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This caprese dip will be your new favorite appetizer! You can’t beat the flavors of tomatoes tossed in fresh garlic and basil and the gooey cheesy texture. Serve it with crusty bread and enjoy the dip version of the classic salad in a few simple steps.

caprese dip in a baking dish with fresh basil and crusty bread on the side
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The best kind of dips are cheesy and gooey. Just the right amount of stringy cheese, but packed with lots of flavor. This hot caprese dip is exactly that.

I am an appetizer LOVER. All caps because I could live off appetizers. My family jokes we could totally skip Thanksgiving dinner and just do apps. This is the ultimate easy party dip worthy of any of our family parties.

The fresh tomatoes and basil make this the perfect summer dip, but it’s delicious all year round. If you love caprese salad, you’re going to love this caprese cheese dip.

Why You’ll Love this Caprese Dip

  • Packed with summer flavors (juicy tomatoes!)
  • Just like the traditional Caprese salad—but with melty cheese
  • Great appetizer for summer parties
  • Colorful and fresh
  • Always a crowd pleaser
  • Easy to make
  • No fancy ingredients!

Love Caprese? Try this burrata Caprese next!

Ingredients You Need

Here are the fresh ingredients for this easy dip recipe. Jump to recipe for exact measurements.

  • Sour cream: adds smooth texture for the creamiest dip.
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Basil pesto: you can use store-bought pesto or homemade pesto.
  • Fresh mozzarella cheese: cut them into thick slices then into cubes. You can use mozzarella balls instead.
  • Parmesan cheese: freshly grated is best for ultimate melting.
  • Fresh basil: chop it up and stir it in the dip and top it with fresh basil leaves at the end. It’s a great way to use up garden basil!
  • Fresh tomatoes: both grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes work, but I prefer cherry.
ingredients for caprese dip on a countertop

How To Make Caprese Dip

To make easy caprese dip you only need one bowl, 30 minutes and less than 10 ingredients. Jump to recipe card for exact measurements.

  1. Roast tomatoes: drizzle the whole tomatoes with a little olive oil and toss with pesto, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in the bottom of your serving dish. Bake at 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.
  2. Mix the dip: while they’re baking, mix together the remaining ingredients in large bowl.
  3. Assemble Dip: remove the tomatoes from the oven and add the cheese mixture. Stir to combine the cheeses and roasted tomatoes.
  4. Bake: Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese melts, browns, and bubbles around the edges.
  5. Garnish and serve: Sprinkle fresh basil on top before serving with crusty bread or crackers.

Do you love hot dips? Try buffalo cauliflower dip or baked brie with fig jam next.

Serving Suggestions

This hot caprese dip recipe is best served with hearty sides for scooping. It gathers up all the gooey cheese  and balances out the melted cheese texture.

  • Crusty bread like toasted sourdough or baguette slices
  • Pita chips
  • Tortilla chips
  • Crackers (any kind)

How to Store

Store leftover hot Caprese dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in an oven safe dish or container at 400 until heated through and bubbling.

dipping crostini into cheesy caprese dip

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Tap stars to rate!
4.50 from 4 votes

Caprese Dip Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
This caprese dip is going to become your new favorites appetizer. It's a perfect warm summer dip thanks to the fresh basil and tomatoes. You can't beat the warm, cheesy, texture, and delicious taste. Serve it with crusty bread or crackers for serving.

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Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons basil pesto homemade or store bought
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into chunks
  • 8 ounces shredded provolone cheese
  • ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • crusty bread, crackers, or tortilla chips for serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
  • Add 1 cup of whole cherry tomatoes to the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish or cast iron skillet. Drizzle with olive oil and top with pesto, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat the tomatoes. Bake for 15 minutes.
    2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 2 Tablespoons basil pesto, 5 cloves garlic, Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
    cherry tomatoes in a baking dish with olive oil, garlic, and pesto
  • While they're roasting, stir together the sour cream and basil. Add the fresh mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan.
    1 cup sour cream, 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, 8 ounces shredded provolone cheese, ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    sour cream, basil, and mozzarella in a mixing bowl
  • When the tomatoes are done, add the cheese mixture to the roasted tomatoes and toss to combine. Cut the remaining cup of tomatoes in half and arrange them on top of the cheese.
    caprese cheese dip topped with sliced tomatoes before baking
  • Bake for another 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, top is slightly golden, and edges are bubbling. Top with fresh basil just before serving (not sooner). Serve with your favorite bread, chips, or crackers.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Notes

*Nutrition information does not include bread or crackers, just the dip. Search ‘caprese dip – whatmollymade’ on My Fitness Pal to track and log this recipe.

Video

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • 8×8-inch (or 2 qt) baking dish or cast iron skillet

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 510mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 785IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 352mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe by: Molly Thompson of What Molly Made | Photography by: Sierra Inn

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Recipe Rating




3 Comments

  1. Estella says:

    3 stars
    Flavor was good…but very oily and fatty. I think next time I might cut back on the mozzarella and add cream cheese.

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  3. Amy says:

    This looks like my kind of dip yummy!