Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on

3 Comments

16 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 31 minutes
Total Time 41 minutes
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Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip is a creamy appetizer packed with texture and flavor from cranberries, almonds and bacon bits.

Nothing takes a party to the next level like serving up tasty and addicting Appetizer Recipes for your guests to enjoy. Serve this creamy dip with your favorite crackers alongside other homemade dips, like Queso Dip and Beer Cheese Dip.

Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip in baking dish with spoon and french bread slice

BACON CRANBERRY SWISS DIP

This delicious holiday appetizer is sure to steal the show at any Christmas party, family dinner, or potluck. The Swiss cheese and bacon bits give the creamy dip a savory, salty flavor, and the ½ cup almonds and cranberries add some varying texture that adds a lot of interest. Meanwhile the onion cream cheese, ground mustard, and mayonnaise make the rich, creamy base that brings it all together for the ultimate treat.

If you’re hosting a get-together, put out the Swiss Dip in a spread with other crowd-pleasing finger foods. Bacon Brown Sugar Smokies, Pigs in a Blanket, and Cinnamon Pretzel Bites are always favorites!

Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip collage of prep steps

If you have a lot of family or friends that you are serving Bacon Cranberry Swiss Dip, you may want to whip up a double batch. It’s easy to throw together and if you put the delicious holiday appetizer out with a variety of dippers, it’s sure to go quickly. Plus, if you have leftovers, you can just put it in an airtight container to store in the fridge. This dip is fun to enjoy as a quick lunch or snack throughout the week.

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WHAT TO SERVE WITH BACON CRANBERRY SWISS DIP

There are lots of different dippers you can try that make a tasty combination with this rich, cheesy dip. We always love trying out different crackers, breads, or fruit slices to see what pairings go best. Here are some favorites so far:

  • Bread: As far as bread goes a simple French Bread Baguette tastes great, especially if you toast the slices of French bread so they’re crisp. Some other options are mini naan bread, Garlic Bread, or Simple Dinner Rolls.
  • Crackers: Ritz crackers, Club crackers, wheat thins, pretzels or Pita Chips are all great options. 
  • Fruit: If you want a sweeter dipper try using sliced fruit like apples, oranges, or pears.
Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip in baking dish with spoon and french bread slices

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What can be added into this dip recipe?

For some extra crunch, mix in other nuts like walnuts, cashews, or pecans. You can also stir in some more fruit like dried cherries, dates, and currants. To add some extra savory flavor stir in a garlic-pepper blend. Just 1-2 teaspoon garlic pepper should add plenty of extra flavor.

Can I use an alternative to bacon for Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip?

If you don’t want to use regular pork bacon bits in the Bacon Cranberry Swiss Dip, you can use turkey bacon or vegan bacon instead.

What other cheeses can be used in this recipe?

Along with the Swiss cheese in the recipe, you can add a variety of other shredded cheeses. Provolone, pepper jack, cheddar, mozzarella, or Colby jack could all make flavorful and tasty additions. 

Can I use flavored cream cheese for Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip?

For some variation in the cream cheese blend try using spreadable chive and onion cream cheese, honey cream cheese, or garden vegetable cream cheese instead of plain. 

MORE HOLIDAY PARTY APPETIZERS

HOW TO STORE BACON CRANBERRY SWISS DIP

  • Serve: Due to the dairy in the recipe, you shouldn’t leave it out at room temperature for more than a couple of hours. 
  • Store: Sealed in an airtight container or covered tightly, you can store Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip in the fridge for 3-4 days. 
  • Freeze: Though you’ll get the best taste enjoying it fresh, you can freeze Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip for up to 1 month. Make sure to seal it so that no moisture gets in. Let the dip thaw in the fridge and stir the ingredients together. Then reheat in the oven before serving. 
Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip in baking dish after baking

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Dinner, then Dessert

Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip

Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip is a creamy appetizer packed with texture and flavor from cranberries, almonds and bacon bits.
Yield 16 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 31 minutes
Total Time 41 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip in baking dish with spoon and french bread slice
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Ingredients
 

  • 6 slices bacon , chopped
  • 1/2 yellow onion , chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 6 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
  • 3 cups shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds , divided
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries , chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Add bacon to a skillet on medium heat and cook until chewy and crispy but pink and cooked through.
  • Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease and add in onions, cooking on medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the onions are translucent.
  • In a large bowl add the mayonnaise, cream cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper.
  • Whisk well until smooth.
  • Add in the cheese, cooked onions, ¾ of the bacon, ¼ cup almonds, and cranberries and stir well.
  • Pour into a baking dish and spread evenly, top with remaining almonds.
  • Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.
  • Top with remaining bacon and cook 1 minute.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 232IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword: Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip

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Bacon Cranberry Swiss Cheese Dip collage of prep steps

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  2. This sounds delicious! However, my family does not like swiss cheese. What could I substitute? Thanks bunches!

    Reply

    1. Great question. I did a little research and found that some like Havarti instead of Swiss in some recipes. Though they have a similar taste and fairly similar textures the recipe will have different results. I’d love to hear what direction you decided to go with a substitute as well as how the recipe turned out!

      Reply