How long can you safely leave your cream cheese out on the counter?

Much like butter, cream cheese is often easiest to cook with when softened to room temperature.

How Long Can You Safely Leave Cream Cheese Out On The Counter?

Philadelphia cream cheese (box and container, side by side) on the counter

Simply Recipes / Getty Images

Things are a bit more complicated if youve already opened the foil packaging.

Completely remove the foil packaging and place your cream cheese on a microwave-safe plate.

The process goes even more quickly if you cut the cream cheese into smaller, equally-sized cubes.

lemon cheesecake in a pan

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Whats the Best Way To Store Opened Cream Cheese?

To further elongate freshness, store the double-wrapped cheese in an airtight container.

With this method, open cream cheese will stay fresh for 10 days.

As for unopened packages, you might just refer to the expiration date printed on the package.

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