With just three ingredients—cream cheese, wonton wrappers, and oil—you can whip up a surprisingly tasty snack that’s crispy, creamy, and addictive.
Enjoy them as is, or pair them with store-bought chili sauce for extra flavor.
These wontons are sure to disappear quickly, especially when freshly fried for the ultimate crunch.
What Are Cream Cheese Wontons?
Cream cheese wontons are a simple yet flavorful appetizer made by filling wonton wrappers with creamy cheese and deep frying them to golden brown.
They’re often found at Chinese-American restaurants but they’re also easy to make at home.
I find that keeping them simple with no other added seasonings or ingredients work very well.
What You Will Need to Make Cream Cheese Wontons
To make these cream cheese wontons, gather the following ingredients:
- Wonton wrappers: These thin, pliable sheets of dough turn perfectly crispy when fried. Look for them in the refrigerated or freezer section of Asian supermarkets.
- Cream cheese: Smooth and creamy, it’s the only filling ingredient. There’s no need to use the whipped variety—regular cream cheese in the foil packaging works just fine.
- Oil: Opt for a neutral oil, such as vegetable, peanut, or canola for deep frying.
- Sweet chili sauce: The wontons are perfectly delicious on their own but for those who want more flavor, serve a sweet and spicy dipping sauce on the side. There are many brands—simply pick your favorite.
How to Make Cream Cheese Wontons
Step 1: Fill the wontons
Place about a teaspoon of cream cheese in the center of each wonton wrapper. I simply snip the corner off the cream cheese package and squeeze a small dollop of cream cheese directly onto the wonton wrapper. Lazy and efficient.
Step 2: Fold the wontons
Brush the edges of the wonton with water using your finger or pastry brush.
Bring in the opposite corners together. Pinch to seal.
It looks like this.
Bring in the other corner, pinching the seams to seal.
Repeat with the remaining corner to finish. You will have a pyramid-shaped wonton.
Step 3: Deep fry wontons
In a deep pan or fryer, heat oil to 350°F. Make sure the oil is deep enough to fully submerge the wontons.
Add a few wontons at a time to the hot oil. Fry for one and a half minutes, or until they’re golden and crispy, turning occasionally for even cooking.
They tend to float so push them down with a large utensil such as a ladle. Remove the wontons and drain on paper towels or wire rack.
Repeat until all wontons are fried.
Step 4: Serve
Serve immediately, either as is or with a side of chili sauce for dipping.
FAQs
Do I need to season the cream cheese? While plain cream cheese works perfectly to keep the recipe simple, you can add a pinch of salt and thinly sliced green onions to the cream cheese for extra flavor and color.
Can I air fry these? Yes, you can. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with neutral oil. Add the wontons in a single layer. Make sure they don’t touch so you will need to air fry in batches.
Lightly spray the wontons with a thin layer of oil. Then air fry at 350°F for 4 minutes or until crispy and golden.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate fried wontons in an airtight container. They keep well for up to 3 days.
To reheat, either deep fry or air fry just enough to regain crispiness and warmed through.
Cream Cheese Wontons
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 15 wontons 1x
Description
These three-ingredient cream cheese wontons are crispy, creamy, and completely irresistible. Pair them with sweet chili sauce for an extra kick, or enjoy them as is. A tasty appetizer and easy to make!
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- Wonton wrappers
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
- Sweet chili sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Fill the wontons: Place about a teaspoon of cream cheese in the center of each wonton wrapper. I simply snip the corner off the cream cheese package and squeeze a small dollop of cream cheese directly onto the wonton wrapper.
- Fold the wontons: Brush the edges of the wonton with water using your finger or pastry brush. Bring in the opposite corners together. Pinch to seal. Repeat with the other pair of corners. Pinch all the seams together to seal.
- Deep fry the wontons: In a deep pan or fryer, heat oil to 350°F. Make sure the oil is deep enough to fully submerge the wontons. Add a few wontons at a time to the hot oil. Fry for one and a half minutes, or until they’re golden and crispy, turning occasionally for even cooking. The wontons tend to float so push down with a large utensil. Remove and drain on paper towels or wire rack. Repeat until all wontons are fried.
- Serve immediately for best results, either as is or with a side of chili sauce for dipping.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
