How to Make Cream Cheese-Stuffed Celery

stuffed celery

Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-2.0

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 18 servings

During the 1950s, no appetizer tray was complete without celery stuffed with something, including peanut butter, in part because it is so easy to prepare ahead of time, but also because it is so tasty. It has stood the test of time and remains a popular snack or appetizer for a party or holiday meal.

This basic stuffed celery is filled with cream cheese, seasonings, and mayonnaise. Cheese-stuffed celery complements almost any menu at any time of year and is a great standby appetizer recipe.

If you are making these ahead of time, it's best to prepare the mixture and clean the celery, but wait to fill the celery until the day they will be served; otherwise, the mixture might become too wet if it remains in the celery for longer than a few hours.

If you have any leftovers, the cream cheese mixture is perfect as is for a dip with any leftover celery, crackers, or other vegetables. If you prefer not to put the mixture into the celery at all, use this recipe as a good starting point for a versatile dip to use with a raw veggie platter. Another option is to use this cream cheese mixture and put it on top of crackers, small toasts, or slices of bread. It's so tasty, simple, and very versatile.

Ingredients

  • 6 stalks celery

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika, optional

  • Few drops Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon mayonnaise, more as needed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Wash the celery, separate the stalks, and cut into even lengths, about 3 pieces per rib.

  3. In a small bowl, mash the cream cheese with a fork.

  4. Add salt, pepper, optional paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and enough mayonnaise to make the filling into a spreadable consistency.

  5. Use a small spoon or even a piping bag to fill the celery pieces with the cream cheese and mayonnaise mixture. If desired, sprinkle with more paprika for color.

  6. Arrange the stuffed celery on a platter and chill thoroughly before serving.

Variations

  • Try adding slivered almonds or olive slices to the tops of the stuffed celery.
  • If you have celery stalks with the leaves on top, use them as a garnish. Wash, dry, and cut the leaves and sprinkle them on top of the stuffed celery.
  • For a Mexican twist, omit the paprika and Worcestershire sauce and add cumin and hot sauce. Top the celery with trimmed cilantro leaves or lime zest.
  • Try a sweeter version that omits the paprika and Worcestershire sauce and instead includes cinnamon and sugar mixed with the cream cheese and a small amount of mayonnaise. These could be topped with raisins or dried cranberries.
  • Using peanut butter in place of this cream cheese mixture, you could add a topping like raisins to create the classic after-school snack "ants on a log."
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
20 Calories
2g Fat
1g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 20
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 57mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 42mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)