If you want that garlicky herb cheese spread without paying specialty-cheese prices, this pantry mix does the heavy lifting. Stir a couple tablespoons into softened cream cheese, chill it, and you’ve got a quick cracker spread that tastes far fancier than the effort involved.
The flavor leans savory from garlic, black pepper, dill, basil, chives, and a surprising hit of caraway. That last ingredient is what gives this mix its old-school deli-style depth, a little like the cousin of Copycat Rondele Garlic & Herbs Cheese Spread, only with a slightly more assertive finish.
Because this is a dry mix, it keeps well when you store it airtight in a cool, dark, dry spot. For best quality, plan to use it within about 1 year when stored like other dried herbs. Once you turn it into a cream cheese spread, treat it like any other refrigerated leftover and use it within 3 to 4 days. Handy, practical, and not even a little fussy.
Copycat Boursin Cheese Spread Mix
You’ll Need:
- 1 5/8 ounces caraway seed
- 1/2 ounce dried basil leaves
- 1/2 ounce dried dill weed
- 1/4 ounce dried chives
- 1/4 cup lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Measure all ingredients into a small jar, zip-top bag, or vacuum-seal bag. Seal and shake well to combine thoroughly. Label the container with the mixing directions so you don’t have to play detective later.
Expert Tip: Crush the dried basil and dill lightly between your fingers before mixing if the flakes are especially large. You’ll get a more even blend, and the finished cheese spread won’t have one giant herb leaf trying to steal the show.
To Use:
Blend 2 tablespoons of the mix with 1 package softened cream cheese. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving so the herbs can soften and the flavors have time to settle in.
Serve it as a spread for crackers, bagel chips, cucumber slices, celery sticks, or toasted baguette rounds. It also works nicely on sandwiches, tucked into wraps, or spooned beside a simple appetizer board with olives and sliced vegetables.
Store the dry mix in an airtight jar or sealed bag in a cool, dark, dry cupboard for up to 1 year for best quality. Once prepared with cream cheese, refrigerate the spread promptly in a covered container and use it within 3 to 4 days. If you freeze the prepared spread, it will stay safe longer, but the texture can turn a bit grainy after thawing, so it’s better suited to spreading on bagels than serving for company.
Notes: One batch of dry mix makes about 1 3/4 cups, which is enough for roughly 14 prepared batches if you use 2 tablespoons per 8-ounce brick of cream cheese. Each prepared batch yields about 1 1/4 cups spread, or about 10 servings at 2 tablespoons each.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Copycat Boursin Cheese Spread Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Caraway seed |
$3.98 |
1 5/8 ounces |
$4.62 |
|
Dried basil leaves |
$1.24 |
1/2 ounce |
$1.00 |
|
Dried dill weed |
$1.24 |
1/2 ounce |
$1.24 |
|
Dried chives |
$3.98 |
1/4 ounce |
$8.29 |
|
Lemon pepper |
$2.48 |
1/4 C. |
$0.80 |
|
Garlic salt |
$1.08 |
2 T. |
$0.24 |
|
Freshly ground black pepper |
$2.48 |
1 1/2 T. |
$0.30 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$16.49 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$1.18 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
Frequently Asked Questions about Copycat Boursin Cheese Spread Mix
You can, but do it when you make the spread, not in the dry mix jar. Fresh herbs carry moisture, so they shorten storage life fast. If you swap them in, use about 3 times as much fresh herb as dried, then refrigerate the finished spread and use it within 3 to 4 days.
Caraway gives the mix that slightly nutty, peppery deli-style flavor that makes it taste more like a specialty cheese spread and less like plain herbed cream cheese. If you leave it out, the spread still works, but it loses some of that distinctive old-world bite.
Yes, that works just fine. Start with the same 2 tablespoons of mix per 8 ounces, then stir and let it sit the full 2 hours so the dried herbs can soften. Whipped or tub-style cream cheese usually blends faster, but it can make a slightly softer dip.
Use plain block cream cheese and measure the mix level, not heaping. The garlic salt and lemon pepper already bring enough seasoning, so extra mix can push it over the edge in a hurry. If you’ve already overdone it, stir in a little more plain cream cheese to mellow the batch.
Absolutely. Keep the proportions exactly the same and mix thoroughly so the heavier caraway and pepper don’t settle in one corner of the jar. For larger batches, shake the jar again before each use so every spoonful stays balanced.
Crackers and bagel chips are the easy answer, but don’t stop there. It’s also good with celery, cucumber rounds, carrot sticks, pretzels, or spread on sandwich bread. If you want a fuller appetizer spread, pair it with something meatier like a Dried Beef Cheeseball for contrast.
Yes, and it’s worth the wait. The rest time lets the dried herbs rehydrate and the garlic, pepper, and caraway spread through the cheese instead of tasting sharp and separate. Serve it right away and it can taste rough around the edges, a bit like it got dressed in the dark.
Definitely. Stir it into softened cream cheese for sandwiches, use a thin layer inside wraps, or blend a little into sour cream for a looser dip. You can also tuck a spoonful into warm pasta or mashed potatoes when you want a quick herb-and-garlic boost without opening five spice jars.
Let the cream cheese soften fully first, then beat it well before chilling. Large dried herb flakes can stay a little rough if the cheese is too cold, so give the mixed spread the full chill time and stir once halfway through if needed. A softer base gives the herbs a better chance to hydrate evenly.
A small jar works best because it seals tightly and keeps the herbs protected from moisture. Add a simple tag with the use directions: mix 2 tablespoons seasoning with 1 softened 8-ounce package of cream cheese, then chill 2 hours. That way the gift is actually useful instead of mysterious pantry confetti.
Did you make it? Tag @Budget101 on Instagram so we can see your version.
📌 Love this Copycat Boursin Cheese Spread Mix? Pin it!
🖨️ Print-Friendly Copycat Boursin Cheese Spread Mix
Copycat Boursin Cheese Spread Mix
Ingredients
- 1 ⅝ ounces caraway seed
- ½ ounce dried basil leaves
- ½ ounce dried dill weed
- ¼ ounce dried chives
- ¼ cup lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Measure the caraway seed, dried basil, dried dill weed, dried chives, lemon pepper, garlic salt, and black pepper into a small jar, zip-top bag, or vacuum-seal bag.
- Seal and shake thoroughly to combine.
- To prepare the spread, blend 2 tablespoons mix with 1 softened 8-ounce package cream cheese.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Each prepared batch yields about 1 1/4 cups spread, or about 10 servings at 2 tablespoons each.
Prep time is an estimate based on measuring and mixing the dry ingredients.
Store the dry mix airtight in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 1 year for best quality.
Store the prepared cream cheese spread covered in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days.
How large a package of cream cheese do you use with the 2tbs of mix for the boursin cheese spread? Also just want to make sure that the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of lemmon pepper – (not 1/4 ounce)?