Benedictine Spread: A Kentucky Classic

Name: Kentucky Benedictine Spread
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 English Cucumber (diced into small pieces); 1/2 purple onion (finely chopped); 1 block cream cheese; 3 tbsp. Duke's Mayonnaise; 4-6 dashes hot sauce; kosher salt (to taste); garlic powder (to taste); 3-4 drops green food coloring (if desired for color)

Hey, y'all! With Derby Season and summer upon us, one thing is sure in my Kentucky household: Benedictine is on the menu. Benedictine was created by Jennie Carter Benedict, a caterer and restaurateur from Derby City (Louisville, KY). She started catering in 1893 and opened a restaurant/tea room called Benedict's in 1900. While Benedictine has received international acclaim in publications, no one does it quite like we do in Kentucky. As such, I'm so thrilled to share my Benedictine Spread recipe with y'all today!

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This post is in partnership with Duke's Mayonnaise. All opinions expressed, as always, are my own. Thank you for supporting those that make JCP Eats possible!

Benedictine Spread: A Kentucky Classic

Benedictine is a deliciously light spread that combines cucumbers with cream cheese + mayonnaise. Many people traditionally used only cream cheese, though the addition of mayonnaise brings the spread to the correct consistency. Originally made as a spread for cucumber sandwiches, I - like many Kentuckians - toss diced cucumbers into the spread. It's perfect for the warm summer months; I most certainly eat it all summer long!

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of cucumber should I use for this recipe?

You can use an American or English Cucumber for this recipe, though I prefer to use English. The skin in thinner, they are usually sweeter, and don't have large seeds.

What makes benedictine green?

Many would say cucumber out of instinct. While the skin of the cucumber is green, a traditionally green benedictine spread has green food coloring added. That is purely an aesthetic choice and you can choose to color the spread or not (I do)!

Shopping List: Benedictine Spread

English Cucumber
purple onion
cream cheese
Duke's Mayonnaise
hot sauce
kosher salt
garlic powder
green food coloring
white bread, for serving

How To Make Benedictine Spread

Remove seeds from cucumber; diced into small pieces.
Dice onion into small bits (tip: can pulse in a food processor!).
Add cucumber, onion, cream cheese, Duke's Mayonnaise, hot sauce, kosher salt, and garlic powder into a bowl. Mix until well-combined. Taste and season additionally according to preference.
Add 3-4 drops of green food coloring; mix + stir. Add until the benedictine has reached your desired level of greenness.

About Duke's Mayonnaise

Duke's is, hands down, the mayonnaise of the American South. It's the most commonly used ingredient in my kitchen and I always have a jar - or four - on deck. The southern legacy of Duke's goes back to Camp Sevier in 1917 and Eugenia Duke (Greenville, SC). Her sandwiches that were sold to army canteens during WWI were so legendary that army vets wrote to Eugenia years later begging for her sandwich recipes and jars of her delectable spread. Because of this, she began bottling it as a product on its own in 1923. Duke's is readily available in supermarkets around the US; you can also order online here.

The Recipe

Kentucky Benedictine Spread

JC Phelps

This spread, which was popularized in the early 20th century in Derby City, is next level delicious. If you love cucumbers, this is for you!

5 from 58 votes

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Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings servings

Calories 145 kcal

Equipment

Food Processor for chopping, optional

Ingredients

1 English Cucumber diced into small pieces
½ purple onion finely chopped
1 block cream cheese
3 tbsp. Duke's Mayonnaise
4-6 dashes hot sauce
kosher salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
3-4 drops green food coloring if desired for color

Instructions

Remove seeds from cucumber; diced into small pieces.
Dice onion into small bits (tip: can pulse in a food processor!).
Add cucumber, onion, cream cheese, Duke's Mayonnaise, hot sauce, kosher salt, and garlic powder into a bowl. Mix until well-combined. Taste and season additionally according to preference.
Add 3-4 drops of green food coloring; mix + stir. Add until the benedictine has reached your desired level of greenness.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 127mgPotassium: 104mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 424IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg

Keyword benedicine spread, kentucky benedictine

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Keep Up With JCP Eats

Thank you so much for visiting the blog today! I’d love to keep in touch via social media. You can follow my content on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tik Tok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I also author a second website, Notable Kentucky, on which I write about all things of note in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Read Notable Kentucky here.

Benedictine Spread: A Kentucky Classic