Do Yourself a Favor and Make These Recipes for a Dipmas Party This Holiday Season

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

I’ve been dip obsessed since childhood, always preferring a snacky meal to a sit-down feast. But it wasn’t until 2017 that I officially became a Dip Queen. That holiday season, I wanted to host a party—something that combined the chosen-family spirit of Friendsgiving with my social circle’s love of dipping (heh) in and out of multiple events in one night. Thus, Dipmas, where everyone brings a little bit of everything (dips, dippers, drinks, vibes, you know) to the communal table, was born.

Every year since, Dipmas—also known as Dipmukkah because I am half Jewish and have a well-documented love for The O.C.—has gotten bigger and better, with new friends, new recipes, and plenty of memorable moments. Like that time my bestie Joel set off the smoke alarm after his pot holder fell into a bowl of molten dip he had in the oven. Or our ugly-sweater contest that featured the most horrifyingly hilarious embroidered toys you’ve ever seen. One year, we even crammed 36 people into my New York City studio apartment (a miracle, IYKYK).

Last year, I moved Dipmas to my second home in the city, Gagopa Karaoke, where we sang holiday classics and early aughts emo jams while cheers-ing with cannoli dip. And this year, on the event’s sixth anniversary, I’m sharing some of its greatest hits straight from my upcoming cookbook Big Dip Energy (out April 16, 2024). Because all I want for Dipmas is youuuuu...to host your own!

All we want for Dipmas is youuuu!

Izzy and AJ dippin’ it low before pickin’ it up slow.

Getting into the ho-ho-holiday spirit with Jess and Karen! Fun fact: Karen (center)’s last name is Ho.

Can you guess which early 2000s banger me and Carolyn were singing?

Say “Kimcheese!” Dip

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Kimchi + cream cheese = a match made in heaven. Creamy, dreamy, and with a spicy, funky kimchi kick. If you’re spice-averse or have an older jar of kimchi in the back of the fridge, you can sauté it in a small skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of neutral oil or butter until lightly caramelized.

Just the Dip

• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, softened

• 1⁄2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise

• 1 cup kimchi, snipped into small pieces or rough-chopped

• 3 tablespoons kimchi brine

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced thinly on the diagonal, a few sliced greens reserved for garnish

Choose Your Dipper

• Korean pickled daikon (the bright-yellow ones!)

• Korean rice crackers

• Tempura seaweed chips

• Fritos Scoops! or another type of corn chip

• Tortilla chips, especially Tostitos Scoops!

• Crudités, such as carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, or sweet peppers

• French fries, Tater Tots, or your favorite crispy potatoes

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. (You can use kitchen shears to cut the kimchi directly into the dip so you don’t stain your hands or cutting board.) Transfer to a small serving bowl, and top with reserved scallions.

Spanakopidip

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Inspired by the Greek spinach-and-feta pastry, in dippable form. Highly recommend grabbing phyllo cups from the frozen aisle, baking ‘em up, and using them to scoop up dip or pre-filling them for easy, bite-sized party apps.

Just the Dip

• 5 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, rough-chopped

• 6 garlic cloves, rough-chopped

• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water wrung out using a tea towel or paper towels

• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 6 ounces feta in brine, crumbled

• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and cut into thin diagonal slices

• 3 tablespoons rough-chopped fresh dill

• 2 tablespoons rough-chopped fresh parsley

• 2 tablespoons feta cheese brine

Choose Your Dipper

• Phyllo cups (in the frozen aisle)

• Pita chips

• Bagel chips

• Crudités, such as carrots, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet peppers

• French fries, Tater Tots, or your favorite crispy potatoes

1. In a large saucepan or high-sided skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent and just starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add another tablespoon of the olive oil, then the spinach, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through and it picks up some of the onion and garlic flavors. Season the mixture with the kosher salt, but don’t be tempted to add more—the feta will make things perfectly salty.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, crumbled feta, crushed red pepper, almost all the herbs (reserve a small handful of the dark-green parts of the scallions, dill, and parsley for garnish), feta brine, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir thoroughly.

3. To make the hot dip version, add the creamy mixture to the spinach mixture in the saucepan, mix well, and heat on medium-low until warmed through, about 5 minutes. To make the cold dip version, add the spinach mixture to the creamy mixture, mix well, and enjoy at room temp or chill in the fridge before serving. Garnish either version with the reserved scallions, dill, and parsley.

Buffalo Cranch

Makes 8 to 10 servings

What the heck is “Cranch”? Glad you asked. It’s an extra-creamy ranch dip made with cream cheese instead of sour cream. Omit the Buffalo sauce for classic Cranch, or try drizzling on some chili crisp for a different type of spicy.

Just the Dip

• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 2 packets (1 ounce each) ranch seasoning mix (about 1⁄4 cup)

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 4 cranks black pepper

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 2 tablespoons (or more) whole milk, for thinning

• 1⁄2 cup Buffalo sauce or cayenne pepper sauce (preferably Frank’s RedHot)

Choose Your Dipper

• Chicken nuggets or tenders

• Fritos Scoops! or another type of corn chip

• Tortilla chips, especially Tostitos Scoops!

• Crudités, such as carrots, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet peppers

• French fries, Tater Tots, or your favorite crispy potatoes

1. Combine everything in a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer or your actual hands...holding a spatula...for an arm workout.

Holy Cannoli Dip

Makes 8 to 10 servings

A less-sweet, slightly zesty (orange you glad?) dipssert that goes equally great with fruit, cookies, or…cannoli shells! Can’t find ‘em? Put a waffle cone in a resealable bag and let people crush their own cone chips.

Just the Dip

• 1 container (15 ounces) whole-milk ricotta cheese

• 1 container (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Zest and juice of 1⁄2 small orange (about 2 tablespoons juice)

• 3⁄4 cup mini chocolate chips

• A hefty pinch of flaky sea salt, for garnish

Choose Your Dipper

• Cannoli shells

• Waffle cones, broken into pieces

• Pretzels or pretzel thins

• Graham crackers

• Pirouette cookies

• Gluten-free crispy coconut rolls (such as Thai brands or Ava Organics)

• Fresh fruit, such as apples, strawberries, or bananas

1. In a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment), whip the ricotta, mascarpone, and powdered sugar together until fluffy and slightly thickened. Add the vanilla and orange juice and whip again if it looks thin. Stir in ½ cup of the chocolate chips.

2. Transfer to a medium serving bowl, then top with the remaining 1⁄4 cup mini chocolate chips and a hefty pinch of flaky sea salt. Other garnishes to play around with are chopped pistachios, peanut butter chips, or sprinkles (festive Hanukkah-inspired colored sprinkles are pictured here!). Let it sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Before You Dip In…Some Dip-ertaining Tips

Before you host your first Dipmas, here are some helpful #DipTips to prevent double dipping and make a stunning dipper spread.

Dip Etiquette

Only you can prevent double dipping. Here are four of my techniques to make sure no one commits the ultimate party foul.

Dip Front ’n’ Back: Drag your dipper forward in the bowl, then backward. Both sides of the bottom of the dipper will be coated in dip, which you can spread across the entire dipper or incorporate the dip ’n’ flip technique.

Dip ’n’ Flip: After taking a bite of a dipper coated in dip, flip it around so the uneaten side can be dipped separately. Make sure to really emphasize that flip so no one thinks you secretly double dipped!

Rip ’n’ Dip: This works best for crusty bread like baguettes, soft pretzels, and bagels. Rip off a small piece of the dipper of your choice to dip into the communal dish.

Dip ’n’ Snap: This works best with crudités. When you have a crunchy vegetable, you can dip then snap in half to have three more potential ends to dip in.

Fruit-and-Veggie Tales

Dippers are just as important as dips at Dipmas! Here are some ways to cut vegetables (crudités) and fruit (fruitités) for prime dippin’ time.

Apples: Cut into thick slices and sprinkle with any citrus juice so they don’t brown.

Baby bell or sweet peppers: Halve lengthwise with the stem kept intact as a handle and scoop out the seeds.

Bananas: Using a just-ripe banana (aka yellow with maybe a few brown spots), cut on an extreme bias into long, approximately ¼-inch planks that resemble surfboards.

Broccoli and cauliflower: Blanch by cooking for 2 minutes in boiling, salted water, then immediately shocking in a bowl of ice water. This keeps them looking vibrant and fresh and takes some of the raw edge off the flavor.

Cucumbers, carrots, and celery: Cut crosswise on the diagonal into dippable chunks or shave into ⅛-inch-thick ribbons using a mandoline or Y-peeler (plunge in ice water after so they curl up).

Lettuces: Any small-leaved, tender-yet-sturdy lettuce can work as a dipper. Just wash and separate leaves of Little Gem, Boston Bibb, Butterhead, endive, or the smallest inner parts of romaine and serve with chilled, not-too-heavy (light on the palate and not too chunky in texture) dips like Caesar Salad Dip.

Strawberries: Halve lengthwise with the stem intact as a handle.

Recipes adapted from Big Dip Energy, by Alyse Whitney. Copyright© 2024 by Alyse Whitney. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Want more of Alyse's "omg-that's-good" recipes? Highly recommend following her on Insta.

Prop, Food, and Fashion Stylist: Alyse Whitney
Hair: Danielle Bradley with Glamsquad
Makeup: Phillip Alexander with Glamsquad
Nails: Evelyn Lim at Paintbox
Napkin Illustration: Kelly Jackson

You Might Also Like

• Here’s What NOT to Wear to a Wedding

• Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You’ll Ever Try