili paste (or if you don't like it spicy, just serve with sweet and sour sauce).
Notes
More Ways to Cook Cream Cheese Wontons
- Air fry – Place the filled wontons in the tray of the basket of the air fryer. Fry them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
- Bake – Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use cooking spray to keep them from sticking to the pan. Place the wontons on top of the parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes or until they are crisp on the outside.
I love wontons and crab so I had to make this recipe for Cream Cheese and Crab wontons. I will say THESE are the best little finger foods. The crispy outside and the creamy soft filling then dipped in the sweet and sour sauce make these so irresistible to just eat one. The family loves these so much I usually have to double the recipe. Thank you
Definitely my fav Super Bowl recipe. Yummmmmm. Not sure I’ll wait that long to try it.
Could these be fried in an air fryer? Thanks.,
I haven’t used an air fryer so I can’t say for sure, but from what I have heard about them, I don’t see why not!
My family will love these – anything crab always goes down well and these look simple to make too!
I am excited to try these tasty little creations! I love Crab Ragoon/ crab cream cheese filled wontons and I bet this would be perfect for the Chinese New Year. Do you have a recipe that you recommend for dipping sauce? Like a Duck sauce or Sweet and sour maybe? Let me know.
Thanks in advance
H
I make sweet and sour sauce with 1 cup each of ketchup, water, sugar and vinegar. You can scale it down and make less, just use equal parts of each ingredient. Just mix it all together and simmer it in a saucepan until it’s thick enough for your taste. It’s so easy and it tastes just like the sauce from a Chinese restaurant. And if you sub some of the water for pineapple juice it’s even better!
These turned out good – my family loved them!
Delicious combination of crab and cream cheese. These Appetizer are awesome for a party platter. Crispy and yum.
Love this recipe! This is pure comfort food. Perfect for entertaining too! Thanks so much for sharing.
My friend and I add a little garlic powder to this mix…LOVE. They truly are simple, don’t be afraid to try it for yourself.
I’ll be making these really soon. I have been craving some good wontons for awhile.
Hubby doesn’t like to eat out so to be able to make and eat something at home I’ve
only ever gotten in a restaurant… c’est merveilleux!