Traditional Southern Pimento Cheese is creamy, tangy, spreadable, and best served cold on a club cracker, if you ask me! Before you opt to buy it pre-made at a grocery store, you’re going to want to try my super easy recipe made with just a handful of simple ingredients: sharp cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped pimentos, and a few pantry seasonings. That little jar of pimentos might not regularly grace your pantry shelf, but it’s easy to find with the other canned veggies at the grocery store, and it gives this classic cheese spread its signature sweet pepper flavor and pretty red flecks!
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Creamy Pimento Cheese Dip
If I had to list the top foods I associate with Southern living, traditional pimento cheese would be close to the very top. It’s truly a classic! Sometimes called the “pâté of the South,” pimento cheese is a creamy, cheesy spread that’s just as good with crackers as it is tucked into sandwiches, spooned onto burgers, or served with crunchy vegetables for parties, potlucks, and game days.
The biggest debate with pimento cheese is whether you should use cream cheese or no cream cheese, and I landed right in the middle for this version. Some recipes skip it to keep the cheddar flavor front and center, but I like using a little because it makes the spread smoother, creamier, and tangier when scooped straight from the fridge. Using just 4 oz. keeps the sharp cheddar from getting buried, so you still get a bold cheesy flavor with a softer, more spreadable texture. It also helps the spread melt nicely if you want to use it beyond crackers (like in the pimento grilled cheese I make in our homemade mayo video on YouTube!)
Recipe Success Tips
- Shred the cheese yourself. Freshly shredded sharp cheddar gives pimento cheese the best texture and flavor. Pre-shredded cheese is convenient, but it’s usually coated with anti-caking ingredients that can make the spread taste a little drier and less creamy.
- Make sure the cream cheese is softened. Room-temperature cream cheese blends much more smoothly with the mayonnaise. If it’s too cold, you’ll end up chasing little cream cheese lumps around the bowl instead of getting a creamy base!
- Fold in the cheese and peppers. Once the cheddar and pimentos go into the bowl, switch from beating to gently folding. This keeps the cheddar shreds and pimentos intact, so the pimento cheese is creamy but still has the classic chunky texture.
- Customize the heat. I add cayenne pepper for a little warmth without making the spread too spicy. For more kick, add 1-2 tsp hot sauce (any brand), increase the cayenne to ¼ tsp, or fold in 1-2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeños with the seeds removed. Start small, taste, and add more if you like it spicier.
- Taste before adding salt. I don’t add salt because cheddar, cream cheese, and mayonnaise already bring plenty of seasoning. Give it a taste after you mix everything, then add a pinch of salt if you need it.
Pimento Cheese
Cost $5.74 recipe / $0.71 serving
Ingredients
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar (shredded, $2.24*)
- 4 oz. can pimentos (chopped and drained, $1.78)
- 4 oz. cream cheese (room temperature, $0.98)
- ½ cup mayonnaise ($0.61**)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.04)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- ½ tsp onion powder ($0.03)
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Shred the sharp cheddar and drain the jar of pimentos.
- Chop the pimentos into smaller pieces.
- Add the softened cream cheese and mayonnaise to a large bowl. Beat using a hand mixer until smooth and combined.
- Add the shredded cheddar, chopped pimentos, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to the whipped cream cheese mixture. Fold to evenly combine.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Pimento Cheese step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Shred the cheese and drain the pimentos: Shred 8 oz. sharp cheddar, then drain one 4 oz. can of chopped pimentos really well. I like shredding the cheese by hand here because it gives the pimento cheese a softer, creamier texture once I mix everything together.
Chop the pimentos smaller: Finely chop the pimentos so they spread evenly through the cheese mixture. This gives you little pops of sweet pepper flavor throughout instead of big pieces in only a few spots.
Whip the creamy base: Add 4 oz. room temperature cream cheese and ½ cup mayonnaise to a large mixing bowl. Beat until the mixture looks smooth and mostly lump-free. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed so no thick pockets of cream cheese are left behind.
Fold to combine: Add the shredded cheddar, drained chopped pimentos, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, and ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper to the bowl. Fold everything together gently until the cheddar is coated in the cream cheese-mayo mix and the red pimentos are evenly scattered throughout.
Serve or chill: This pimento cheese can be served right away, but it gets even better after chilling in the fridge for an hour or so, as the flavors have time to settle in. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Pimento cheese is obviously great with club crackers, butter crackers, saltines, pretzels, celery sticks, cucumber slices, mini sweet peppers, or any veggies you’ve got. It IS made for dipping after all! Add it to a snack board for parties, potlucks, tailgates, holidays, or casual weekend get-togethers, or turn it into an easy meal. Spread it onto toast for a quick lunch, tuck it into a sandwich, melt it into grilled cheese, or spoon it onto hamburgers for a cheesy topping. My daughter also loves it mixed into scrambled eggs for breakfast!
This recipe, as written, makes 8 servings (¼ cup each) and is very easy to double or halve depending on how many people you’re serving. Just adjust the servings in the recipe card above, and the ingredient amounts will update automatically.
Storage Instructions
You can store leftover dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It actually gets even better after a little time in the fridge because the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and pimentos have time to mingle with the creamy cheese base! Let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before serving again so it softens slightly and becomes easier to scoop. Give it a good stir before serving to recombine.
You can freeze homemade pimento cheese spread in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months, but I don’t usually recommend it because cream cheese and mayo can separate and turn grainy once thawed. If you do freeze it, stir it really well after thawing in the refrigerator and use it in something melted, like grilled cheese, where the texture changes won’t be as noticeable.
Try These Cheesy Dip Recipes Next!
- This 5-Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce uses real cheddar and pantry staples, so it’s a budget-friendly upgrade from the jarred stuff.
- If I had crackers and veggies to use up, our Garlic Herb Whipped Cottage Cheese Dip would make a really easy snack plate.
- Spicy Chorizo Cheese Dip is a great game day option because it stays creamy when kept warm and reheats well in the microwave!
