My Pizza Dip is loaded with cheese, pepperoni and sausage and is made for the slow cooker, so the cheese stays hot and melty.
I hadn’t made pizza dip before but I decided it would be a kid-friendly appetizer to take to the New Year’s Eve party we attended. When researching recipes to try, I discovered feedback about the cheese not staying hot and melted if the dip sits out for too long. And since our dip was going to be sitting out for several hours I knew I needed to make this dip in my slow cooker.
Why is this pizza dip the best?
I think this is the best pizza dip because it includes both crispy pepperoni and spicy sausage. The key to delicious pepperoni in the slow cooker is cooking it in the skillet first and then draining the grease. Crispy pepperoni is way better than soggy, overly greasy pepperoni. You need a skillet for browning the sausage anyway, so it’s not dirtying another dish to also cook the pepperoni. And if you read in the comments, some people use their air fryer or microwave to cook the pepperoni. I love when my readers give me tips to make my recipes even better, more user-friendly!
What is Pizza Dip made of?
- Cream Cheese – use one, 8 ounce block of softened cream cheese to help hold all the other cheese together for the cheesy base of this dip
- Mozzarella Cheese – I prefer buying a ball or block of cheese and shredding it myself because I think it tastes and melts better
- Parmesan Cheese – I prefer the grated (not shredded) Parmesan I find in the specialty cheese section, but the green can works well too
- Italian Salad Dressing Mix – I use Good Seasons brand in this recipe
- Spicy Italian Sausage – Use a 16 ounce roll of uncooked sausage, Bob Evans brand is my personal favorite – and if you don’t like spice, use a mild Italian sausage
- Pizza Sauce – use a 13.5 ounce jar of sauce, I try and find a brand with a lower sugar content
- Mini Pepperoni – in this case, I think size does matter – the mini pepperoni is better for dipping
- Mini Naan Bread Dippers – These are a good quality bread that pairs well with this dip, plus the size is perfect for dipping
- Garlic Bread – Make this pizza dip into a meal by piling it on top of thick slices of baked from frozen garlic bread
Can I add other toppings?
Top this dip any way you like based on your personal taste preference. Sliced black or green olives, chopped green bell peppers, cooked onions or mushrooms, all would make great additions or substitutions to this dip recipe.
What do you dip in pizza dip?
I like using mini Naan bread dippers and baked from frozen garlic bread slices. Sliced green bell pepper slices are a terrific, low-carb dipping option. Bread sticks or crackers would work well too.
How long does pizza dip last?
Keep it in your slow cooker on the warm setting and it will last for a couple of hours at a party.
What size slow cooker to use?
I use a 6-quart Crock-Pot to test all of my recipes on Foodtastic Mom. For a single recipe of this dip, a 4-quart slow cooker would be even more ideal.
Can you freeze pizza dip?
I don’t think this dip would freeze well because of the cream cheese layer. And based on the reader comments, it is so popular at gatherings that leftovers are scarce. Any leftovers you might have, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Microwave to re-heat the dip to serve.
How many calories are in pizza dip?
Based on eight servings (and not including dippers) this pizza dip recipe is 196 calories per serving.
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Pizza Dip
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 packet Italian dressing mix I used Good Seasons brand
- 16 oz spicy Italian sausage
- 1 jar (13.5 oz) pizza sauce
- 1 pkg (5 oz) mini pepperoni
- Naan or garlic bread for dipping
Instructions
- With a hand or stand mixer, combine the softened cream cheese with one cup of the shredded mozzarella, Parmesan and Italian seasoning.
- In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook the pepperoni until starting to crisp. Drain the pepperoni and wipe the skillet clean.
- In the same skillet, brown the sausage and add the pizza sauce. Stir until well combined.
- Grease the inside of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly into the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Top the cream cheese mixture with the sausage and pizza sauce. Top the sauce with the remaining one cup of mozzarella cheese. Top the cheese with the crisp pepperoni.
- Cook on LOW heat for at least one hour before serving. Serve the dip with Naan bread or garlic bread for dipping.
momof1teen says
Can you add pretty much any kind of pizza topping ? Like bacon,black olives,onions,mushrooms ect……I can’t do spicy sausage cause of acid reflux….Do you think I could use Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage (mild) in place of the Italian sausage…….Thanks in advance
foodtasticmom says
Yes. You can definitely customize this recipe with your own favorite ingredients!
Amanda says
On watery veggies (mushrooms ect.), I would cook them up in a pan first to prevent extra water in dip.
foodtasticmom says
I totally agree. Thanks for the comment!
Debra says
Would it work without the sausage?
foodtasticmom says
Yes, you can leave out the sausage
Lauren says
Sounds delicious! I don’t have a slow cooker or crockpot. Can I just put everything in a pot on top of the stove and heat on low until the cheese melts and all is hot? I’d brown mushroom slices and add those, too
foodtasticmom says
Browned mushrooms are a great addition. Since it is a layered dip, I think it might be better to layer it in a glass baking dish. Shallow is better so people can dip into all the layers at once. I’d grease a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until everything is melted and bubbling – probably 25 or 30 minutes? The slow cooker is just to keep it warm over the course of a party. But I think baking it will be fine!
Julia says
You can’t go wrong with pizza dip, right? Love that you used naan bread for dipping – next time I make pizza dip I will buy naan to go with it 🙂
foodtasticmom says
Thanks very much Julia!
Colleen says
What an awesome recipe! Pizza in a dip form sounds divine, and using the slow cooker makes it even better.
foodtasticmom says
I could not agree more. Thank you Colleen!
Juli says
Pizza dip sounds yummy! This would be a great appetizer for a Super Bowl party! Thank you for sharing!
foodtasticmom says
It is perfect for tomorrow. It stays warm through the whole game!
Lauren Vavala | DeliciousLittleBites says
Oh yum! I just love the idea of turning pizza into a dip – perfect for the big game!!
foodtasticmom says
It’s always in my rotation during football season! Thanks Lauren!
Lisa Bryan says
OMG – this is such a brilliant idea! Will definitely have to give this a try!
foodtasticmom says
Come back and let us know what you think!
Tracy says
Pizza in a dip?! Amazing. Pizza in a dip that can be made in the CROCK POT?! Genius!
foodtasticmom says
Thank you Tracy 🙂
Julia says
I would have hard time sharing this dip 🙂 Looks delicious!
foodtasticmom says
Yep. The only issue I have with it is that I eat too much!
Cathy says
This is just making my mouth water! This is perfect for any gathering and to bring to any party! One dip that everyone will love!
foodtasticmom says
I’ve taken it to multiple parties and everyone does love it. Thanks 🙂
Eden | Sweet Tea and Thyme says
Ah-May-Zing! We love making this for play dates, the kids go absolutely bananas for it and all the adults love it, too.
foodtasticmom says
I hadn’t thought about it for play dates. Great idea!!
Deb says
I have made this dip in both a crockpot and in pie pans for the oven. I have even frozen it uncooked (oven way) and taken it out last minute and baked it. A very sturdy and easy dip. Also could bake and freeze it. Great for college kids in a dorm to reheat in a microwave. I add veggies as well.
foodtasticmom says
Great to hear that it can be frozen. Thanks for the positive comment and rating!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
This is a dip that would certainly go down a treat in my house! It looks utterly delicious.
foodtasticmom says
Thank you very much Bintu.
kim says
Love this recipe! It was super easy and had so much delicious flavor! Will definitely make again!
foodtasticmom says
Happy to hear this, thank for the positive review!
Jo says
Fantastic party dip for pizza lovers that gets rave reviews every single time. Will be making it again and again!
foodtasticmom says
So great to hear!
Marie-Charlotte Chatelain says
Pizza crust is overrated! I like the way you think, haha! what a treat!
foodtasticmom says
Thanks Marie-Charlotte 🙂
Pam says
What a fun idea that kids and adults will love. I can think of lots of idea for different “dippers” too!
foodtasticmom says
Mixing up the dippers is fun.
Michelle says
Sooo good! Just like a pizza in a crockpot! It’s addictive!
foodtasticmom says
Thank you for this positive review and comment.
Barbara says
I put together night before except pepperoni. Next morning I put pepperoni in air fryer for short time…cooked perfectly , then headed out of town to tailgate. Dip cooked in crock at tailgate. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!! It had so much flavor that I just ate it with a fork and skipped the bread/chips/ etc. It is hard to find recipes that you can fix ahead of time, then withstand a day in the crockpot while tailgating. Thank you.
foodtasticmom says
Love this tip about crisping up the pepperoni in the air fryer. I’m going to do that next time I make it. Thanks so much for the positive review. So happy you enjoyed it!!
Amy says
We had an office party on National Pizza Day. I wanted to make something a little different than everyone bringing their favorite slices of pizza. People raved and asked me for the recipe. Which I did share your site with them!!! Thank you so much for looking outside of the box!
foodtasticmom says
Thank you so much for sharing my website with your co-workers! I really appreciate that, and I’m so happy you all enjoyed the Pizza Dip!