dinner recipes

Easy Sweet & Creamy Apple Dip Recipe

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Orchard? Check. Perfectly crisp, crunchy, and sweet apples? Check. Easy sweet and creamy apple dip recipe? Check! Crowd favorite? Check! I grew up eating this cream cheese apple dip every Fall and it’s the perfect pairing to just about any apple. It’s creamy, sweet (but not too sweet), and has delicious and nutritious peanut butter flavor as well. Made with just a few ingredients you probably already have, it’s so easy to whip up a batch of this peanut butter dip. It’s a must for apple season.

You can turn this dip into a whole apple board if you’re serving a crowd or taking it to a party and serve it with a few other dippers like graham crackers, vanilla wafers, and pretzels, or just cut up an apple and serve it in a small dish for a simple snack at home. You can’t go wrong with this delicious dip.

apple dip platter with apple slices, pretzels, and cookies

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

What You’ll Love About Apple Dip

  • Sweet, creamy, and nutty flavors (reminds me of a peanut butter frosting!)
  • Easy to make
  • Pairs perfectly with fresh apples
  • Great for parties and gatherings
  • Always a crowd pleaser and huge hit
  • Made with simple ingredients
  • Can be made-ahead
  • A great recipe if you want a lower-sugar option to caramel apples
  • Easily adjust the sweetness of the dip according to preference
Dark plate with peanut butter dip and fresh apple slices

Ingredients

  • Cream cheese – Use full fat cream cheese for the richest flavor, or reduced-fat if you prefer.
  • Peanut butter – I’ve found that a non-natural peanut butter (like Jiffy or Skippy) works best here for both flavor and texture. If you don’t like to use those, it may have a bit of a grainier texture and you may need to add some more honey. I use Natural Skippy (which still has oil blended in to emulsify) and it works well. You can use creamy peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter, whatever you prefer.
  • Honey – This recipe originally called for brown sugar, but I changed it to honey when my kids were young toddlers and I love the flavor and sweetness it gives. You could also use maple syrup if you prefer.
  • Vanilla – Use high-quality vanilla extract for best flavor.
  • Peanuts – Garnish the dip with chopped peanuts. Optional, but also a great way to add a bit more texture and nutrition.
  • Apples – Serve your favorite sliced apples with this dip. I love tart apples paired with the sweet dip, but you can’t go wrong with varieties like Honeycrisp, Pazazz, or Pink Lady apples.
  • Crackers – These are optional, but if you’re putting out a spread of peanut butter dip for apples, add some graham crackers or vanilla wafers for a fun change of texture.
Ingredients to make apple dip recipe

How to Make Apple Dip

This is an overview on how to make dips for apples, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

Soften cream cheese. Put unwrapped cream cheese in a medium bowl and let it sit at room temperature to let the cream cheese soften a bit.
Whipped cream cheese in a bowl
Mix dip. Add peanut butter, honey, and vanilla to cream cheese mixture and beat another few minutes, until combined and smooth.
Cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and honey in bowl
Serve. Transfer dip to a shallow bowl or serving bowl and top with chopped peanuts. Serve with plenty of apples, graham crackers/cookies, and pretzels.
Apple dip with peanut butter on a platter

FAQs

What are apples good dipped in?

Apples are delicious with so many dips! Caramel is always a good (and sweetest) option, peanut butter, almond butter, or any other nut butter is a nutritious and satisfying option, and I also have a homemade peanut butter caramel dip that I drizzle over caramel apple nachos.

What are the best apples for dipping?

I would recommend going with your favorite eating variety of apples. Honeycrisp, Pazazz, and Pink Lady are staples at our house, but tart Granny Smith apples are also delicious with a sweet dip like this one.

What the best way to prevent apples from browning?

If you want to cut apples ahead of time, you can soak them in a salt water or lemon juice water mixture for about a few minutes before rinsing with water, patting dry, and storing in the refrigerator. Use a ratio of 1/2 teaspoon salt per 1 cup of water for up to 10 minutes or 1 tablespoon lemon juice per 1 cup of water for a few minutes.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover peanut butter apple dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

apple dip, apple slices, pretzels and vanilla wafers on a board

What to Serve with Cream Cheese Apple Dip

Given that this is a dip for apples, we’re definitely going to serve with apple slices, BUT it’s also delicious with some other dippers as well. Here are a few ideas to try:

  • Apples – Use a few varieties of apples, especially if you’re making this into an apple board. If you’re simply serving as a snack for kids, no need, but the variety in flavors and colors of different apple types can be fun and pretty.
  • Crunchy sweet – Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or animal crackers for a crunchy, sweet option.
  • Crunchy salty – Serve with pretzels for a crunchy, salty option.

How to Feed Apple Dip to the Whole Family

I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.

I would recommend serving a tiny portion of the dip in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) or as part of a spread.

Want More?

Follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.

Close up of apple dip with chopped peanuts on the top

More Easy Apple Recipes

If you like this apples and dip recipe, you might also like some of these other easy apple recipes:

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Dark plate with peanut butter dip and fresh apple slices

Sweet and Creamy Apple Dip Recipe

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Description

This easy and healthy apple dip recipe is ready in minutes and made with simple ingredients – cream cheese, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • optional garnish: chopped peanuts
  • sliced apples for dipping
  • graham crackers for dipping (optional)
  • pretzels for dipping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Let cream cheese come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes, until softened.
  2. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat cream cheese for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy.
  3. Add peanut butter, honey, and vanilla to cream cheese and beat another 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and combined.
  4. Top with chopped peanuts and serve with a variety of apple slices, graham crackers/cookies, and pretzels.

Notes

  • Use an electric hand mixer if you have one. Or use arm strength and do it by hand! 

Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.

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