This cream cheese chili cheese dip layers a creamy base with canned chili, cheddar, and mozzarella for a hot, cheesy appetizer with just 10 minutes of prep. Sour cream and mayo make the cream cheese layer softer and easier to scoop, so you get more dip and fewer broken chips.
There’s no stovetop cooking required. Just mix, layer, and bake until hot and bubbly. Serve it with tortilla chips, corn chips, or crackers for game day, a party, or a casual get-together.
If you love a cream cheese dip, you have to try my pepperoni pizza dip or my jalapeño popper dip next.
Shortcut Notes
- Canned chili: Start with your favorite canned chili to skip making a recipe from scratch.
- Quick prep: Mix the creamy base, layer on the chili and cheese, and bake. No stovetop cooking required.
- Make-ahead friendly: Assemble the dip up to a day ahead and refrigerate, then bake when you’re ready to serve.
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Ingredients
- Cream cheese: Use one block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature so it's easier to mix and spread evenly.
- Sour cream: Adds tang and lightens up the consistency for easy dipping.
- Mayonnaise: Helps create a smooth texture and adds richness.
- Canned chili: Use your favorite brand like Hormel chili or Wendy's. You can use chili with beans or without.
- Shredded cheese: A mix of cheddar and shredded mozzarella melts beautifully and gives the dip that cheesy pull.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a medium bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo until combined. It can (and probably will) have some small lumps, and that's ok!
Spread the mixture evenly into the bottom of a baking dish (an 8x8 baking dish or a 9-inch pie dish work well).
Pour the chili evenly over the cream cheese in an even layer.
Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the dip is hot and bubbly.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, crackers, or sliced baguette.
Substitutions
- Canned chili: Your favorite chili. Use leftover homemade chili or vegetarian chili if you prefer. Use about 1¾ cups of homemade chili to replace a standard 15-ounce can.
- Sour cream and mayo: Greek yogurt is a good alternative for sour cream, and the mayo can be swapped for more sour cream if needed, but either or both can be skipped for a 3-ingredient chili cheese dip (no mozz). For the classic version, use only the cream cheese, canned chili, and cheddar cheese.
- Shredded cheese: Try any blend you like! Pepper jack cheese, Monterey Jack, or Mexican cheese blend.
Equipment
I recommend an 8x8 square baking dish or a 9-inch glass pie plate. To mix the dip, you'll need a medium mixing bowl and a silicone spatula. You could mix the creamy layer with a hand mixer if you'd like it super smooth, but it all melted down nicely either way.
Behind the Recipe
I first learned the classic 3-ingredient chili cheese dip recipe from my cousins back in middle school. Just cream cheese, canned chili, and shredded cheddar, classic and simple. This version uses mayo and sour cream to make it more scoopable (you know, fewer broken chips).
My top tip is to use freshly shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese totally works and is super convenient, but shredding it yourself melts more smoothly. Either way, enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Please take a moment to leave a rating and review—it helps me create high-quality recipes and lets others know what to expect.
FAQ
Yes. Assemble the dip, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking. A chilled dip may need additional baking time, so use a hot center and bubbly edges as your guide. Follow your baking dish manufacturer’s instructions when moving a refrigerated dish into the oven.
An 8x8 baking dish or standard pie dish works well.
📖 Recipe
Cream Cheese Chili Cheese Dip
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 (15-ounce) can chili with or without beans
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a medium bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo until combined. It can have some small lumps.
- Spread the mixture evenly into the bottom of a baking dish (an 8x8 or similar size works well).
- Pour the chili evenly over the cream cheese in an even layer.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the dip is hot and bubbly.
- Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, crackers, or sliced baguette.
Kathy says
Mine tasted good but it looked grainy like a broken sauce. Any ideas why?
Kelsey Smith says
Glad it still tasted good! My guess is either the cream cheese wasn’t quite soft enough to blend smoothly with the sour cream and mayo, or the dip got a little too hot and the dairy mixture started to separate.
Kelsey Smith says
I think you're going to love this one. If you try my recipe, please leave a review!