11 creamy Super Bowl dips for any and all chips (or crudités) (2024)

Creamy and seductive, dips are among the best of snacking pleasures — and are in high demand on Super Bowl Sunday. Assorted crudités and chips are the obvious accompaniments, and hunks of crusty bread, flatbreads and sliced baguettes work well too.

This easily assembled dip, a brainchild of the 1950s, was part of almost every appetizer spread in its heyday. As food columnist Jenn Harris will attest, its fans are die-hards who will shun any attempt at making onion dip from scratch, with fresh ingredients or other trendy alteration.

For those not wed to the mother of all onion dips, former cooking editor Genevieve Ko’s from-scratch version uses fresh onions, kosher salt and some vegetable oil in place of the soup mix. Once caramelized, they are mixed with sour cream and, voilà, it is onion dip — no additives, sulfites or flavor enhancers (though it will taste better if chilled overnight).

For onion dip with a little more kick, food columnist Ben Mims starts out with onions in the pan and then adds spicy Sichuan chile crisp to the mix. The Sichuan peppers are optional, but if you have access to them, they do add a unique, tongue-tingling dimension.

A revamp of the classic made with mayonnaise, cream cheese, sour cream and both mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, this version uses a creamy purée of ground Marcona almonds as the base for the vegetables in place of the mayo and all of that dairy. The vegans in the crowd will love it and, unless you tell them, the non-vegans may well not know the difference.

The popular spinach dip in the latter half of the 20th century was made with Knorr dehydrated vegetable soup mix, frozen spinach, water chestnuts and the requisite mayonnaise and sour cream. Here, fresh spinach brings more flavor, and smoky bacon and chopped pecans bring the crunch. Pickled jalapenos add brightness and a kick for a more contemporary take on the old-school classic.

This Southern spin on Mexican queso makes no apologies for using processed cheese. Velveeta will ensure the silky smoothness of the finished product, and jarred pimento or roasted red peppers make for no-fuss preparation.

If you want a break from mayo, cheese and sour cream, guacamole is silky and refreshing and typically lands in the top 10 most popular Super Bowl snacks. Although a molcajete is the traditional vessel in which to prepare it, a potato masher or even a large fork will get the job done.

Not quite hummus and not quite not hummus, this vibrant dip also happens to be vegan (but don’t tell the carnivores!). Earthy and rich, it is simple to prepare and adds a nice pop of color to the table.

This dip veers from the traditional smoky Middle Eastern eggplant purée with a generous dose of grated, fresh ginger, and the complex tomato chutney takes it in an entirely different direction. And this too is vegan.

Harking back to the 1920s salad dressing, this dip involves blending plentiful fresh herbs, herb-flavored vinegar and mayonnaise with a full tin of anchovies. The result is so creamy and full-flavored that you can’t stop eating.

An homage to hot Buffalo chicken dip, this variation is zipped up with lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper and red chile flakes. If you have leftover chicken to make it with, great. If not, pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken from your grocery store and shred the breast meat for the dip.