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    Home » Real Food » Appetizers

    Easy Cream Cheese Taco Dip

    May 22, 2019 | By Kristen Chidsey | 29 Comments | *This post may include amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    This Easy Cream Cheese Taco Dip is easy to make and loved by everyone! This Hot Taco Dip is made with refried beans, a spiced cream cheese mixture, and fresh tomatoes and onions, this Mexican Dip truly is the BEST Taco Dip Ever!

    This Cream Cheese Taco Dip is easy to make and loved by everyone! Made with refried beans, a spiced cream cheese mixture, and topped with fresh tomatoes and onions, this is truly the BEST Taco Dip Ever!

    Chip scooping up cream cheese taco dip.

    The Best Taco Dip

    If I was limited to serving one appetizer for parties, I would choose this Taco Dip.

    This Taco Dip has been in my family for years and everyone I have ever served it to devours it and begs for the recipe.

    From the warm layer of creamy refried beans to the perfectly spiced cream cheese filling to the fresh topping of tomatoes and onion, this Taco Dip is the perfect contrast of flavors and textures.

    It is creamy, cheesy, hearty, fresh, bright--truly, this taco dip has it all!

    Ingredients for Taco Dip

    • Refried Beans: Use either store-bought or homemade refried beans.
    • Cream Cheese: Use full-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese. Do not use fat-free cream cheese, as it will not be as creamy. To reduce fat and calories, you can use plain nonfat Greek yogurt.
    • Sour Cream: For best results, use full-fat sour cream. Feel free to once again use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, to reduce the fat and calories.
    • Taco Seasoning: Homemade Taco Seasoning is the way to go--cheap to make, no preservatives, MSG-free, and gluten-free.
    • Cheddar Cheese: For a cheesy, irresistible layer, top this dip with shredded cheddar or a Mexican blend. You can omit the cheese for fewer calories and still have an amazing low-fat Taco Dip!
    • Topping: I use diced fresh tomatoes, onions, and cilantro to top this dip, but you can also use fresh salsa if desired. Cilantro is optional, if you hate it, by all means, leave it out!

    How to Make Creamy Taco Dip

    • In a large mixing bowl, mix together sour cream and cream cheese with the taco seasoning until well combined.

    Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so that it gets nice and creamy!

    Side by side pictures with cream cheese and sour cream mixture before and after mixing.
    • Spread the refried beans into an 8x8 pan or a 2-quart casserole dish.
    • Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of beans and then spread out into an even layer.
    • Sprinkle with a thick layer of cheddar cheese, if using cheese.
    3 pictures side by side showing steps for layering taco dip.
    • Place the assembled taco dip into a preheated oven and bake until the cheese is melted, and dip is warm and bubbly.
    • While the dip is baking, prepare the tomato topping by combining diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro together in a medium mixing bowl.
    Mixing bowl with grape tomatoes, onions, and cilantro.
    • Top the warm dip with the tomato mixture.
    • Serve immediately with tortilla chips or crackers.
    Glass Dish with creamy taco dip and chips to the side.

    Lightened-Up Taco Dip

    For a taco dip that is lower in fat and calories but still satisfying, I suggest making one or more of the following modifications, depending on how many calories you want to save.

    • Omit the layer of shredded cheese, the dip will still have plenty of flavor.
    • Use plain, nonfat Greek yogurt in place of the cream cheese.
    • Use plain, nonfat Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.
    • Use fat-free refried beans.

    Make-Ahead Instructions

    This taco dip can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance and the fresh topping can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance.

    Assemble the dip up to baking, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator while the oven preheats. Once the oven is preheated, remove the lid or plastic wrap and bake for 20-30 minutes until warmed through. Top as desired.

    Assemble the fresh tomato topping up to 24 hours in advance and cover and refrigerate. Top the warm dip as desired.

    Leftover Taco Dip

    If you happen to have leftovers of this taco dip, allow the dip to cool and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

    Warm the leftovers in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (it is okay to warm it up even with the tomato topping) and serve with chips. The leftovers are also great served in a bean burrito or as a layer in Instant Pot Mexican Lasagna.

    More Appetizer Recipes

    • Antipasto Skewers
    • Bacon-Wrapped Dates
    • Reuben Dip
    • French Onion Chip Dip
    • Skinny Spinach Artichoke Dip
    • Hot Corn Dip
    • Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip

    If you enjoyed this warm, layered taco dip, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

    Chip with Cream Cheese Taco Dip

    Easy Taco Dip

    An easy, Creamy Mexican Taco Dip that is made with refried beans, cream cheese, and fresh pico de gallo. 
    4.93 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 118kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
    • 2 cups refried beans or 16 ounce can
    • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded (optional)
    • 1 pint grape tomatoes
    • ¼ cup onions diced
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro minced (optional)
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
    • Spread refried beans into a 8x8 pan or a 2 quart casserole dish. 
    • Mix sour cream and cream cheese with taco seasoning until well combined. Spread on top of beans.
    • If using cheese, sprinkle cheese over the cream cheese layer. 
    • Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted, and dip is warmed through. 
    • Toss tomatoes, onions and cilantro together. Top the warm dip with the tomato mixture and serve with tortilla chips.

    Notes

    Lightened-Up Version: Feel free to use plain Greek yogurt in place of cream cheese and/or sour cream and omit the layer of shredded cheese. If using yogurt and omit the cheese, the calories per serving will be 80 calories and 0 grams fat. 
    Taco Seasoning: Feel free to use homemade taco seasoning, a packet of taco seasoning, or simply use 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. 
    Cilantro: Feel free to omit if desired. 
    Topping: Take a short-cut and top with prepared salsa.
    The serving size is about ¼ cup of the dip.
    Leftovers: Allow the dip to cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
    Make-Ahead Instructions: This dip can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance and the fresh topping can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance. Assemble the layered dip as directed, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Remove from the refrigerator, and bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes until warmed through. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
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    Categorized Under: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Real Food, Snacks

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cody Gerlach

      January 01, 2022 at 10:08 pm

      5 stars
      Made this today for the first time along with your recipe for Instant Pot refried beans. Absolutely delicious!!!!! Pretty easy to make, and the flavors are wonderful. Added some lettuce and some sliced jalapeños at the end, but otherwise did as written. SOOO GOOD and will be making frequently 🙂

      Reply
    2. Ashley

      September 20, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for game day and everyone loved it!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        September 20, 2019 at 1:18 pm

        I love hearing that Ashley!

        Reply
    3. Beth

      September 20, 2019 at 12:09 pm

      5 stars
      Please don't judge me but I may eat this as a meal!! Delish!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        September 20, 2019 at 1:19 pm

        HA! One of my most favorite things to do is to roll leftovers up in tortillas and call it dinner 🙂

        Reply
    4. Tiffany M

      May 02, 2019 at 1:43 pm

      My family LOVES Mexican food, so I get excited when I find new (and SUPER EASY) recipes to please them 😉 We have a youth baseball tourney this Sunday (Cindo de Mayo) so I don't know exactly when we'll get home. This recipe sounds like it would be great to make ahead and keep in the fridge, then pop in the oven to warm while I make the main meal. Can't wait to try it! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        May 02, 2019 at 3:35 pm

        Oh I hope you enjoy Tiffany! We will be eating this ourselves on Cinco De Mayo!

        Reply
    5. Liz

      January 01, 2019 at 8:28 pm

      5 stars
      Gosh, this was so delicious! And easy, peasy, too. I can't wait for the next occasion to make this taco dip!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 01, 2019 at 8:39 pm

        So glad you enjoyed Liz!

        Reply
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