Description
Looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer that screams comfort food? Meet your new obsession: a warm, gooey garlic dip packed with creamy cheese and served with crunchy crostini. It’s like garlic bread’s delicious, slightly extra cousin—loaded with roasted garlic and bubbling cheese in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Roasted Garlic:
- 2 whole heads of garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
For the Cheesy Dip:
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup (about 4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
- Crostini, crackers, or your favorite dippers
Instructions
- Roast the Garlic
- Set your oven to 400°F.
- Peel off the loose, papery layers on the outside of each garlic head. Using a sharp knife, slice off about ¼ inch from the top (the root end), exposing the tops of the cloves. Toss the trimmed part.
- Create a small foil “nest” to keep the garlic upright. Drizzle olive oil directly over the exposed cloves, then wrap completely in foil.
- Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cloves are deeply golden, soft, and fragrant.
- Once done, let the garlic cool so it’s easy to handle.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F for the dip.
- Make the Dip
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and into a large bowl. Use a fork to mash them into a soft paste.
- Add the cream cheese and sour cream to the bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the mozzarella, half of the parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix until fully blended.
- Transfer the dip into a small baking dish—an 8×8 dish or a round pie plate works perfectly.
- Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake and Serve
- Bake at 350°F for about 25–28 minutes, or until the center is hot and the top is lightly golden and bubbling.
- Let the dip cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Finish with chopped parsley for a fresh touch, and serve with crostini, crackers, or veggie dippers.
Notes
🧂Tips for Perfect Results
- Best enjoyed warm – Serve the dip fresh out of the oven, within 10–15 minutes, while it’s still melty and dreamy.
- Make it ahead – Assemble everything (except baking) up to 2 days in advance. Store covered in the fridge, and let it come to room temp before baking.
- Get creative with dippers – Try it with pretzels, pita chips, sourdough slices, veggie sticks, or even pork rinds if you’re going low-carb.
🔧 Kitchen Tools You Might Like
- 8×8 or 9″ pie dish
- Glass mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Foil and a baking sheet for roasting garlic
🥖 Serving Ideas
- Pair this cheesy garlic dip with:
- Crostini or baguette slices
- Salted crackers
- Pretzels or chips
- Celery, bell pepper strips, or carrot sticks
- Toasted sourdough chunks for next-level dipping
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cooling Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
Nutrition
- Calories: 239 kcal
- Sodium: 442 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg