Cream Cheese Wontons

Cream Cheese Wontons are a favorite in many Chinese restaurants. These are so easy to make at home and with this recipe, I will show you how you can recreate your favorite Chinese appetizer at home.

homemade cream cheese wontons


Cream Cheese Wontons

There are a few items I love when I got to a Chinese restaurant. While these cream cheese wontons may not be authentic in any sense of the word, they are definitely a favorite of almost everyone who tries these. These are actually fairly simple to make.

Are cream cheese wontons authentic?

Cream cheese wontons are not authentic to Chinese cooking. The wontons are authentic to American Chinese food. Chinese cooks adapted many of their authentic recipes for American palettes.

These wontons were invented in the 1950s at Trader Vic’s, a popular chain of Polynesian-style “tiki” themed bars and restaurants that have been around since the 1930s. Many other budget-conscious cooks left out the crab and served a sweetened cream cheese stuffed wonton.

One thing is for certain, while not an authentic Chinese appetizer, they are loved just the same.

What are cream cheese wontons made of?

Cream cheese wontons are made with four easy-to-find ingredients.

They are made of wonton wrappers, which you would normally get in the refrigerated section of your local produce department in the grocery store. Cream cheese is sweetened with granulated sugar. You also need vegetable oil to fry them in.

Wontons Ingredients

Here is what you need from the store to make them.

  • Wonton Wrappers – You’ll find these in the produce section of the grocery store.
  • Cream Cheese and Sugar – The filling is made with cream cheese and a touch of sugar.
  • Egg – You will need a simple egg wash to seal the wontons together.

Recipe Variations 

Want to make these a bit differently? 

  • Consider adding a teaspoon or two of sliced green onion to this recipe. 
  • If you don’t have green onion on hand, half a teaspoon of onion powder will also work very well. 
  • You may want to add a couple of teaspoons of canned crab meat to the cream cheese mixture.
  • Half a teaspoon of garlic powder also tastes wonderful in these cream cheese puffs. 

How to Make Cream Cheese Wontons 

  1. Set cream cheese out on the counter to warm to room temperature. 
  2. Preheat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. 
  3. In a medium-sized bowl combine cream cheese, grated white onion, and sugar. Mix until the cream cheese filling is smooth. 
  4. Prepare an egg wash by whisking the egg and the water together in a small bowl. 
  5. Brush two sides of a wonton wrapper with the egg wash. 
  6. Fill the center of the wonton wrapper with about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. 
  7. Fold over the edges of the wrapper and press together. 
  8. Drop a few at a time into the hot oil, and fry until they are golden brown. 
  9. ​Drain on a wire rack so they stay crispy. Draining on paper towels can make crispy shells steam and become soft.

The Best Dipping Sauces for Cream Cheese Wontons

These crispy wontons must be served with a dipping sauce. You may want to serve these with sweet and sour sauce. This is a great recipe for a sweet and sour sauce that is easy to make, this recipe actually has lemons and oranges in it. You may not need to go out for these anymore with this simple recipe.

These would also go great with Chinese mustard sauce. You could also dip these into your favorite hot sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, or even sriracha sauce.

cream cheese wontons served with sweet and sour sauce

Use a Damp Paper Towel to Prevent Wonton Shells from Drying Out

When filling the wontons it is a good idea to place a damp paper towel or a towel over the wonton shells. The wrappers can dry out if you do not keep them covered.

Is Cream Cheese Rangoon the same as wontons?

Yes, they are very similar to each other. Both cream cheese rangoons and fried wontons use fried wonton wrappers stuffed with cream cheese. The difference is what they are stuffed with. When they have crab, they are called crab rangoons.

Easy Game Day Appetizer

Cream Cheese Wontons are a great appetizer and game day food. Make a double batch because these will disappear fast!

Cream Cheese Wonton Recipe Video

I love watching recipe videos. I made one showing you how easy it is to make these delicious Chinese appetizers. I hope the video helps you see the simplicity so you can make them yourself. Scroll down to see the video in the recipe card.

Want to change these into crab stuffed wontons? Simply add 6 to 8 ounces of real crab or imitation crab to this recipe.

wontons filled with cream cheese

Looking for more take-out favorites? Try these recipes!

If you love eating Chinese takeout, here are a few more recipes you can make at home. You will love them!

Favorite Japanese Food Recipes

Be sure to check out more of the best appetizers and Asian food recipes.

wontons filled with cream cheese

Cream Cheese Wontons

You can make restaurant-style cream cheese wontons at home.
4.95 from 19 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Cream Cheese Wontons
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 48
Calories: 50kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon white onion grated
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 48 wonton wrappers
  • vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Preheat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. You can use a deep fryer or a pot filled with enough vegetable oil so the oil is 4 inches deep.
  • Combine cream cheese, sugar, and grated white onion. Stir together the cream cheese mixture until it is well blended.
  • Prepare an egg wash by combining one egg and water in a small bowl.
  • To fill wontons with cream cheese mixture, brush egg wash on two sides of the wonton wrapper.
  • Drop about a teaspoon of cream cheese onto the wonton wrapper.
  • Wet the sides of the wrapper with the egg wash.  Seal the edges of the wonton wrapper by lifting up the middle of the 2 opposite sides so that they meet. Squeeze lightly together Bring the middle of the 2 other sides to close the wonton Gently squeeze to close the wonton. The wonton will remain slightly open.
  • Drop the wontons in a couple at a time until they are golden brown. Drain on a wire rack or on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.3mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

REVEALED: Copycat Secrets for 2023

free email bonus

Yes, you CAN make it at home! I'll show you how.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aysegul Sanford

    5 stars
    Every time we go to a Chinese restaurant we order these.. I am so glad to have found this. Now I can make them at home! 🙂

  2. Katherine

    I tried them… failed making them the first time then made them again and realized I forgot the cream cheese… then they were AMAZING! Thank you so much for this recipie Stephanie ????????????????

  3. Michele

    Also LOVE THE CREAM CHEESE WAN TONS……… COULD YOU GIVE ME A
    NAVY BEAN SOUP W/ grated carrot
    Onion. And a little ham off the bone. The cream base and the mesurments are killing me. The only recipes I can find have celery Tomato. And other things. I like my moms old
    Bean soup. HELP HELP HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mom has passed on and I can’t figure it out

  4. JustMe

    I must not use the right kind of wonton wrappers because I made some tonight with wonton wrappers from Publix and it basically ruined it for me 🙁 They were night light and crunchy like they are from the restaurant.

      • Viv

        Reading for the first time. “Just Me” may not have had the oil at the right temperature. If it wasn’t hot enough, the wontons would absorb oil & fail to finish crispy & light. If it was too hot, they would fry on the outside & not be fully crisped on the inside. My guess: Just Me had oil that was not hot enough. Suggestion: He/she should make an extra wonton next time the recipe is attempted. Then put the oil to the temp it was the first time & fry off the extra to test. That will determine whether to crank up the heat a tiny bit when the actual batch is made. Also…the wontons should be drained & dried immediately…not allowed to sit on an oily plate. Try placing a kitchen paper towel in the bottom of a collander; layer the wontons as they’re removed from the oil after cooking. Keep layering until the entire batch is ready. Cheers!

  5. Mari

    Thank you so much for the recipe! Could you please tell me what type of cream cheese do you use? any brand? I made cream cheese wontons today, but when i fried wontons in the pan all the cheese disappeared!! Do you know what happened?

    • Cindy

      I would make them and fry them right away. You could recrisp them in the oven later. I do this with leftover ones from the restaurants. The wrappers would dry out if not covered with wet paper towels. You might risk making them soggy if you wet them to much. You could make them in triangles that are flat. Then you could keep them between moist towels in the fridge.

  6. Misty

    I love these!!! I wanna learn how to do the old school pot stickers. The ones that was like a dumpling wit a piece of meat on inside but now they serve wonton wrappers with meat on inside. I want to learn the original pot stickers. Can anyone help???

  7. kent

    I would like a shrimp and lobster sauce receipe with Dark Sauce. I use dark soy sauce and I use fermented black beans mashed up but I can’t quite get the restaurant taste. Could you help me?

  8. Jan Bolstad

    Where are the rest of the instructions? there is nothing after putting the cream cheese in them where are the frying instructions?there is nothing after putting the cream cheese in them where are the frying instructions?

    • ws99

      Read further…Add enough oil for frying into a pot to cover the bottom 4 inches of the pot. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Drop the wontons in a couple at a time until they are golden brown. Drain on a wire rack or on paper towels. Serve immediately.Read more at https://copykat.com/cream-cheese-wontons/#IBQJKgOeyS50lCEc.99

  9. Ann

    Thank you for this recipe. Do you have a recipe for Pot Stickers ? We would love to make some at home. Thank you.

  10. Jake106

    A restaurant in our neighborhood serves these cream cheese and crab wontons and they really are like a drug.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




homemade Olive Garden Asiago Torgelloni Alfredo with chicken on a plate

Copycat Recipe Secrets for 2024

REVEALED:

Yes, you CAN make it at home! 
I'll show you how.

FREE EMAIL BONUS