Crack Dip Recipe (6 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

I made this crack dip recipe for my daughter’s birthday and it was a big hit! With creamy cheese, bacon, and ranch dressing, it’s one of the easiest and best hot dip recipes you can make for a party (or game day). If you love the cheesy elements of queso dip or hot crab dip, you’ll love crack dip, too.

What Is Crack Dip?

Crack dip is a hot dip that combines bacon, cheddar, cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch dressing. It gets its name because it’s so irresistible and addictive!

This easy dip recipe has some similarities to crack chicken and chicken bacon ranch casserole, but without the chicken and veggies.

Why You’ll Love This Crack Dip Recipe

• Savory cheese, bacon, and ranch flavors
• Creamy & melty
• Just 6 simple ingredients
• 10-minute prep
• Enjoy warm or cold
• Naturally gluten-free and low carb

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for crack dip, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Cream Cheese -The basic crack dip recipe uses plain cream cheese, but you can even use a flavored one. Sour cream & chives or fresh herb both sound good.
• Ranch Dressing– I used my favorite homemade ranch dressing recipe, but if you prefer to use a store bought ranch dressing, you can. Get one that’s a little on the thicker side. You can also make dressing from ranch mix packets (or make your own ranch seasonings), if desired.
• Sour Cream – Using both sour cream and cream cheese create the creamy and tangy base for this irresistible ranch dip recipe. You can substitute this with mayonnaise if you prefer.
• Cheddar Cheese– Shredded cheddar cheese works best for this recipe, but you could use any cheese you prefer.
• Bacon Bits– I used pre-cooked real bacon bits for convenience, but if you have time, the result is even better if you make your own crumbled bacon. Cook bacon in the oven, bacon in the air fryer, or using your favorite method until crispy, then crumble before using in the crack dip recipe.
• Green Onions– Chop green onions into small pieces so that the bites aren’t overwhelmed with onion. You can substitute chives instead if you like.
• Cayenne Pepper– The cayenne pepper is optional for homemade crack dip. I think it’s delicious with a little kick, but feel free to omit it, especially if you’re serving it with kids around. You could also use a dash of your favorite hot sauce.

How To Make Crack Dip With Cream Cheese

This section shows how to make crack dip with bacon and cream cheese, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Melt cream cheese. Heat cream cheese gently in the microwave on medium power, or on the stove in a double boiler, until it’s warm and easy to stir.
2. Combine creamy ingredients. Mix cream cheese and ranch dressing together, until smooth, then stir in sour cream, until smooth.

3. Add cheese, bacon, onions, and cayenne. Stir in cheddar cheese, bacon bits, green onions, and cayenne.
4. Transfer. Scoop cream cheese dip into a glass or stoneware baking dish like this.

See Also

Best Tortilla Chips and Potato Chips for Your Dip - Consumer ReportsWhat are the healthiest chips you can buy? Dietitians share 3 things to look forU.S.: most eaten flavors of potato chips 2020 | StatistaThe Difference Between A Dip, A Sauce & A Condiment | Marky's

5. Bake. Cook bacon ranch crack dip in a preheated oven until hot and bubbly. (If you like, you can garnish with additional bacon and green onions or chives.) Serve hot or warm, with veggies, chips, or crackers (see ideas below!).

Storage Instructions

• Store: Cool dip completely, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge.
• Meal prep: What’s great about this ranch dip with bacon and cream cheese is that it can be made a week in advance. Just store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Additionally, you can make the dip and store it in the refrigerator or freezer and bake it right before you serve it.
• Reheat: Warm ranch crack dip can reheat in the microwave, or in the oven at 350 degrees F, until warm. However, you can also enjoy this dip cold.
• Freeze: Make the dip ahead of time, but don’t bake it. Then, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and give it a stir before reheating.

What To Serve With Crack Dip

Serve this recipe for crack dip with your favorite dippers! Here are some ideas:

• Chips – Potato chips or corn tortilla chips are the traditional chip for dipping. For a healthier appetizer, try zucchini chips, low carb tortilla chips, or baked kale chips.
• Crackers – Creamy hot dips pair perfectly with almost any cracker. Almond flour crackers are my favorite.
• Veggies – Serve with celery sticks, carrot sticks, broccoli, bell peppers, or cucumber slices.

More Hot Dip Recipes

Looking for another easy hot dip recipe for a healthy appetizer? Here are some others you’ll love: