Pimento Cheese Dip
Make this easy pimento cheese dip for the ultimate snacking! Scoop up this dip with crackers, chips, and veggies or use this pimento spread to upgrade your burgers, chicken sandwiches, pasta sauces, and baked potatoes.
Creamy pimento cheese is a Southern staple for good reason, but it’s worthy of so much more than just sandwiches! When I whip up another batch of my favorite pimento cheese recipe, I always clean the mixing bowl by dipping veggies or crackers into the remnant on the side… It’s my little treat for meal prepping, haha. However, I started thinking about ways I could alter the recipe to make it even better as a dip. This piqued my curiosity, so I ordered several more jars of pimentos and got to testing!
It took several tries to get the perfect dippable, spreadable consistency, but eventually we got the perfect ratio of mayo-to-cream-cheese and the most delicious blend of cheesy flavor in the end. This pimento cheese dip will disappear super fast this football season, and I won’t even mind because it’s so quick and easy to make!
Why you will love this pimento cheese dip recipe:
- It’s the easiest appetizer ever with no cooking involved!
- There are tons of ways to use this as a dip or spread, so you’ll never waste a bite.
- You can make it several days before an event, and it will still taste fresh at party time.
Pimento Cheese Dip Ingredients
- Mayonnaise and Cream Cheese – These make it ultra creamy. Full-fat versions will have the nicest texture, but you can use lower fat versions if you prefer.
- Shredded Cheddar and Gouda Cheese – The perfect flavor and texture combination! I highly recommend shredded the cheese yourself because the pre-shredded version in the back is covered in starch that will prevent your dip from becoming as creamy as we want.
- Pimentos and Jalapenos – You’ll drain the can of pimentos and use the whole thing. Finely chop your jalapenos and seed them (or maybe don’t if you like it really spicy).
- Seasonings: Paprika, Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper
How to Make Pimento Cheese Spread
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Don’t bother with a food processor because you’ll get a gummy, thick texture that is really unpleasant. I recommend using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, not a whisk (everything gets stuck inside it anyway).
- Chill dip in fridge for an hour or until ready to serve.
Yes, it really is that easy!
What to Serve with Cheese and Pimento Dip
- For a crunch: crackers, veggie platter, tortilla chips, potato chips, or zucchini chips
- For fry lovers: green bean fries or zucchini fries
- As a spread: air fryer green tomatoes, zucchini fritters, or crab cakes
- Southern snacks: hush puppies recipe or a buttermilk biscuit
- Low-carb ideas: keto bagels or a low-carb chicken and biscuits.
- Fun idea for leftovers: Next time you’re making deviled eggs, mix your egg yolks with this dip! It’s next-level delicious.
Storage Tips
Store your homemade pimento spread in the refrigerator in an airtight container and enjoy within 1-2 weeks. If you’re meal prepping, I recommend storing it in several small containers instead of one big container to reduce air contact and keep it tasting fresher for longer.
Can you freeze pimento cheese?
Yes and no. Technically, you can freeze pimento cheese dip (up to 2-3 months), then thaw it and use it in cooked sauces or casseroles. You would not want to use it as a dip after freezing because the mayonnaise and cream cheese separate, and this can cause a gritty texture. If you want to freeze your leftovers, I’d plan on making a great mac and cheese or potato casserole with it later instead.
Pimento Spread Recipe FAQs
Pimento cheese is a creamy, spreadable snack that has become as Southern as hush puppies! While it was originally created in New York and served similarly to those fancy cucumber sandwiches, eventually the South claimed it and made it their own. This version is ultra creamy with a sweet-tangy flavor that tends to be palatable even for picky eaters. My favorite pimento cheese sandwich is made with a few tweaks (and no cream cheese), but this pimento cheese spread recipe is made to be perfect with chips, crackers, and veggies.
Freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese is the traditional cheese to use for pimento cheese, but it’s common to use blends with other creamy cheeses like pepper jack, Velveeta, or white cheddar. For the best texture and flavor, we mixed our sharp cheddar cheese with gouda. Gouda gives it a creamier feel and slightly sweeter taste (especially great with salty crackers and chips).
Supposedly you can swap your mayonnaise with plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt, cream cheese, or sour cream. It seems like a sin in the South, though, so I’ve never tried these swaps.
Blended cottage cheese, plain & unsweetened Greek yogurt, sour cream, mascarpone cheese, or silken tofu could replace the cream cheese, but you will have a difference in texture and flavor. These substitutes tend to create a thinner, runnier dip with more “tang.”
Homemade pimento cheese generally lasts 7-14 days if kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
More Amazing Recipes
Get the Recipe: Pimento Cheese Spread
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 4-ounce jar diced pimentos, drained
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cup shredded gouda cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash of salt and pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients until smooth. Store in the fridge up to 1-2 weeks.
Notes
- Net carbs per serving: 1
- For a creamier, cheesier version best for sandwiches, try this pimento cheese recipe.
