Every party I throw comes down to the dip table. Doesn’t matter how good the main food is, people cluster around the dips with a dipper in hand. So, I pulled together all my best dip recipes into one spot, from hot and cheesy crockpot dips to cold make-ahead ones to a whole lineup of dessert dips.
There are more than 20 here, and every single one has shown up at my actual kitchen table. Some go in the slow cooker (my love language), some come together in five minutes flat, and a few are sweet enough to call dessert.
I’ve been making most of these for years. My crock pot spinach artichoke dip alone has been requested at every family gathering since I figured out it’s better with no mayo, and my crockpot buffalo chicken dip has made me internet famous. Bookmark this page. You’ll come back every time you’re on snack duty.
Scroll down for the full list, grouped so you can find your people: hot and cheesy, cold and creamy, and the sweet ones.
Helpful Tools
A few things make dip night easier. Nothing fancy.
- Slow Cooker – A 6-quart does the heavy lifting for the hot dips, and it doubles as a serving dish that keeps everything warm. A little 2-quart mini is perfect for keeping a dip hot on the table.
- Hand Mixer – For the cream cheese based dips. I learned the hard way that cold cream cheese stirred by hand stays lumpy. Let it soften, then beat it smooth.
- Sturdy Spatula – Cheap chips break in thick dip. A spatula gets every last scrape out of the bowl (and there’s always a fight over the last of it).
The Best Dip Recipes on Persnickety Plates
Below are all my dip recipes, grouped so you can jump to whatever you’re in the mood for. Click any title for the full recipe.
Hot & Cheesy Dips (Mostly Slow Cooker)
The melty, disappear-first dips. If you only make one thing off this list, make it something from this group.
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
Five ingredients, dumped in the crockpot, and you’ll have an empty bowl before the game starts. Double it. You’ll want to.
Crock Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Creamy, cheesy, and made with no mayo, right in the slow cooker so it stays warm. My most-requested dip, full stop.
Rotel Dip with Ground Beef
The classic three-ingredient queso situation: Velveeta, Rotel, and seasoned ground beef. Hearty enough to be dinner if nobody’s watching.
Slow Cooker Pizza Dip
All the flavor of pizza in a scoopable, cheesy dip. Serve with breadsticks or crackers and watch it go.
Slow Cooker Bacon and Cheese Dip
Cheesy, bacon-loaded, and made for game day. The kind of dip people hover over.
Slow Cooker Sausage Cheese Dip
Sausage and cheese melted down into the easiest crowd feeder. Great with tortilla chips.
Copycat Chili’s Queso
That restaurant queso you order every time, made at home in the slow cooker. A little spicy, a lot creamy.
Smoked Queso with Beef
Queso for the smoker crowd, made with beef and no Velveeta. Worth firing up the smoker for.
Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip
Everything you love about a jalapeño popper without the frying. Creamy, a little spicy, topped golden.
Crockpot Reuben Dip
Corned beef, Swiss, and sauerkraut turned into a hot dip. Serve with rye chips and lean into it.
Smoked Street Corn Dip
All the flavors of elote in a warm & tasty street corn dip.
Cold & Creamy Dips (Make-Ahead)
No cooking required, and most taste better after a few hours in the fridge. My go-to when I’m already making three other things.
Easy Taco Dip
Cool, creamy, layered taco dip with all the fixings. Zero cooking, big payoff.
Cream Cheese Salsa Dip
Two ingredients if you’re in a hurry, and people act like you slaved over it. Creamy, a little spicy, perfect with tortilla chips.
French Onion Dip
The vintage Lipton onion soup dip, homemade. Made for ruffled potato chips and nothing else.
Loaded Baked Potato Dip
Cheese, bacon, sour cream, and green onion, everything you love about a loaded baked potato in dip form.
Everything Bagel Dip
Just three ingredients and everything bagel seasoning does the work. Bagel chips required.
Garlic Herb Dip
A cool, herby dip that’s great with raw veggies, pita, or crackers. I keep this one in the fridge for when I want a snack that isn’t a brownie. (It happens.)
Italian Hoagie Dip
All the meats, cheese, and zip of an Italian hoagie, scoopable. Pile it on a piece of crusty bread.
Mediterranean Hummus
Smooth, garlicky homemade hummus that beats the grocery store tub. I use plenty of lemon and a good glug of olive oil because that’s what makes it taste like more than mashed chickpeas. (Make it from dried chickpeas with my Instant Pot Hummus if you make it often.)
Sweet Dessert Dips
Yes, dessert dips count. Serve these with fruit, cookies, graham crackers, or a spoon.
Easy Oreo Dip
Five ingredients and a sleeve of Oreos. One of my most popular recipes for a reason. Dip strawberries in it.
Easy Fruit Dip
The three ingredient dip that my mom is known for. It comes together in minutes and turns a fruit tray into the thing people actually eat.
Brownie Batter Dip
No-bake, tastes like brownie batter, none of the raw egg worry. You know I love a brownie.
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Dip
Edible cookie dough meets peanut butter cups in dip form. Bring graham crackers and a little self control.
The cold ones. Taco dip, loaded baked potato dip, creamy salsa dip, garlic herb dip, and both hummus recipes all hold up great in the fridge for a day or two, and most actually taste better after the flavors sit.
A small slow cooker on the warm or low setting is the easiest trick. Spinach artichoke dip, buffalo chicken dip, and Rotel dip all stay perfectly melty for hours that way.
Several are built for it. The spinach artichoke dip is made entirely in the crockpot, and the buffalo chicken and Rotel dips can be warmed and held in one too. The cold dips don’t need any cooking at all.
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
