Pimento Cheese Dip

Quick and easy Pimento Cheese Dip for all your snacking needs. Grab some crackers and veggie slices and get dipping!

Love appetizers? Whip up a batch of these easy Crab Puffs as a snack or a meal! Today’s appetizer recipe is the perfect starter to Crack Chicken dinner!

White bowl with pimento cheese spread and a blue knife. Tray with ritz crackers and pretzels for serving.


Why this Recipe is Best

Finger food is the best kind of food. This is a well-established fact.

In the summertime especially, my favorite kinds of meals are the ones that hardly look like traditional meals at all. Give me a platter of cheeses, meats, breads and fresh vegetables to nibble on (and maybe a glass of wine) and I’m beyond happy.

Filled with pimentos (obviously), cheddar cheese, protein-rich Greek yogurt and a hint of pepper jack, this dip is flavorful, smoky and finished with just a bit of heat.

But best of all, this Pimento Cheese Dip takes only 10 minutes to make and keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks, making it the perfect summer snack to pull out whenever you need it.

Pimento Cheese is the ideal snack for between meals, party dip and addition to a charcuterie board, too!

Serve it up with some sliced cucumbers, baby carrots or toasted pitas for a simple but tasty appetizer. Food always tastes better when you don’t need utensils to enjoy it!

White bowl filled with pimento cheese dip on a board with crackers.

Ingredient Notes

All you do is combine the following ingredients in a food processor:

[Recipe at a glance; scroll down to printable recipe card for amounts]

  • extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • pepper jack cheese, shredded
  • 1 jar of pimentos, drained
  • cream cheese
  • Greek yogurt
  • onion and garlic powdersΒ 
  • cayenne pepperΒ 

Then, you pulse everything until well combined. Bam! Done.

Serve Pimento Cheese Dip immediately OR store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to snack.

Once you make pimento cheese dip a few times, you may want to start having some fun experimenting with different amounts of spice and seasoning.

This dip delivers just a bit of heat right at the end of each bite. However, if you’re super sensitive to spice, feel free to omit it or reduce the amount. Likewise, if you’re a spicy food nut, you may enjoy adding a dash more cayenne!

This dip tastes wonderful at room temperature or cold. Like any creamy dip, however, it shouldn’t be left out at warm temperatures for more than a couple of hours.

Bowl of pimento cheese dip with a ritz crackers dipped in cheese.

What to serve with Pimento Cheese Dip

Do I really need to tell you how to eat Pimento cheese? My guess is not, but if you want to think beyond the usual crackers, here are some of my favorites finger foods to dip into this spread:

  • Toasted triangles of pita bread
  • Pita chips
  • Toast points 
  • Pretzels
  • Sliced cucumbers 
  • Carrot slices
  • Celery
  • Tortilla chips
  • Broccoli and cauliflower florets
  • Sliced bell peppers 
Round board with crackers, pretzels, and pimento cheese spread.

Pimento cheese snack ideas:

CHEESE BOATS: Spread pimento cheese into celery sticks. Enjoy as is or dot each “boat” with more pimentos, pine nuts or chopped olives.

SANDWICHES: Pimento cheese dip tastes great on a sandwich. Spread onto toasted bread, add veggies or your favorite deli meat and enjoy.

CHEESY CRACKERS: Spoon pimento cheese dip on to individual crackers. Heartier crackers like Triscuits or Ritz work well. Arrange onto a plate and serve as an easy afternoon snack.

Tips and Tricks

  • Be sure you use unsweetened Greek yogurt here! Even “plain” Greek yogurts sometimes contain added sugars, so double check the label.
  • The extra sharp cheddar cheese and jack cheese are by far my preferred cheeses for pimento cheese dip. Cheddar comes in a variety of colors so don’t stress too much about choosing a white cheddar vs. orange or yellow. Just look for the words “extra sharp” on the label!
  • Shred your own cheese! Store bought shredded cheeses have a coating on them to keep the shreds from clumping, which makes it harder to get that dreamy creamy texture you want in a cheese dip. If you’ve never shredded your own cheese, it’s super easy: use a box grater or your food processor and it’s done in a pinch!

More Easy Appetizer Recipes

Pimento Cheese Dip

5 from 4 votes
By: Aimee
Filled with pimentos, cheddar cheese, protein-rich Greek yogurt and a hint of pepper jack, this Pimento Cheese dip is flavorful, smoky and finished with just a bit of heat.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

  • 8 ounce extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 3 ounce pepper jack cheese shredded
  • 1 jar pimentos, drained 4 oz
  • 3 ounce cream cheese softened
  • Β½ cup greek yogurt
  • ΒΌ teaspoon onion powder
  • ΒΌ teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
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Instructions 

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor until mix well combined. Serve with toasted pita triangles or sliced vegetables.
  • Keeps in refrigerator for 2 weeks

Notes

  • RECIPE from Garnish with Lemon
  • Be sure you use unsweetened Greek yogurt here! Even β€œplain” Greek yogurts sometimes contain added sugars, so double check the label.
  • The extra sharp cheddar cheese and jack cheese are by far my preferred cheeses for pimento cheese dip. Cheddar comes in a variety of colors so don’t stress too much about choosing a white cheddar vs. orange or yellow. Just look for the words β€œextra sharp” on the label!
  • Shred your own cheese! Store bought shredded cheeses have a coating on them to keep the shreds from clumping, which makes it harder to get that dreamy creamy texture you want in a cheese dip. If you’ve never shredded your own cheese, it’s super easy: use a box grater or your food processor and it’s done in a pinch!

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 288mg, Sugar: 1g
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Recipe originally published July 7, 2014. Photos updated May 13, 2019.

Grab some cheese, a jar of pimentos and your favorite bread and get ready to enjoy a bowl of delicious tangy Pimento Cheese Dip tonight! 



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About Aimee

Aimee is a dessert lover (specifically rice krispie treats), workout enthusiast, self-taught foodie, and recipe creator.

Learn more about Aimee.

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Posted on April 13, 2020

Comments & Reviews

  1. I have a recipe like this that my husband and I have played around with and our favorite had jalapeΓ±o cream cheese and pineapple yogurt

  2. I love it with jalapeΓ±os mixed in. Your idea of putting the jalapeΓ±o jack is ingenious. Will try using the yogurt instead of mayo.Β 

  3. I love using pimento cheese on sandwiches. I just want to dive into this dip (with a few ritz crackers!)

  4. Pimento cheese is a staple in our house. I love serving it as a dip, but I also use it to make grilled cheese or top my favorite burger hot off the grill with a dollop of it. Your recipe looks divine!

  5. I LOVE pimento cheese, but I haven’t had it in ages, now I can make my own!

  6. My husband is a big fan of dips like this! Perfect dip to have on hand for summer entertaining!

  7. We had never had pimento cheese until we moved to Georgia a few years ago. Now we adore it. Can’t wait to make it ourselves now with this recipe.

  8. Still can’t believe I’ve never tried this! I am vowing to make it asap! Looks delicious πŸ™‚

  9. I so never think about pimento cheese until I’m in a restaurant that serves it in some form and then I’m all “why don’t I eat this more often?!”

    This looks so delicious!!

  10. Thanks for having us, Amy! I’m so happy to be able to help out a friend πŸ™‚ Happy unpacking!

  11. I LOVE Pimento Cheese…it’s not a big thing up here in NJ…but I grew up eating it in Texas! I need to make some of my own!!

    1. I’ve never known about it until a few years ago, I was visiting a friend and she was raving about it! I understand why now πŸ™‚

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