I grew up thinking there was no such thing as bad pizza (I mean, even subpar pizza is good pizza, right? It’s PIZZA!) until I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Gluten free pizza crust often leaves a lot to be desired in the taste and texture department, as evidenced by the gluten free pizza I recently had at lunch with friends. The crust was thin, but impossible to cut through at the same time. Kind of like cardboard? However, the toppings on that bad boy were unforgettable. The description of white sauce, roasted garlic, prosciutto, parmesan cheese, oregano, and hot honey on the menu made it impossible to resist ordering, and after one bite I knew the ingredients needed to meet again — in dip form. Bust out your favorite dippers because Roasted Garlic and Prosciutto Cream Cheese Dip with Hot Honey is officially claiming upgrade status — no crummy gluten free pizza crust needed!
Watch How to Make It!
Mouthwatering Cream Cheese Dip
If you’ve ever had my Warm Fig and Prosciutto Goat Cheese Dip then you know that combining a creamy base like cream cheese with something savory like prosciutto, plus a sweet element, creates a truly outstanding dip. Oh, and serving it warm. I love a cold chip dip as much as the next gal, but there’s something so elegant and inviting about a warm dip recipe that always hits the spot. The hot honey drizzle on top is what really makes this dip unique. In case you missed it, hot honey is having a moment in the world right now. It a simple mix of honey, red chili pepper flakes, and apple cider vinegar, but it has such a big impact. SO good and SO easy! Serve this flavor-packed appetizer at your next holiday gathering, book club, office potluck, or dinner party. It promise it will knock people’s socks off!
Ingredients Needed
Although the recipe name — Roasted Garlic and Prosciutto Cream Cheese Dip with Hot Honey — is a mouthful, the ingredient list is short and ordinary. Here’s what you’ll need…
For the Dip:
Garlic: whole garlic heads are roasted in the oven until the cloves are golden brown and caramelized. Roasting garlic gives it a deeply-savory / mildly-sweet flavor that permeates the dip. Cream Cheese: you can’t have a cream cheese dip recipe without it! I like to use full fat cream cheese, but 1/3 less-fat cream cheese is fine too. Be sure it’s softened to room temperature before you begin making the recipe. Sour Cream: lends creaminess to the recipe. Prosciutto: provides pops of savory flavor to each bite and pairs so nicely with the hot honey. Shredded Parmesan Cheese: gives the dip a deep, nutty flavor, plus creates whispy cheese pulls when you eat it warm. Yum. Dried Oregano: oregano is classically paired with pizza, and makes the dip taste like white pizza, which I am NOT mad about!
For the Hot Honey:
Honey: whatever you’ve got on hand is great. Red Chili Pepper Flakes: the amount I include in this recipe creates a fairly mild hot honey. That said, add more or less red chili pepper flakes to taste. Apple Cider Vinegar: a small splash compliments the sweet and heat elements to create a well-balanced hot honey drizzle.
Make Ahead Appetizer Recipe
Something I especially love about this recipe is that it’s make-ahead. In fact, I instruct you to let the dip mixture rest in the refrigerator after being mixed up for at least four hours, but it can be made an entire day ahead of time. Same thing with the hot honey – it just gets better as it sits. After resting and allowing the ingredients to meld, the flavor is truly night and day different, so don’t skip this step!
What Dippers To Serve it With
I am not kidding when I say you’ll want to eat this recipe with a spoon BUT, if you’re interested in showing some restraint (personally I think it’s overrated,) here are the gluten free dunkers I like serving the dip with:
Pita Chips – currently loving these Pita Crackers Pretzels Focaccia Crostini Crackers Fritos Scoops
Alright — who’s ready to dive face first into this plate of lusciousness?
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Make the roasted garlic. Peel away the papery outsides of 2 large or 3 smaller heads of garlic, leaving only the paper around each individual clove.
Slice off the top 1/3 of the garlic heads to expose the cloves then place onto a small piece of foil and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Bring the foil up around the sides of the garlic then crimp at the top to seal and create a bundle. I like to give the bundles a little shake to ensure the entire head is coated in oil. Place inside a 400 degree oven then roast for 35-45 minutes (depending on the size of your heads of garlic) or until the cloves are golden brown and tender.
3 Tips for Perfect Roasted Garlic
Just like sauting minced garlic cloves, it’s possible to burn the whole head of garlic while roasting which will result in bitter tasting garlic. Dislike! Here are my top tips for making perfect roasted garlic:
Let the roasted garlic cool slightly then squeeze the outsides of the heads to release the roasted cloves into a large mixing bowl. Don’t be afraid to use your fingers to extract them. This is a slightly messy process, but it will be worth it!
Step 2: Make the dip. To the roasted garlic cloves add softened cream cheese and sour cream.
Mix with a hand-held mixer, or an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, until the garlic cloves are smooth and the cream cheese and sour cream are light and whipped, about 1 minute.
Next add chopped prosciutto, shredded parmesan cheese, dried oregano, and salt and pepper to taste then switch to a spatula and fold to combine. Refrigerate the dip mixture for at least 4 hours, or overnight, then spread into a 9″ pie pan, or medium-sized baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. We actually don’t want this dip to be screaming hot – just warm. You can taste the ingredients and flavors so much better when it’s warm vs hot.
Step 3: Make the hot honey. While the dip is in the oven, combine honey, red chili pepper flakes, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl then microwave for 15 seconds so it’s runny and easy to drizzle.
Drizzle the hot honey over the top of the warm dip then DEVOUR!!!! Like I said, we like this dip best when it’s warm vs hot, and it’s even divine room temperature (or straight outta the fridge as leftovers – ask me how I know.) I hope you find a reason to make this heavenly, pizza-inspired cream cheese dip sometime very soon. Enjoy!
More Craveable Dip Recipes
Dirty Martini Dip Warm Fig & Prosciutto Goat Cheese Dip Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Dip Pickle Wrap Dip Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip Cranberry Jalapeno Bacon Dip
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin Like this recipe? Share it with friends!
