Cream Cheese Divinity

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Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

Cream Cheese Divinity is my own creation, born out of my love for traditional divinity!

I love traditional Southern Divinity, the holidays just aren’t the same without it. Mama and I both make up batches and divvy it out like it was gold doubloons among our families and friends. It’s just that good.

So here is the thing, this recipe is not traditional divinity. I didn’t develop it to be that. I developed it to be an awful lot like it but simple for anyone to make and good in its own right. 

Will it remind you of divinity? Definitely. But this is decadently wonderful in it’s own special way.

Think of how good that cream cheese icing tastes, especially when you get a bite that has a big pecan on it. Now you have some understanding what this is going to be like – only a good bit better.

Guess what else though? This recipe doesn’t depend on the weather, or temperature of your house, or how your pinkie toes are crossed to make it. There is no thermometer needed, no syrup to be made, and nothing hot to burn yourself on. You toss all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix. Then, roll it into balls and press a pecan into the center. That’s it. Seriously!

But before I get into that, I have to share a conversation we all (the Southern Plate family) had yesterday on Facebook. I asked folks to post encouraging scripture passages that meant a lot to them or helped to lift them up and goodness gracious, did y’all deliver (Click here to see that post)!

I plan on printing them out later today to tape up on my wall but I haven’t had time to sit down and really go through them all. These are the kinds of things you want to read word for word, when you can really focus on what they are saying.

I had to share with you one that immediately jumped out at me though! Delaine Carr quoted a verse that I have kept close to my heart for the past several years. In fact, if you ever see any old television programs with me on them you might notice a small silver band on my right hand where I had this verse engraved. I don’t have that ring now because a few years back I happened upon someone who needed it more than I did at the time. But despite the verse being dear to me as it was, it was Delaine’s spin on it that really jumped out because I’d never heard it put that way before but it made perfect sense!

She said: “Be still and know that I am God. ~Psalm 46:10 This verse has always given me comfort! My version is ‘Hush! Let me handle this!'”

How many times in my life have I needed to be told that by God? I couldn’t begin to count them if I tried. But I thought I’d share that with you today with a reminder that He still has us in His hand. Oftentimes, things go easier for us if we’d simply stop being our own biggest impediment. 🙂

Now y’all know half of the stuff I write, I write it as reminders to myself. This is one of those but if it speaks to you, too, then come on and give this kindred spirit a hug! 

OOH! Let’s make divinity! 

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

You’ll need: Cream Cheese (check out our recipe for easy-peasy homemade cream cheese), Butter (Margarine works, too), Confectioner’s Sugar, Lemon Juice, and Pecan halves*.

*You can also use pecan pieces and just mix them up in the dough if you like.

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

Make sure your cream cheese and butter are at room temp. Whenever I have to make a recipe like this, I usually put them on the counter before I go to bed and then make it in the morning.

Place cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

Mix those up really good with an electric mixer and then add a bit of vanilla.

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

Now you need to add your sugar. You really should add the sugar gradually as you beat it.

Do I add it gradually? Yes, I do.

It’s just that my definition of “add gradually” means “dump it all in at once”.

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

Get it all mixed up good, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth and fully blended.

Now you are pretty much done. All that is left is shaping it into balls and pressing a pecan into each one.

See how easy?

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

Roll them into little 1 inch balls and dip the bottoms into confectioner’s sugar.

You can skip this step but it makes them so much easier to deal with later and helps dry them out.

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

Put all of the little balls onto wax paper or parchment.

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

Press a pecan into each. Allow to sit out for a few hours to dry. After an hour or so, I flip them over to get the bottoms dry. after they have dried out and are no longer sticky (this will be 2-3 hours), put them in tins or plastic containers and store at room temp if they’ll be eaten in a day or two or in the fridge for a week or two.

Cream Cheese Divinity - A new no-fail take on Divinity! You won't believe how easy this is!

 Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Divinity

Cream Cheese Divinity is my own creation, born out of my love for traditional divinity! Anyone can make this no cook divinity.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamcheese
Servings: 4
Calories: 342kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce softened cream cheese at room temp
  • 3 tablespoons butter softened at room temp
  • 7-8 cups powdered sugar I buy a 2 lb bag
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Place cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
  • Add in vanilla and gradually add in sugar (beginning with 7 cups), beating until all is well blended. Add more sugar if needed to make it a thick cookie dough consistency.
  • Once well blended, shape into 1 inch balls and dip bottoms into confectioner's sugar before placing on waxed paper or parchment. Press a pecan half into each one. Allow to dry for 2-3 hours and then store in a sealed container on the countertop if they will be eaten within a day or two, or in the fridge to keep up to 2 weeks.

Makes 50-60 pieces

    Nutrition

    Calories: 342kcal
    Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

    “Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for success in life – all areas of life. The really good news is that anyone can develop both honesty and integrity.”

    ~Zig Ziglar

    This recipe featured on Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck

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    99 Comments

    1. I made this with my niece and her children. It is wonderful! The kids had never had divinity. Seeing their faces and eyes light up at the taste for the first time was almost magical. This is what family and holidays are about. I don’t think I want anything more for Christmas….
      What about adding peanut butter? Anyone ever tried this?

    2. I made these and they are wonderful! I used my small ice cream scoop to make them and then dipped them in the powered sugar. After making about 50 I thought why not dip the scoop in the sugar and then they came out of the scoop much better. Made 60 with the small scoop. After a few hours drying I turned them on the side so the bottoms could dry. I then put a Red Hot cinnamon candy on top…looked and tasted great! Love your recipes Christy!

    3. I was thinking of making these with all of my other Christmas cookies, but a few questions:
      What size bag of pecans will I need, it’s not in the ingredient list?
      Also, would you recommend toasting the pecans first and letting them cool, or do you like them right out of the bag? I thought toasting them may give them a little more flavor and a better texture.

      To anyone that has made them, any other tweaks or tips before I get started?

      1. I don’t recall what size the bag was but it was the standard I picked up at the grocery and I paid about $8 for. I had plenty for the divinity and then a few to snack on 🙂 . You can certainly toast them if that is your preference but I just use them straight out of the bag.

    4. These are wonderful, and a great substitute for divinity! It is almost impossible to get a good divinity day (low humidity!) here on the Gulf Coast. Thank you!

    5. I can’t have anything with nuts in it but, I do love mint so, I made this with peppermint candy chips mixed in the mix and it was fantastic!!! I bought the peppermint candy chips at the grocery store in the baking isle. They were easy to find for the holiday baking! Just an idea for those with nut allergies. Oh, and the candy chips lend a nice, subtle, pink color to the divinity.

    6. So excited! I found the tins at Hobby Lobby today and they were half price. Several sizes. Now I am ready for gifting this divinity as well as some Holly Jollies and your fudge recipes. Everyone loves the cinnamon fudge.

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