If you love pizza, you’ll love pizza dip. This naturally gluten-free dip has all the best parts of a pizza: melty cheese, seasoned tomato sauce, and your favorite toppings. Scoop it up with buttery breadsticks, crusty French bread or salty tortilla chips.
Our hot pizza dip recipe is easy to make and so quick, since it cooks in the microwave in minutes. If you make pizza dip for your next gathering, expect the dish to be scraped clean!
Pizza Dip Ingredients
- Cream cheese: Rich cream cheese is the base of the dip. Let the cream cheese soften and warm up to room temperature. It’ll be easier to spread into the pie plate than a block of cold cream cheese pulled straight from the fridge.
- Parmesan and mozzarella: Shred or grate the cheeses at home to give your pizza dip the best chance at impressive cheese pulls. Pre-shredded and grated cheeses don’t melt quite as nicely (blame it on the cellulose in shredded cheese from the store).
- Pizza sauce: Canned pizza sauce works well in this recipe. If you’ve got some homemade pizza sauce to use up, even better.
- Pizza toppings: We use green peppers and green onions, but you can use pepperoni, different veggies, or other pizza toppings.
- Italian seasoning: This seasoning blend adds flavor to the dip.
- Dippers: Fluffy breadsticks go well with pizza dip, along with other types of bread, tortilla chips, and crackers.
Directions
Step 1: Beat the cream cheese
In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and Italian seasoning.
Spread the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate.
Step 2: Sprinkle on the cheese
Combine the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the cream cheese.
Step 3: Add the sauce and toppings
Spread the pizza sauce over the cheese mixture.
Top with the remaining cheese mixture, green peppers and green onion.
Step 4: Microwave the pizza dip
Microwave the pizza dip, uncovered, on high for two to three minutes or until the cheese is almost melted. Pause the microwave to rotate the dish a half-turn several times.
Step 5: Serve the pizza dip
Let the hot pizza dip stand for one to two minutes after you pull it out of the microwave. Serve it with breadsticks or tortilla chips.
Pizza Dip Variations
Add all the pizza toppings you want! You can turn your favorite type of pizza into dip. Here are some more ideas:
- Meat: Our recipe doesn’t call for meat, but shredded chicken, cooked sausage crumbles and pepperoni are all classic choices for pizza appetizers. Bonus points if you use mini pepperoni.
- Veggies: Make a supreme-style pizza dip with black olives, red onion and sliced mushrooms.
- Garnishes: Slivers of basil and a drizzle of pesto would add some freshness to this hot dip.
How to Store Pizza Dip
Keep leftover pizza dip in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will last for three to four days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.
We wouldn’t recommend freezing this cream cheese-based dip, since the texture will be different (read: worse) upon thawing.
Pizza Dip Tips
What can you serve with hot pizza dip?
Anything you’d serve with similar dip recipes works for this pizza dip—especially tortilla chips, baguette slices and pita chips. If you want to go big, try one of these homemade breadstick recipes or this great garlic bread recipe. Torn pieces of French bread or foccacia would be perfect for making sure no pizza dip gets left behind on your plate.
Can you make pizza dip in the oven or slow cooker?
Yes! To make hot pizza dip in the oven, first assemble the ingredients in a 9-inch pie plate, then bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. To make it in a slow cooker, layer in the ingredients and cook on high for one hour.
