Pepperoni Pizza Dip Recipe

I made this pepperoni pizza dip for a get together and it was such a hit. If your guests like pizza they’ll love this dip.

It’s perfect for game days, holiday get togethers, Friday night in with a movie, basically any occasion when you don’t want to make an entire meal but want to provide an easy and delicious option.

Plus all you need is one baking dish and a spoon. No cutting boards, no messy dishes.

Clean up will be so easy.

The Layering Order Is Not an Accident

Layer the ingredients just like you would a pizza – sauce on the bottom, mozzarella on top, pepperoni all around, over a cream cheese base. Once baked, the top will have a crunchy crust while the bottom is creamy.

What to Know Before You Start

The cream cheese in this recipe serves two purposes. It keeps everything else from being too oily and watery, and is the vehicle for the oregano and crushed red pepper.

If you take away the cream cheese you’ll be left with a very runny and greasy mess. Its thickness is what allows the dip to cling to chips or bread.

It helps everything come together, and trust me when I say you NEED it.

Thin and overly herby marinara will result in a watery pizza dip, so be sure to grab a thick pizza sauce made from crushed tomatoes.

I planned this dip would be a side dish at our get together but it definitely shined as the star of the show. If you take this recipe out of the oven and bring it to the table bubbling and hot, I promise the room will get real quiet when they see what you’re carrying.

Cream cheese needs to be softened

Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before starting. If you forget to do this and try to use it right away it will be too firm and will leave pockets of chunks in the bottom of your dish that just won’t want to cooperate and spread out evenly.

Forgot to soften? Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals until you’re able to stir.

• The pepperoni will give off some of the oil while baking. I like the way that flavors this pizza dip. If you prefer a less greasy dip, you can blot some of the grease away just before serving. Do NOT try to blot the grease mid-bake though…you’ll mess up all of your pretty melted cheese.
• Let dip stand for about 5 minutes before serving to allow it to set up a bit. This way, you’re less likely to serve a portion with lava-hot cheese in the middle that could burn mouths.
• I like Rao’s Pizza Sauce best for this recipe. It’s a bit more expensive, but has a thicker, better texture than most pizza sauces and a really flavorful, concentrated taste. If you’re using a basic marinara/pizza sauce from a jar, I recommend cooking it down a bit to remove some of the liquid. Otherwise, your dip may turn out a bit more watery than expected. Simmer the pizza sauce in a small saucepan for 5-10 minutes.
• For serving: cut up a baguette into slices and toast lightly. Serve with crostini, sturdy tortilla chips, pita chips, etc. Can also serve with veggies like celery and bell pepper strips.

Pizza Dip ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
• 1/4 cup green onion
• 1/4 cup green pepper or other pizza toppings (optional)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Breadsticks, for serving

How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Dip

Step 1: Preheat and prep your baking dish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

An oval casserole dish or a deep-dish pie pan works well, as long as it is at least two inches deep.

Step 2: Mix the cream cheese base

In a medium bowl, add in the cream cheese, sour cream, oregano and crushed red pepper. With a handheld electric mixer set to a low speed, or a spatula, mix until there are no lumps.

Don’t be afraid to season this a little more than needed, since the rest of the ingredients will balance out the flavors.

Step 3: Spread the cream cheese layer

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread the mixture across the bottom and into the corners of the pan, trying to make the layer even since it’s going to be the base for the rest of the dip.

Step 4: Add the pizza sauce

Spoon pizza sauce on top of the cream cheese and spread into a relatively even layer. Try not to drag any of the cream cheese into the pizza sauce as they bleed together during baking.

I also like to leave the pizza sauce off the edges of the pan about a half an inch all the way around so you can still see some of the cream cheese from above, but also to prevent the pizza sauce from boiling up and over the sides of the pan during cooking.

Should you be employing any chopped ingredients such as onion or peppers, you can place them directly onto the pizza sauce at this stage.

Step 5: Add toppings and cheese

Top the pizza sauce with the chopped pepperoni, green onion and green pepper, if using. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top.

Step 6: Bake

Bake: Transfer the dip to the oven and bake until the edges are bubbling and the cheese is melted about 20 minutes. If the cheese isn’t as browned as you’d like, switch the oven to broil and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on it since broilers vary greatly and you can go from great to burnt very fast.

Step 7: Rest and serve

Let it Rest, then Serve It: Take out of the oven and leave it to rest for 5 minutes on a folded tea towel or trivet. Serve in the pan you baked it in with some bread to scoop with, or chips for some crunch, or veggies, whatever you’d like.

Block Mozzarella and a Few Things Worth the Extra Minute

Use block mozzarella, not pre-shredded: I know it’s a bit more work to shred it yourself, but pre-shredded mozzarella doesn’t melt quite as well since it has cellulose and stuff added so it doesn’t cake together in the package. I promise you it’s worth taking out a box grater and shredding it yourself.

It takes about 3 minutes, and it will melt all gooey and stretchy and tear clean.

Add Italian sausage for a meat lovers version: Add 1/2 lb of Italian sausage. Brown the sausage and crumble with a fork, then drain the grease and spread the sausage on top of the pizza sauce.

Then top with cheese. This combination of crumbled sausage and sliced pepperoni is amazing!

The sausage is very hearty and the pepperoni adds a nice dimension to it plus some crispiness.

Make it ahead and refrigerate before baking: Build the entire dish the day before, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Take it out of the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before you plan to bake.

It may take about 5 minutes longer to bake if you don’t let it warm up at room temperature first. Just watch it closely.

Watch out for bubbly overflow

This pepperoni pizza dip is bubbly and delicious. It’s also notorious for bubbling OVER.

If this happens, I’m looking at another 20 minutes of cleaning my oven, something I’m not looking forward to especially when I’m in the middle of a get-together! Here’s my solution: line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (or parchment) and place in oven on a rack underneath the dish that contains this pizza dip recipe.

The sheet pan will catch any drips/spills. You can also use a baking dish that has high sides.

Especially if you’re doubling the recipe, I suggest having a plan! Thick cheese + pizza sauce = bubbly mess at unexpected times.

Want to keep it warm for grazing?

Transfer the Pepperoni Pizza Dip from the baking dish to a small slow cooker and turn on the WARM setting. The dip will stay warm and moist for 2-3 hours.

This is a great party dip! Stir the dip every 45 minutes if you plan to keep it out for grazing.

Can you make this recipe spicier?

As written, this recipe is more on the milder side, making it more crowd and kid pleasing. But, if you’re craving a little heat in your pepperoni pizza dip, try adding about 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the mixture when you are softening the cream cheese.

You can also up the spice with a generous drizzle of hot honey right before serving. The sweet-hot honey is delicious with the savory cheese and bright tomatoes.

What to Serve With Pepperoni Pizza Dip

This pepperoni pizza dip is quite dense and rich. Here are some suggestions for dipping:

Crusty bread! I thinly sliced a baguette, drizzled it with a little olive oil and roasted it on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

You’ll get nice toasty slices that will hold their shape when you dig into your pizza dip.

Pita chips. They’re sturdy, so they won’t crumble when dipped into this thick, salty, rich, savory dip.

Try a slightly saltier chip (pita chips) to balance out all of the richness in this dip.

• Naan: Tear up some naan for a soft (non-crunchy) bread option.
• Tortilla chips: Thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips will withstand this dip just fine. Thinner chips won’t fare as well.
• Veggies: Skip the starches completely. Serve the dip with celery and/or bell pepper sticks for a nice crunchy and refreshing accompaniment to all that cheese.

I suggest serving pretzel bites with the pepperoni pizza dip! The saltiness of the pretzel bites would pair perfectly with the rich, gooey texture of the pepperoni pizza dip.

I suggest serving warm pretzel bites with this appetizer. Serving Suggestion: In case there are some guests who don’t feel like double dipping, be sure to offer a few side dishes so they can avoid getting messy.

How Long It Keeps and How to Reheat it Right

Leftover dip should be tightly covered in the same dish it was baked in, or transfer to an airtight container and will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, cover with foil, preheat your oven to 350F and bake for approximately 15-20 mins or until heated through.

The dip will be much thicker after chilling but will soften up once it is heated. Nothing better than pulling it out of the oven, so bubbly and browned and hot all the way through.

You can also warm it up in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring between. It won’t get those crispy pepperoni bits but works in a pinch for a speedy lunch.

Not as party friendly though.

Uncooked dip can be frozen for up to 2 months. Assemble dip and cover tightly.

Thaw in the fridge overnight. Add an additional 5-10 minutes of cooking time as needed.

Best results occur by freezing before baking. Cream cheese tends to separate and get a little grainy after freezing a baked dip.

Pepperoni Pizza Dip FAQ

Can I make this in a slow cooker instead of the oven?

You sure can. Just soften the cream cheese even more and spread across the bottom of the cooker.

Add remaining ingredients as directed. Heat on High for about 1.5-2 hours or Low for about 3-4 hours or until cheese is melted.

It won’t brown on top and pepperoni won’t get as crispy but saves an oven spot. You can also keep on Warm while guests trickle in.

Can I use marinara instead of pizza sauce?

You could. However, you’ll want to reduce it.

Cook your marinara for 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it becomes thicker.

Can I use a different kind of cheese instead of cream cheese?

You can use neufchatel cheese, which is the reduced-fat version of cream cheese. Some people have had success with ricotta, although I think it gives a looser and grainier texture.

Mascarpone is another option, although I think it would make the dip a lot heavier.

Can I use meat other than pepperoni?

You can use any meat you’d like, as long as it’s fully-cooked before adding to the dip since the dip won’t be in the oven long enough to cook it. Italian sausage that is browned and drained, cooked bacon (crumbled), diced ham and Canadian bacon are all options.

My favorite is a combo of pepperoni and Italian sausage.

Can I make this dip vegetarian?

This dip is very flexible. Some vegetarian options include sliced black olives, diced green peppers, sauteed mushrooms, diced roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts.

You can use any combo, or none. The main drawback of omitting the pepperoni is the dip doesn’t get a crispy topping.

To compensate, sprinkle with panko crumbs tossed in olive oil for color and crunch.

Why do I have to simmer the sauce?

If the sauce is too runny, the dip will be more likely to be runny and the layers will be more likely to separate. Simmer the marinara for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pizza sauce would also work here and is preferred by some, since it’s much thicker than marinara. If adding diced mushrooms, cook them to remove excess moisture.

How long can I leave the dip out?

The dip should keep well at room temp for about 2 hours. After that, you’ll start to lose the perfect combo of crispy, melty edges and gooey middle as the edges will continue to cook and the middle will get (unfortunately) cool.

It also needs to be stored in the refrigerator at that point if there are leftovers. If you’re planning to keep the dip out for an extended period of time, I’d recommend transferring it to a slow-cooker for perfect party dip temperature the entire time.

Pepperoni Pizza Dip is an amazing party appetizer. Everyone loves pizza and it’s crazy how quickly this disappears.

Great game day appetizer or party appetizer idea.