White Pizza Dip
Looking for a tasty and fun appetizer idea? This White Pizza Dip is a creamy, delicious dip…and it’s surrounded by warm garlic knots!
Growing up, we ate pizza on a fairly regular basis – but it was always made with red sauce. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I discovered the concept of a white pizza.
As the name suggests, white pizza does not use tomato sauce as a base. Instead, white pizzas rely on olive oil, garlic, salt and sometimes ricotta cheese. While I still love a traditional (i.e. red sauce) pizza pie, a good white pizza ranks up there pretty high on my list!
A couple of weeks ago, Laura and I were experimenting with pizza toppings, and we ended up with this Jalapeno Popper Pizza. Simply put, that pizza was friggin’ delicious! Cream cheese is a key ingredient in jalapeno poppers, so we used a bit of cream cheese for the base of that pizza. *Mind blown.*
White Pizza Dip
We enjoyed that pizza so much that I recreated a similar version…just in dip form! This White Pizza Dip was a huge hit in our house. As I was considering how to serve this dip, I remembered this Bacon Spinach Dip. Essentially, you make a ring of unbaked garlic knots and fill the center with dip. From there, the whole thing – skillet and all – goes into the oven. About 30 minutes later, you’re left with an appetizer that’ll have everyone jumping to get a bite!
Similar to the base of that Jalapeno Popper Pizza, this White Pizza Dip uses a mixture of cream cheese and mozzarella with a generous amount of grated Parmesan in there for flavor. Oh, and I added a whole bunch of fresh basil. After all, garlic + basil + mozzarella go together like the Scooby + Shaggy + Scooby Snacks.
As this White Pizza Dip is baked and served in a cast iron skillet, you’ll need to use care when serving it. The skillet will be hot! Just warn your family and friends to be careful when reaching in for a garlic knot. Alternatively, you could bake the knots and dip separately, although I kinda like the visual appeal of serving the whole thing in a skillet.
I used homemade pizza dough for this White Pizza Dip, but you could certainly use store-bought dough instead. (Or call your local pizzeria – many times, local pizza shops will sell you a batch of their unbaked pizza dough. Chances are the pizzeria version will taste better than the store-bought version, too!)
If you’re looking for one heck of a tasty appetizer, then put this White Pizza Dip on the menu. It’s great for watching sports or just for an appetizer night on the couch – no matter how you serve it, I hope this dip is a big hit in your house! Cheers!
Did you make this White Pizza Dip at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
White Pizza Dip
Ingredients
For the Garlic Knots
- 24 oz. pizza dough homemade or store-bought
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1½ tsp Italian seasonings
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the White Pizza Dip
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 Tbsp milk
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1½ tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Brush a 9” or 10” cast iron skillet with olive oil. Place a small bowl or crock in the center of the skillet; set skillet aside. (The crock will be replaced with dip later. It is used at this stage to “hold” the opening in the middle.)
- Divide the pizza dough into 12 equal pieces (~2 oz. each).
- Cut each piece of dough into 3 pieces. Using a circular motion, roll each piece of dough between countertop and palm of your hand until dough ball becomes tight. Place olive oil in a large bowl and then add balls of dough, tossing until well coated.
- Place dough balls around the outside of the prepared skillet. Cover skillet and place in a warm location for 1 hour. (Tip: For a warm location, I put the pan in my oven with just the oven light on.)
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Using a medium bowl, make the dip by combining cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, ricotta, milk, basil, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir until well combined.
- Uncover the skillet, remove the crock and spoon the dip into the center of the skillet.
- Bake at 375°F for 28-30 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. (Optional: After baking, switch the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has browned.)
- While skillet is in oven, whisk together the melted butter, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, Italian seasonings and kosher salt.
- Remove skillet from oven and brush garlic knots with the butter mixture. Let cool slightly before serving.
Looking for more tasty dip ideas? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me for the knots can i use vegan butter and parmesan cheese / dip can i use vegan cream cheese / cheeses and almond milk i love pizza soooooooooooooooo much i never had white pizza dip before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
I haven’t made this recipe with vegan substitutions, but I suspect they would work just fine. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
David, you are such a genius! What fantastic party food!
Why thank you, Jeff – just combine bread and cheese, and you’re pretty much always going to land on something good!
Oh my god this looks incredible. I typically order white pizzas these days if I’m at a good pizza place – I love when they add truffle oil, too. This is so decadent. Deelicious.
Oooo…yes to the truffle oil, Mimi! Well, as long as they don’t overdo it. That stuff can get overpowering really quickly. I might have to add some next time I make this dip now – great idea!!
Ok, I need to make this for my boys! One of them isn’t fond of tomato, but I think he’d be all over this. Some pepperoni slices would take it over the top!
Oooo…great idea with the slices of pepperoni on top! I also like Mimi’s idea of a bit of truffle oil. I think I need to make this one again next weekend using all of these yummy suggestions! 🙂
You may remember I am not a tomato fan so white pizza is the biz for me 🙂 This dip looks so delicious David. But these days, cheese is not my friend 🙁
Yes! I do remember you saying that you aren’t a big tomato fan. This recipe is perfect for you then…well, minus the cheese part. Umph.
Oh yes, I love white pizza! My favorite is white pizza with either spinach or broccoli… in fact, I think I’m going to make this dip with some sautéed spinach in there! 🙂
Ooo – that sautéed spinach idea is a good one, Nicole! I remember when I discovered white pizzas back in college. ::mindblown:: This dip turned out well…plus, it’s always fun to bake in a cast iron skillet! Hope you guys are doing well!
What a fun recipe for a game day or fun way to mix up pizza night (just add a green salad and dinner is done!). Love this idea, David!
I hear ya on the easy dinner idea, Marissa! All you need is bread and cheese, and everything else just falls into place. 🙂
I love this dish David, perfect with afternoon drinks or to take to a party. The combination of bread and tasty cheese always a winner.
I absolutely agree, Pauline – you can’t ever go wrong when you’re talking about bread and cheese! 🙂
I love the idea of using cream cheese and mozzarella as the base, and adding fresh basil for an extra kick of flavor. Serving it in a skillet with garlic knots sounds like such a fun and unique way to enjoy this dip. I can’t wait to try this out for my next game night with friends, and yeah it is all about rugby here. 😁
This dip is fantastic, Raymund! I love the flavors of white pizza, and this dip channels those flavors in the best way possible. So pick a good rugby game and make a batch of this dip for friends – and go ahead and make a double batch of garlic knots! 🙂