There’s something irresistible about spreading Panera’s honey walnut cream cheese on a freshly toasted bagel. The first time I recreated this Panera favorite at home, my family was amazed by how perfectly it captured that sweet, nutty creaminess we love! Now this 5-minute Panera honey walnut cream cheese recipe is our go-to for weekend brunches and quick breakfasts.
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This Panera honey walnut cream cheese copycat recipe captures everything you love about the bakery version – that perfect balance of sweetness, subtle spice, and crunchy walnuts. What makes it even better? You can make this Panera honey walnut cream cheese in just 5 minutes with simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry!
The secret to perfect Panera honey walnut cream cheese lies in the combination of honey, molasses, and brown sugar that creates that signature Panera flavor without any complicated techniques. It’s bakery-quality Panera cream cheese made simple.
Equipment Needed
- Medium mixing bowl
- Spatula or spoon for mixing
- Measuring spoons
- Airtight container for storage
Ingredients and Their Purpose
- Walnuts – Provides essential nutty flavor and crunchy texture that defines Panera’s honey walnut spread
- Cream Cheese (unflavored) – Forms the creamy, tangy base of Panera’s honey walnut cream cheese spread
- Honey – Provides natural sweetness and floral notes essential to Panera’s honey walnut flavor
- Molasses – Adds depth and complexity to mimic Panera’s distinctive honey walnut cream cheese taste
- Brown Sugar – Creates caramel-like sweetness that enhances Panera’s honey walnut cream cheese’s rich flavor
- Cinnamon – Adds warm spice notes that balance the sweetness in Panera honey walnut cream cheese
How to Make Panera Honey Walnut Cream Cheese Spread
It doesn’t get much simpler than this honey walnut cream cheese recipe.
- Let the cream cheese soften at room temperature for a few minutes.
- Combine cream cheese with the honey, cinnamon, molasses, and brown sugar in a large bowl and mix well.
- Fold the chopped walnuts into the cream cheese mixture.
All that’s left to do is spread it on your favorite bagel or baked good!
Panera Honey Walnut Cream Cheese Recipe Tips and Variations
- Make ahead: This Panera honey walnut cream cheese actually tastes better after flavors have time to meld in the refrigerator
- Toast the walnuts: For enhanced nutty flavor, lightly toast the chopped walnuts in a dry skillet before adding them to your Panera honey walnut cream cheese
- Texture options: Chop walnuts finely for a smoother spread or leave larger pieces for more crunch in your Panera honey walnut cream cheese
- Sweetness control: Adjust honey and brown sugar amounts to match your preference for sweetness in Panera honey walnut cream cheese
What Goes Well with Panera Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
There’s nothing like the pairing of a bagel and cream cheese, especially when it’s a high-end spread like Panera honey walnut cream cheese. A spread like this one can pair well with any of Panera’s sweeter bagel options like cinnamon swirl, blueberry, chocolate chip, or cinnamon crunch (or their supermarket-bought or homemade siblings.)
Plain bagels are always a solid choice, and more adventurous eaters may enjoy pairing the spread with savory bagel options like everything or asiago.
You’re certainly not limited to just bagels. This recipe works just as well as a homemade cream cheese spread for bread, English muffins, biscuits, and more. It can even be enjoyed as a dip with fruit or crackers.
How to Store
Homemade Panera honey walnut cream cheese is as easy to store as it is to make and enjoy. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. Freezing isn’t recommended, so only prepare as much as you think you’ll use in the near future.
It’ll stay good for up to ten days in the fridge, but with a recipe this delicious, it may not last that long anyway.
If you love another great schmear for your bagel, try my copycat recipe for Zabar’s Cream Cheese Spread.
Homemade Panera Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
Instructions
- If you wish, toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium-high heat until they just turn fragrant. Watch the skillet closely – there is a short time between the nuts being toasted and burnt. Take the nuts off the heat and allow them to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, honey, molasses, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until all of the ingredients are well blended.
- Stir the walnuts into the honey cream cheese.
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
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Nutrition
Love Panera Bread? Try these copycat recipes
- Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Sweet Cream Cheese Recipes
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Be sure to take a look at the best restaurant copycat recipes and CopyKat favorites.
Let me know in the comments how your homemade Panera honey walnut cream cheese turned out! Don’t forget to share your creations by TAGGING ME ON INSTAGRAM and sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a copycat recipe!
My love Panera is original, but this is just as good maybe a little little bit better because you can add as many walnuts as you want
This is just as delicious as Panera’s. I always use the Neufchâtel & Panera’s says reduced fat when you get it. I love this on a sesame seed bagel! Thanks for the recipe! 😃
Delicious! Better than Panera!
OMG.. I’ve just been mixing honey and walnuts to my cream cheese thinking that was all I needed. I cannot wait to try this recipe!! Thanks so much!!
I love this recipe