Hot Bacon Cream Cheese Dip

Cream cheese makes this bacon cheddar dip so creamy. It’s extremely easy to make and the perfect appetizer for game days, holidays, or whenever you need a fan favorite snack. Serve hot with your favorite crackers and watch this recipe fly off the table.

A super cheesy, creamy dish filled with crispy bacon and topped with crunchy Ritz crackers… could it get any better? This recipe has all the mouth watering flavor combos with the addition of crumbly textures. Needless to say, it will be your new favorite appetizer.

When choosing appetizers for entertaining whether it’s game day a holiday or just having friends over, you can never go wrong with something cheesy. Add bacon and you’ll always have a winner. Serve it alongside a buffalo chicken dip or vidalia onion dip, both creamy hot appetizers that everyone loves and will compliment the flavor of the bacon.

In addition to cheese, crispy bacon is the real reason why this dip goes so quickly. People go crazy for perfectly cooked bacon recipes! Just wrap something in bacon like bacon wrapped tater tots, or bacon wrapped chicken bites and everyone will be singing your praises. With bacon cream cheese dip, you’ll get crispy bacon and creamy cheese in every bite.

What makes cream cheese bacon dip so special

• A great recipe made in minutes with simple ingredients you probably already have
• It goes well with crostini, baguette slices, tortilla chips, or fresh veggies
• You can serve it hot or at room temperature making it the perfect appetizer for your next party
• The crunchy Ritz cracker topping makes this recipe stand out

What you’ll need for bacon dip

• Cream cheese – Make sure you use full fat cream cheese for the best results
• Mayonnaise – This adds some tang but there’s not too much so that it breaks down when heated.
• Green onions – These give a mild onion flavor that isn’t too pungent. Feel free to add more spices like garlic powder or ranch seasoning if desired.
• Cheese – Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese is the prime choice for this easy dip recipe.
• Bacon – Crispy bacon works best for this recipe.
• Ritz crackers – The soft yet crumbly texture of Ritz is the perfect topping for this hot dip. You could use panko crumbs with butter instead.

How to soften cream cheese

You will need the cream cheese to be at room temperature. You can take it out of the refrigerator and wait about an hour, or for this recipe, you can quickly soften it by microwaving it for 15 second bursts until it has softened.

Simple steps for making a bacon dip with cream cheese

Step 1: Cook bacon

You want crispy bacon with minimal to no excess grease. Once cooked, pat it off with a paper towel to remove any grease. Crumble it into small pieces.

Pro Tip: When making a lot of baking, it can be easier to cook the bacon in the oven. Just place in a cold oven on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes. No splatter all over your stove, and clean up is easy.

Step 2: Mix ingredients

Mix the cream cheese and mayo

and add the rest of the ingredients.

Step 3: Top and bake

Add Ritz crackers on top of the dip then bake. Serve hot!

Pro Tip: You can prep this easy recipe ahead of time and bake right before you’re ready to serve. This way, you’ll have a hot and fresh dip straight out of the oven.

Some helpful tips for making cream cheese dips

• Room temperature cream cheese – Room temperature cream cheese compared to cold cream cheese will mix much better. Set it out 10-15 minutes before preparing for best results.
• Thin bacon – Using thin sliced bacon is a great idea because it gets extra crispy. You won’t be able to taste the difference between thin and thick bacon in the dip.
• Shallow serving dish – A casserole dish or something similar works best for serving. This way, people don’t have to dig to the bottom of a bowl. You can also serve this in a bread bowl. Just scoop it out into a bread bowl once it has baked.

Bacon cream cheese dip FAQs

Cheese dip variations

• Add some spice with hot sauce or buffalo sauce
• Add a variety of cheeses like mild cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
• You can add a packet of Ranch dressing mix
• Throw in some black olives

How to store leftovers

Storing – Store this dip in an airtight container or cover in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bake when ready to serve. You can refrigerate this dip after you’ve baked it, but it’s better fresh.

Freezing – I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Dips to try next

• It’s great to have cold dips along with hot, give a cheesy corn dip or layered shrimp dip a try.
• Try one without cheese like a fresh peach and corn dip.
• If you want more hot dips, you can’t go wrong with pimento cheese dip or spinach artichoke dip.

More bacon recipes

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.