Classic Spiderweb Cheese Dip
A fun and festive, creamy cheese dip perfect for parties, featuring a decorative sour cream spiderweb on top.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan (or 9-inch cast iron skillet)
- Small bowl
- Piping bag (or squeeze bottle, or plastic bag)
- Toothpick (or skewer, or knife)
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces) (or a Mexican blend)
- 1/2 cup whole milk (or half-and-half for extra creaminess)
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch cayenne pepper (optional, for a kick)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup sour cream (full-fat for best results)
- 1 tablespoon milk (or water)
Instructions
Preparation
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook chopped onion for 5-7 minutes until translucent, then stir in minced garlic for another minute until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to low. Add softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and Monterey Jack to the pan. Gradually stir in milk, smoked paprika, and optional cayenne pepper.
- Continuously stir until cheeses are fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper, adding more milk if needed to reach desired consistency.
- If not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer the hot cheese dip to a shallow serving dish or pie plate.
- Whisk sour cream and milk (or water) in a small bowl until smooth and slightly thinned. Transfer this mixture to a piping bag, squeeze bottle, or a plastic bag with a tiny corner cut off.
- Pipe concentric circles of the sour cream mixture onto the surface of the warm cheese dip, starting from the center and working outwards.
- Use a toothpick, skewer, or knife tip to drag lines from the center outwards through the sour cream circles, forming the classic spiderweb pattern. Repeat this around the entire dip.
- Serve the Spiderweb Cheese Dip warm with your favorite dippers.
Notes
For extra creaminess, use half-and-half instead of whole milk. A cast iron skillet is ideal if you plan to serve directly from the pan. Adjust cayenne pepper to your preferred spice level.