Mmmmm. Bacon. This Hot Bacon Cheese Dip 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 post was originally published on March 24, 2016 and has now been updated with new images and more tips to make this yummy bacon dip perfectly every time.
This recipe 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.
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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.
Serve it with some 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.
Ingredients
The dip is crazy easy. But don’t take my word for it. Throw a batch together and let me know what you think!
I’m always looking for ways to speed up recipes. The way I do that for this bacon cream cheese 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 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.
How to Make Hot Bacon Cheese Dip
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
The dip will cool down, 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.
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.
Tips
- And 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.
This easy baked dip is creamy and full of that bacon flavor that we all love.
Related Recipes
- Hot Artichoke Dip is crazy good with the Swiss and parmesan cheeses! It’s buttery and delish!
- This Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip with Dried Beef is like a jalapeno popper but without all the work!
- Looking for something sweeter? Try these Dessert Dips next time you are having people over.
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