Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe
Our perfect homemade Pimento Cheese Dip is better than anything you can buy at the store. Serve it for the Kentucky Derby, The Masters, or any party or tailgate.
Pimento Cheese Dip is so Easy and Delicious!
Pimento cheese is a beloved Southern recipe that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. And anytime! It’s often in our fridge for afternoon snacking, but we’ll take it to parties and tailgates, too.
At the heart of every great pimento cheese is a combination of cheese, mayonnaise and pimentos. From there, the seasonings are key. We use a few untraditional ingredients – sriracha and country Dijon mustard – to give our dip a distinct gourmet appeal.
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Pimento Cheese Spread
- It’s great for those occasions associated with pimento cheese and Southern food, like The Masters and The Kentucky Derby.
- Use it as a dip for crackers and veggies, or as a spread for burgers and sandwiches.
- So much better than any pimento cheese you can buy at the store!
Homemade Pimento Cheese Ingredients
- extra sharp Cheddar cheese – this gives the dip it’s robust cheese flavor.
- cream cheese – the creamy and smooth base of the dip.
- mayonnaise – this loosens up the cream cheese a bit and adds extra creaminess.
- green onions – provide a mild onion flavor and pop of color.
- diced pimentos – find these in a jar near the olives at the store. These sweet and mildly tangy peppers are the star of this dip!
- Dijon mustard – I like to use country style Dijon mustard for the visible pop of mustard seeds, but traditional Dijon will provide the same tang.
- garlic and onion powders – these both add depth of flavor to homemade pimento cheese.
- sriracha – an addition that adds a touch of heat to this pimento cheese dip recipe. Any hot sauce works, or you can omit it for a milder dip.
- salt and pepper – seasonings to help balance the flavors of the dip.
Lighten it up!
- In place of regular cream cheese, use light cream cheese (Neufchâtel) instead.
- Greek yogurt can be used in place of the mayonnaise.
Pimento Cheese Dip Recipe Tools
Aside from measuring cups and spoons, you’ll need a few very basic kitchen tools for making pimento cheese dip:
- Grater – for shredding the cheese
- Mixing bowl – for stirring up the dip
- Rubber spatula – the best tool for mixing up the dip.
- Airtight container – like a jar or food storage container, to keep the dip fresh.
How to Make Pimento Cheese Dip
1. CUBE CREAM CHEESE. Cut the cream cheese into small cubes and let it stand at room temperature for an hour or until the cheese is very soft. Or, microwave the cubes for 15 to 20 seconds or until they are very soft.
2. ADD. Put the cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
3. MIX AND CHILL. Stir together all of the ingredients. Refrigerate at least 2 hours for best flavor, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes prior to serving. If desired, garnish with extra pimentos and sliced green onion.
Home Chef Tips for Pimento Cheese Spread
- For the best flavor, use freshly grated sharp cheddar, not the prepackaged kind. Bagged cheese contains cellulose, so the cheese will be more firm and dry, and will result in a drier dip.
- Make sure to drain the pimento peppers – you don’t want the added liquid from the jar.
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature. If it is too cold, it will not mix in properly. Cutting the cream cheese into cubes will help speed up the softening process, but you can also use the microwave.
- If you cannot find a jar of pimento peppers, you can use an equal amount of jarred roasted red peppers. Just drain and chop them.
What to serve with this recipe for Pimento Cheese Dip
Try serving this pimento cheese dip with crackers (we like Ritz and Crunch Master), pretzel crisps, bagel chips, toasted baguette slices, or your favorite veggies. It’s a very firm dip, so choose sturdy dippers!
How to Store Pimento Cheese Spread
Pimento cheese should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
How long does pimento cheese last?
When stored properly, this homemade pimento cheese recipe can last up to 1 week.
Can you freeze pimento cheese?
While it’s technically possibly to freeze pimento cheese, we don’t recommend it, as the texture may become grainy when thawed.
Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe FAQs
Pimento cheese is a classic Southern spread made from shredded cheese, mayonnaise, diced pimentos and various seasonings.
While pimento cheese spread is delicious, it is high in fat and calorie content. See the “Lighten It Up!” box above for tips on how to cut some calories and fat. And, just enjoy it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Pimento cheese dip has a rich, creamy texture, with a tangy and slightly sweet flavor, thanks to the combo of the cheese and pimentos.
Recipe for Pimento Cheese Spread
Our perfect homemade Pimento Cheese Dip is better than anything you can buy at the store. Serve it for the Kentucky Derby, The Masters, or any party or tailgate.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish (optional)
- 8 ounces extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup diced pimientos, plus extra for garnish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon country Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the cream cheese into small cubes and let it stand at room temperature for an hour or until the cheese is very soft. Or, microwave the cubes for 15 to 20 seconds or until they are very soft.
- Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl. Add onions, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, mustard, garlic powder, sriracha, onion powder, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes prior to serving garnished with extra green onions and pimentos, if desired.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1/4 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 375mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. Nutrition information does not include any optional ingredients or toppings. You should calculate the nutrition information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
You little snooper 😉 Nah, just kidding. Good luck getting that installed, and I hope it does good things for both of us. I’m going to put my new earnings in my Derby/hat/sundress savings account 🙂
Seriously, what other sporting event gives you an excuse to buy a gorgeous sundress and a ridiculously large hat? That’s a great number one goal! I totally came by to snoop on your snazzy new amazon search bar. I’m going to try to get one installed on my site this week too!
Oh my gosh, so jealous of the person you know going to the Derby! I can’t wait until I’ve saved up enough money to go myself (could be awhile) 🙂
Thanks so much, Tess. Enjoy the Derby!
Absolutely LOVE your goal list- I have one too! So I think it is super awesome and I know someone that is going to the derby!! I want to have a big hat and dress party! LOL! Ohhhh and sip on bourbon drinks! I also LOVE that you lightened this baby up, seriously no one ever knows, all that matters is it tastes good!
This looks delicious! There’s nothing more Southern than pimento cheese. I will have to make this for the race! Thanks for sharing!