This Hot Bacon Cheese Dip recipe is a family favorite. It's ridiculously easy to make and perfect for sharing with friends and family. With cream cheese and cheddar, this baked dip recipe is something I serve for the holidays, game day and any other time I need a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
This recipe for Hot Bacon Cheese Dip is for people, like me, who love to eat more than they love to cook. It's one of my favorite easy appetizer recipes to make at home.
This easy baked dip is creamy and full of that bacon flavor that we all adore!
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Why This Recipe Works
Baked dips are a great idea when you're having friends and family over. They are comforting and easy to make ahead.
This Bacon Cream Cheese Dip is one of my go-to recipes since everyone I have ever served it to has raved about it.
You really can't go wrong with bacon and cheese.
Related post: Jalapeno Popper Dip with Cream Cheese and Dried Beef
Serve it with some Ritz crackers, bread or even vegetables to create a filling snack that everyone will love.
For a football party, a family dinner party or even a movie night, this recipe has just 5 ingredients and hardly any prep time making it super low-stress.
It also inspired me to make a cold bacon cheese dip which you may also want to check out if you'd rather have something you don't have to worry about serving warm.
Ingredients
The hot cheese dip with bacon is crazy easy. But don't take my word for it. Throw a batch together and let me know what you think! You'll need:
I'm always looking for ways to speed up recipes. The way I do that for this bacon cheddar dip is to use bacon bits and pre-grated cheddar cheese.
The sharper the cheddar cheese, the worse it melts. But I enjoy the flavor the most with a sharper cheese so I just know the texture won't be super smooth. You can use a mild cheddar if you prefer.
Although I have made this without the onions in the past, they really do add great flavor. If you don't have any and don't want to go to the store, you should still make this recipe.
If you want to make this cheese and bacon dip more gourmet, you can cook your own bacon and grate your own cheese. You could even add some blue cheese crumbles. (Blue cheese and cheddar make my favorite Cheese Ball recipe flavor MAGIC!)
Or you can keep the recipe as is. Either way, you'll want to shovel this dip into your mouth hole as fast as possible.
Some people love to add hot sauce to their bacon cream cheese dip. But I am not a fan. You do what you feel is best.
Directions
The trickiest part of making this dip is to remember to leave the cream cheese out to soften. For some reason, I can NEVER remember that part!
The only other prep work is to chop the green onions.
Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
You don't even need to get out a mixer. Just use a wooden spoon to mix it well.
Aside from the green onions, which you can totally eyeball if you want, you don't even need to measure anything. You just empty the containers and you're good to go. So easy.
Use your favorite oven to table dish and bake it until warm and bubbly (about half an hour at 400 degrees).
Make it Ahead
What's awesome is this dip can be made ahead of time and kept cold in the refrigerator!
Bake it off before your guests arrive. You may need to add on a little more baking time since your ingredients won't be at room temperature though.
How to Serve
Serve this bacon cream cheese dip with butter crackers, baguette slices or torn mini baguettes.
You could also serve it with fresh veggies...but really this is a carb-lovers appetizer.
Hard or soft pretzels would also be very tasty.
The dip will cool down the longer it sits out, but the flavor is still there. I have never tried it before but you may even be able to serve this in a mini crockpot so it's at a better serving temperature throughout a party.
Tips
- If you plan on taking this dip to someone else's house for a game-day party, just make it in a disposable pan so you don't worry about bringing it home.
- I never add any salt because of the bacon but if you taste it and think it needs some, feel free to add it.
- If you want to add a little bit of crunch, you could sprinkle on some chopped pecans before baking. That would pair perfectly.
- Instead of doubling the recipe for a party, I would make a few single batches, in individual dishes ahead of time. That way when you serve the first, you can pop the second batch into the oven so you always have hot bacon cheddar dip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Place the unwrapped cream cheese on the microwavable plate.
Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds then remove it from the microwave. Use a spoon to mix it as best you can as the center might not be as warm as the outside of the cheese. Add a few extra seconds if you need to soften it a bit more. You don't want it all the way melted.
Yes, you can save leftovers in an air-tight container and keep it in the fridge.
In my opinion, the bacon cheddar dip doesn't reheat well. You can place a portion in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for about 30 seconds, test, stir and add on more time until warm enough for your liking.
Save this and Pin it for later!
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A few more easy recipes you might also enjoy!
- Easy Baked Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
- Simple Creamy Hot Artichoke Dip
- Artichoke Dip Slider Idea for Parties
- Easy Homemade Chip Dip with Cream Cheese
- Best Beer Cheese Dip Recipe with Pretzels
Hot Bacon Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 16 oz. sour cream
- 3 oz. bacon bits
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup green onions chopped
Instructions
- Soften cream cheese to room temperature.
- When softened, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well with a spoon or spatula.
- Pour cheese mixture into an oven safe baking dish.
- Bake at in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.
- Serve with crackers, veggies, bread, or pita chips.
Notes
- If you plan on taking this dip to someone else's house for a game day party, just make it in a disposable pan so you don't worry about bringing it home.
- I never add any salt because of the bacon and because cheese is naturally salty, but if you taste it and think it needs some, feel free to add it.
- If you want to add a little bit of crunch, you could sprinkle on some chopped pecans before baking. That would pair perfectly.
- Instead of doubling the recipe for a party, I would make a few single batches, in individual dishes ahead of time. That way when you serve the first, you can pop the second batch into the oven so you always have hot bacon cheddar dip.
Lucia smith says
Hot Bacon Cheese Dip is a baking recipe and I prefer here the use of ghee for ghee's excellent flavor and high smoke point safety. The high calories in ghee is an added perks of ghee-cooking. I prefer using Milkio grass-fed ghee for all culinary purposes. I don't use bacon because I don't like the flavor.
Kelly says
This looks seriously amazing! I am definitely going to make this recipe in the future (and will probably forget to let the cream cheese soften as well ;)! #client