This warm pepper jelly cream cheese dip combines cream cheese with aged cheddar and is topped with pepper jelly after baking. Delicious served warm or at room temperature. I’m using my Cranberry Pepper Jelly here, but any pepper jelly will work just fine.
Quick and easy appetizers are always welcome during the holiday season and few are easier than this pepper jelly cream cheese dip. It’s lovely warm or at room temperature and can be baked ahead and warmed and topped when needed.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Pepper Jelly – You can use any pepper jelly, whether it is store-bought or homemade. I’ve used my quick and easy homemade cranberry pepper jelly here, and it was a perfect combination of flavours. A peach and pepper jam, an apricot jalapeño jelly or a homemade or storebought red pepper jelly (or other jelly) would also be great.
Cream cheese – You can use full-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese for this dip.
Aged white cheddar – A sharp-flavoured aged or old white cheddar is the perfect combination with cream cheese and brings great depth of flavour. I prefer a white cheddar as opposed to an orange cheddar as I think it just looks nicer in the dip rather than the contrasting colours.
How to make pepper jelly cream cheese dip
- Combine all the dip ingredients in a bowl.
- Stir together until well combined.
- Spoon into a baking dish (or dishes) and smooth the top. Pop into the oven for about 10-12 minutes.
- Once out of the oven, spoon the pepper jelly on top of the dip.
- Spread the dip out to cover the top evenly, then sprinkle some parsley on top.
- Enjoy warm from the oven or at room temperature.
Recipe tips!
- Don’t bake the dip too long. You only want to warm it through. If it bakes too long, it tends to puff up around the edges which forces the pepper jelly into the centre and isn’t as nice a presentation.
- If using a particularly thick jelly you can soften it briefly in the microwave to make it more spreadable.
- I’ve used shallow ramekins here. This recipe as written, will make two 5-inch round ramekins. You can use one larger shallow dish. The cheese should be about 1 inch deep when spread into the dish.
- The dip can be re-warmed in the microwave, but it is just as nice at room temperature I think. You could even enjoy it cold from the refrigerator if you like.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
You can bake off the cheese dip ahead. Allow to cool then cover and refrigerate without the jelly topping for up to 2 days.
Rewarm in the microwave or pop into a 350F oven until warmed, then top with the jelly to serve.
The cheese dip will freeze well for up to 3 months well-wrapped.
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Get the Recipe: Pepper Jelly Cream Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, standard block, at room temperature
- 4 oz old white cheddar cheese, about 1 3/4 cup packed
- 1 teaspoon onion, grated or very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, grated or very finely chopped
- 1-2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper
For topping after baking:
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup pepper jelly, *see Note 1 below for options
- Additional parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- 350F for 18-20 minutes. Melt jelly in microwave or saucepan until pourable. Pour over warm dip and serve immediately. Garnish with parsley.
- Preheat oven to 350F (non-convection). Have a baking dish (or dishes) ready. I used two round, shallow ramekins that are about 5 inches in diameter. The cheese should be about 1 inch deep when spread into the dish.
- Combine all the dip ingredients in a bowl and stir together well. Spoon into baking dish (or dishes) and spread evenly, levelling the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or just until warmed through. Don't overbake, or the sides will puff up, and it won't be level when topping with the jelly.
- Tip! You can bake off the dip ahead and refrigerate without the topping. To serve later, simply warm in the microwave (or pop into a 350F oven for a few minutes to warm) and then top with the jelly.
- Remove from the oven and immediately spoon the pepper jelly over-top. Use the back of a spoon to gently spread it out evenly over the top of the dip.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
