Summer season isn’t over until you’ve had your fix of heirloom tomato bagels with a homemade herb cream cheese. Easy-to-make open-faced bagel sandwiches that are great breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack.
If you love all0things breakfast, then try my Jammy Egg and Za’atar Toast recipe, next!

Your bagel is only as good as your spread and this homemade herby cream cheese is a keeper. During the summer months, It’s pretty common for me to have a tomato bagel with this luscious spreadable goodness. Come the weekend, this is my simple, go-to breakfast or midday snack.
Ingredients to Make Herb Spreadable Cream Cheese
You’re just a few ingredients away from this awesome spreadable cream cheese:
- Chives
- Dill
- Softened Cream Cheese
- Whole Milk
- Kosher Salt
What Makes this Herb Cream Cheese so Special?
- Versatility: Aside from how well this pairs with bagels, this herby cream cheese also goes well with a number of eats.
- Spreadable: Oftentimes, cream cheese gets a bad rap for being difficult to spread. Luckily, this recipe calls for adding whole milk, which aids in making it easier to spread.
How to Make this Cream Cheese Spread
Once you have the above ingredients handy, simply add to a food processor and give it a good blitz until you get a smooth texture.
How Else Can This Spread Be Used?
I’m so glad you asked. Not only is this herby cream cheese great on bagels (everything bagels, personally!) but it’s great when paired with:
- Crackers
- Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed chicken
- Deviled Eggs
How to Make the Perfect Tomato Bagel
First things first, we’re going to make this an open-faced sandwich. From there, it’s a simple stack of the following:
- Toast everything bagel.
- Spread with herby cream cheese and layer it on thick.
- Add sliced beefsteak tomatoes and keep the slices medium-thick.
- Top with herbs like dill and chives.
- Drizzle olive oil and make sure you use the good stuff.
- Salt and Pepper to finish it off before diving in.
How Long Can This Herb Cream Cheese Be Stored?
Though I doubt it won’t take long before you find yourself making another batch of this spreadable goodness, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Looking For More Brunch Eats?
Do You Love This Recipe as Much as We Do?
There’s a reason why we’ve been eating this on repeat! Leave a comment below and share your love for this recipe on Instagram and Pinterest. We love to see you get down in the kitchen. Happy eating!

Herb Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Herby Cream Cheese
- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon chive
- ¼ cup dil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal brand
Bagel
- 2 everything bagels, halved
- 1 beefsteak tomato, medium thick slices
- 1 tablespoon chives, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers
- Quality olive oil
- Freshly cracked pepper
- Maldon flaky salt
Instructions
Herby Cream Cheese
- Add all ingredients for herby cream cheese to a food processor. Pulse until cream cheese is smooth in texture. Place in a sterilized container and set aside.
- Toast bagel to desired crispiness.
Layer Bagel
- Spread a generous layer of herby cream cheese on bagel. Next, add sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with fresh dill, chives, and capers.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly cracked pepper and Maldon salt flakes.