Hot Black-Eyed Pea Dip (Printable View)

Warm, cheesy dip loaded with black-eyed peas, jalapeños, and spices. Baked until golden and bubbly.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
02 - 1 cup sour cream
03 - 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

→ Canned Goods

04 - 2 cups black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables and Seasonings

05 - 0.5 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped
06 - 0.5 cup green onions, thinly sliced
07 - 0.5 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
11 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
12 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Set oven to 375°F and allow to fully preheat.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese and sour cream. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
03 - Add 1.5 cups cheddar cheese, black-eyed peas, pickled jalapeños, green onions, red bell pepper, minced garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until all components are evenly distributed.
04 - Pour the mixture into a greased 1.5-quart baking dish and spread evenly.
05 - Distribute the remaining 0.5 cup cheddar cheese evenly across the surface.
06 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the dip is hot and bubbling with golden brown cheese on top.
07 - Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm alongside tortilla chips or fresh vegetable sticks.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and handles a crowd without fussing.
  • The pickled jalapeños give a real kick without overpowering the creamy base—spice that knows its place.
  • You can make it hours ahead and just pop it in the oven when guests arrive, which is the dream scenario.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining and rinsing the black-eyed peas—excess liquid will make your dip watery and dilute all the flavor work you've done.
  • If your cream cheese is cold when you start, the mixture will be lumpy and won't incorporate smoothly no matter how hard you mix.
03 -
  • For extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mixture or use hot pickled jalapeños instead of regular ones.
  • Shredding your own cheese from a block melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese, which has anti-caking agents that can make the texture grainy.
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