Bloody Mary Dip

You will instantly be the life of the party with this creamy, tangy, and luscious Bloody Mary Dip. Combining all the bold flavors of the classic brunch favorite, this appetizer packs a punch while being quick and easy.

If you are looking for an effortless dish everyone will love, this sassy and punchy Bloody Mary dip recipe is it. With the sharp bite of horseradish, sweet kiss of tomato paste, umami of Worcestershire, and sunny pop of lemon, it truly gives all the cocktail vibes in the most creamy, dippable form. Serve this up with everything from crispy, crunchy celery sticks to pickled dilly beans.

If you are looking for the perfect game day dip, or quick holiday appetizer, this is it. With zero cooking required, the most difficult part of making this is letting it chill in the fridge for an hour, allowing the flavors to merry. Other than that, all you have to do is decide what to serve with it, because the options are endless!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Pantry Staples – Most of the ingredients in this easy dip recipe are pantry staples you already have like Worcestershire, hot sauce, and mayo. It’s a budget friendly recipe that doesn’t require any specialty ingredients.
• Make Ahead – This tomato dip can be made a day or two in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to serve. Not only will the flavor be even better, but it will slightly thicken as it chills because of the cream cheese.
• Versatility – The possibilities of dippers to serve with this are truly endless. You can keep it simple with just cut up veggies or go all out and serve it up with all of your favorite Bloody Mary garnishes, from salami and pepperoni sticks to even crispy bacon. There is no wrong answer with this one!

Ingredients

• Creamy Base – The creamy, tangy base of this dip is a combination of cream cheese and mayonnaise. Here in the south, the twang of Duke’s mayo is the only answer!
• Tomato Paste – This gives the distinct tomato flavor you associate with a Bloody Mary cocktail. Pick a good quality one as it’s the predominant flavor in this dip.
• Horseradish – Sharp, spicy, and sassy, this gives the dip a kick without making it too spicy. You will want prepared horseradish, the kind usually found in the refrigerated section next to the pickles, not the creamed version.
• Worcestershire Sauce – Salty, complex, and bursting with umami, this gives the dip incredible depth.
• Lemon – You will need both the juice and the zest of the lemon for this. It adds brightness that balances the sweetness of the tomato paste.
• Seafood Seasoning – I don’t know about you but one of the things I love about a good Bloody Mary is licking off that Old Bay rimmer. Old Bay is the classic but feel free to use your favorite seafood seasoning for this. You want to make sure you’re using something that has celery seed or celery salt in it for that classic flavor.
• Green Onions – Adds herbaceous freshness to every bite with a delicate onion flavor.
• Hot Sauce – A splash or two makes this dip extra zingy.
• Garnishes – Part of the fun of a good Bloody Mary is all the over-the-top garnishes. Dice up your favorites, like pepperoncini, pickles, celery, more green onions, or even bacon! Have fun with it!

Variations and Substitutions

• Lighten up this dip by replacing the cream cheese with less fat Neuchatel cheese.
• Swap out the green onions for chives.
• Give this dip extra texture by mixing in finely diced celery.
• For a meaty bite, fold in a few slices of finely chopped bacon. Because bacon.
• Make this dip extra zippy by stirring in a couple of teaspoons of either pepperoncini brine or pickle brine.
• Don’t just save the toppers for garnish. Stir in a couple of tablespoons of finely diced pepperoncini or pickles.
• Instead of lemon juice and zest add lime juice and zest.
• Replace the seafood seasoning in this with celery salt, Bloody Mary seasoning, steak seasoning, or even barbecue seasoning.
• The vodka in this Bloody Mary dip recipe is completely optional. Leave it out for a family friendly dip, or add it in. You can even use flavored vodkas like pepper or jalapeno.

How to Make Bloody Mary Dip

• Make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature. Allow it to sit out for an hour or two to soften.
• Mix together the creamy tomato base. Add the cream cheese, mayo, and tomato paste to a bowl and use a mixing spoon or spatula to thoroughly mix until smooth.
• Stir in the flavor accents. Add the lemon juice and zest, Worcestershire, hot sauce, seasonings, green onions, and horseradish. Mix until smooth.
• Taste and adjust. Add any additional seafood seasoning, salt, or horseradish.
• Let refrigerate. This can be served immediately, but the flavors and texture are even better if allowed to refrigerate for an hour. Because of the cream cheese base it will slightly thicken up.
• Plate and garnish. Sprinkle additional seafood seasoning over the top. Add diced, pepperoncini, pickles, green onions, or any of your favorite Bloody Mary sidekicks.

How to Serve Bloody Mary Dip

Just like Bloody Mary’s come with an endless possibility of toppings, from classic with celery and olives, to over the top with whole lobsters on display, how you serve up this Bloody Mary dip also offers endless possibilities. Here are just a few ideas.

• Crudites – Celery sticks, carrots, cucumber slices, radishes, they all work well with this dip.
• Crackers/Crostini
• Skewers – Make mini skewers just like you would for the cocktail. It’s a fun way to present this for any gathering. Cured meats, cubes of cheese, pickled items, grape tomatoes or olives. Make it fun.
• Poached Shrimp
• Pickled vegetables – Pickled green beans, asparagus, carrots sticks, or even giardiniera would all be delicious dipped into this.
• Mini burgers/meatballs
• Crab or lobster claws
• Salumi – Cubed salami, pepperoni, crispy prosciutto…the salty bite all works well with the natural sweetness of the tomato paste.
• Olives – I love Castelvetrano olives for this, but any olive will work.
• Cheese – Offer up cubes of cheese for easy dipping. Sharp cheddar, dill Havarti, Hatch chile Gouda, get creative!
• Bacon – Who doesn’t love crispy bacon in their Bloody Mary?

Storage

Because this is a dairy based dip with mayonnaise, you will want to keep it stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to five days. For the best results hold off garnishing your dip until just before serving.

Tips From the Beach

• To ensure that your dip is creamy and dreamy, make sure that your cream cheese is softened to room temperature prior to mixing. This will help keep it lump free. You can soften your cream cheese in the microwave if needed. Cut the block into smaller cubes and place in a microwave safe bowl or plate. Working in 10 second intervals, microwave it until just begins to soften and is easily spreadable.
• Many of the ingredients in this recipe have their own salt in them like the prepared horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and seafood seasoning. Hold off adding too much salt until you’ve tasted it, and keep in mind what you plan on dipping. Items like olives, pickles, and salami are already salty. It’s all about that balance of flavors.
• Is there anything more fun than a Bloody Mary toppings bar? You can serve this dip in much the same way. Have fun with the dippers.
• The dip itself holds up well for several days in the refrigerator. However, garnishes such as olives pepperoncini, or pickles leach off liquid. Hold off adding those until just before serving if possible. You can always mix them in if you have leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions

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