Easy stuffed celery sticks are ready on your table in minutes which makes them the perfect last-minute appetizers for any party or family gathering.
Celery and cream cheese go well together and when more flavorful ingredients are added you can be sure this easy-to-make appetizer will disappear quickly from your table.
They are easy and quick to make, but If you are really stuck for time, serve the filling as a dip and celery sticks as dippers. Super easy! Plus, they also make a great snack.
Only 7 ingredients and less than a 10-minute prep time!
When planning a family gathering, you can buy more celery sticks and serve them with a dip, cheese log or as a part of a crudite platter.
Useful tips
- Make sure to wash celery stalks/ribs well. It is also important to pat them dry with paper kitchen towels before filling them.
- Sprinkle paprika and black pepper on top for extra flavor. Cayenne pepper works also well!
- Pecans add a ton of flavor to the filling mixture so be sure to use them. As an alternative, walnuts can be used.
- Pecorino can be substituted with parmesan or gran Padano.
- The filling/dip for celery should be on the saltier side (Pecorino does the trick here), otherwise, celery sticks will taste bland.
- Red onion is milder than the white or yellow kind and works so well here. However, you can use what you have on hand. Also, feel free to add more/less, if you like but always taste the mixture first before adding more.
Can I make stuffed celery ahead?
You can make the cream cheese mixture ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
Prepping celery ahead is also possible – again, make sure to keep the sticks either in a Ziploc bag or a sealed container in the fridge.
Assembling only takes about 5 minutes.
More appetizers for family gatherings you might like to try:
- Slow cooker spinach artichoke dip
- Pizza dough breadsticks
- Bacon jalapeno deviled eggs
- Ham roll-ups
- Cucumber sandwiches
Stuffed Celery
Ingredients
- 6 celery stalks (ends trimmed off and cut into 4 pieces, see note 1)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (about ½ cup 120 grams)
- ½ red onion (about ¼ cup chopped)
- ¼ cup pecans (25 grams)
- ⅓ cup pecorino cheese powder (35 grams, see note 2)
- paprika (for sprinkling)
- black pepper (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- In a food processor, process cream cheese, onion, pecans and pecorino.
- With a spoon, fill each celery cavity with a cream cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle with paprika and black pepper and serve!
Notes
- Make sure to wash and dry the celery stalks first. Each should be at least 10 inches (26 centimeters) long. If you have way shorter ones, you will need more. Cut them into about 3-inch (7-centimeter) long bites.
- Pecorino can be substituted with Gran Padano or Parmesan. Instead of ⅓ cup, you can use ¼ cup to lower the calorie intake. Also, you can grate it yourself, but you might need slightly more.
- It’s good to over-season the cheese filling as the celery will balance off the saltiness. If you under-season, these stuffed celery bites might taste bland.
- This recipe can be easily doubled.
- More tips and appetizer recipe ideas can be found in the post above this recipe card.
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