Stuffed celery is a perfect mix of crisp and creamy, making it a must-have appetizer or snack. With a flavorful cream cheese filling loaded with mozzarella cheese and simple seasonings, these celery sticks are quick to make and always a hit. Perfect for holidays, game days, or any gathering!
A low carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, and vegetarian snack that all your guests can sample!
What is Stuffed Celery?
Simply stated, old fashioned stuffed celery is a versatile appetizer or snack that features crisp celery stalks filled with a variety of flavorful fillings. The celery base provides a crunchy, refreshing texture that pairs with a blend of creamy or savory spreads and salads. It’s a popular choice to complement your Thanksgiving and Christmas menu when you need a quick and easy, party-pleasing appetizer or savory snack.
Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Stuffed Celery
- Celery
- Cream cheese
- Mayonnaise: Miracle Whip will work just as well as mayo!
- Hidden Valley ranch dry dressing mix: Feel free to substitute the packet of dry ranch dressing mix for a packet of dry Italian dressing mix.
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Mozzarella cheese: Any shredded cheese can be substituted for the mozzarella.
- Smoked paprika
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Cream Cheese Stuffed Celery
- Slice The Stalks: Cut off the tops and bottoms of each celery stalk, then cut them in half. Set aside.
- Make And Season The Mixture: In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise with a hand mixer. Mix in the Ranch dressing and pepper, then fold in the cheese.
- Spread And Sprinkle: Spread the cream cheese mixture into each celery stalk cavity. Sprinkle with smoked paprika.
- Serve: Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Stuffed Celery
Stuffed celery shines on its own but pairs wonderfully with a variety of other appetizers to create a well-rounded spread. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Charcuterie Boards: Complement the creamy and crunchy celery with cured meats, cheeses, and crackers for a balanced bite.
- Veggie Trays: Make it the center of your crudites platter and arrange cut-up carrots, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes around it for a colorful presentation.
- Holiday Spreads: Include it with deviled eggs, stuffed mushrooms, or mini quiches for a festive appetizer table.
- Soup or Salad Courses: Pair as a crunchy sidekick to creamy soups or hearty salads.
- Skip The Stalk: The cream cheese mixture tastes great on top of crackers, small toasts, slices of bread or with any other fresh vegetable.
Variations of Stuffed Celery You Need to Try
- Stuff Your Stalks:
- Classic Cream Cheese: You can’t go wrong with the classic cream cheese mixed with herbs, spices, or shredded cheese for a smooth and tangy flavor.
- Tasty Twists: Go bold with a blue cheese and olive stuffed celery snack. Or serve your stuffed celery with bacon bits as a salty, smoky twist to the traditional taste.
- Heart Healthy: Hummus, cottage cheese, or a blended bean dip are delcious healthy options for spreading inside the celery.
- Stuff With Salad: Stir together sour cream with diced chicken or tuna for a protein packed, salad-stuffed snack.
- Vegetable Spreads: Mix some finely chopped vegetables, like carrots, bell peppers, and green onions into the creamy mixture for an extra dose of vitamins.
- Grab Another Garnish: Feel free to sprinkle some cayenne pepper, everything seasoning, garlic powder, dried/fresh parsley leaves, sea salt, or any other herbs you like.
- Create Extra Crunch: Pecans and walnuts can add a ton of flavor and texture when sprinkled on top of the mixture in the middle.
- Change The Cheese: Pecorino, blue cheese, parmesan, or cheddar can be used instead of mozzarella.
- Double the Decoration: Simple additions, like dried cranberries, raisins, crispy bacon bits, thinly sliced green onion, and olives add extra flavor and texture, and double as colorful decorations.
Tips for Perfectly Stuffed Celery
- Wash and Dry Well: Make sure to wash celery stalks/ribs well and pat them dry before with a paper towel prior to filling them. Feel free to buy pre-cut celery to make this recipe even easier and faster!
- Bring Back To Life: Super crisp celery is a must for a good celery stick. If your celery has become a little wilted in the refrigerator, simply place it in cold water and add a few ice cubes–it will spring back to life!
- Vegan Version: You can make this recipe vegan by substituting the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and cheese with non-dairy alternatives.
How to Store Stuffed Celery for Freshness
You can make the cream cheese mixture in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to stuff the celery. It will keep fresh for 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also stuff the celery and refrigerate it overnight.
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Stuffed Celery
Ingredients
- 8 full stalks of celery washed and dried
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ounce packet hidden valley ranch dry dressing mix
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella
- smoked paprika optional garnish
Instructions
- Cut off tops and bottoms of the celery.
- Cut the stalks in half. Set the stalks aside.
- Using a medium size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the packet of ranch dressing and fresh cracked pepper over the cream cheese mixture. Continue to mix until the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Fold in the shredded mozzarella.
- Spoon in and spread the cream cheese mixture into the celery stalks.
- Lightly sprinkle the smoked paprika over the stuffed celery stalks, if desired. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- Make sure to wash celery stalks/ribs well. It is also important to pat them dry before filling them.
- Feel free to buy pre-cut celery to make this recipe even easier and faster!
- Super crisp celery is a must for a good celery stick. If your celery has become a little wilted in the refrigerator, simply place it in cold water and add a few ice cubes–it will spring back to life!
I gave this a try and over all I liked it, however I felt the original recipe was too salty for my taste. To cut the saltiness, I used a full block of cream cheese and also added in 1/4 cup of sour cream. I also added in 2 TBS of chopped green onion. I will make this again because it is really good with fresh veggies (I used fresh bell peppers) and even as a sandwich spread. However, next time I will cut back the amount of the Ranch seasoning to only 1 TBS instead of the entire package. That is simply my preference as I am not a fan of overly salty foods. Thank you for sharing your recipe.