All the flavours of pizza, without the crust. Gooey cheese, crispy pepperoni, rich pizza sauce and a creamy base make this cheesy pizza dip the ultimate crowd-pleasing party appetizer. A drizzle of sweet chilli jam and a scattering of fresh basil elevates it into something very special.
Let me introduce you to your new go-to party appetizer. This molten, luxurious dip is perfect for feeding a crowd and wonderful for any kind of celebration (it’s also FAB for game-day watch parties). It uses simple ingredients, is quick to prep (you can even assemble it 2 days ahead of time) and takes just 30 minutes from start to finish. Plus, it’s great if you’re following a low-carb or keto diet.
Think of this beauty as a little like fondue – it’s creamy, cheesy and utterly delicious. All you have to do is mix a quick cream cheese base, layer on store-bought pizza sauce (I love Mutti or you could use marinara), top with lots of cheese and pepperoni. A drizzle of sweet chilli jam and a little fresh basil finish things off beautifully.
Serve with crispy pita chips or your favourite bread (I love it with no-knead focaccia, rosemary parmesan bread or Vogel’s seed bread) and watch it disappear.
Ingredients
This dip uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients and you probably have most of them already.
- Cream cheese. Regular or low-fat is fine here – it’s easier to mix with the other ingredients when it’s at room temperature.
- Sour cream (or Greek yogurt). This just adds a little tang that cuts through the richness of the cream cheese, which I prefer, but you could also make this with all cream cheese if you like.
- Cheese. We’ve got mozzarella for the creamy stretch factor, plus cheddar and parmesan for flavour. You could play around with the cheese and go for whatever you prefer. Blue cheese is great too. Pre-grated cheese is fine too.
- Sweet chilli jam. This is DELICIOUS drizzled on top of the dip for a spicy, sweet burst of flavour. Hot honey is also lovely.
- Spinach. This is very much optional because it adds an extra step to the process – you’ll need to quickly sauté the spinach before adding it to the cream cheese mixture, or it’ll release all its water in the oven and make the dip watery.
How to make it
Add your cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, dried thyme, chilli flakes and salt to a bowl and mix well to combine into a smooth sauce.
Spoon it into the base of a small, 20cm/8″ pan or oven-safe dish, then pour over the pizza sauce, top with the cheese mix and finally layer on the pepperoni.
Bake for 25 minutes at 200C/390F, or until the cheese is molten with charred spots and the pizza sauce is bubbling around the outside. You can pop it under your broiler/grill for a couple of minutes at the end too if you like. Drizzle with the sweet chilli jam and fresh basil once it’s out of the oven, then serve while gooey and glorious.
I love serving it with up crusty bread (no-knead focaccia, rosemary parmesan bread, Vogel’s seed bread or garlic flatbreads are great), crunchy pita chips or crudites.
Got a question?
Yes! You can assemble it up to 2 days ahead of when you want to serve it, then just bake it when you’re ready. Once baked, you can store it in the fridge for 5 days, then reheat it in the microwave if there are any leftovers.
Think about your favourite pizza toppings and go from there! Some ideas to get you started:
– Roast ham or bacon and pineapple (I know it’s controversial but I love it).
– ‘Nduja or chorizo, Kalamata olives (or marinated olives) and sundried tomatoes.
– Shredded roast chicken, barbecue sauce and red onions
– Red pepper, artichokes, sauteed mushrooms and red chilli
It’s great served with something crunchy like pita chips, or fresh bread like no-knead focaccia, rosemary parmesan bread, soft garlic flatbreads or up the cheese factor even further with 2 ingredient dough cheese naan.
Like this recipe? Here are more easy appetizers
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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Easy Cheesy Pizza Dip
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
All the flavours of pizza, without the crust. Gooey cheese, crispy pepperoni, rich pizza sauce and a creamy base make this cheesy pizza dip the ultimate crowd-pleasing party appetizer. A drizzle of sweet chilli jam and a scattering of fresh basil elevates it into something very special.
Ingredients
- 250g/9oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pizza sauce (I love Mutti’s pizza sauce, or use marinara)
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan
- Pepperoni
To garnish –
- Fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli jam
Instructions
- Make the cream cheese mix. Heat your oven to 200C/390F and prepare a small oven-safe baking dish or pan (I’m using a 20cm/8″ pan). Add 250g/9oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes and 1 teaspoon salt to a small bowl, then mix to combine into a creamy, smooth sauce.
- Assemble the dip. Spoon the cream cheese mixture onto the base of your prepared pan, smoothing it onto an even layer. Pour oven your pizza sauce, again smoothing it to an even layer. Scatter over your grated mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan, then finish with your pepperoni slices.
- Bake the dip. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is molten and charred, the pizza sauce is bubbling up around the edges and the pepperoni is crispy. You can pop it under your broiler/grill for a couple of minutes too if you like.
- Garnish and serve. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, then drizzle over 2 tablespoons of sweet chilli jam and scatter with the fresh basil leaves. Serve right away, while hot and oozy.
Notes
PREP AHEAD: You can assemble the dip up to 2 days ahead of time, then just bake when you’re ready to serve.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for about 5 days, then you can reheat them in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
INGREDIENT NOTES: You want the cream cheese to be at room temperature because it’s easier to mix this way – when it’s fridge cold you risk ending up with lumps throughout your sauce. Swap sour cream for Greek yogurt if you like, or use all cream cheese. Switch up your pepperoni topping too – think of your favourite pizza toppings and go from there! I love this with olives, sundried tomatoes and ‘nduja too.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: dips
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
Keywords: pizza dip
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