49 Party Dips and Spreads for Any Occasion

From game day gatherings to cocktail parties, homemade dips are sure to impress

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Updated 10/30/20

Hummus With Tahini — The Spruce

When you're planning a party, the easiest way to keep guests satisfied is to offer dips and spreads. These simple appetizers allow everyone to snack away and they don't take long to prepare. From cheesy dips for chips to creamy spreads for crackers and savory blends for baguettes, there's sure to be a recipe that will fit your next get together.

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Salsa de Aji Picante

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Gameday parties and picnics are the perfect time to bring out a homemade salsa de aji picante. This is a spicy recipe, featuring a habanero pepper, chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, and takes just minutes to prepare.
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Spicy Chili Con Queso

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Spicy chili con queso is also sure to please. It's incredibly easy to make in your crock pot. Requiring common ingredients and featuring real cheddar cheese, this is a recipe you'll rely on time and again.
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Crock Pot Chili Cheese Taco Dip

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Three ingredients are all you need for a great crock pot chili cheese taco dip. Made with ground beef, canned chili, and Velveeta, it's a recipe anyone can pull off.
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Mexican Seven-Layer Dip

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A Mexican seven-layer dip is a ton of fun for any party. It has everything that makes tacos great; it's simply served in dip form. Adults and kids will love it and it's surprisingly healthy.

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Spicy Refried Bean Dip

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

With refried beans, taco seasoning, and Monterey jack cheese you can make an easy and delicious spicy refried bean dip. It's a great one for your slow cooker.
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Spicy Guacamole

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Spicy guacamole is always a hit and it is not difficult. You'll spend most of your time cutting up the avocados and vegetables. From there, you just have to mix it all up.
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Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

If you want to spice up your next game night, put out a bowl of this creamy jalapeno sauce. Use it as a dip for tortilla chips, wings, or poppers, or drizzle it over quesadillas, tacos, burritos, or chili.
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Buffalo Chicken Dip

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Don't want to mess with hot wings? Buffalo chicken dip is the next best thing. It includes rotisserie chicken, cream and blue cheeses, and hot sauce. This one may become a new favorite.

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Slow Cooker Pizza Dip

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Even pizza can be transformed into a dip. This easy slow cooker pizza dip recipe is a deconstructed pepperoni pizza. Serve it with Italian bread bites and everyone will be happy.
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Crock Pot Beer Cheese Dip

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Whether it's served in a fondue pot or slow cooker, this crock pot beer cheese dip is great for longer parties. It's perfect for a variety of dippers, including crackers, chips, bread, veggies, shrimp, or sausage.
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Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Dip

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Crock pot broccoli cheese dip is a guaranteed hit for your favorite dippers. It's easy to prepare and can be customized in a variety of ways for an extra zing of flavor.
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Artichoke Gruyere Dip

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The artichoke Gruyere dip is a great choice for fancier affairs. The recipe is baked and has a rich flavor, though it's lighter than most. It's fabulous with crusty bread bites.

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Easy Spinach Dip

The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

A restaurant favorite, easy spinach dip is easy to make at home. This no-bake recipe requires nothing more than mixing the ingredients. It can also be warmed up or served in a bread bowl.
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French Onion Dip

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Forget the dried packet stuff and make French onion dip from scratch instead. The recipe is surprisingly simple, caramelizing sliced onions then mixing them with sour cream, mayonnaise, and all sorts of spices and seasonings you likely have in the cupboard.
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Hummus With Tahini

The Spruce

Forget the store-bought varieties and try a classic hummus with tahini recipe. With chickpeas and tahini, it will outshine any prepared hummus at the market.
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Crab Rangoon Dip

Leah Maroney

Crab rangoon dip takes all of the flavors of the classic Chinese dish and turns it into a hot, creamy dip. It's especially good served with some crispy egg roll wrappers for dipping.

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Shrimp Cocktail

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Homemade cocktail sauce is super easy. This shrimp cocktail recipe includes a flavorful version with kitchen staples like ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, lemon, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.
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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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Roasted red pepper hummus is a favorite flavor variation on this popular vegetarian dip. It has a wonderful zest that is fantastic with warm pitas and vegetables.
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Sweet Potato Hummus

The Spruce Eats / Anita Schecter

Sweet potato hummus is an ideal dip for fall parties. The recipe cooks and mashes a sweet potato, then blends it with canned chickpeas, tahini, and garlic. It's a simple twist that works well with all the favorite hummus dippers.
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Black Bean Hummus

The Spruce

Black beans are a nice substitute for chickpeas. The black bean hummus is flavored with garlic, tahini, lemon, cumin, and cilantro and it's tasty with pita or tortilla chips.

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Garbanzo Bean Pesto Dip

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Similar to hummus, the garbanzo bean pesto dip is a nice change. It combines the beans with sour cream, basil pesto sauce, and red bell peppers. Serve this one with crackers or fresh vegetables.
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Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Bean Dip

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Take your average bean dip to the next level with the sun-dried tomato and goat cheese bean dip recipe. With a mix of white beans and garlic, it's a great alternative to hummus.
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Matbucha

Miri Rotkovitz

Matbucha is a Moroccan dish that is as popular as hummus in Israel. It combines tomatoes, jalapeno or bell peppers, and paprika, so it's almost a mild salsa. To follow tradition, serve it with warm pita bread.
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Baba Ghanoush

The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

Baba ghanoush is a tasty eggplant-based dip found in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. This recipe is fat- and gluten-free as well as vegetarian-friendly. It's perfect for a diverse group of party guests.

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Smoked Salmon Dip

Leah Maroney

This bright and flavorful smoked salmon dip only takes minutes to whip up and can be made ahead of time for a last-minute appetizer. Serve with crackers or bagel chips.
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Carrot Hummus

The Spruce / Laurel Randolph

For a colorful and fun dip, serve carrot hummus with toasted pita or chips. Roasting the carrots and garlic adds a hint of natural sweetness to the creamy hummus. It's sure to be a hit at your next gathering.
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Vegan Olive Tapenade

The Spruce

Olive tapenade is great with toasted baguettes or flatbread and it can be used on top of your homemade hummus. The vegan olive tapenade is a nice alternative because it skips the anchovy paste.
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Blue Cheese Dip

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For a veggie plate, a simple blue cheese dip is a great choice. It's also a dipper for your favorite hot wings and you can make it into a thicker spread for crackers and bread.

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Greek Tzatziki Dip

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You'll want to make plenty of Greek tzatziki dip because it disappears fast on a vegetable platter. This easy cucumber, garlic, and yogurt dip is best after sitting overnight, so be sure to plan ahead.
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Kentucky Benedictine Dip

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A Kentucky Benedictine dip is a classic vegetable dip. This recipe combines cucumber, cream cheese, onion, and mayonnaise and it should be a vivid green color, so it's perfect for spring and summer parties.
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Hot Seafood Dip

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Seafood should not be reserved for dinner entrees, it makes fantastic appetizers as well. Cooked in a slow cooker, the hot seafood dip uses lobster, crab, and shrimp in a melty, gooey mix of cheeses. Serve this one with bread cubes.
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Shrimp Dip

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Sure, you can dip shrimp in a shrimp dip, but it also works with vegetables or crackers. A no-cook recipe, you will only need canned shrimp, lemon, onion, cream cheese, and a bit of mayo.

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Baked Crab Dip

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The baked crab dip recipe is an impressive choice. It's very easy and people love serving it for the holidays. Serve it with fancy crackers, bagel chips, and veggie sticks.
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Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche

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The smoky, tangy flavor of smoked salmon and crème fraiche is sure to wow anyone at your party. It's the perfect topping for cucumber slices, though it's also nice on toasted bread.
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Queso Blanco Dip

Anita Schecter

For an appetizer that's sure to be a hit, make homemade queso blanco dip and serve with crisp tortilla chips. Melted white cheeses and a spiced white sauce are combined to make a creamy, gooey dip that's also great on nachos
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Pumpkin Hummus

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Hummus gets an upgrade from creamy pumpkin purée and fresh sage for a delicious fall appetizer. Make pumpkin hummus for fall or winter game day or as an easy snack before an autumn dinner.

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Taramosalata (Greek Carp Roe Spread)

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Taramosalata is a traditional Greek carp roe caviar spread that will dazzle everyone's taste buds. Best with pita triangles, the recipe combines soaked bread with tarama (the caviar), onion, olive oil, and lemon juice.
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Smoked Fish Pâté

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A smoked fish pâté may sound fancy, but it's rather easy. Simply toss your favorite smoked fish into a food processor with a few common ingredients. Then let it chill overnight and serve it with bread or crackers.
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Vegan Lentil Pâté

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The vegan lentil pâté is almost as simple, though you have to do a little work on the stove first. Nonetheless, the combination of lentils, onion, garlic, and pepper is definitely worth five more minutes of your time.
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Sweet Bell Pepper Relish

Diana Rattray

If you enjoy canning, keep a jar of this delicious sweet bell pepper relish in the pantry. When you need a fast appetizer, simply pour it over cream cheese and you have an instant dip for crackers or bread.

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Blueberry Chutney

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A blueberry chutney is another kitchen staple that puts a fruity twist on a cheese spread. Freeze it during blueberry season and you have three months to use it over Brie or cream cheese.
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Cheesy Crock Pot Reuben Dip

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Break out the rye rounds or melba toasts, the cheesy crock pot Reuben dip is a unique appetizer. It transforms the favorite sandwich into a dippable delight straight out of the crock pot.
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Green Bean Walnut Vegetarian Chopped Liver

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Chopped liver is a great spread for crackers, crudites, and bread, but a mock version is far easier. The green bean walnut vegetarian chopped liver recipe is vegetarian and pareve (meat- and dairy-free), so it's something everyone can enjoy.
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Salmon Ball

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A cheese ball will impress everyone and the salmon ball will show you just how easy it is. Coated with nuts, the ball includes cream cheese, dill, and horseradish. When surrounded by a variety of crackers, it makes a great looking appetizer plate.

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Jalapeño Peach Cheese Ball

The Spruce

Nicknamed the "cheese ball of darkness," this jalapeño peach cheese ball is a guaranteed showstopper, especially for Halloween. It's filled with spicy jalapeño peppers and sweet peaches then rolled in black sesame seeds.
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Classic Pimento Cheese Spread

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A classic recipe, classic pimento cheese spread is one you can make days in advance. The creamy spread works great on bread, crackers, or apples.
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Korozott (Hungarian Goat Cheese Spread)

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Korozott is a Hungarian goat cheese spread that combines the cheese with green onions, caraway, and paprika. It's an intriguing flavor and another great option for toasted bread or as a vegetable dip.
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Basil Walnut Spread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

The basil walnut spread is perfect for summer parties. It has a flavor that's similar to pesto and includes Parmesan and cream cheeses. This one's perfect for baguettes or an assortment of crackers.

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Zesty Chicken Salad Spread

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For a chunkier cracker spread, try the zesty chicken salad spread. It's a fine option that uses mashed chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and Dijon along with a few spices.