Blue Cheese Bacon Dip

Go ahead and channel your inner George Costanza and double dip into this creamy, tangy, and smoky Blue Cheese Bacon Dip with sweet, caramelized onions. With just a few simple ingredients this luscious dip is an instant touch down for game day while also being an ideal appetizer to serve all holiday season long.

Is there anything better than dipping anything and everything into a bowl of chunky blue cheese dip? This luscious dip gives you everything you love about the classic blue cheese with the added elements of sweet caramelized onions, crunchy pecans, and of course irresistible bacon. A drizzle of hot honey takes this warm blue cheese bacon dip off of the beer brined buffalo wing platter and straight to the holiday table.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Make Ahead – With the holiday season in full swing it’s nice to have recipes that you can prepare a couple of days in advance. This dip can be prepared up to the point of baking and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.
• Versatility – Not only are the dippers limitless with this elegant blue cheese bacon dip with caramelized onions, but how you serve it is completely up to you. Pop it into the oven or onto the grill and warm it up, or let it sit out and serve it at room temperature. It’s equally as delicious both ways. It also makes an incredible spread for burgers and chicken sandwiches.
• Balance of Flavors – You don’t need a laundry list of ingredients to create layers of flavor. Each component compliments the next. Savory, salty, smoky, a little sweet, and a little heat.
• Texture – This dip is all of the best components of a really good cheese board in a single bite. Impossibly creamy and silky, but with the crunch we all crave.

Ingredients

• Creamy Base – Cream cheese and mayonnaise make up the smooth and thick base of this dip. Make sure to use the highest quality mayo such as Duke’s for not only the best flavor but also texture.
• Blue Cheese – Where are my blue cheese lovers at? This brings the slightly funky tang to this dish that will have you double and triple dipping. Make sure to use a wedge or block of blue cheese and not the already crumbled blue cheese. This will give you the most flavor and a creamier texture.
• Bacon – Bacon makes everything better including this warm blue cheese dip. While not necessary, thick slice bacon adds even more texture to this dip.
• Flavor Enhancers – Caramelized onions add sweetness, fresh chives give delicate and mild onion flavor and freshness, Worcestershire sauce adds salt and umami, and garlic powder gives a savory element that cuts through the richness.
• Topping – Chopped roasted pecans give crunch and a drizzle of hot honey adds sweetness with heat. Don’t forget to save a little bacon, chives, and blue cheese to finish off the dish as well.

How to Make Blue Cheese Bacon Dip

• Cook your bacon and caramelize your onions. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove it from the skillet and allow it to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Leave a tablespoon of the fat in the pan and add the finely diced onions. Stir them frequently until they are a gorgeous dark brown sugar color and sticky, about 45 minutes.
• Mix up the base until creamy. Add the room temperature cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder to a bowl and mix until smooth, creamy, and lump free.

• Mix in the remaining ingredients. Crumble the blue cheese into the bowl. Add the chives and bacon and stir until everything is evenly incorporated.
• Bake until warm and slightly bubbly. Place the dip into an oven or grill safe baking dish and allow it to bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
• Add all of your toppings. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top along with reserved bacon, blue cheese, and chives. Drizzle a little hot honey over the top if desired.

Variations and Substitutions

• This dip can be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon and using a vegetarian Worcestershire sauce. Caramelize a whole onion instead of a half of an onion in equal parts olive oil and butter, a tablespoon each.
• Have fun swapping out the nuts for topping. Walnuts, pistachios, and hazelnuts would all be great options. Use what you like and what you have on hand. Candied nuts would be delicious on this!
• The texture and flavor will be slightly different, but you can replace the blue cheese in this recipe with goat cheese for a milder flavor.

Equipment

• Mixing bowl/spoon or spatula
• Oven/grill safe baking dish such as a cast iron skillet

Serving Suggestions

• Fresh fruit such as apples, pears, and grapes
• Crackers
• Crostini or grilled bread
• Carrots and celery
• Endive leaves
• Crispy baby potatoes or potato wedges
• Potato chips

Tips From the Beach

• Make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing the base of this dip. It will help prevent it from being lumpy.
• Mix the base first before mixing in the remaining ingredients for a smooth and creamy texture.
• Skip the already crumbled tub of blue cheese and get the wedge. Not only will you get the best flavor this way but also texture.
• Different varieties of blue cheese will give you a bolder flavor or more mild flavor profile. Danish blue and Gorgonzola will have the mildest flavor while Roquefort and Maytag are much more assertive. Use what you love. Point Reyes Original Blue and Roth Buttermilk Blue are two of my favorites.
• You can make this up to two days in advance up to the point of baking. Keep it tightly covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake transfer it to your baking dish and warm it up.
• This dip doesn’t have to be baked. Because the cream cheese will thicken when it’s cool though allow it to sit out for thirty minutes before serving so it can soften up.
• Leftovers can be stored for up to five days in the refrigerator. You can either serve at room temperature or reheat it in the oven.

Looking for more dip recipes? Make sure to check out Creamy Caesar Dip, Baked Goat Cheese Spread with Pepper Jelly, Wedge Salad Dip, Pizza Dip with Garlic Knots, and Creamy Black Bean Dip.

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