You said you would bring something, and that is how most dip recipes actually get made. I would far rather graze all evening than sit down to three big meals, so a table covered in bowls is genuinely my idea of dinner, and these 37 are the ones worth the trip to the store. There are hot dips that sit in the slow cooker all night, cold ones you stir together in five minutes, layered dips, queso with no Velveeta in it, crab, buffalo chicken, and a few sweet ones for the far end of the table. Most take under twenty minutes and several are better made the night before, which is the real reason to plan them instead of panicking. Perfect for Thanksgiving appetizers, game day, a party buffet, movie night, or the dish you carry to somebody else’s house!
1. Million Dollar Dip
Six ingredients, five minutes, and it is genuinely better made ahead. Cream cheese, cheddar, bacon, green onions and almonds, and the almonds are the part nobody sees coming. Mix it the night before so the onion mellows into the cheese, then set it out with crackers. This is the one I would hand somebody who says they cannot cook.
Get the full tutorial at Happy Go Lucky.
2. 7 Layer Dip
Refried beans mixed with cream cheese and taco seasoning on the bottom, then sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, tomatoes, olives and green onions. Twenty minutes, twelve servings. The cream cheese in the bean layer is the upgrade, because it keeps the base from going stiff and grainy in the fridge. Make sure somebody is on chip duty.
Get the full tutorial at I Heart Naptime.
3. Authentic Greek Tzatziki
Thick strained yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and fresh dill, in about fifteen minutes of active work. Drain the cucumber thoroughly, because that water is the only thing standing between you and a thin, sad tzatziki. It keeps three to four days and mellows overnight. Good with pita, vegetables, grilled meat or roasted potatoes.
Get the full tutorial at The Wanderlust Kitchen.
4. Cranberry Jalapeño Dip
Twelve ounces of fresh cranberries chopped with green onion, jalapeno and cilantro, mixed with sugar, lemon juice and salt, then left in the fridge overnight and strained before it goes over sixteen ounces of whipped cream cheese. The overnight rest and the straining are both mandatory or it weeps. Sweet, hot and completely different from everything else on the table.
Get the full tutorial at Sparrows + Lily.
5. Crock Pot Cheesy Hamburger Dip
Cheesy, beefy and made in the slow cooker, which means it stays hot on the counter for hours without anybody minding it. Pair it with sturdy tortilla chips, because a thin chip does not survive a dip this heavy. This is the one that gets eaten first at a party and the one you will want to make a bigger batch of than you think.
Get the full tutorial at Julie's Eats & Treats.
6. 5 Minute Creamy Whole30 Ranch
Paleo mayonnaise, fresh parsley, lemon juice, garlic, fresh dill, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper, blended smooth in a food processor. Five minutes, dairy free, and it beats the bottled stuff by a wide margin. Fresh herbs are doing all the work here, so dried will not get you there. Good over salads and wraps as well as with a plate of carrot sticks.
Get the full tutorial at Paleo Gluten Free.
7. Buffalo Chicken Dip
Softened cream cheese, cooked shredded chicken, hot sauce, ranch dressing and blue cheese, spread into a small baking dish or skillet, topped with grated cheddar and baked until bubbling. Grate your own cheddar rather than buying it shredded, because the anti caking powder keeps it from melting properly. Leave the blue cheese out if it is not your thing.
Get the full tutorial at Salt & Lavender.
8. Hot Chicken Enchilada Dip
Everything a cheesy chile spiked chicken enchilada tastes like, served hot in a dish with chips instead of rolled into tortillas. It works as a cracker dip too, which is useful when the chips run out halfway through the evening. A good use for leftover chicken, and a good answer when somebody asks you to bring something warm.
Get the full tutorial at Toot Sweet 4 Two.
9. Dill Pickle Dip
Five minutes of prep for a creamy, crunchy dip that pickle people lose their minds over. Mayonnaise, sour cream and chopped pickles, and you can swap the mayo for room temperature cream cheese or the sour cream for Greek yogurt without hurting it. Chips or pickle spears, chips or veggies, it does not matter.
Get the full tutorial at Amanda's Cookin'.
10. Best Hot Crab Dip
Jumbo lump crab folded gently into a base of Pepper Jack, cheddar and a hint of Tabasco, then baked at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Prep is short and it can be assembled ahead. The word gently is the whole recipe: stir hard and you shred the crab you paid for.
Get the full tutorial at The Suburban Soapbox.
11. Labneh Dip With Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping
Yogurt strained in a cloth in the fridge for eight to twenty four hours until it turns into a thick, tangy, cheese like paste, then topped with zaatar, pistachios, mint and olives. Greek yogurt strains faster if you are short on time. The homemade pita chips take under eight minutes in the oven and are worth doing.
Get the full tutorial at Two Purple Figs.
12. Cheesy Bacon Onion Dip
Crumbled crispy bacon, eight ounces of cream cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire, half a cup of caramelized onions and two cups of cheddar, baked at 350 in a dish or hollowed into a round cob loaf. The bread bowl version means less washing up and the walls get eaten too. Caramelize the onions properly and do not rush them.
Get the full tutorial at Plated Cravings.
13. Slow Cooker Texas Trash Beef And Bean Dip
Ground beef, refried beans, cream cheese, sour cream, spices and green chiles, all of it in the slow cooker until creamy and hearty. This is the one that feeds a room of hungry people and keeps feeding them, which makes it a football afternoon staple rather than a delicate starter. Pile the toppings on right before you serve.
Get the full tutorial at The Magical Slow Cooker.
14. Beer Cheese Dip
Cream cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, beer, garlic powder and hot sauce. Six things. A lager works best, and the beer flavor stays as a background note rather than taking over, which is what you want. It comes with a soft beer pretzel recipe to dunk in, and warm homemade pretzels are their own reward.
Get the full tutorial at Fox and Briar.
15. Salted Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Dip
All the flavor of cheesecake in five minutes with no baking, scooped rather than sliced. Cream cheese based, finished with salted caramel and pecans, and served with cookies, graham crackers or apple slices. Graham crackers are the smart choice because they taste like the crust it does not have. This is what to make when dessert is somebody else’s job and you were asked to help.
Get the full tutorial at WonkyWonderful.
16. Bacon Cheddar Pretzel Dip
Five simple ingredients build a cream cheese dip meant for pretzels, and that is the detail worth noticing: pretzels instead of chips means salt against the cheese and something that will not snap in a thick dip. Bacon and cheddar do the rest. Short list, no cooking to speak of, and it disappears the way five ingredient recipes always do.
Get the full tutorial at Deliciously Sprinkled.
17. Restaurant Style Salsa
Fire roasted tomatoes blended up in minutes into a fresh, zesty salsa you can push as mild or as hot as you like. Salsa is the dip that lets everybody else on the table breathe, and it is the one thing at a party that vegetarians, gluten free guests and children can all reach for without asking questions. Good on eggs and enchiladas afterwards too.
Get the full tutorial at A Couple Cooks.
18. Best Spinach Artichoke Dip
Warm, cheesy and about fifteen minutes of work, with a crock pot option if you would rather not use the oven. It tastes like you spent the afternoon on it, which is the entire point of a good spinach artichoke dip. There is a video walk through on the post if you want to see the texture before you commit.
Get the full tutorial at Rae Gun Ramblings.
19. Oreo Cheesecake Dip
Cream cheese, butter, whipped topping, powdered sugar and mint extract, combined in one bowl and chilled until you need it. It tastes like Oreos and milk, which is a compliment. The post includes a from scratch chocolate wafer recipe if you want to make your own dippers, though a box of cookies works perfectly well.
Get the full tutorial at Take Two Tapas.
20. Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Dip
Sixteen ounces of cream cheese, half a cup of sugar, a quarter cup of milk, vanilla and the juice and zest of two limes, beaten smooth with a hand mixer. Ten minutes, and green food coloring is optional. Serve immediately or chill it. All the flavor of key lime pie with no crust to bake and no slicing at the table.
Get the full tutorial at The Salty Marshmallow.
21. Best Fruit Dip
Three ingredients: a 32 ounce container of vanilla yogurt, an 8 ounce container of Cool Whip and a 3.4 ounce box of dry instant vanilla pudding mix. Instant is the word that matters, because nothing here gets cooked. Make it the night before so the pudding has time to dissolve into the yogurt, and put a platter of strawberries beside it.
Get the full tutorial at Layers of Happiness.
22. Best Veggie Dip
A cup of Greek yogurt with chopped parsley, mint, smoked paprika, lemon zest, salt and pepper, mixed in one bowl in five minutes. It keeps up to ten days in an airtight container, which makes it a genuine meal prep item rather than a party only recipe. The smoked paprika is what stops it tasting like plain seasoned yogurt.
Get the full tutorial at Everyday Made Fresh.
23. Marshmallow Fluff Fruit Dip
Marshmallow fluff, cream cheese and white chocolate. Three things, under five minutes, no cooking. If you can stir, you can make this, which is why it is a good one to hand to a child who wants to contribute something to the party. Strawberries, apple slices and pretzels all work, and the pretzels are better than they sound.
Get the full tutorial at WonkyWonderful.
24. Baked Crab Rangoon Dip
Everything that makes a crab rangoon good, melted into a hot bubbling dip: cream cheese, crab, garlic and fresh ginger, with lime and Worcestershire. The ginger is the non negotiable, and it is what separates this from every other cream cheese and crab dip. The homemade wonton chips take eight minutes and hold up to a hot dip better than crackers do.
Get the full tutorial at Coupon Cravings.
25. Cheesy BBQ Ranch Chicken Dip
Cream cheese, sour cream and dry ranch mix get spread in an 8 by 8 dish, then 24 ounces of shredded chicken mixed with hickory brown sugar barbecue sauce, then Colby Jack over the top, baked at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Twelve servings. Rotisserie chicken or leftovers work perfectly.
Get the full tutorial at The Slow Roasted Italian.
26. Crockpot Nacho Cheese Dip
Browned ground beef, Velveeta, mild salsa, cream of celery soup, green onions and green pepper, cooked on high for about four hours until the cheese is fully melted. In a hurry, melt the cheese in the microwave first and the slow cooker catches up. It stays warm all night, which is the real reason to make it.
Get the full tutorial at Princess Pinky Girl.
27. 5 Ingredient White Queso Dip
Five ingredients, no Velveeta anywhere, and about twenty five minutes total. Everything goes in together and melts over low heat. Low is the instruction that matters, because real cheese seizes and turns grainy the second it gets too hot. This is the queso to make when you want it to taste like a restaurant instead of a block.
Get the full tutorial at The Baking Fairy.
28. Best Bean Dip
A 16 ounce can of refried beans, a cup of chunky salsa and a cup of shredded Monterey Jack, and you are most of the way there. Creamy, spicy and exactly the right texture to hold on a chip, which is a thing plenty of bean dips fail at. There is a video on the post. Pantry ingredients, so you can make it without a shopping trip.
Get the full tutorial at The Girl Who Ate Everything.
29. Avocado Dip
Chunky avocados, corn, black beans, red onion and salsa verde. Five ingredients and no cooking, and it sits somewhere between a guacamole and a salad. Leave the avocado in real pieces rather than mashing it, because the texture is the whole point. Best made close to when you plan to serve it.
Get the full tutorial at Together as Family.
30. Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Thaw the spinach and squeeze the water out properly, or the whole dish goes watery. Then cream cheese, parmesan, drained chopped artichoke hearts, sauteed onion and garlic, topped with mozzarella and baked until melty, with a careful broil at the end for color. That squeeze is the step people skip and then wonder about.
Get the full tutorial at Salt & Lavender.
31. Hot Corn Dip
Three cups of corn kernels, a small can of green chiles, diced sweet onion, garlic powder, cream cheese, sour cream, pepper jack and monterey jack, baked at 350 for about 25 minutes. Five minutes of prep, thirty total. Hold back a quarter cup of the shredded cheese for the top so it browns properly.
Get the full tutorial at Mom Endeavors.
32. Best Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Everything goes in one pot: cream cheese, light sour cream, a stick of butter, parmesan, quartered artichoke hearts, diced jalapenos, thawed spinach and pressed garlic. Warm it through, stir, serve. No oven, no baking dish, no waiting. The jalapenos are what keep it from being one flat note of cheese. Tortilla chips, crackers, naan or crusty bread.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
33. Easy 5-Ingredient Hot Onion Dip Recipe
One yellow onion, a block of cream cheese, a cup of mayonnaise, half a cup of parmesan and two cups of grated Swiss, baked at 350 for about thirty minutes until golden and bubbling. That is the entire recipe. Quarter the onion and slice it thin so it softens completely in the oven, and let it sit ten minutes before serving.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
34. Loaded Rotel Dip Recipe
This is the big one. Eight strips of julienned bacon cooked crisp, ground beef browned in the rendered fat, onions and garlic, a pound of cream cheese, two pounds of Velveeta, Roma tomatoes, jalapeno, amber ale, lime juice, green onions and cilantro. Straining and reusing the bacon fat is what gives it the flavor.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
35. Crockpot Smoked Queso Dip
Ground beef with taco seasoning, cubed Velveeta, a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, Colby Jack, cream cheese, pickled jalapenos, milk, garlic and half a teaspoon of liquid smoke. That last half teaspoon is the whole trick, since it gets you smoked flavor without a smoker. There is a step by step video on the post.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
36. Crockpot Cheesy Jalapeño Corn Dip Recipe
A 29 ounce can of whole kernel corn, two chopped jalapenos, five strips of crisp bacon, a cup of pepper Jack, a cup of cheddar, green onions, garlic powder and a block of cream cheese, all in the crockpot. Cook the bacon first and drain it on paper towels so the dip does not turn greasy. Sweet corn and hot pepper is a reliable pairing.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
37. Restaurant Style Bread Dip Recipe
Half a cup of olive oil, not a strong extra virgin, with grated garlic, chopped parsley, Italian seasoning, hot pepper flakes, grated parmesan, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. The olive oil note matters, because a peppery oil bullies everything else out of the bowl. Serve it with good crusty bread and it is the first thing gone.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
