Creamy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip with Goat Cheese and Herbs

This jalapeño cream cheese dip recipe is my updated take on the classic jalapeño popper dip. This dip is an easy party dip to bring to game day, cinco de mayo, or any gathering during the holiday season. The jalapeño cream cheese dip recipe is always a crowd pleaser.

Jalapeño Dip Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this delicious dip. Just add them the a blender or food processor, then mix in the jalapeños and top with some cheese.

• Cream Cheese: The base of this dip is cream cheese. I use full-fat cream cheese but your could also use the reduced fat is you prefer. Try to bring your cream cheese to room temperature before mixing. It helps when the cheese is already softened.
• Goat Cheese: This isn’t traditional but adding goat cheese adds a fun tanginess to the dip. You can skip this if you don’t like goat cheese or you can double it if you love it.
• Sour Cream: Sour cream helps thin out the dip while keeping it nice and creamy. You could substitute it for greek yogurt as an option.
• Lime Juice: I love a little acidity in almost every meal. Here I add a little bit of lime juice in with the mixture. You can also add lime juice on top afterwards.
• Garlic: I use 1 garlic clove in this recipe. I just smash it before adding it to the food processor. If you are mixing by hand, try to mince it beforehand. You can also use garlic powder instead to make it a little bit easier.
• Salt and Pepper: Start off with a little bit of salt and pepper and then taste and adjust as needed. Since the cheese has some salt in it, you don’t want to overdo it.
• Jalapeños: Jalapeño peppers can range is spice and size. I typically use around 4-6 fresh jalapeños and that is about 1 cup diced. Feel free to add extra if you want. Or even taste a small piece of pepper before adding it so you know how spicy the peppers are.
• Cheddar Cheese: Right before adding it to the oven, I like to add a layer of shredded cheese to melt on the top. This isn’t necessary but it is delicious! You could also use a little bit of grated parmesan cheese on top instead.

If you want a little something extra on the top of the dip, sliced green onion or extra cilantro works great.

What to Serve with Jalapeño Dip

My favorite thing to serve with this dip is tortilla chips but you can really serve it with anything that goes with a dip. Here are a few ideas:

• Tortilla Chips
• Crackers
• Baguette slices
• Celery
• Bagel Chips
• Pretzels
• Potato Chips

How to Store the Dip

This jalapeño dip is best served right away but you can also save it for later. There are 2 ways to store your dip for later.

Store before baking‍

If you want to make this ahead of time you can make all of it up until baking. Just cover it and keep in the fridge. When you are ready to bake, remove the lid and bake accordingly. You might need to bake an extra minute or 2 since it is baking from cold.

Store after baking

If you already made it and you have leftover dip, just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you are ready to eat it, add it to a microwave safe dish and heat for 20-30 second or place all of it back in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 350 or until warmed through.

Common Questions

How spicy is this dip?

The spice level really depends on the jalapeños. Depending on the ones you get, they may be spicer than others. I feel like about 5 jalapeños is perfect for me and I like a little heat but not too much. If you don't love spicy foods just use 2-3 peppers or swap out some of the jalapeños for a can of green chilies.

You can also taste a little piece of the jalapeño before adding it in to see how spicy they are.

Can it be served cold?

I wouldn’t serve this cold because the main base is cream cheese and goat cheese. When that gets cold it is fairly hard so it’s hard to dip. You could maybe serve is as a spread with a knife and serve with a baguette. It’s just too hard to use as a dip. To keep it as a creamy dip you want to serve it hot.

Can the recipe be doubled?

Yes! If you are making this for a larger crowd I would suggest doubling it. The cook time and everything should be the same.