Last Updated on July 25, 2022 by Karen
Panda Express Copycat Cream Cheese Rangoon with creamy filling and crispy wonton wrappers are a tasty appetizer – a real crowd pleaser that leaves everyone coming back for more!
I love making copycat recipes from the Panda Express menu at home and this cream cheese rangoon appetizer is currently on my list of favorite appetizers. It has a crispy, fried wonton skin exterior, wrapped with a creamy filling made of cream cheese, garlic powder, and chopped scallions. This recipe for cream cheese rangoon is easy to make, with just five ingredients needed, and the results are absolutely delicious!
These cream cheese wontons are the perfect finger food for parties, game day, or as a starter for an Asian meal. This is the type of appetizer that everyone will love! So be sure to add this to your list of appetizer ideas for game day celebrations, potlucks, and holiday parties.
See more below on how to achieve that iconic cream cheese rangoon shape. Of course, you can just fold the wonton wrappers in half into a triangle if you find this technique too challenging. They are typically deep-fried, but I’ve also included an air fryer method below, which is much lighter too.
Craving for Chinese takeout dishes? Here are some more Panda Express Copycat recipes:
Beijing Beef
Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken
Wok-Fired Shrimp
Black Pepper Angus Steak
Orange Chicken (no deep frying required!)
What is Cream Cheese Rangoon?
Cream Cheese Rangoon is made with wonton wrappers filled with cream cheese and served with sweet and sour sauce. These cream cheese wonton appetizer is a popular item on the Panda Express menu, and is served in PF Changs, Pei Wei, and many Chinese restaurants across the U.S.
Is cream cheese rangoon the same as crab rangoon?
No, both cream cheese rangoon and crab rangoon are made with wonton wrappers, and filled with a cream cheese based filling. Crab rangoon is a popular appetizer at Chinese restaurants that uses crab meat and cream cheese as its filling. However, cream cheese rangoon does not contain seafood. They are basically crab rangoon without crab if you will.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this Panda Express Copycat Cream Cheese Rangoon recipe:
Cream cheese: You can use full-fat cream cheese, or low-fat cream cheese for a lighter take. Be sure to let it soften at room temperature for easy mixing.
Green onions: Can substitute with chives.
Garlic powder: Can also use 1/2 tsp of minced garlic
Wonton wrappers: Wonton wrappers can be found at most grocery stores, usually in the refrigerated section in the produce area (right by the tofu and vegetarian items at my local stores). Note that these are different from dumpling wrappers, which are usually round.
Oil: Any neutral oil with high smoking point is good for deep-frying, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
How to Make Panda Express Copycat Cream Cheese Rangoon:
1. Prepare the cream cheese filling.
2. Place about a teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrappers.
3. Brush the edges with a bit of water (not too much or the edges will get soggy and not stick together well) and seal the edges tightly. To achieve that iconic cream cheese rangoon shape, bring all the corners of the wonton wrappers together up to the center, and pinch to seal. Then seal all the sides to form an “X” shape.
4. Deep fry in oil or air fryer until golden brown and crispy. Allow them to cool slightly before serving. The filling will be piping hot!
Tips for making Panda Express Copycat Cream Cheese Rangoon:
– Don’t over stuff the cream cheese rangoon. If there is too much filling, they could burst open during frying.
– When you are assembling the wontons, placing a damp paper towel over the wonton wrappers as you work to keep them from drying out.
– Fry the cream cheese rangoon in batches and make sure they are not overcrowded when frying. It can cause them to stick together.
– Use a deep-fry thermometer if you have one. If the oil is too hot, the cream cheese rangoon will ooze out.
– If one side of the cream cheese rangoon is turning dark sooner than the other side, just rotate gently with a tong or slotted spoon so that they cook up evenly.
Can I bake these cream cheese rangoon?
Yes. Just follow the instructions to prepare the cream cheese rangoons, brush or spritz with oil, and bake in the oven at 350F for 8-12 minutes, or until the cream cheese rangoons are golden brown and crispy.
Can I make cream cheese rangoon in the air fryer?
Yes, the texture won’t be the same but it still works great, as a healthier snack. Just follow the instructions to prepare the cream cheese rangoons, brush or spritz with oil, and cook in an air fryer at 350F for 8-12 minutes, or until the cream cheese rangoons are golden brown and crispy. I recommend folding them in half into triangles if making in the air fryer, since it can lie flat in the air fryer basket and crisps up much easier.
How do I store and reheat this dish?
You can store this dish for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge or in the freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350F until crispy.
Can this dish be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! I actually like to make a double (even triple) batch whenever I make this recipe, to enjoy immediately and for freezer-friendly snacks later. Let the crab rangoon cook until they are lightly golden brown on the outside, then cool to room temperature. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350F right before you’re ready to serve.
Can I freeze Cream Cheese Rangoon cooked or uncooked?
Yes. Let the crab rangoon cook until they are lightly golden brown on the outside, cool to room temperature, and freeze them on a sheet pan. Once they are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, heat oven to 350F and reheat until it is crispy and golden brown (about 12 minutes in my convection oven) or you can also reheat in an air fryer.
I don’t recommend freezing the cream cheese rangoon uncooked because the wonton wrappers tend to break off or crack once frozen, which makes a mess when frying from frozen.
What sauce should I serve with this Panda Express Copycat Cream Cheese Rangoon?
I like to serve this Cream Cheese Rangoon appetizer with sweet and sour sauce, which is how Panda Express serves them. You can also serve it plain or with Thai sweet chili sauce.
What are some variations to this Cream Cheese Rangoon recipe:
– Instead of making the cream cheese rangoon filling from scratch, you can substitute with storebought flavored cream cheese (not the whipped type), such as garlic and herb, garden vegetable, or chive and onion cream cheese.
– For a sweet cream cheese wonton dessert, try filling the wontons with strawberry or honey pecan flavored cream cheese, then dust them with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Nutella would be delicious too!
– For more flavor, add a dash of Worcestershire sauce to the cream cheese mixture.
– Switch up the seasoning using onion powder and chives in place of the green onions and garlic powder.
– Add a chopped jalapeno for a spicy kick to make cream cheese jalapeno wontons.
– Add 1/2 cup of cooked crabmeat to turn it into crab rangoon, which is also a popular appetizer at Chinese restaurants
If you like this recipe, try my other Chinese restaurant favorites:
Quick and Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu)
Flaky Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Panda Express Copycat Cream Cheese Rangoon
Ingredients
- Oil for frying
- 6 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 24 wonton wrappers
- Sweet and sour sauce for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350F over medium high heat.
- In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, green onions, and garlic powder.
- Place about a teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrappers.
- Brush water around the edges of the wrapper, then bring the corners of the wonton wrapper together in the center and pinch to seal the filling inside.
- Carefully add the rangoons into the oil and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and serve with sweet and sour sauce if desired.
Maybe not have the print screen for the recepies filled with adds. Because thats what i really want, to print more adds than actual recepie.