Chef notes
This recipe is so festive and fun. It's a rich, creamy and inviting dessert, a great way to satisfy a craving for New York-style cheesecake and holiday eggnog without excessive calories, sugar and saturated fat. Plus, it's a great vehicle for antioxidant-rich and fiber-filled fruit. I like to serve it with sliced apples, pears, bananas and whole strawberries (and when they're in season, chunks of cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple and sliced peaches). Oh, and I always add some graham cracker squares on the serving platter with fruit, too. Whip it up for your next holiday party — it takes just five minutes, max. It's also easy to scale up if you're serving a larger crowd.
Technique tip: It's important your cream cheese is completely softened or you'll wind up with small clumps throughout your dip. I leave mine on the counter for at least an hour and then microwave it for 15 to 20 seconds to ensure it's completely softened before mixing with the other ingredients. If you wind up with small cream cheese lumps, use an immersion blender to smooth them out. Alternatively, you can transfer your dip to a food processor and pulse until you reach a silky-smooth texture.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces light (1/3 less fat) cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup light sour cream
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- crushed graham cracker squares, to garnish (optional)
- fresh fruit, such as sliced apples, pears, bananas and whole strawberries, for dipping
- whole graham cracker squares, for dipping
Preparation
Add all the dip ingredients (cream cheese through vanilla extract) to a medium bowl and mix by hand until smooth and creamy. Cover and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To serve, transfer mixture to a small dipping bowl and sprinkle crushed graham cracker over the top. Enjoy with fresh fruit and graham crackers for dipping!
