Spicy Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Dip

This spicy jalapeno pimento cheese is a creamy, homemade spread packed with sharp cheddar, jalapeño peppers, and pimentos. Made with cream cheese and mayo, this easy recipe is perfect for Southern-style snacks or football food. Whether you’re looking for a low-carb, keto-friendly dip or a flavorful addition to your next party platter, this is the best pimento cheese for any occasion. Serve it hot or cold for a delicious, versatile appetizer everyone will love!

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Why this is the best spicy jalapeno pimento cheese dip

This is a new twist on a classic Southern staple. Pimento cheese is a famous traditionally Southern dish, and this new spin on it takes the flavors we all love to a whole new level.

This recipe tastes amazing! Something magical happens when you mix cream cheese and mayo. Add spicy jalapeño pepper, a jar of pimento peppers, and lots and lots of cheddar cheese, and you have a big winner that everybody's going to rave about.

This recipe uses simple pantry staples. I'm willing to bet you already have everything you need to make this meal. If not, a quick trip to the local grocery store will net you the rest of the ingredients.

This is an easy recipe that is quick to prep. You can have this pimento cheese spread prepped and in the fridge in under ten minutes (and that is being very conservative - it's probably more like four or five minutes).

This recipe is very versatile. There are serving suggestions about two-thirds down the page, but let me just say that in the South, pimento cheese is served on everything. Burgers, ham sandwiches, grilled cheese, French fries, crackers, and much more. Pimento cheese is a condiment, a spread, a dip, you name it!

This recipe is allergy friendly and can work for special diets. Baked gnocchi casserole as written is gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free. You may be able to find egg-free mayonnaise (might be labeled as vegan mayo) as well, or make your own. I don't think it's possible to make this dish dairy-free because the cheese is pretty foundational. It is a vegetarian recipe as written and appropriate for low carb, keto, and bariatric diets.

Is this pimento cheese or palmetto cheese?

Pimento cheese and palmetto cheese are the exact same thing except that palmetto cheese is made with Wisconsin cheddar, usually an extra sharp.

What you'll need to make jalapeño pimento cheese dip

Equipment

• Garlic press - I like the bite of fresh garlic in my pimento cheese, and I think the best way to add that to any recipe is to press the cloves with a garlic press. If you don't have a garlic press, you can mince the cloves as fine as possible but understand that people are going to bite into crunchy garlic in your dip. If you don't have a garlic press and don't want to buy one, I think you should consider using garlic powder instead as chunks of raw garlic in your dip will be pretty unpleasant.
• Electric mixer - You could mix this by hand but it would be tiresome with all the cheese. A stand mixer would also be great, but I lost mine in our house fire and haven't replaced it.

Ingredients

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Cream cheese - I normally use the reduced fat cream cheese for most things, but in this recipe, I prefer the full fat type.
• Onion powder - This is for a richer flavor. It complements the pimentos nicely.
• Fresh garlic - If you don't have a garlic press (see note above), consider using garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Also, because this dish is raw, you don't want to go overboard on the garlic. One medium-sized clove is plenty. If you only have giant cloves, cut one in half; don't use the whole thing.
• Cayenne pepper - If you don't have ground cayenne pepper, you could use red pepper flakes or hot sauce instead.
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• Shredded cheddar cheese - I prefer extra sharp cheddar cheese when I can find it, but you can use regular sharp cheddar or even a medium cheddar. I wouldn't use mild because it doesn't have enough flavor to stand up in this dip.
• Pimentos - Pimentos are the little red peppers that are traditionally stuffed in green olives. They are sweet and tangy with virtually no heat on their own.
• Fresh jalapeno - I always remove the membrane and seeds when I use hot peppers, to reduce the heat level slightly. If you want blazing hot pimento cheese, feel free to use those too. If you've never worked with hot peppers before, consider using rubber gloves so that the oils don't get on your hands, and always wash your hands thoroughly after cutting hot peppers, even if you're wearing gloves. If the capsaicin oil from the peppers transfers to your fingers, any skin you touch will burn for hours. So if you wipe your nose, rub your eyes, or use the bathroom, you will know there was capsaicin oil on your skin. Ask me how I know.
• Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip - Pimento cheese purists will say that only traditional mayonnaise is acceptable in this recipe. And it is true that classic southern pimento cheese is made with mayonnaise. However, if you prefer the flavor of Miracle Whip, feel free to use it. The flavor of the pimento cheese will be very different than if you use mayo, but it will still taste great. You can make your own mayo if you prefer or use store-bought, but go with the full-fat version and not a light one.

How to make easy pimento cheese dip

1. Add the cream cheese, pressed garlic, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to a large mixing bowl. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer at medium to high speed until the cream cheese is light and fluffy.
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2. Add the cheddar cheese, pimentos, jalapeño, and mayonnaise.
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3. Mix on medium speed (or stir by hand) until well combined.
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4. Taste the dip for seasoning. Pimentos have a lot of salt in them, so you probably won't need kosher salt and black pepper, but the only way to know for sure is to taste your pimento cheese before you refrigerate it.
5. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container (or cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap) and allow the pimento cheese dip to rest in the fridge overnight.
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6. Remove from the fridge 30-60 minutes before serving as pimento cheese is best served room temperature. Serve with your favorite crackers or vegetables.
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Substitutions and variations

As stated above in the ingredients section, you can use mayonnaise or Miracle Whip in this recipe. The traditional southern pimento cheese recipe uses regular mayo, but if you prefer the taste of Miracle Whip, feel free to use that instead. The flavor of the pimento cheese will be dramatically different depending on which you use, but both are tasty.

If you want your pimento cheese to be creamier, add additional cream cheese or mayonnaise, one or two tablespoons at a time until it reaches your desired level of creaminess.

You could use ½ teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce like Tabasco or Frank's or even sriracha instead of the cayenne pepper.

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I prefer this recipe with extra sharp cheddar because it stands up better against the tang of the pimentos, but you can use a milder cheese if you prefer. You can also substitute a third to half of the cheddar with pepper jack cheese for a slightly different flavor.

You can use pickled jalapenos instead of a fesh one, but this will add to the dish's tanginess. If you're going to make this substitution, please do a test run before the day you want to serve your pimento cheese, just to make sure you like how it turns out.

To reduce the spice, you can use half the called-for amounts of Cayenne pepper and jalapeno. If you want no spice at all, just eliminate both from the recipe. You will be left with a traditional southern pimento cheese dip.

If you want the pepper flavor without the heat, you can dice ¼ of a green bell pepper and add that in place of the jalapeño.

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What to serve with this spicy pimento cheese recipe

I like to serve my pimento cheese spread on a veggie tray with crackers and fresh veggies like carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumbers, and mini bell peppers. You can serve it on a charcuterie board or cheese plate, with toasted baguette bites or crostini. You can serve it as a dip with pretzels or tortilla chips. I've seen it served with fried green tomatoes, too.

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Besides as a dip, how can I use jalapeno pimento cheese?

Pimento cheese is very versatile! You can use it as a filling for a grilled cheese sandwich or as a spread on a regular sandwich or wrap or just make a pimento cheese sandwich. It's also great for topping hamburgers and a great filling for jalapeno poppers and quesadillas.

You can stir jalapeno pimento cheese into mac and cheese or melt it and drizzle over nachos. It's also delicious drizzled over scrambled eggs and as an omelet filling.

The last time I was in Charleston, South Carolina, I had deep fried pimento cheese bites, and they were heavenly. I'm going to try to figure out how to make those with this pimento cheese recipe.

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I forgot to set my cream cheese out to soften. What can I do?

If you forgot to leave your cream cheese out to become room temperature, you can put it into the microwave in a glass bowl for 20-30 seconds at a time until it becomes soft enough to use.

If you don’t have a microwave, squish the cream cheese (inside its wrapper) in your hands for a few minutes. The warmth of your hands, along with the movement, will soften it enough to beat with your mixer.

Can you make pimento cheese ahead?

Absolutely! I recommend letting it rest overnight before serving, but you can make it up to 3-5 days ahead of time. Just know that you shouldn't keep it longer than 7-10 days from the day you make it. Don't eat pimento cheese if there is mold on it or if it has developed a sour smell.

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How to store jalapeno pimento cheese

Pimento cheese should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days. Don't eat pimento cheese if there is mold on it or if it has developed a sour smell.

If you try to freeze pimento cheese, the oils will separate, and it will be inedible.

Try these other delicious dips & appetizers:

• Prosciutto-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers - hot app
• Cream Cheese Veggie Dip - cold dip
• Cream Cheese Garlic Dip - hot dip
• Hot Pepperoni Dip - hot dip
• Mild Frank's RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip - hot & mildly spicy dip
• The Best Hot Swiss Onion Dip - hot dip
• Spicy Baked Brie with Apricot Jam - hot app, not really a dip but so tasty
• Italian Hoagie Dip - cold dip
• Mexican Black Bean, Corn, & Avocado Salsa - cold dip
• Cowboy Caviar - There's no actual caviar in this cold cream cheese and black bean dip.
• The Best Hot Taco Dip - hot dip

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