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This Loaded Southwest Cream Cheese Dip is packed with black beans, corn, salsa, lime and plenty of seasonings. Served with chips or veggies, this flavorful appetizer is completely addicting and perfect for parties.
This creamy dip is great with a variety of dippers, like cut up veggies, chips, crackers or Crostini. And variety is essential to a great party menu, so a cream cheese dip is the perfect compliment to something hearty, like Boneless Buffalo Wings or Fried Ravioli.
Party appetizers are my favorite thing to make, whether for game day, holiday parties, birthdays or just a regular Tuesday night. Dips are super simple, require minimal effort and give you a really good reason to eat raw veggies, or an excuse to binge on tortilla chips!
Ingredients for Southwest Cream Cheese Dip
This Loaded Cream Cheese really is LOADED. The base is softened cream cheese mixed with sour cream to make it really smooth yet easily dippable. Then salsa, black beans, corn and spices add a southwest flair while a squeeze of fresh lime juice adds a burst of freshness. Finished off with spicy pepper jack cheese this cream cheese dip is simply irresistable!
How to Make Cream Cheese Dip
- Beat cream cheese in a large bowl. I use full fat block of cream cheese because it’s creamy and rich, which is what you want in a good dip. You can use a wood spoon for stirring, but I really recommend using a hand mixer to get it nice and fluffy. Then add the sour cream and mix until it’s nice and smooth. Finally stir in the salsa.
- Stir in all of the spices. Ranch seasoning mix (leave it out if you’re not a fan; no need to replace), chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. The spice blend is similar to taco seasoning, so if you happen to have that on hand you could swap 2 tablespoons for the spices. You may need to adjust the salt level though.
- Black beans, corn and cheese. Now we’ll add some heft to this dip with black beans, corn and Pepper Jack cheese. I used the full cans of the beans and corn, but you can judge for yourself how much of it you want to add and feel free to add less. Don’t skimp on the cheese though – it’s so good!
- Serve. Time to pour it in a serving dish and serve it to your people.
How to Serve
Serve with some hearty tortilla chips (try them in the air fryer!) or veggie sticks (like carrots, celery, bell peppers). The chips you use must be strong enough to hold up to the thickness of this dip. Wimpy chips need not apply! I usually go with Mission brand tortilla triangles or Tostitos Scoops, which seem to hold up the best.
Sometimes I’ll save some corn and black beans for garnishing the top, and always add a little green, like the chives, for some color and freshness.
For your sweet tooth, try our Cream Cheese Fruit Dip with your favorite fruits!
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Make it lighter. To make this cream cheese dip a little lighter, use low fat cream cheese (Neufchatel) and lowfat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- Chill for better flavor. You can serve this dip right away, or make it up to 24 hours in advance. My preference is to chill it for at least 30 minutes so the flavors have time to blend together.
- Soften cream cheese for best results. Let your cream cheese soften before blending. Open up the package and place it in the bowl about an hour before you plan to make the dip.
- Don’t have time to soften your cream cheese? Here’s a tip! Cut cream cheese into chunks and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power in 15 second intervals just until soft enough to stir. You don’t want to let it get warm.
- Storage: If you have leftover cream cheese dip, cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Stir before serving again.
Variations
You can play with the Tex Mex flavors of this dip to amp up the flavor, or bulk it up even more by adding a protein. Here are some ideas:
- Add veggies like diced tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper or sliced olives.
- Add protein like ground beef or shredded chicken.
- Add some heat with a pinch of cayenne, some canned diced jalapenos or use your favorite spicy salsa.
- Mix in some sharp cheddar cheese or use regular Jack cheese to turn down the heat a little.
More dips you’ll love:
- Hot Mexican Corn Dip – All the flavors of Mexican street corn in a delicious dip!
- Cheesy Hot Corn Dip – Hot, creamy, melty cheeses and sweet corn make up this savory favorite.
- Jalapeno Ranch Dip Recipe – a creamy copycat dip from Chuy’s restaurant that’s full of spicy jalapeno and cool ranch flavors.
- Southwestern Seven Layer Dip – Layers of cream cheese, black beans, corn and more!
Southwest Ranch Cream Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese brick style, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces sour cream
- ½ cup salsa
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons Ranch dip seasoning mix or 1 (2-ounce) packet
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Pepper-Jack cheese
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned corn drained
- Fresh chives minced, for garnish
- Chips, pretzels, crackers or veggies for dipping
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together softened cream cheese and sour cream until combined and smooth. You can do this by hand or use an electric mixer. Stir in salsa and lime juice.
- Stir in Ranch mix and other seasonings until well blended. (in place of individual seasonings, you can use 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning).
- Stir in Pepper-Jack cheese, black beans and corn. If desired, reserve ¼ cup of each the beans and corn for garnishing the top of the dip.
- Spread dip into serving dish and garnish with fresh minced chives (and beans and corn if you choose). Serve with Chips, pretzels, crackers or veggies for dipping.
- Chill for 30 minutes or so to thicken and set. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, pretzels or veggies for dipping.
