Homemade Jalapeño Pimento Cheese

Jalapeño pimento cheese is the perfect party dip because it comes together so quick, you can make it in advance, and it’s served cold.

Having the jalapeños in the dip adds an extra fun color and spice to the dip. If you don’t want too much extra spice you could also used chopped green onion to get the green color without the heat.

What are pimentos?

Pimento pepper are small mild red peppers that have a slight sweetness to them. They are often called cherry peppers. Their heat is between a 100 and 500 on the Scoville scale. For references, a jalapeño is between 2,500-8000.

Where to find pimentos?

The easiest way to find pimento peppers are in a jar. Where I live, it is hard to find fresh pimento peppers. The jared pimentos actually work great for this pimento cheese dip because they are already chopped up.

When using jared pimentos, make sure to drain them before adding them to the dip.

Here are the pimento peppers I use.

How to serve pimento cheese?

Pimento cheese can be served with toasted bread, crackers, or veggies. I love to serve it along side some saltine crackers or a baguette sliced and toasted.

I’ve also used this as a spread on a breakfast sandwich or bagel and it is amazing!

Tips for Making the Best Jalapeno Pimento Cheese

• Shred your own cheese. Store bought shredded cheese has a coating on it and freshly shredded blends into the dip easier.
• Buy jarred pimentos and drain them. They are already diced and it makes it so much easier. Just remember to drain off the excess liquid before adding it to the mix.
• Don’t be shy with the pepper. I know it sounds like a lot of pepper but that flavor helps break through all the creaminess of the cheese and mayo.