Schmear Recipes to Celebrate Bagel Day

National Bagel Day is January 15. To switch up your bagel routine, here are some super schmears to try.

The idea for Beth Nydick’s green goddess bagel spread was born on a random Tuesday morning in 2015. She found herself staring into my fridge at 7 a.m., thinking, “There has to be a better way to start my day than the same vegan butter routine.” 

Nydick was a food blogger at the time and, while she created recipes for a living, neglected her own breakfast for years. “That morning, I had a bunch of herbs from a photoshoot and half an avocado, so I started experimenting,” she said. “Hundreds of test batches later — my kids became very willing taste-testers — this spread has become my signature at family brunches.” 

Nydick added, “Now, I keep containers of herbs growing in my garden. There’s something deeply satisfying about snipping fresh chives while I sip a Matcha latte.”

Green Goddess Bagel Spread with Seeds and Sprouts

Makes about 2 cups

Base Spread:

1 cup Greek yogurt (or lactose-free yogurt)

1/2 ripe avocado

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup fresh parsley

2 Tbsp fresh dill

2 Tbsp fresh chives

1 small garlic clove

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil – optional

Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Seed and Sprout Topping:

2 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

2 Tbsp sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp hemp hearts

Fresh cucumber, thinly sliced

Radish, thinly sliced

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

In a food processor, combine Greek yogurt, avocado, herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pulse until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast pumpkin and sunflower seeds until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Let cool.

Assembly: Spread a generous layer on toas-ted whole grain or everything bagels. Top with cucumber and radish slices. Sprinkle with toasted seeds and hemp hearts. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.

Storage: Keep spread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The color will stay bright green if you press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the spread.

Leah Klein, a recipe developer and freelance writer, has a way to make four schmears from two blocks of cream cheese. Whether your tastes are salty, savory or sweet, there is something you will enjoy.

Salted Lemon and Smoked Salmon Schmear

1 Lemon, zested

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp of good quality olive oil

2 Slices of smoked salmon, minced

4 oz, or  1/2 block of cream cheese, room temperature

In a small bowl, put the room temperature cream cheese.

Zest one lemon onto the block of room temperature cream cheese. 

Add the salt and tsp. olive oil to the cream cheese and mash it together with a fork. Slice the smoked salmon into long, thin strips and then slice them again into little cubes. Once the zest is thoroughly mixed into the cream cheese, carefully mix in the minced smoked salmon. Serve immediately or chill and serve.

Vegetarian Tomato Schmear

This can be made vegan with vegan mayonnaise and vegan cream cheese.

1 Plum tomato

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

2 Tbsp of mayonnaise

2 Cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 small white onion, minced

4 oz., or 1/2 block of cream cheese, room temperature

Take the seeds and core out of the plum tomato. Cut the tomato in half and finely dice it into small cubes. Sprinkle kosher salt over the diced tomato. Spoon mayonnaise into a small bowl; with a rasp or smallest side of a box grater, grate garlic into the mayonnaise. You can also use a garlic press. Mix garlic into the mayonnaise. Add the room temperature cream cheese into the garlic mayonnaise. Mash it all together with a fork until it is uniformly mixed. Mince white onion and mix the onion into the cream cheese and then carefully stir in the minced tomato and black pepper. Serve immediately or chill and serve.

Eggs and Arugula Schmear

2 hard boiled eggs

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 cup of sour cream

4 oz, or 1/2 block of cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

3/4 cup baby arugula

Hard boil two eggs. With a cheese grater, grate the 2 hard boiled eggs into a bowl. Add in salt, sour cream and mustard, then mix together. With a fork, mash in the cream cheese. Toss in black pepper (freshly ground if possible).

Chop about 1 cup of baby arugula, for or 3/4 cup of chopped arugula. I like to hold a small bunch of leaves and with kitchen shears, snip the arugula into the egg and cream cheese mixture. Stir together gently until combined. Serve immediately or chill and serve.

Sweet Schmear with Ginger & Marmalade

The last 1/2 block of cream cheese can be left plain or you can play a little with it for something sweet. I chose to add sugar and ginger.

1 – 1 1/2 Tbsp Citrus Marmalade

4 oz,  or 1/2 block of cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 inch slice of ginger

Pinch salt

Grate the ginger, ideally on a ginger grater, or the knobbly side of a box grater. Mix all the ingredients together until uniform.