Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip is melt in your mouth return to for 'just one more bite' delicious. The perfect crowd pleasing holiday season party starter we use a bread bowl and add layer after layer. Quick to make, with a simple oven bake we create an easy pepper jelly cheese dip that will get the taste buds ticking!
Recipes like the Baked Brie With Red Pepper Jelly, Cream Cheese Pepper Jelly, the Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese and the Goat Cheese Log delight in using red pepper jelly as a key ingredient.
The Camembert Cob Loaf, Spinach And Bacon Cob Loaf, French Onion Cob Loaf and Bacon And Cheese Cob Loaf are all bread bowl dips.
Jump to:
🤍 Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about this baked pepper jelly dip recipe in the points below:
- Crowd pleaser: this dip is large enough to feed a crowd so if you have friends and family coming over it is a great choice!
- Everyday ingredients: you will be able to get each of the ingredients to make the dip at your local grocery store.
- Simple to make: all we do is fry off some bacon and onion, combine some cheese and then transfer all of that into a hollowed bread bowl. The recipe is very straight forward and easy to follow with little room for disaster.
- One bowl: we use one large mixing bowl to combine the cheese filling and there is no hand mixer needed. A spatula will do the job fine.
- Pepper jelly: need I say more 😉👌.
- Cheese: see my point above 😂.
Recipe development: I have been wanting to make this pepper jelly cheese dip with bacon FOR AGES!! The thing is though that it doesn't seem like a lot of people on the internet are searching Google for a pepper jelly cob loaf. A simple pepper jelly cheese dip or cream cheese and pepper jelly dip is far more common to come across. More people are even searching for dip in a cob loaf than a sweet chilli cob loaf! I don't know why though. The combination of the delicious cheesy dip topped with the sweet and spice pepper jelly in a bread bowl is to die for. You can literally tear it apart and dip into it until your heart is content. I am hoping that you embrace my originality and once you have tried it I think you will come to make it again and again 😉👌.
🥗 Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the pepper jelly dip recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Pepper jelly: this fantastic condiment is sweet and flavor packed. In Australia it is known as 'chilli jam'.
- Cream cheese: this is one regular block of cream cheese at room temperature.
- Olive oil: to cook the bacon and onion.
- Olive oil: to brush the bread with so it turns out golden and crispy.
- Sour cream.
- Cheddar cheese: shredded cheddar cheese or grate it yourself, whichever type suits you the best.
- Onion.
- Bacon: I find using store bought diced bacon the easiest.
- Cob loaf.
😉 Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read how to make this easy dip and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- Pepper jelly: choose your favorite flavor. Be it spicy red pepper jelly, jalapeno pepper jelly, green pepper jelly, hot pepper jelly or habanero pepper jelly.
- Sweet chilli sauce: or you could use sweet chilli sauce (more common in Australia) than pepper jelly if you wish to.
- Cranberry sauce: you could also use cranberry sauce as an alternative (see the Camembert Cob Loaf for reference.
- Homemade spread: or if you want to use a homemade spread and really put your own signature on the dip you could use either the Chilli Tomato Jam or Tomato Bacon Jam in place of the pepper jelly.
- Sour cream: you can use the equivalent amount of Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream if you wish to.
- Bacon: you can omit this if you want it to be a vegetarian dip.
- No cook: or if you don't want to cook the bacon you could use bacon bits with a little dried onion or onion powder.
- Garnish: you could use sliced green onions or finely chopped fresh chives in place of the thyme leaves.
👩🍳 How to Make Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip
To make the pepper jelly cheese dip we start by removing the skin and then dicing a large onion.
🍳 Instructions
- Dice the onion (Photo 1)
- Remove the top of the bread (Photo 2)
- Make a hole in the bread (Photo 3)
- Chop the remaining bread (Photo 4)
Then prepare the bread like you see in the photos above. We remove the middle so that we can fill it with the dip and we keep the extra bits to use as 'crackers' later on.
- Cook the bacon and onion (Photo 5)
- Add ingredients to bowl (Photo 6)
- Stir to combine (Photo 7)
- Layer of pepper jelly (Photo 8)
Next cook the bacon and onion following the instructions in the recipe card below. Then add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese and cooked bacon and onion to a large mixing bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir until it is evenly mixed together.
Next spread a layer of the red pepper jelly into the base of the hollowed bread bowl like you see in the photos above.
- Layer the cheese filling (Photo 9)
- Layer the pepper jelly (Photo 10)
- Repeat the cheese layer (Photo 11)
- Brush with olive oil (Photo 12)
Add a layer of the cream cheese mixture and then top that with a layer of the pepper jelly.
Finish by transferring the remaining combined cheese filling into the bowl then place it and the extra bread bits around the side of the dip like you see in the photos above. Baste the top of the bread with olive oil and spray the extra bread bits with cooking spray.
- Bake the dip and bread bits (Photo13)
- Keep baking (Photo 14)
- Remove and plate (Photo 15)
- Top with pepper jelly (Photo 16)
Cook both the dip and bread bits for 10 minutes, then remove the baking dish, set it on a heatproof surface and take the toasted bread bits off.
Return the dip to the oven for a further 30 minutes.
Once the cook time is up, remove the dip, place it in the centre of a large serving platter and spoon a final layer of pepper jelly on top like you see in the photos above.
🌶️ Pepper Jelly Dip Serving Suggestions
Warm and fresh from the oven is the best way to serve your pepper jelly dip!
As soon as you have dolloped the jelly on, garnish it with thyme leaves and get it out to the guests.
You can also use all of those toasted bread bits for dipping and dunking like you see in the photo below. Your favorite crackers on the side will also do the job nicely (choose thick ones though so they don't bread off mid dip dunk). Think more butter crackers than pita chips for their thickness.
Of course you can also add some healthy options too like carrot or celery sticks, bell pepper strips or your other favorite crispy crudites.
👍 How to Guide
How To Store
If you have leftover dip you can transfer it to a sealed, airtight container and keep this in the fridge for 2-3 days. These leftovers are best served after being warmed through. It is however, only recommended to reheat them once.
How to Freeze
You can also make the entire dip (minus the top layer of pepper jelly which goes on after baking) and put it back into the plastic bag that came with the bread. Use the tie to seal this and then place it into the freezer. Then cook this from frozen on the day that you wish to serve it. I would not freeze leftovers however.
How To Reheat
Place the leftover dip onto a silicon mat on a baking tray. Or transfer these to a baking dish. Then reheat in a moderate oven for 1-0-15 minutes until warmed through.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- Bread bowl or baking dish: I like to make this dip and load it into a bread bowl. This then gives us crispy toasted bread for dipping and dunking. Equally you could use a baking dish instead of the bread bowl.
- Layers: if you are in a hurry you can simply do the base layer of pepper jelly and then the top layer after the dip has come out of the oven. This will save you the layering process.
- Variations of the same: prefer a cold quick pepper jelly dip? Then make the Cream Cheese Pepper Jelly instead. It will take only 5 minutes. But it does feed less people.
- Love a bread bowl dip? Try the Air Fryer Cob Loaf.
🤓 Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip FAQ's
Pepper jelly is a condiment. So you will find it at the grocery store where the mustards, vinegars and pickles or caramelized onions are.
Pepper jelly is a versatile and popular condiment. It can be used for a charcuterie board, grazing platters, with cheese, on meats, as a topping for dips, as a sandwich spread and more!
Simply combine the combined dip mixture, transfer this into either a baking dish or hollowed bread bowl and bake until the cheese has melted and the centre of the dip is warm and heated through.
😍 More Easy Appetizer Recipes
Let's get the party started with the right foods! These recipe suggestions offer a wide range of both sweet and savory flavors as well as cooking methods and techniques. That way you can choose what will suit you and your kitchen the best.
- Savory delights: Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Bites, Caramelised Onion Sausage Rolls, Caramelised Onion Tarts, Cheeseburger Sausage Rolls, Egg And Croissant Bake.
- More cheese: Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates, Goat Cheese Log, Caramelized Onion Brie, Microwave Brie, Grazing Platter.
- More dips: Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, Honey Pecan Cream Cheese, Pecan Pinwheels.
- Sweet treats: Tim Tam Slice, Baileys Cheesecake Balls, Macadamia Caramel Slice.
- Baked sweets: Butter Pecan Blondies, Oreo Blondies, M And M Blondies or the White Chocolate Macadamia Blondies.
- Festive options: Slow Cooker Coke Ham, Fruit Mince Tarts, Fruit Mince, Apple Crumble Tartlets, Apple Cinnamon Blondies, Apple Custard Tarts, Baileys Fruit Cake.
It is time to get our pepper jelly dip on my friend. Try it at your next party and let the guests taste buds do the talking. You can also find all of my appetizer recipes or dips and spreads in the one spot.
Adrianne
PIN and save this recipe for later!
Hunger still got you? You can SUBSCRIBE to receive the latest recipes, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.
📖 Recipe
Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cob loaf
- 1 tablespoon olive oil to cook the bacon and onion
- 1 large onion skin peeled and diced
- 1 cup bacon diced
- 300 grams/10.5 oz sour cream
- 250 grams/8 oz cream cheese Note 1
- 1 cup cheddar cheese Note 2
- 1 jar pepper jelly Note 3
- 1 tablespoon olive oil to brush the bread with
To serve
- thyme sprigs removed, leaves only
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5.
- Bread bowl: place the cob loaf into the centre of a clean, dry chopping board. Use a knife to slice the top off and set aside for now. Then keeping a 1 - 1.5 inch perimeter, make a circle with the knife and pull the soft bread out.
- Extra bread bits: use the same knife to chop the top and all of the extra bread bits into smaller (bread chip size) bits and pieces.
- Bacon and onion: place a large frying pan onto the stove top. Turn the heat to high and add the olive oil. Add in the onion and diced bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes. Once the bacon and onion is cooked, turn the heat off and transfer it to a small bowl.
- Combine: next add the cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese and cooked bacon and onion to a large mixing bowl and then stir to combine.
- Layers: now spread a layer of the pepper jelly into the base of the bread bowl. Then spoon some of the combined cheeese mixture on top. Repeat this process to add another pepper jelly layer and finish with a cheese layer.
- Oven bake: place the dip and extra bread bits onto a silicon mat with a baking tray under it. Use a basting brush to coat the surface of the bread with olive oil. Then use cooking spray to spray the bread bits. Put the baking tray into the oven (uncovered) and cook for 10 minutes. Then use oven mitts to remove and set on a heatproof surface. Use tongs to remove the toasted bread bits then return the dip to the oven for a further 30 minutes.
- To serve: once the final cook time is up, use the oven mitts to remove the baking tray and set it on a heatproof surface. Transfer the cooked dip to a serving platter and top it with a final layer of pepper jelly. Garnish with thyme leaves and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Note 1: Cream cheese: This is much easier to combine if it is at room temperature as it will have had a chance to soften. So grab it out of the fridge to start with so that it isn't too firm when you come to use it. I also cut the large block into smaller pieces to make stirring it with a spatula (and not having to use an electric mixer) easier.
- Note 2 - Cheese: Cheddar cheese, colby cheese, tasty cheese or light tasty cheese will all work well. You can also use a store bought cheese blend to keep things easy.
- Note 3 - Pepper jelly: pepper jelly is a condiment and so you will find it in the grocery store where the other condiments like mustard and caramelized onions are. You can use your favorite flavor combination. The pepper jelly you see in the photos and video throughout the post is 'red pepper jelly'. This is also known as 'chilli jam' in Australia. Equally you could use sweet chilli sauce in place of the pepper jelly.
Nutrition
Music credit for video: https://www.audiocoffee.net/
Rebecca says
Making ASAP!! Yummy.
Adrianne says
Thanks Rebecca 😊.