17 Dips for Snack Plates and Gatherings

Snack plates feel more inviting when there is a dip beside the chips, crackers, bread, or vegetables. Pick a cheese dip for a fuller spread, a creamy ranch-style bowl for a casual table, or a feta or baba ganoush option when you want another flavor. Set one out before the food is ready or keep it on the table while people graze.

Hot Crab Dip

Warm crab and melted Monterey Jack make Hot Crab Dip a substantial centerpiece for a cracker-and-bread tray. One pound of jumbo lump crab, cream cheese, sour cream, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, and Old Bay make eight servings in 45 minutes. The mixture bakes at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling around the edges. Keep the baking dish insulated during transport and bring crackers, baguette slices, celery, or cucumber separately.
Get the Recipe: Hot Crab Dip

Million Dollar Dip

Bacon and toasted almonds give Million Dollar Dip a crisp, salty texture through a mayonnaise and cream cheese base. Four bacon slices, two cups of cheddar, one cup of almonds, scallions, garlic powder, and onion powder make eight servings in five minutes. Everything is folded together and topped with reserved bacon, cheese, nuts, and scallions without cooking. Chill it ahead or serve immediately with crackers, tortilla chips, cucumbers, carrots, celery, or bell peppers.
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Cheesy Rotel Dip

Sausage makes Cheesy Rotel Dip hearty enough to anchor a larger snack plate with tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, and Monterey cheese. One pound of pork sausage and one and a half cups of Rotel tomatoes make six servings in 25 minutes. The meat browns with onion and garlic before the dairy and taco seasoning melt into the skillet. Hold the dip on a slow cooker’s warm setting and offer tortilla chips, jalapeños, pico de gallo, or green onions.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Rotel Dip

Garlic Dip

Melted butter carries fresh garlic, basil, and thyme through Garlic Dip with a mayonnaise base. Four garlic cloves and six tablespoons of mayonnaise make four servings in five minutes. The garlic cooks in butter for about 45 seconds before the herbs are stirred in and the mixture cools slightly. Spoon it beside fries, pizza slices, chips, tortillas, fritters, or cut vegetables, and refrigerate any remaining dip for up to three days.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Dip

Goat Cheese Dip

Whipped cheeses give Goat Cheese Dip a light base beneath marinated olives, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and thyme. Half a pound of goat cheese, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon, honey, and olive oil make eight servings in 10 minutes. The cheese mixture is blended smooth while the topping marinates separately for 10 minutes. Assemble just before serving with crackers, toasted baguette, cucumbers, or bell pepper strips so the topping does not loosen the base.
Get the Recipe: Goat Cheese Dip

Mexican Street Corn Dip

Charred kernels bring smoky edges to Mexican Street Corn Dip with cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, jalapeño, lime, cilantro, and Cotija. Thirty ounces of corn make eight servings in 30 minutes. Part of the corn is reserved for garnish while the rest cooks with jalapeño before the creamy mixture and spices are warmed in the skillet. Serve it immediately with tortilla chips, or keep the skillet over low heat until the gathering begins.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Dip

Cowboy Queso Dip

Ground beef turns Cowboy Queso Dip into a filling skillet option with cheddar, cream cheese, tomatoes with green chilies, onion, and garlic. One pound of beef makes eight servings in 35 minutes. The meat and aromatics brown first, then the cheeses and tomatoes melt before the seasoned dip simmers for about five minutes. Keep it warm in a covered skillet or slow cooker and set tortilla chips close to the serving bowl.
Get the Recipe: Cowboy Queso Dip

French Onion Dip

Caramelized onions give French Onion Dip deeper flavor than a quick seasoning-packet version. Three cups of yellow onions, two cups of sour cream, sherry vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and chives make about one and a half cups in one hour. The onions cook for 30 to 40 minutes before the remaining ingredients are mixed in. Refrigerate the dip for at least two hours, then serve it with potato chips or crisp vegetables.
Get the Recipe: French Onion Dip

Greek Feta Dip

Roasted peppers soften the salty feta in Greek Feta Dip with fresh chili, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Two cups of feta make eight servings in five minutes. All six ingredients are processed until smooth, then the bowl is finished with extra feta and chopped chili or red pepper flakes. Add warm pita, olives, carrots, celery, crusty bread, or other mezze items when building a varied snack plate.
Get the Recipe: Greek Feta Dip

Chicken and Bacon Ranch Crack Dip

Shredded chicken gives Chicken and Bacon Ranch Crack Dip enough body for bread pieces, celery, and sturdy crackers. One cup of chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, bacon, ranch seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and aromatics make three cups in 15 minutes. The mixture is whipped together and spooned into a hollowed Hawaiian bread loaf before extra toppings go on. Keep it chilled until serving and surround the bread bowl with the reserved bread pieces and celery.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Bacon Ranch Crack Dip

Beer Cheese Dip

Lager adds malty depth to Beer Cheese Dip with cheddar, Dijon, milk, garlic powder, and paprika. Three cups of shredded cheddar make two cups of dip in 11 minutes. A flour-and-oil base thickens the milk and beer before the cheese is added off the heat in small handfuls. Transfer it to a small slow cooker for longer gatherings, then serve it with pretzels, tortilla chips, crackers, bread cubes, or crisp vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Beer Cheese Dip

Whipped Feta Dip

Tangy cheese gives Whipped Feta Dip a smooth base with Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and cream. One cup of feta makes six servings in 10 minutes. The mixture blends until light, while pine nuts toast for one to two minutes before joining olives, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and more olive oil on top. Serve it with pita chips, crackers, baguette slices, cucumbers, bell peppers, or cherry tomatoes.
Get the Recipe: Whipped Feta Dip

7 Layer Dip

Seven stacked components make 7 Layer Dip easy to portion from a wide serving dish with tortilla chips. Refried beans, seasoned cream cheese and sour cream, avocado, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, Monterey Jack, and olives make eight servings in 15 minutes. Each mixture is prepared separately before the ingredients are layered in order. Chill the finished dish before the gathering, and keep it covered until the chips are placed around the table.
Get the Recipe: 7 Layer Dip

Fried Dill Pickle Dip

Briny chopped pickles run through Fried Dill Pickle Dip with ranch seasoning, pickle juice, cream cheese, sour cream, and buttery panko. One cup of pickles makes eight servings in 15 minutes. The breadcrumbs toast for about five minutes before cooling and going over the mixed creamy base. Pack the dip and crumbs separately for travel, then assemble beside chips, crackers, or vegetable sticks so the topping stays crisp.
Get the Recipe: Fried Dill Pickle Dip

Queso Dip

Jalapeño and warm spices give Queso Dip controlled heat beneath cheddar, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and evaporated milk. The skillet makes eight servings in 25 minutes with onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, hot sauce, and pico de gallo. The cheeses melt slowly after the vegetables soften and the cream cheese dissolves into the milk. Hold it in a fondue pot or small slow cooker and add the pico only when serving.
Get the Recipe: Queso Dip

Lebanese Baba Ganoush

Smoky roasted eggplant forms Lebanese Baba Ganoush with tahini, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley. Two large eggplants make four servings in 1 hour 10 minutes. The vegetables roast at 425°F for 40 to 50 minutes, cool for 20 minutes, and are drained before blending. Serve the dip chilled or at room temperature with pita, crackers, vegetables, olives, or tomatoes, and refrigerate leftovers for up to four days.
Get the Recipe: Lebanese Baba Ganoush

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo-style sauce turns Buffalo Chicken Dip into a hot baked bowl with shredded chicken, cream cheese, ranch, blue cheese, and green onions. Two cups of cooked chicken make eight servings in 17 minutes. The mixed dip bakes at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes until hot and lightly browned. Serve it with celery, carrots, tortilla chips, or baguette slices, or prepare the mixture up to two days before baking.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip