Pepperoni Pizza Dip Recipe, Cheesy Party Appetizer

Hot, cheesy, and irresistibly flavorful, this pizza dip is an easy appetizer that’s perfect for entertaining or a casual snack night. It comes together in minutes and bakes into a creamy, melty crowd-pleaser topped with classic pizza flavors.

I first tried pizza dip at a local restaurant and had to recreate it at home. The result is a rich, creamy base topped with pizza sauce, melted mozzarella and all your favorite toppings. It’s familiar, comforting, and ideal for sharing.

This recipe is flexible — swap toppings, switch the base to Greek yogurt for a lighter version, or serve with any dippers you like. It’s a great appetizer for game day, potlucks, or last-minute guests.

You’re going to love this!

• Quick to prepare: Just 10 minutes to assemble the base and build the pizza — then bake.
• Deliciously cheesy: A creamy cream cheese and sour cream base combined with melty mozzarella and pizza sauce gives classic pizza flavor in dip form.
• Fully customizable: Add or omit toppings to suit your group — pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, onions, olives and more.

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese — room temperature, this makes the smooth base.
• 1/2 cup sour cream — folded into the cream cheese to loosen the texture. Greek yogurt can be used to lighten the dip.
• 1 cup pizza sauce — use your favorite brand or homemade sauce.
• Shredded mozzarella — a generous layer for melty, stretchy cheese.
• 1/4 cup pepperoni — quartered and briefly cooked for a little crisp.
• Sliced peppers, diced onion, sliced mushrooms, sliced black olives — use a mix of toppings as desired; amounts can be adjusted to taste.
• Breadsticks, tortilla chips or garlic bread — for serving and dipping.

How to make it

1. Preheat and prepare the base. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and spread the mixture evenly across the bottom of a 9″ pie plate or similar oven-safe dish.

2. Pre-cook the toppings. Because this dip bakes at a moderate temperature, quickly sauté or sear toppings that benefit from a bit of color. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pepperoni for 1–2 minutes until it begins to crisp. Remove the pepperoni, then sauté mushrooms, peppers and onions for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened and golden.

3. Assemble the pizza dip. Spread the pizza sauce over the cream cheese base in an even layer. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the sauce, then arrange the pepperoni, sautéed mushrooms, peppers, onions and sliced olives on top.

4. Bake and serve. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let the dip rest for a couple of minutes before serving so it thickens slightly. Serve hot with breadsticks, tortilla chips, garlic bread or your favorite dippers.

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Tips, variations and serving ideas

• If you prefer less richness, swap half the cream cheese for plain Greek yogurt. The dip will be tangier and lighter.
• Make it vegetarian by skipping pepperoni and adding extra roasted vegetables, artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes.
• For a spicier version, add red pepper flakes to the sauce or use spicy pepperoni and jalapeños.
• Try different cheeses: provolone or a blend of mozzarella and fontina will melt beautifully.
• This dip reheats well — warm it in a low oven or microwave for a quick second helping.

More recipes you’ll love

If you enjoy this hot pizza dip, you may also enjoy other warm dips such as taco dip, curry dip, hot spinach and artichoke dip, and whipped feta. Below are images and titles to inspire your next appetizer choice.

If you make this recipe, tag your photos on social media with the handle or hashtag you prefer — I’d love to see your versions. If you enjoyed the recipe, please consider rating it below.