Looking for an easy appetizer that's guaranteed to disappear at your next cookout? Smoked Cream Cheese with Jalapeño Bacon Jam is one of those recipes that's incredibly simple to make but tastes like you spent hours preparing it. A block of cream cheese is seasoned with Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Rub, smoked until warm and creamy, then topped with a generous spoonful of homemade jalapeño bacon jam for the perfect balance of smoky, sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.
Serve it with crackers, toasted baguette slices, or fresh vegetables, and you'll have an appetizer that's always the first thing gone.
Smoked Cream Cheese with Jalapeño Bacon Jam | Heath Riles BBQ
Smoked cream cheese has become a backyard barbecue favorite for good reason. It requires very little prep, cooks in about an hour, and delivers incredible flavor with almost no effort.
This recipe starts with a block of cream cheese coated in Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Rub. A few score marks across the top are optional, but they help the seasoning settle into the cheese while creating the signature cracks that let you know it's perfectly finished.
After about an hour on the smoker, the cream cheese becomes warm, soft, and spreadable with just the right amount of smoke. It's then finished with a generous helping of our Sweet, Smoky & Spicy Jalapeño Bacon Jam, adding layers of crispy bacon, caramelized onions, sweet heat, and rich barbecue flavor to every bite.
Whether you're hosting game day, serving appetizers before dinner, or looking for something different to bring to a party, this recipe is always a crowd favorite.
Why This Recipe Works
Sometimes the simplest recipes deliver the biggest flavor.
Cream cheese naturally absorbs smoke while becoming rich, creamy, and perfectly spreadable during the cook. A coating of Competition BBQ Rub creates a flavorful crust that balances the richness of the cheese with sweet, savory barbecue seasoning.
Instead of making a complicated topping, this recipe uses our homemade Sweet, Smoky & Spicy Jalapeño Bacon Jam, which combines crispy bacon, sweet onions, brown sugar, jalapeños, and barbecue flavors into one incredible topping. The combination of warm smoked cream cheese and sweet, spicy bacon jam creates an appetizer that's both comforting and packed with bold barbecue flavor.
Best of all, the entire recipe comes together in about an hour with very little hands-on work.
The Ingredients
- 8-ounce Block of Cream Cheese becomes warm, soft, and perfectly spreadable while taking on just the right amount of smoke.
- Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Rub creates a flavorful crust that complements the richness of the cream cheese.
- Sweet, Smoky & Spicy Jalapeño Bacon Jam is the perfect finishing touch. Instead of recreating the recipe here, prepare a batch using our step-by-step bacon jam recipe before serving it over the smoked cream cheese.
Serve with your favorite crackers, toasted baguette slices, pita chips, or fresh vegetables for dipping.
Smoker Setup
Preheat your Smokin Brothers Premier Plus Pellet Grill to 275°F.
This slightly higher cooking temperature softens the cream cheese without melting it completely while allowing it to pick up just the right amount of wood-fired flavor in about one hour.
The Process
Season the Cream Cheese
Remove the cream cheese from its packaging and place it into a small cast iron skillet, disposable aluminum pan, or directly onto a sheet of parchment paper.
Season all sides generously with Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Rub.
If you'd like, use a Heath Riles BBQ Signature Knife to lightly score the top of the cream cheese in a crosshatch pattern. While completely optional, this helps the seasoning settle into the cheese and creates the signature cracks that develop during cooking.
Smoke the Cream Cheese
Place the cream cheese on the middle rack of the smoker and cook for 1 hour.
As it cooks, the cream cheese will begin to puff slightly before the scored top naturally opens up. That's your sign it's perfectly soft and ready to serve.
Top with the Bacon Jam
While the cream cheese is smoking, prepare a batch of our Sweet, Smoky & Spicy Jalapeño Bacon Jam.
Once the cream cheese comes off the smoker, spoon the warm bacon jam generously over the top, allowing it to settle into the center before serving immediately.
The Results
This Smoked Cream Cheese with Jalapeño Bacon Jam is everything you want in an easy barbecue appetizer.
The Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Rub creates a flavorful crust on the outside while the smoker transforms the cream cheese into a warm, rich, and incredibly spreadable centerpiece. Every bite is smooth and creamy with just the right amount of wood-fired flavor.
The real star is the Sweet, Smoky & Spicy Jalapeño Bacon Jam. Crispy bacon, caramelized onions, brown sugar, jalapeños, and barbecue flavors create the perfect topping for the smoked cream cheese. The combination of sweet, savory, smoky, and spicy flavors makes every bite even better than the last.
Whether you're serving it for game day, a holiday gathering, or a backyard cookout, this appetizer is guaranteed to disappear quickly.
Perfect Pairings
- BBQ Charcuterie Board – Add this smoked cream cheese to your next charcuterie board alongside smoked meats, cheeses, crackers, and fresh fruit for an impressive spread.
- Crack Smash Burgers – The sweet and spicy bacon jam flavors pair perfectly with juicy smash burgers for the ultimate backyard barbecue meal.
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin – If you love bacon, this combination is hard to beat. Serve the smoked cream cheese as an appetizer before slicing into a perfectly cooked pork tenderloin.
- Old School Butcher Shop Burger – Rich, beefy burgers and creamy smoked cheese topped with bacon jam make a meal that's full of classic barbecue flavors.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover smoked cream cheese and bacon jam in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
To reheat, place the cream cheese in a 275°F oven or smoker until warmed through, then spoon the bacon jam over the top before serving. You can also microwave individual portions in short 15- to 20-second intervals until creamy and warm.
Final Thoughts
If you've never tried smoked cream cheese, this is the recipe to start with.
With just a block of cream cheese, a generous coating of Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Rub, and a spoonful of our Sweet, Smoky & Spicy Jalapeño Bacon Jam, you'll have an appetizer that's simple to prepare but packed with incredible barbecue flavor.
It's perfect for holiday parties, tailgates, cookouts, or anytime you need an easy crowd-pleaser. Keep a batch of bacon jam in the refrigerator, and you'll always be just about an hour away from one of the easiest—and most impressive—appetizers you can make.
Equipment & Tools
Smokin Brothers Premier Plus Pellet Grill, Heath Riles BBQ Signature Knife
