Charcuterie boards and Buffalo chicken dip are great and all, but sometimes you just want the classics. I’m talking about vintage appetizers that never go out of style: jelly-glazed meatballs, nut-studded cheese balls, sweet-and-tangy shrimp cocktail. They’re the kinds of bites that always hit and somehow never feel dated. Another beloved specialty in that category is stuffed celery—and my favorite version never disappoints.
Grandma’s Stuffed Celery is a five-ingredient crowd-pleaser that checks every box: It’s easy to make, delicious—and for many, sparks memories of holidays past.
“My grandma always made stuffed celery at Thanksgiving and Christmas,” says Sherilyn, who submitted the recipe. “As kids, we were always so hungry before the holiday meal we would sneak and get a piece of celery to curb our appetite. It was nearly all gone by meal time and we always got fussed at with [a] hint of a grin from Grandma. Now I never have holiday meals without it!”
The Magic of Stuffed Celery
Americans have been snacking on stuffed celery at parties since at least the early 1900s, as seen in cookbooks like “Catering for Special Occasions with Menus and Recipes.” That 1911 title by Fannie Merritt Farmer includes a recipe for celery filled with Roquefort cheese and butter. The idea likely evolved from European traditions of using hollowed-out vegetables as edible containers. By the mid-20th century, it had taken hold as part of the canapé craze in American households—when fillings like cream cheese became the norm.
Grandma’s Stuffed Celery Recipe
Photographer: Victor Protasio / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Abby Armstrong
To make Grandma’s Stuffed Celery, you need one bunch of celery, two packages of cream cheese at room temperature, 3/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, a couple chopped garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Start by preparing the filling by mixing softened cream cheese with chopped pimento‑stuffed green olives, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Next, spoon or pipe the filling generously into each celery groove and arrange the stuffed celery on a platter.
- Serve right away or refrigerate (it’s a refreshing chilled snack!).
Things to Keep in Mind
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened. This is important! If the cream cheese isn’t softened, it’ll be really (really) hard to mix. To soften your block on the fly, take it out of the fridge and place the entire unopened package in hot water for three minutes.
- Great creative with toppings. Pimento-stuffed olives are Grandma’s pick—but you can mix in anything you like! Stud your cream cheese with raisins for an ants-on-a-log-style treat, add spice with chopped jalapeños, or double the cheese with some shredded Cheddar.
- Don’t toss any leftover spread. The flavorful mixture is made for slathering on crackers and bagels. Or whip up an extra batch to spread on lunch meat and roll into a spiral.
- Use garlic powder. If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute with a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Get the recipe: Grandma’s Stuffed Celery
