Baked Pimento Cheese Dip
This hot and bubbly Baked Pimento Cheese Dip is the perfect Southern party appetizer! It’s creamy, melty, and loaded with sharp cheddar, pimientos, and a touch of heat from pickled jalapeños. It bakes to golden perfection and stays scoopable for the entire gathering. Serve with crackers, crostini, or veggies for an irresistible, crowd-pleasing dip.
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If you love classic Southern pimento cheese, prepare to fall hard for its warm, melty, party-dip cousin. This Baked Pimento Cheese Dip is everything we love about the original (sharp cheddar, diced pimientos, a little jalapeño kick)but baked until hot, bubbly, and perfectly scoopable.
Whether you’re hosting a holiday party, watching the Masters or just looking for an easy appetizer, this recipe checks every box!
Ingredient Notes
A quick glance at ingredients, but you’ll find the full recipe card (printable!) at the bottom of the blog post!
- Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese gives the dip structure and creaminess without overwhelming the flavor!
- Shredded Cheese: A blend of sharp cheddar + Monterey Jack or Colby-Jack gives the perfect melt and balanced flavor. You can swap out the colby-jack for any cheese variety you prefer to switch things up. Just make sure you have 16 ounces (4 cups) total.
- Mayonnaise: You can use a lower fat mayo here, or swap in some sour cream, but don’t completely leave it out, it helps make this dip scoopable!
- Pimientos: The star of the show! Drain these well!
- Pickled Jalapeños: Adds a little kick, you can leave them out or add more!
Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
How to Make Baked Pimento Cheese Dip
This recipe couldn’t be easier, which is why it’s one of my favorite apps!
- Stir together or beat softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Stir in shredded cheeses, mayo, pimientos, jalapeños, and seasonings.
- Spread into a baking dish.
- Bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes until hot and bubbly.
- Serve immediately.
You can use an 8×8 dish, a pie plate, or even a small cast-iron skillet!
Serving Suggestions for Baked Pimento Cheese Dip
- Ritz crackers
- Toasted baguette slices
- Tortilla chips or Fritos Scoops
- Celery or bell pepper strips
- Pita chips
- Pretzel Crisps
- Soft Pretzels/Pretzel-Bites
Make-Ahead & Storing
This dip is incredibly make-ahead friendly, which is one of the reasons it’s so great for hosting.
To Make Ahead:
Assemble the mixture, spread into the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time if it’s going into the oven cold.
Leftovers:
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the oven (325°F) until warm and melty again.
Baked Pimento Cheese Dip | Recipe Variations
Want to put your own twist on it? Try one of these:
- Extra Spicy: Add more jalapeños, a pinch of cayenne, or a splash of jalapeño brine. Leave the seeds in for extra spice! You can also add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
- Bacon: Stir in chopped bacon and save some for adding on top!
- Crispy Topping: Sprinkle the top of the dip with panko breadcrumbs for a crispy topping!
More Pimento Cheese Favorites to Try!
- Pimento Cheese Ball
- Bacon Pimento Cheese Bites
- Pimento Cheese Sausage Balls
- Masters Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
- Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
- Cucumber Pimento Cheese Bites
Baked Pimento Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese - softened
- 16 oz shredded cheese - divided (8 oz sharp cheddar + 8 oz Monterey Jack or Colby-Jack)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 8 ounces diced pimientos, drained very well - (2 4-ounce jars)
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- Salt - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a small baking dish (8×8, pie plate, or similar).
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the softened cream cheese.
- Add the shredded cheddar, Monterey/Colby-Jack, mayonnaise, pimientos, jalapeños, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir until fully combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the dip is hot, bubbly around the edges, and lightly golden on top.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Optional: Garnish with diced chives or sliced green onions.
Notes
- Drain pimientos well. Excess moisture can make the dip watery or cause slight separation.
- For more heat: swap colby-jack for pepper-jack, add extra jalapeños, a pinch of cayenne, or a splash of jalapeño brine.
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a 325°F oven until warm and melty again, or gently microwave in short increments.
Your Thanksgiving Table is exquisite! Makes me want to go ahead and set mine! And have definitey added your hot pimento cheese dip to our menu, too. You ARE amazing !!!
This baked pimento cheese dip looks amazing! I love how creamy and cheesy it is, and the golden top makes it so inviting. Definitely trying this recipe at home.
I absolutely love this Baked Pimento Cheese Dip recipe because it’s rich, creamy, and full of bold, savory flavor. The warm, bubbly texture straight from the oven makes it the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer that never lasts long at the table.