Chili Bacon Crunch Cream Cheese Spread

Happy Hour Just Got Happier

Chili Bacon Crunch Cream Cheese Spread is an easy sweet, savory, and slightly spicy appetizer made with cream cheese, crispy bacon, maple syrup, soy sauce, and chili onion crunch. It’s one of those appetizers that looks impressive sitting on a platter but is actually incredibly simple to make.

I originally came up with this when I had two girlfriends coming over and wanted something easy yet delicious to put out while we sat around, had some drinks, and caught up.

The combination ended up being even better than I expected.

You get cool and creamy cream cheese, smoky bacon, sweet maple syrup, savory soy sauce, and those spicy, crispy little bits from the chili onion crunch. There’s even a little vanilla in the maple bacon mixture, which may sound strange at first, but trust me on this one.

Put it out with some thin, crispy crackers and a cold glass of white wine and happy hour is officially handled.

An Easy Appetizer For Happy Hour, Game Day, And Holidays

I originally made this for happy hour, but this is one of those appetizers that can go just about anywhere.

Put it out for football Sunday. Make it for girls’ night. Add it to your Thanksgiving or Christmas appetizer spread. Bring it to a cocktail party. Or make it on a random Friday night when dinner somehow turns into cheese, crackers, and drinks.

No judgment here.

One of the reasons I love this recipe is that the cream cheese itself requires absolutely no work. There is no whipping, baking, or complicated cheese mixture to make.

You put a brick of softened cream cheese on a platter and let the toppings do all the work.

Sometimes those are the best appetizers.

What Is Chili Onion Crunch?

If you’ve never cooked with chili onion crunch before, don’t let that ingredient scare you away from making this.

Chili onion crunch is a seasoned chili oil filled with crispy pieces of onion, peppers, and aromatics. Depending on the brand, it can be mildly spicy or pack a little more heat.

Trader Joe’s makes a popular Chili Onion Crunch, but you’ll now find versions of chili crisp and chili crunch in the Asian or international aisle of many grocery stores.

And once you have a jar in the refrigerator, you’ll probably start putting it on everything.

Eggs, rice, noodles, vegetables, sandwiches, and even cucumbers all benefit from a little spoonful of the stuff.

For this recipe, you want some of both parts: the flavorful oil AND those crispy little bits.

The Maple Bacon Is What Makes This Special

Now we need to talk about the bacon.

I use thick-cut bacon and cut it into small, bite-sized pieces before cooking it until golden and crisp.

Then comes the glaze.

Real maple syrup is simmered with soy sauce and vanilla until it begins to reduce and thicken. The crispy bacon goes back into that mixture and gets coated in the sticky, sweet, and savory glaze.

The vanilla is the ingredient people might question.

Don’t leave it out.

You’re only using a teaspoon, so the bacon isn’t going to taste like vanilla frosting. It adds this subtle warmth in the background that works beautifully with the maple syrup.

Keep The Heat Low

The maple bacon isn’t difficult to make, but this is one part of the recipe where you don’t want to walk away from the stove.

Maple syrup contains a lot of sugar, which means it can go from beautifully reduced to burned rather quickly.

Keep your heat very low once the mixture begins simmering and stir it occasionally.

You’re looking for a glaze that has thickened enough to cling to the bacon but is still loose enough that you can spoon it over the cream cheese.

Remember that it will continue to thicken a little as it cools.

Let The Cream Cheese Soften

Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator about 20 to 30 minutes before you plan to assemble the appetizer.

You don’t want it warm. You simply want to take that refrigerator chill off.

This makes it much easier to scoop onto a delicate cracker.

Put the whole brick of cream cheese on your serving platter. There’s no need to whip it or mix anything into it.

That’s part of the beauty of this recipe.

How To Assemble Chili Bacon Crunch Cream Cheese Spread

This part takes just a couple of minutes.

Spoon the chili onion crunch over the softened brick of cream cheese first. Make sure you get some of the crispy pieces along with the seasoned oil.

Next, spoon the warm maple bacon mixture over the top.

Let some of that glaze run down the sides of the cream cheese. That’s what you want.

Finish everything with sliced fresh chives and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.

Then surround the platter with crackers and get out of the way

The Best Crackers For This Cream Cheese Spread

I especially like thin rice crackers with this recipe.

The cream cheese and maple bacon topping are rich, so a light, crispy cracker gives you some balance.

I’ve used Ka-Me rice crackers for years. I was originally introduced to the brand when I created a recipe for them, and I’ve continued buying their crackers ever since. This isn’t sponsored. I just happen to really like them.

You can usually find this style of cracker in the Asian or international aisle of the grocery store. Sometimes I have also found them near the gluten-free foods.

You certainly don’t have to use this exact cracker.

Water crackers, butter crackers, pita crackers, or another thin crispy cracker will work.

I would just avoid an aggressively flavored cracker. The maple bacon and chili crunch have plenty of flavor on their own.

Can I Make This Ahead?

You can definitely get a head start on this appetizer.

The bacon can be cooked ahead of time, and you can prepare the maple bacon mixture earlier in the day.

Store it covered in the refrigerator and gently warm it before assembling the spread.

I wouldn’t completely assemble the appetizer hours in advance. It’s much prettier when the chili crunch and maple bacon are spooned over the cream cheese shortly before serving.

Plus the bacon maintains more of its texture.

Take the cream cheese out about 20 to 30 minutes before serving, gently warm, your bacon topping, and assemble everything when your guests arrive.

Sweet, Salty, Spicy, And Creamy In Every Bite

There is a lot happening on one little cracker.

The cream cheese gives you the cool, creamy base.

The bacon brings salt and smoke.

Maple syrup gives you sweetness.

Soy sauce adds that deep savory flavor.

The chili crunch brings heat and texture.

And the vanilla adds just enough warmth to make people wonder what you put in there.

The trick when eating it is to scoop all the way down.

You want cream cheese, chili crunch, AND maple bacon on every cracker.

More Easy Appetizers For Happy Hour And Game Day

If you’re someone who could happily make dinner out of appetizers, cheese spreads, and a good cocktail, you’re among friends here.

I love appetizers that look impressive without requiring you to spend an entire afternoon preparing them. They’re perfect for happy hour, football Sunday, holidays, girls’ night, or those last-minute gatherings when suddenly everyone is coming to your house.

Click each image below for the recipe!

An Easy Appetizer Worth Saving

Chili Bacon Crunch Cream Cheese Spread checks all my appetizer boxes.

It’s easy.

It can mostly be prepped ahead.

It looks great sitting on a platter.

And most importantly, people remember it.

Keep a brick of cream cheese, a package of bacon, and a jar of chili onion crunch around and you’re most of the way there.

All you need are some crackers, something cold to drink, and preferably a few friends to share it with.