Chili Cream Cheese Dip (Sweet Chilli Cream Cheese Dip) needs to be on the table at every party! This quick and easy oven baked dip can be served warm or cold. It uses everyday ingredients and is best served with crackers or corn chips.
Recipes like my Corn Dip with Cream Cheese, Ham Dip and Cream Cheese Spinach Dip give us great options to get the party started!
My Gherkin Dip, Corn Relish Dip and Cream Cheese Salsa Dip call for getting your spread and cracker on.
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🤍 Recipe Highlights
Everything that you will come to know and love about this dip is summarised in the points below:
- Option to serve the dip hot or cold: you decide which suits your entertaining style the best!
- Party starter: if you have a large dip you can feed a crowd and not need to provide a number of small finger food options.
- Everyday ingredients: there is no need to pop to a specialty store or go anywhere fancy for the recipe. All of the ingredients are mainstream and readily available at your local regular supermarket.
- Vegetarian: this dip has no meat and is suitable for vegetarians, meaning you won't have to make 2 separate recipes to ensure everyone gets something to nibble on as a starting point.
- Taste and texture: I worked hard on coming up with the combination of ingredients that work well together, but also tick the boxes of taste and texture. There is more levels of flavour than simply a creamy cheese dip and this is highlighted through the bright colour and ever so slight spice of the dip, a result of the sweet chilli sauce.
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Refer to the printable recipe card for exact measurements.
As you can see, the recipe calls for:
- Cream cheese: this provides the thick creaminess in the recipe. It is a great ingredient to use in both sweet and savory recipes.
- Greek Yogurt: we use this to add another dimension of thick, creamy texture to the dish without having to use mayonnaise or sour cream. I use regular full fat Greek Yogurt.
- Parmesan cheese: this is a strong bodied cheese which has a bit of bite to it. Intentionally added as a balance to the soft cream cheese, it melts and merges to a kind of heaven sent yum.
- Sweet chilli sauce: a well rounded sauce that provides a sweet sticky tang to recipes. Despite its name it is reasonably mild in flavour and doesn't have the heat of a 'hot chilli sauce'.
- Dried onion: you will be able to get your hands on this in the spices section of the supermarket. It is such a great ingredient to use! Providing onion flavour but no tears, it is a time saver and almost essential to have in your pantry spice collection!
- Salt and pepper: we use a small amount of these 2 ingredients and they work to season the other ingredients for the dip.
👩🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by combining the cream cheese and Greek Yoghurt in a heatproof dish.
- Add cream cheese and yogurt to heat proof bowl (Photo 1)
- Then add parmesan cheese (Photo 2)
- Next sprinkle in the dried onion (Photo 3)
- Followed by the salt and pepper (Photo 4)
How to Make Chili Cream Cheese Dip
To make the dip, start by preheating the oven, then spraying a heatproof serving bowl (or try) with cooking oil.
Next start to combine the dip ingredients in the bowl with the cream cheese, followed by Greek yogurt, then parmesan cheese, dried onion, salt and pepper followed by the sweet chilli sauce.
- Pour the sweet chilli sauce into the dip bowl (Photo 5)
Once all of the dip ingredients are in the bowl, place it in the preheated oven for 10 mins to bake.
After 10 minutes, use oven mits to remove the dip from the oven and place it on a heatproof surface. Use a spoon to stir the dip, mixing all of the ingredients together. It is handy to have a tea towel for this as the dip bowl is hot and you can place it on one side of the bowl to hold it as you use the spoon and stir with the other hand.
- Bake the dip for 10 mins, remove and stir then bake for 10 more mins (Photo 6)
Baking the dip in the oven allows the cheeses to melt down and then we stir them to combine with the other ingredients.
This is a different technique to a similar combination of ingredients used in my Cream Cheese Pepper Jelly recipe. Where that one is about the layers and separation of the cream cheese and pepper jelly (chilli jam), this technique is all about combining those (similar) flavours into one.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving your dip, you have to make 2 decisions. The 1st is whether to serve the dip warm or cold. If serving cold, once it has baked and cooled, pop it back into the fridge to chill. It will take a couple of hours to firm up.
The 2nd decision is as to whether you want to serve the dip with crackers or corn chips. Both are good options, so this really depends on what you want to do.
Crackers are easy as you simply open the packet and pop them on the serving board. Chips can take a little longer if you want to toast them and serve them warm alongside the dip.
If you look at the photos throughout the post, you can see that I have gone for crackers on this occasion. If you want to check out my Cream Cheese Jalapeno Dip you will see a similar dip served with corn chips for an alternative suggestion.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are the ins and outs that you make want to consider as you make the recipe:
- You can substitute sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt if you wish to.
- As an alternative to the parmesan cheese, you can use shredded cheddar cheese.
- Try tortilla chips in place or crackers or toast some corn chips.
- Add some diced bacon after adding the sweet chilli sauce.
- Use chopped jalapenos (seeds removed) in place of the parsley.
- Or add chopped bell pepper (capsicum) instead of the parsley. This will deliver the same colour combination with slight alternatives.
How to Guide
How to Store
Store leftovers of the dip in the bowl with a layer of cling wrap. They can be eaten later the same day or the next.
How to Reheat
To reheat the dip (I don't recommend doing this more than once), place back into the oven for 10 minutes until warmed through.
How to Freeze
This dip is not recommended to be frozen before or after making as it can lead to mixed results from the cheese and yogurt.
Top Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks so that you can master this recipe from the get go:
- You don't have to use the same crackers as me, you can use your favourite. See above for my substitutions and variations.
- Ensure you have a heatproof bowl or dish that is at least 1.3 litres (5.4 US cups).
- Preheat the oven: this is so that the dip starts cooking as soon as you add it to the oven and you have a pin point time frame on the steps involved.
- Stir after 10 mins: 10 minutes is a good initial cook time as it allows the cheese to start melting and the sweet chilli sauce to heat and release its aroma.
- Serving tip: if you refrigerate the dip and then want to use it, allow it to come to room temperature for serving. Also provide a spoon or cheese knife for serving. This way the dip can be spooned and spread onto the crackers and the crackers won't break in the dip.
🧐 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheese for chili?
There are many cheeses that pair exceptionally well with chili.
You can try cheddar cheese, cream cheese, swiss cheese, smoked cheese, sharp, bold, vintage or tasty cheese.
Steer clear of pairing blue cheese or gorgonzola with chili as the flavours are not complimentary to each other.
How long is chili cheese dip good for?
This dip will last for a couple of days in the fridge and if kept as such is better served chilled (or room temperature) as opposed to reheating.
Leftovers should be stored with a cover or placed into an air tight container to maximise freshness.
Can I freeze chili cheese dip?
Due to the combination of the Greek Yogurt and cream cheese, it is not recommended that this dip be frozen.
How many calories are in chili cheese dip?
This is a large dip which feeds a crowd. Using a dip bowl that is at least 1.3 litres (5.4 US cups) you will get at least 24 servings (based on 1 cracker being 1 serving). Based on this ratio, each serving will be approximately 88kcal Calories.
More Tasty Dip Recipes
You can find all of my dip recipes in the one spot and here are a few I think you will really enjoy!
- Cream Cheese Jalapeno Dip
- Green Olive Dip
- Cream Cheese Bacon Dip
- Kalamata Olive Dip
- Cream Cheese Onion Dip
If you want something to feed a crowd, try my Grazing Platter.
Adrianne xx
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📖 Recipe
Chili Cream Cheese Dip
Equipment
- 1 Dip bowl Note 1
- 1 Soup Spoon Note 2
- 2 Oven Mits
Ingredients
- 500 grams/ 16 oz cream cheese Note 3
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tbs dried onion
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 cup sweet chilli sauce (sweet chili sauce)
- sweet chilli flakes optional, for garnish
- parsley finely chopped, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5.
- Combine: add cream cheese, Greek Yogurt, parmesan cheese, dried onion, salt and pepper to a medium sized heatproof glass bowl. Pour sweet chilli sauce over the top.
- Oven bake: place dip into the oven and bake for 10 mins. Use oven mits, to remove and stir to combine.
- Return to oven: place the combined dip back into the oven and bake for a further 10 mins.
- Remove from the oven: use oven mits to remove dip from oven, place on heatproof surface.
- To serve: sprinkle over chopped parsley and dried chilli flakes. Serve warm with corn chips or crackers. Note 4
Notes
- Note 1 - Serving Bowl: I like to make this dip in a heatproof glass dish. It also doubles as a serving bowl and comes with a handy lid for sealing and refrigerating leftovers. Ensure your dish is oven safe and use oven mits as it will be hot coming out of the oven.
- Note 2 - Soup Spoon: this is to stir the dip together after the initial 10 minute cook time. The glass will be hot, so rest it on a heatproof surface. Use a tea towel or oven mit to hang on to the side of the bowl so that it doesn't move around as you stir the dip. Do the same (oven mits) to both return the dip to the oven as well as when you pull it out when cooked.
- Note 3 - Cream cheese: I use 2 x 250 gram tubs of cream cheese. It won't matter if you use the block or the tub (ie spreadable version or not), however, measure to the equivalent 500 gram amount.
- Note 4 - Serving the dip: I mention in the post that you can serve the dip warm or cold. As the dip cools, it firms up. Refrigerating the dip firms it even more. If serving the dip chilled, allow to come to room temperature, pop a spoon in to aid scooping and dolloping and serve with crackers or toasted corn chips.
Tanya says
Looks delicous, can't wait to give it a go yum.
Adrianne says
Thanks Tanya! I appreciate you taking the time to comment.