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These homemade Cream Cheese Wontons are crispy, creamy, and even better than takeout! They’re easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and cook up golden and delicious in minutes. Whether you fry, bake, or air fry them, they make the perfect appetizer or party snack. Serve them with our homemade sweet and sour sauce, and watch them disappear fast!
Why I Love This Appetizer
If you’re anything like me, you can’t resist ordering cream cheese wontons whenever you get Chinese takeout. These crispy, golden pockets filled with warm, creamy goodness are always a hit—perfect as an appetizer, snack, or party treat. They’re surprisingly easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients. Once you try them freshly fried, you’ll never go back to the takeout version! Whether you prefer them with plain cream cheese or with crab filling, they’re a perfect app, especially when dipped in our Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce.
Every time I whip up a batch of these, they’re the first to disappear! The thin, crispy wrapper combined with the creamy filling is a match made in heaven. And the best part? You can fry them for that golden, crispy perfection, or air fry or bake them for a healthier twist that still delivers on crunch! I love to make these with ham fried rice and General Tso’s chicken for a complete meal.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Wonton wrappers – These will wrap up the filling inside and be the outside layer of the wonton. The uncooked wontons can be found in your refrigerator aisle or at any local Asian market store.
- Cream cheese – Make sure it’s softened for easy mixing.
- Egg whites – Whisk together the egg whites to have an egg wash. This will be brushed around the edges of the wonton wrappers, binding the corners together.
- Vegetable Oil – For frying those wontons to crispy perfection.
- Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce – For dipping.
- Fresh crab meat – (optional): Adds a sweet, buttery flavor. Imitation crab works too!
- Green Onions – (optional) For garnish.
How to Make Crispy Cream Cheese Wontons
- Prepare the Filling: Mix cream cheese til softened. Add a heaping teaspoon of softened cream cheese mixture to the center of each wonton wrapper.
- Fold and Seal: Brush the edges with egg white fold over, and press to seal.
- Fry until Golden: Heat oil in a pan and fry the wontons until they’re golden brown.
- Serve with sweet and sour sauce for dipping. For a spicy kick, add a little chili paste to the sweet and sour sauce.
Adding Crab Option
Personally, I love adding crab to my wontons. The sweet crab meat pairs beautifully with the rich cream cheese. Simply stir in up to ½ cup of fresh cooked or imitation crab, finely shredded to the cream cheese until well combined. If seafood isn’t your thing, no worries! These are just as tasty without the crab. You can even make a mixed batch and let your guests choose their favorite.
Wonton Tips
- Seasonings – Add a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, or seasoning salt to the cream cheese for extra flavor.
- Filling Alternatives – Not a fan of crab? Try adding pork or veggies to the cream cheese.
- Oil Options- Vegetable oil works great, but you can also use peanut or canola oil.
- Keep Wrappers Moist – Cover unused wonton wrappers with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out.
- Removing the Wontons – Use a slotted spoon when picking up the wontons from the fried oil. This will help avoid any excess oil on the wontons. Place the cooked wontons on a plate with paper towels over it. This will soak up any extra oil left over.
- Dipping sauce – We use this homemade sweet and sour sauce that is perfect for dipping.
Other Cooking Methods
Frying isn’t always the easiest or the healthiest way to make wontons. Not to worry! If frying isn’t your thing, try these alternatives:
- Air fry – Place the filled wontons in the tray of the basket of the air fryer. Spray with cooking spray or brush with oil. Fry them at 375°F for 8-10 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
- Bake – Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use cooking spray to keep them from sticking to the pan and. Place the wontons on top of the parchment paper, spray with cooking spray or brush with oil, and bake at 375°F for 15 to 18 minutes or until they are crisp on the outside.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find the pre-made wonton wrappers at pretty much any grocery store, near the produce section in a refrigerated section. Look close to where the fancy cheeses or the tofu are—or simply ask a grocery store employee for help.
Yes! You can assemble the wontons a few hours in advance and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fry. If you’re prepping further ahead, freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Fry straight from frozen—just add a minute or two to the cook time.
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. These oils won’t overpower the flavor and can handle the high heat needed for crisping.
Be sure to moisten the edges of the wrapper with water or egg wash and press firmly to seal. Avoid overfilling, and gently press out any air pockets to help prevent them from bursting open during frying.
Sweet and sour sauce is a classic, but they’re also great with Thai chili sauce, soy sauce, or even a garlic ginger dipping sauce.
Yes, cream cheese wontons freeze beautifully! To freeze before cooking, place the assembled (but uncooked) wontons in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Fry them straight from frozen—just add an extra minute or so to the cook time. If you’ve already cooked them, let them cool completely, then freeze and reheat in the oven or air fryer to keep them crispy.
Storing Leftovers
If you have any wontons left (though I doubt it!), store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for a few minutes to bring back the crispiness—avoid the microwave, which can make them soggy.
More Appetizers to Try
Looking for more crowd-pleasers? Check out these easy and delicious appetizers that will keep your guests coming back for more!
I hope you enjoy making and eating these Cream Cheese Wontons as much as I do. They’re a simple, tasty appetizer that’s sure to impress! Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! 🥡🥢
Cream Cheese Wontons
Video
Ingredients
- ½ package wonton wrappers, you can find these in any grocery store near the produce
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 egg white, whipped
- oil for frying
- 1/2 cup Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 cup fresh crabmeat, (optional)
- green onions, (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Put about 1 heaping teaspoon of cream cheese in the middle of each wonton wrapper (if you are using crabmeat, mix the crab and cream cheese together before adding to the wonton wrapper).
- Brush egg white (or you can just use water) around the edge of the wrapper and pinch up the edges to seal (if you are confused about how to fold it, look on the back of the wonton wrapper package. It will show you step by step how to do it).
- Fry in oil heated to 350℉ until golden brown.
- Serve with sweet and sour sauce combined with chili paste (or if you don't like it spicy, just serve with sweet and sour sauce).
Notes
- Nutrition does not include dipping sauces or toppings.
- Add flavor to the cream cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, or seasoning salt.
- Mix in cooked pork, crab, or finely chopped veggies for variety.
- Use vegetable, peanut, or canola oil for frying.
- Keep unused wonton wrappers covered with a damp paper towel to prevent drying.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove wontons from oil and drain on paper towels.
- Air Fryer: Spray or brush wontons with oil and air fry at 375°F for 8–10 minutes.
- Baked: Place on parchment, spray or brush with oil, and bake at 375°F for 15–18 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Would it work ok with flavored cream cheese like Onion and Chives? I hope so, because I love that cream cheese. Larry
Yes, flavored cream cheese would work great! Thanks for asking!