Gouda Pecan Dip

A truly addictive combo of cream cheese and gouda gets the high life treatment with the addition of chopped pecans and a hint of cinnamon in my Gouda Pecan Dip. This is a perfect poolside treat but can be enjoyed at parties all year long!

Gouda Pecan Dip

One of the wonderful things about living in Southern California is the proximity to specialty markets for all kinds of food. Yes, we’ve got your Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s for awesome every day (or a late night need for patio chips specifically mid May to mid June).

But there’s also a ton of amazing niche stores that specialize in Asian, Italian, and Hispanic foods. We love to hit up these stores for mouthwatering items like strawberry tamales and fresh burrata.

One of my favorite specialty places to shop is Bristol Farms, which is such a fun place to just go and explore and build a cheese board. My all time favorite item to get there is their gouda pecan dip. I cannot leave the store without buying this. It’s absolutely addictive and is the perfect cocktail hour addition. It’s that good.

So it was my absolute pleasure to buy a ton of it and try to make different versions at home. Trust me–I eat enough of this stuff that making it at home is bound to be more frugal.

The recipe I ended up with tastes a little different than the Bristol Farms version, a little sweeter, but I quietly fell in love with this version one bite at a time. The addition of cinnamon here does something unexpected–it sort of allows the gouda dip to walk a very fine between sweet and savory. Depending on the type of cracker you pair it with, it enhances either the sweet or savory characteristics of the dip. I sort of love that–same dip, but different personalities.

And this is just as addictive as the original. Believe me–this is the kind of thing you think ‘oh I’ll just set out some apps for the family.’ Then you leave the kitchen for 10 minutes, come back, and the bowl is absolutely wiped clean. It’s perfect for a party (but might I suggest doubling it if you do). I love it poolside–a perfect after swimming snack that is so refreshing with an Aperol Spritz and a lounge chair.

I like to think of a lot of the recipes on my site as ‘romance in the kitchen’–little love letters to the people you love and want to take the time to honor with food. This one, though, is a love letter to ME (or you, whichever the case may be!). It’s the kind of thing I love to just whip together and enjoy–a little self care that always makes me happy. I promise not to eat the whole bowl….next time.

How I Make Gouda Pecan Dip

As I said, I tried a few different versions of this and the technique for making it. I started off just by mixing everything together by hand because I knew I wanted to be able to see pieces of gouda in it (ala the Bristol Farms recipe). But every time I made it this way, it came out really thick and lifeless.

The best way I found to give this more of a ‘dip’ quality is to make it in the food processor. I kind of hate getting out my food processor because cleaning it is annoying, but this is worth it.

Let your cream cheese come to room temperature, and start by adding it to the bowl of the food processor. Then add in half the gouda, mayo, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. I used low fat cream cheese and low fat mayo because that’s what I had on hand, but I think it would be fine to use regular versions as well. Just expect if you use a regular version it will be a bit richer.

I also took the shortcut and did pre-shredded gouda. I’m sure shredding the gouda yourself will make a difference but sometimes you’re just trying to get a dip onto the table. It’s your call.

Pulse all of the ingredients in the food processor and let it do its thing for a minute. You want everything mixed, and it to be a bit whipped.

Move the dip to a mixing bowl and add in the rest of the shredded gouda and chopped pecans. Hand mix it all together. Taste for seasonings and then put it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. I like this to sit out about 10 minutes before serving so that it’s easy to get your cracker through.

Serve the gouda pecan dip with a variety of crackers, pretzels, and/or veggies. I like to serve things that bring out the sweetness, like a cracker with cranberries or raisins in it, or carrots and then some dippers that are more savory like a sesame cracker.

I can’t wait for you to try this dip at home! I’m hoping you enjoy it as much as I do–promise I won’t tell if you eat this whole thing solo. Join the club.