For a dozen bagels, a good standard amount of cream cheese to have is 1 pound (16 ounces). This amounts to about 1.33 ounces of cream cheese per bagel, which is generally enough for a generous schmear without being excessive

. If the bagels are larger than average, some recommend increasing the amount to about 2 pounds for two dozen bagels, which would translate to roughly 1 pound for a dozen large bagels

. This is roughly 2 ounces per bagel for large sizes. In summary:

• Standard bagels: 1 pound (16 oz) cream cheese per dozen bagels.
• Large bagels: consider up to 2 pounds for two dozen, or about 1 pound for a dozen.

This amount typically satisfies most guests without significant waste, though you can adjust based on your crowd's preferences and bagel size