Cream cheese wontons are a favorite in many Chinese restaurants, and they are so easy to make at home! While these wontons may not be authentic Chinese cuisine, they are definitely a favorite of almost everyone who tries them. Originally invented in the 1950s at Trader Vic’s, a popular chain of Polynesian-style “tiki”-themed bars and restaurants, these crispy appetizers have become a staple of American Chinese food.
Many budget-conscious cooks adapted the original crab-filled version by using sweetened cream cheese instead. What makes these special is their straightforward preparation and the satisfying contrast between the crispy golden wrapper and the creamy, sweet filling inside.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The success of these cream cheese wontons lies in the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors combined with contrasting textures. The cream cheese filling is enhanced with just a touch of sugar for sweetness and grated onion for subtle savory depth. The wonton wrappers become incredibly crispy when fried at the proper temperature, creating a satisfying crunch that gives way to the smooth, creamy interior. An egg wash ensures the wrappers seal properly, preventing the filling from leaking during frying.
Wontons ingredients
For the Wontons
- Wonton wrappers – Provide a crispy, golden exterior that contrasts beautifully with the creamy filling
- Cream cheese – Creates a rich, smooth base for the filling when brought to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar – Adds subtle sweetness that balances the savory elements
- White onion – Provides mild savory depth and prevents the filling from being overly sweet
For Assembly and Frying
- Egg – Combined with water to create the wash that seals the wonton edges
- Water – Mixed with egg to thin the wash for easy application
- Vegetable oil – Provides neutral flavor and high smoke point perfect for deep frying
Recipe variations
Want to make these a bit differently?
- Consider adding a teaspoon or two of sliced green onion to this recipe.
- If you don’t have green onion, half a teaspoon of onion powder will also work very well.
- You may want to add a couple of teaspoons of canned crab meat to the cream cheese mixture.
- Half a teaspoon of garlic powder also tastes wonderful in these cream cheese puffs.
How to Make Cream Cheese Wontons
- Set cream cheese out on the counter to warm to room temperature.
- Preheat vegetable oil to 350°F.
- Combine cream cheese, grated white onion, and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until the cream cheese filling is smooth.
- Prepare an egg wash by whisking the egg and the water together in a small bowl.
- Brush two sides of a wonton wrapper with the egg wash.
- Fill the center of the wonton wrapper with about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture.
- Fold over the edges of the wrapper and press together.
- Cook them in small batches, adding a few at a time to the hot oil, and fry until they are golden brown.
- Drain on a wire rack, so they stay crispy. Draining on paper towels can make crispy shells steam and become soft.
The best dipping sauces for crispy cream cheese wontons
These crispy wontons must be served with a dipping sauce. You may want to serve them with sweet and sour sauce. This is an excellent recipe for a sweet and sour sauce that is easy to make. It actually has lemons and oranges in it. You may not need to go out for these anymore with this simple recipe.
These would also go great with Chinese mustard sauce. You could dip these into your favorite hot sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, or even sriracha sauce.
Use a damp paper towel to prevent wonton shells from drying out
When filling the wontons, placing a wet paper towel or a towel over the wonton shells is a good idea. The wrappers can dry out if you do not keep them covered.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
Flavor Variations:
- Green Onion Version: Add 1-2 teaspoons sliced green onions to the filling
- Crab Rangoon Style: Add 2 teaspoons of canned crab meat to the cream cheese mixture
- Garlic Enhancement: Include 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder for extra savory depth
- Onion Powder Alternative: Use 1/2 teaspoon onion powder if fresh onion isn’t available
Dietary Modifications:
- Lighter Version: Use reduced-fat cream cheese and reduce sugar
- Baked Version: Brush with oil and bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes until golden
- Air Fryer Method: Cook at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store cooled wontons in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating Method: Reheat in 375°F oven for 5-8 minutes to restore crispiness. Avoid microwaves as they make wrappers soggy.
- Freezing: Freeze assembled uncooked wontons on a baking sheet, then transfer them to freezer bags for up to 3 months. Fry directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to cooking time.
Looking for more take-out favorites? Try these recipes!
If you love eating Chinese takeout, here are a few more recipes you can make at home. You will love them!
- Chinese Spareribs
- Egg Foo Young Recipe
- Authentic Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Chinese Buffet Shrimp Crab Casserole
- Honey and Walnut Shrimp
- Simple Lo Mein
- Fried Crispy Wontons
- Copycat PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Favorite Japanese food recipes
Check out more of the best appetizers and Asian food recipes.
Cream Cheese Wontons – Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon white onion grated
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons water
- 48 wonton wrappers
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. You can use a deep fryer or a pot filled with enough vegetable oil so the oil is 4 inches deep.
- Combine cream cheese, sugar, and grated white onion. Stir together the cream cheese mixture until it is well blended.
- Prepare an egg wash by combining one egg and water in a small bowl.
- To fill wontons with cream cheese mixture, brush egg wash on two sides of the wonton wrapper.
- Drop about a teaspoon of cream cheese onto the wonton wrapper.
- Wet the sides of the wrapper with the egg wash. Seal the edges of the wonton wrapper by lifting up the middle of the 2 opposite sides so that they meet. Squeeze lightly together Bring the middle of the 2 other sides to close the wonton Gently squeeze to close the wonton. The wonton will remain slightly open.
- Drop the wontons in a couple at a time until they are golden brown. Drain on a wire rack or on paper towels. Serve immediately.
These MUST be included on our gameday menu, thanks!
Every time we go to a Chinese restaurant we order these.. I am so glad to have found this. Now I can make them at home! 🙂
I tried them… failed making them the first time then made them again and realized I forgot the cream cheese… then they were AMAZING! Thank you so much for this recipie Stephanie ????????????????
Also LOVE THE CREAM CHEESE WAN TONS……… COULD YOU GIVE ME A
NAVY BEAN SOUP W/ grated carrot
Onion. And a little ham off the bone. The cream base and the mesurments are killing me. The only recipes I can find have celery Tomato. And other things. I like my moms old
Bean soup. HELP HELP HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mom has passed on and I can’t figure it out
I will keep your suggestion in mind. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter so you will know when I post this recipe.
Nowhere in the recipe did I see any crab. Our Chinese restaurant offers these as crab rangoons. And there is crab inside.
Yes and no where in the recipe or title did it say “crab rangoon” lol. Just tried the recipe it’s great!
Then you need to search for crab & cream cheese wontons. These are just cream cheese wontons. THere is a recipe for the ones your looking for these are JUST CREAM CHEESE WONTONS.
Exactly
Dude… just add your fake crab in there then. It doesn’t take a genius.
There’s no crab mentioned because these were cream cheese wontons not crab Rangoon wontons
I have not got to try them yet but i did go through the comemts and they sound and look delicous thanks
I must not use the right kind of wonton wrappers because I made some tonight with wonton wrappers from Publix and it basically ruined it for me 🙁 They were night light and crunchy like they are from the restaurant.
What happened? I don’t know what would be wrong from wonton wrappers from Publix.
Reading for the first time. “Just Me” may not have had the oil at the right temperature. If it wasn’t hot enough, the wontons would absorb oil & fail to finish crispy & light. If it was too hot, they would fry on the outside & not be fully crisped on the inside. My guess: Just Me had oil that was not hot enough. Suggestion: He/she should make an extra wonton next time the recipe is attempted. Then put the oil to the temp it was the first time & fry off the extra to test. That will determine whether to crank up the heat a tiny bit when the actual batch is made. Also…the wontons should be drained & dried immediately…not allowed to sit on an oily plate. Try placing a kitchen paper towel in the bottom of a collander; layer the wontons as they’re removed from the oil after cooking. Keep layering until the entire batch is ready. Cheers!
How do these compare taste wise to a chienese restaurant
I’ve tried this recipe and they taste almost exactly alike! It’s so good.
I am glad you liked them.
Thank you so much for the recipe! Could you please tell me what type of cream cheese do you use? any brand? I made cream cheese wontons today, but when i fried wontons in the pan all the cheese disappeared!! Do you know what happened?
If the cheese oozed out you may want to try to seal the wrappers a little more with some water. I typically use Philly cream cheese. I hope that helps.
I have a birthday lunch on Tuesday and I look forward to making these. You make them look so easy. I can’t wait. Thanks
They are very easy to make!
These look so wonderful! Can they be made early in the day and fried later?
I would make them and fry them right away. You could recrisp them in the oven later. I do this with leftover ones from the restaurants. The wrappers would dry out if not covered with wet paper towels. You might risk making them soggy if you wet them to much. You could make them in triangles that are flat. Then you could keep them between moist towels in the fridge.
I made these last night and they were so good! I did add some garlic though!
Ooo that does sound great.
If u want to make more wontons do u add more or wat
I love these!!! I wanna learn how to do the old school pot stickers. The ones that was like a dumpling wit a piece of meat on inside but now they serve wonton wrappers with meat on inside. I want to learn the original pot stickers. Can anyone help???
I would like a shrimp and lobster sauce receipe with Dark Sauce. I use dark soy sauce and I use fermented black beans mashed up but I can’t quite get the restaurant taste. Could you help me?
Where are the rest of the instructions? there is nothing after putting the cream cheese in them where are the frying instructions?there is nothing after putting the cream cheese in them where are the frying instructions?
Read further…Add enough oil for frying into a pot to cover the bottom 4 inches of the pot. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Drop the wontons in a couple at a time until they are golden brown. Drain on a wire rack or on paper towels. Serve immediately.Read more at https://dicksstaffsoffer.us/cream-cheese-wontons/#IBQJKgOeyS50lCEc.99%3C/p%3E
Thank you very much!
My daughter and I make these with a tub of chive and onion creamed cheese.
I could totally get into those.
Great idea
Agreed!! These really do look beautiful!!
Thank you for this recipe. Do you have a recipe for Pot Stickers ? We would love to make some at home. Thank you.
I will see what I can do.
A restaurant in our neighborhood serves these cream cheese and crab wontons and they really are like a drug.
These are almost like a drug!
I love wonton appetizers, these sound so easy and delicious!
These are very easy to make, I hope you give these a try.