This creamy, unbelievably cheesy Pizza Dip recipe features four cheeses, flavorful pizza sauce, and spicy pepperoni. It’s baked in the oven until wonderfully gooey and ultra-scoopable, a great appetizer or snack!
This ooey-gooey Pizza Dip recipe takes all of the awesomeness you love about Homemade Pizza and melds it into the best party dip ever. It has a cheese pull that’ll win your fun-lovin’ heart (kinda like my Queso Fundido recipe!), perfectly scoopable with baguette slices or your favorite crackers. The first time I made this, I barely got a second helping – it was gone in a flash. A true testimony to just how wonderful this dip is!
Why We ❤️ This Pizza Dip Recipe
- Crazy yummy + fun! This is absolutely a family favorite. Everyone gets excited for this flavorful dip – we never have leftovers!
- Easy. A really fabulous pizza dip need not be complicated. This recipe has simple ingredients with simple instructions.
- Adaptable. You can adjust the pizza ingredients and toppings to suit your tastes. For example, our daughters like to add a drizzle of hot honey over the top right before we dig in!
What You’ll Need
Here’s everything you need to make this pizza dip recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.
- Cream cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor and texture.
- Mozzarella cheese – I recommend using whole milk mozzarella, if you can find it, for its supreme flavor and melting.
- Cheddar cheese – I like to use a medium cheddar, but use whatever you like.
- Parmesan cheese – This adds a saltier cheese to the mix. Mix some into the dip and sprinkle a bit over the top.
- Italian herb seasoning – Use this flavorful blend or substitute a combination of dried basil, oregano, and/or thyme.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder and red pepper flakes offer extra flavor, with ease.
- Pizza sauce – Use my homemade Pizza Sauce or your own favorite sauce.
- Pepperoni – Use regular or spicy pepperoni, or even turkey pepperoni.
- Basil – I love to finish this dip with fresh basil!
How To Make Pizza Dip
Just mix, bake, and broil your way to a wonderfully melty dip! Find an overview of how to put this recipe together below. Check the recipe card for the detailed instructions.
- Beat the cream cheese. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until fluffy.
- Add cheeses & seasonings. Now add 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, all of the cheddar, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan, plus the seasonings. Mix to combine.
- Spread in a pan. Spread the cheese mixture evenly in an oven-safe pan or pie plate.
- Add pizza sauce. Top the cream cheese mixture with pizza sauce.
- Finish with cheese & pepperoni. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the sauce and top with pepperoni slices.
- Bake, garnish, and serve. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly to your liking. Let cool a few minutes, then garnish with fresh basil and serve!
Tips & Variations
You can easily play around with some of the ingredients in this dip. Here are a few ideas:
- Broil. While I add this as an optional step, I personally like to set the dip under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time. This gives the cheese a lovely browning and crisps up the pepperoni a bit, making it even more irresistible.
- Change up the meat. In addition to or instead of the pepperoni, add cooked Italian sausage or bacon crumbles, or chopped Canadian bacon.
- Garnish. Think about your favorite pizza toppings – do you like spinach? Olives? Onions? Sprinkle some of these over the top if you like.
- Make it vegetarian. Skip the pepperoni to make this a vegetarian pizza dip.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few great ways to serve this dip:
- Baguette. Toast or grill some baguette slices, or just warm them up and leave them soft. To make perfectly toasted bread, slice a baguette on the diagonal, into ½ ” slices. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with olive oil, then add a very light sprinkle of kosher salt to one side of each slice. Toast or grill the baguette slices over medium heat in a large skillet on the stovetop or on a grill, turning to brown them on both sides. You could also place the slices on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until lightly toasted.
- Crackers. This is a super easy choice – offer a variety of sturdy crackers. I like to seek out crackers that have some Italian herb seasoning.
- Breadsticks. I grew up on breadsticks from Olive Garden and Pizza Hut, so this suggestion brings back a lot of delicious memories!
- Other hot, cheesy dips. Serve cheesy pizza dip alongside other decadent hot dips like Reuben Dip, savory Spinach Artichoke Dip, and an easy Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip.
- Drinks. Hot dip pairs wonderfully with cocktails like a Classic Gin & Tonic, Manhattan, or a Bootleg Cocktail. See my drinks section for a complete list of amazing cocktails.
Proper Storage
- Fridge – Store cooled leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer – You can freeze this dip in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months, just know that the texture won’t be quite the same as when it’s freshly baked.
- To Reheat – Place the dip in an oven-safe dish and warm it in the oven at 350°F until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated all the way through. If frozen, let dip thaw overnight first.
More Dip Recipes To Try
Pizza Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded medium cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1 tablespoon to sprinkle over the top
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 1-2 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, with an electric mixture on high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth and a bit fluffy – about 1 minute.
- To the cream cheese, add 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, plus the cheddar, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, Italian herb seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Mix to fully combine, then transfer mixture to a 9" pie pan and spread into an even layer.
- Top the cream cheese mixture with pizza sauce.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella over the pizza sauce, followed by remaining 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan, and finally, the pepperoni.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is browned. If desired, place pan under broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese and crisp the pepperoni.
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Then sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve with toasted or grilled baguette slices (see Notes below) or soft cubed bread.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2012, then updated in 2025.
I tried this recipe in the crock pot and also turned out amazing! Big hit with everyone