When you need a quick, crowd-pleasing appetizer, dips are hard to beat. They're fast to make, even for last-minute parties! Dips can serve a large crowd and pair well with various dippers.
A cheesy, melty dip is a classic favorite everyone loves. For your next party or game day gathering, cheese dips are an easy and delicious option. We've compiled 18 cheese dip recipes for tasty, crowd-pleasing cheese dips that will make your appetizer spread a success.
It's a creamy, soft cheese spread packed with shredded cheddar cheese and bits of pimento peppers (those little red peppers), along with some hot sauce for a kick. You can serve pimento cheese dips either hot or cold.
To make it, in a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt, garlic powder, mustard powder, and pepper until well blended and smooth.
Then fold in the diced pimento peppers, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped chives. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight to allow the flavors to meld together.
2. Hot Crab Dip
This creamy, dip with cheese is loaded with lump crab meat and makes a crowd-pleasing appetizer for parties or game days. It's easy to prepare and bakes up warm, gooey, and delicious.
Simply mix together cream cheese, shredded cheddar, grated parmesan, mayonnaise, and seasonings like garlic, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Gently fold in the crab meat.
Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish and top with more shredded cheese. Bake at 375°F until bubbly and the cheese is melty about 35 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions if you'd like.
Queso fundido is an easy but incredibly delicious dip for cheese that's perfect for parties. It's simple to make but packs a huge flavor punch. First, cook Mexican chorizo sausage in a skillet until crispy. Add diced jalapeño and cook briefly until fragrant.
Next, place shredded cheeses in a small oven-safe baking dish. Stir in the cooked chorizo and jalapeño mixture. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling around the edges.
Remove from oven and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve the hot, gooey queso fundido immediately with tortilla chips for dipping.
This crowd-pleasing dip packs all the flavors of chicken enchiladas into an easy, shareable appetizer. It comes together in around 30 minutes with minimal prep.
Simply mix together cream cheese, shredded cooked chicken, black beans, shredded pepper jack and cheddar cheeses, enchilada sauce, diced green chiles, and taco seasoning.
Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish or skillet and top with a little extra shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro if desired. Serve warm with tortilla chips for scooping up all that cheesy, saucy, chicken-y goodness.
5. Cheesy Sausage Dip
This sausage dip is deceptively simple but incredibly tasty and satisfying - perfect for game days or casual gatherings. It's similar to a beer cheese dip, but with the addition of crumbly, flavorful sausage meat.
Start by cooking pork sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it browns until fully cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Return the cooked sausage to the skillet and add in cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel).
Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until the cheeses are fully melted and the dip is hot and creamy. Garnish with chopped fresh tomatoes and parsley if desired.
This Buffalo chicken dip puts everyone's favorite wings flavors into an easy, shareable appetizer form. The best part is it only takes 10 minutes to prep before baking. First, preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, Buffalo hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and a bit of salt until well blended. Fold in shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled blue cheese. Then gently fold in cooked, shredded chicken.
Transfer the cheesy chicken mixture to a baking dish and top with a little more shredded cheddar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbling. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped chives and any remaining crumbled blue cheese.
7. Jalapeño Popper Dip
This dip has all the delicious flavors of jalapeño poppers in an easy, shareable form that's perfect for game day. It's nice and creamy with plenty of cheese and just the right amount of kick from jalapeños.
Start by crisping up some bacon and setting some aside for topping the dip later. In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheeses, most of the cooked chopped bacon, and most of some diced jalapeños (save a little bacon and jalapeños for garnish).
Transfer the creamy, cheesy mixture to a baking dish and top with the remaining shredded cheeses, bacon bits, and jalapeño pieces. Bake until hot and bubbly. Then simply dig in!
This fresh and flavorful dip gets its inspiration from the classic Greek salad, loaded with cool cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, tangy feta cheese, and fragrant dill. Fair warning - this recipe makes a big batch, perfect for sharing!
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the feta, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon zest and juice until light and fluffy. Season with salt. Fold in some chopped fresh dill and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
Transfer the creamy feta base to a serving bowl. Top with diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, more fresh dill, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve this cool, refreshing dip with pita chips, veggie sticks, or your favorite crackers or bread for dipping.
9. Skillet Beer Cheese
This dip is the ultimate crowd-pleaser for any occasion, from camping trips to game day parties. It's incredibly easy to whip up with just a few basic ingredients. All you need is shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese, minced garlic, chopped chives, beer, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Simply combine all those ingredients in a large cast iron skillet. Cover the skillet with foil. If you're camping, set it over the hot campfire. If not, you can bake it in the oven at home. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, just until everything gets melty and gooey. That's it!
Remove the foil and give it a stir to blend the melted cheeses with the beer and seasonings. Serve this rich, decadent cheese beer dip warm with slices of crusty baguette, tortilla chips, pretzels or veggie dippers for scooping.
This Rotel dip is the perfect fuss-free appetizer for parties and events. It comes together quickly in just one pot with minimal cleanup needed. Start by browning some ground beef in a saucepan over medium-high heat, crumbling it as it cooks for about 5 minutes.
Drain off any excess fat. Reduce the heat to medium, then add in a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel) and shredded cheese. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until the cheese is completely melted and the dip is hot and creamy.
If desired, you can stir in some chili powder for extra flavor. That's it! Leave the dip recipes with cheese in the saucepan to serve right from the stovetop, or transfer it to a serving bowl.
11. Meat Lovers' Pizza Dip
It's simple to prep dip and bake up hot, bubbly, and irresistible. Start by crisping up some bacon in an oven-safe skillet. Remove the bacon, drain off the fat, then cook some Italian sausage in the same skillet until browned and crumbly.
In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Add the cooked meats and the cheesy mixture back into the skillet and stir to combine.
Spread it out evenly, then top with your favorite pizza sauce and even more shredded mozzarella. Finally, add some pepperoni slices and grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until hot, melty, and slightly browned on top.
Pub cheese is a cool, creamy, and delightfully simple cheese dip perfect for snacking. It's essentially a chilled version of the warm, gooey beer cheese dips recipes you know and love. The base is a combination of softened cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese, with garlic powder for flavor.
But the key ingredient that gives pub cheese its signature savory, slightly herbal taste is caraway seeds. Just a sprinkling of these tiny seeds adds an intriguing depth of flavor without overpowering the cheesy goodness.
If you want to kick up the flavor further, you can also mix in some prepared horseradish or mustard. Simply blend all the ingredients together until well-combined and chill before serving.
13. Eggplant Parm Dip
This warm, cheesy dip captures all the flavors of classic eggplant parmesan in an easy, scoopable form. First, roast eggplants and garlic until very soft. Scoop out the tender eggplant flesh and blend it with the roasted garlic, marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, fresh basil, and seasonings until smooth.
Transfer this eggplant mixture to a baking dish. Top with more shredded cheeses, a sprinkling of panko breadcrumbs for crunch, and a drizzle of oil. Bake until melty, golden, and bubbling hot.
The flavors mimic a deconstructed eggplant parm - you get the roasted eggplant, marinara, melty cheeses, herbaceous basil, and crispy breadcrumb topping all in cheesey dip form.
This cheesy bean dip is the ultimate crowd-pleaser! It starts with a base of creamy refried beans mixed with velvety cream cheese and tangy sour cream. Then you'll fold in lots of shredded cheese - a blend of spicy pepper jack and mild cheddar. For extra flavor, diced green onions, jalapeño, and taco seasoning get mixed in too.
Transfer the dip into a baking dish and top with more of the shredded cheese blend. Pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes until everything is hot and the cheese is melty and bubbly. Finally, you can garnish the hot dip with crumbled queso fresco, chopped tomatoes, onions, and extra jalapeño slices.
15. Bacon Spinach Dip
This dip is loaded with cheesy, bacony, spinach goodness! First, cook some bacon until crispy in a skillet, then chop it up. In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper until blended.
Then fold in chopped fresh spinach, the chopped cooked bacon, grated Parmesan cheese, and most of the shredded mozzarella cheese, reserving a bit for the topping. Spread the dip into a small oven-safe skillet or baking dish and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top.
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until hot, bubbly and lightly golden brown on top.
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese (reserving a bit for the topping), mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped green onions, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and salt.
Gently fold in cooked shredded or chopped chicken, reserving a small amount for the top. Transfer the dip mixture to an oven-safe baking dish or skillet and top with the remaining shredded cheese and chicken pieces. Bake for 25-30 minutes until hot, bubbly and lightly golden brown on top.
While the dips for cheese is baking, make the toasted bread for dipping. Brush bread slices with melted butter and season with salt, then cut into triangles or strips. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Let cool slightly.
17. Mini Meatball Skillet Dip
In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until nicely browned, about 7-9 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet but leave 2 tbsp of the rendered fat behind.
Return the skillet to the heat and add the onions, jalapeño, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the veggies are golden and slightly caramelized.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in BBQ sauce, the cooked sausage, and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Take the skillet off the heat and fold in shredded cheese, pickled red onions, and a splash of milk until everything is melted and combined.
Transfer the cheesy BBQ dip to a serving dish and garnish the top with sliced scallions and more pickled red onions.
In a skillet, cook the onion in oil with some salt until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the jalapeño and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of milk until dissolved.
Add the remaining milk and paprika to the skillet and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and let it simmer for 2 minutes until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses until fully melted and combined. Then fold in diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, lime juice and extra salt if needed. Try this recipes with cheese dip for your next party.
Author
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Biswas Kharel
Biswas Kharel is a food blogger and writer who brings a sharp eye and adventurous palate to every bite he writes about. Known for his thoughtful reflections and down-to-earth style, Biswas blends personal anecdotes with rich culinary insights—from quiet village kitchens to lively urban eateries.
His blog is a flavorful mix of travel, tradition, and honest food reviews, offering readers a window into the heart of every dish. For Biswas, writing about food isn’t just a passion—it’s a way of documenting life, one meal at a time.
