12 Days of Dips
There’s a reason that dips are an entertaining staple. They’re easy, come together quickly, and can be batched to feed a crowd, allowing you to finish up any cooking while your guests nosh. Not to mention, they’re pretty damn delicious. Once you dunk one chip, it’s almost impossible not to dunk another, and another, until you’ve eaten an entire main course’s worth and subsequently need a nap.
This holiday season, we’re leaning in to the party dip. We’ve revived a few retro classics, like clam dip; our decadent four-layer caviar dip is also sure to be a crowd-pleaser. They, along with the following other 10 recipes—12 total, one for each of the 12 days of Christmas—are some of our favorites, and maybe, they’ll become yours too. Check them out below.
Fancy Clam Dip
Your guests will have a hard time resisting this fancy clam dip. It’s salty and cheesy, brightened up by a few dashes of hot sauce and chopped fresh dill.
Get the recipe here.
Four-Layer Caviar Dip
Creamy egg salad, crisp red onion, and herbed cream cheese all come together for our indulgent four-layer caviar dip. The final layer? Caviar itself, of course. This recipe specifically calls for black caviar such as paddlefish, which makes a gorgeous topping on the dip—like little glistening black pearls.
Get the recipe here.
Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Spinach and artichoke dip is an undeniable classic, and our version is filled with four kinds of cheese. The end result has a crisp, golden top begging to be shattered with crostini or tortilla chips.
Get the recipe here.
Warm Beer and Cheese Dip
It’s no secret that beer and cheese are a match made in heaven. This recipe combines the two and creates a dip akin to Welsh rarebit—warm, gooey, and paired well with accoutrements like pretzels, crackers, and sliced salami.
Get the recipe here.
New England-Style Crab Dip with Brown-Butter Crumbs
Matt Jennings’ simple crab dip is covered in a generous heap of brown-butter breadcrumbs. Yes, please.
Get the recipe here.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Buffalo chicken dip may be a game day crowd-pleaser, but there’s no reason why you can’t serve it during the holidays, too. It’s the kind of stick-to-your-ribs appetizer that will help warm your guests after they've escaped the cold outside.
Get the recipe here.
Za'atar-Spiced Beet Dip with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts
Yotam Ottolenghi’s bright beet dip would make a festive appetizer, thanks to its pink, white, and green color scheme.
Get the recipe here.
Caramelized Onion Dip
This classic dip, made all the more tasty with caramelized onions, can be prepared three days in advance.
Get the recipe here.
Rye Bread Dip
Is it even a party if bread bowl dip isn’t present? In this recipe, a rye bread boule is hollowed out and loaded with a creamy, herby dip. You can pick your favorite crudités to pair with it—we particularly love slices of red pepper, cucumber, and fennel.
Get the recipe here.
Blue-Cheese-and-Walnut Dip with Waldorf Crudités
This dip is a riff on the classic Waldorf salad. You toast the walnuts, and then, add them to a mixture of mayonnaise, buttermilk, minced shallots, white wine vinegar, and blue cheese, pulsing until fine. The finishing touch is a dash of salt and pepper and a garnish of minced chives—serve it with apple slices, red and green grapes, and endive spears. You won’t even need a salad course for the main event.
Get the recipe here.
White Bean Dip with Herbs
The pièce de résistance to this dip is drizzle of high-quality olive oil, which will add depth and complexity.
Get the recipe here.
Cool Ranch Kale Dip
This healthy version of ranch dip is made with kale, labneh, and buttermilk. Serve with crudités.
Get the recipe here.
