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Creamy Kentucky Benedictine Spread Recipe for Dips and Sandwiches

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Bring an iconic Kentucky spread to life at home with our Benedictine spread recipe, and enjoy this wonderfully creamy dish as a dip, filling, or topping in so many different ways.

Benedictine Spread (in a bowl)

Benedictine Spread Recipe

In particular, the Kentucky Derby is a great time to whip up a batch of this luscious spread and lather it on crackers, in sandwiches with crispy bacon, and in plenty of other ways.

But let’s be honest, any time of day or occasion is a good time for Benedictine spread. While modern recipes have evolved from the early 1900s version of this spread, that classic combination of cream cheese and cucumber still remains the bedrock of this Kentucky favorite to this day. It’s thick, slightly earthy, and unapologetically green and creamy!

Benedictine Spread (in a bowl) as a dip with fresh veggies

What is Traditional Benedictine Spread?

Traditionally, Benedictine spread, the brainchild of caterer Jennie Carter Benedict from Louisville, Kentucky, was a thick and viscous spread of cream cheese, cucumber juice, onion juice, and a smidge of cayenne pepper, all seasoned generously with salt.

Its iconic green color came from the use of a couple of drops of green food coloring. The entire spread was made by mixing these ingredients together with a fork.

In time, however, many recipes, including ours, have adapted and substituted different ingredients to make different types and styles of Benedictine spread.

Variations

Green color: Originally, as mentioned above, food coloring was used to give the spread its green color. However, if you don’t want to add artificial food coloring to your spread, our recipe uses green onion, dill, and cucumber to help give the spread a lovely shade of green.

Cream cheese: Arguably, this should be the base ingredient on which you build your spread. Variations, although not traditional, do exist that either add or substitute cream cheese with sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Cucumber: We, as many other people have, have used chopped (or grated) cucumber in our recipe instead of juice.

Onion: As above, modern versions instead use chopped onion instead of onion juice. To help aid in the green color, we have used green onion in our recipe. Other recipes use chopped yellow or white onion, and/or scallions.

Cayenne pepper: Some people add, or substitute cayenne pepper with hot sauce, to add a dash more heat to the spread.

Additional ingredients: Dill, as we have used, is a common addition in many of today’s recipes. Some people also like to add a splash of lemon juice to their spread.

Mixing: As Benedictine spread was originally mixed with a fork, the use of juices made this possible. However, modern recipes, like ours, use a food processor, meaning you can use chopped ingredients instead and still achieve a creamy, spread-like consistency without chunks.

Spread Ingredients

To make our Benedictine spread, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Benedictine Spread ingredients
  • Cream Cheese – 8oz (220 grams) full-fat cream cheese (about 1 cup)
  • Mayo – 1 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s mayo)
  • Cucumber – 1/2 medium English cucumber (deseeded)
  • Green Onion – 1 green onion
  • Dill – handful dill (1/2 tbsp when finely minced)
  • Cayenne Pepper – a pinch
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • Pepper – 1/4 tsp black pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Roughly chop the cucumber, green onion, and dill.

Benedictine spread step-by-step (chopped cucumber, dill and green onion).

Step 2 – Add everything to a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely mince it with a chef’s knife or use a small blender.

Benedictine spread step-by-step (all the ingredients in the food processor).

Step 3 – Mix all the ingredients in the food processor until smooth (about 30 seconds, depending on the processor). If you finely minced the ingredients using a knife, just mix everything with a fork or a spatula. Taste and add any additional salt, black pepper, or cayenne pepper to taste.

Benedictine spread step-by-step (the spread in the food processor).

Step 4 – Dollop your spread into a bowl, ready to be used as a dip or filling.

Benedictine spread in a bowl.

Now here comes the fun part! There are plenty of ways to enjoy Benedictine spread, some of which we have tried and tested below.

Benedictine spread in a bowl.

Serving Suggestions

You could serve your spread as a dip as is (or by adding a couple tablespoons of sour cream or plain yogurt), with chopped veggies or crackers.

Benedictine spread in a bowl with fresh veggies.

As you can see, this makes for a wonderful centerpiece when serving up for a large feast or spread, especially if you have plenty of party or grab-and-go foods.

Benedictine spread in a bowl with fresh veggies.

Benedictine spread is also a great filling for tea sandwiches. In Kentucky and other parts of the US, this spread is used in cucumber sandwiches.

Benedictine spread in tea sandwiches.

For the bacon fiends out there, use this spread in some crispy bacon sandwiches for an utterly indulgent combination. Lunch and snack time will never be the same again!

Benedictine spread with bacon in a sandwich.

Benedictine Spread Recipe Card

Benedictine Spread

Benedictine Spread
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8oz or 220 grams) full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s mayo)
  • 1/2 medium English cucumber (deseeded)
  • 1 green onion
  • handful dill (1/2 tbsp when finely minced)
  • a pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Roughly chop the cucumber, green onion, and dill.
  2. Add everything to a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely mince it with a chef’s knife or use a small blender.
  3. Mix all the ingredients in the food processor until smooth (about 30 seconds, depending on the processor). If you finely minced the ingredients using a knife, just mix everything with a fork or a spatula. Taste and add any additional salt, black pepper, or cayenne pepper to taste.
  4. Dollop your spread into a bowl, ready to be used as a dip or a filling for sandwiches.

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Benedictine spread in tea sandwiches (pin).

Author

  • Hey there! We are Dale and Doina, the founders of Nomad Paradise. We traveled full-time for over three years, and while we now have a home base in the U.K., continue to take trips abroad to visit new places and try new cuisines and foods. Our food guides are curated with the guidance of local foodies, and their contribution is indicated under each article. We also cook the foods we try abroad, and you can discover how to make them in our 'recipes from around the world' category.

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