This Crock Pot Pizza Dip is a warm and cheesy appetizer that disappears fast at parties and game days. Serve it straight from the slow cooker with your favorite dippers for an easy, crowd-friendly snack.
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Crock Pot Pizza Dip: What You Need to Know
If you love a dip you can quick prep for the Crock Pot (kind of like my Crock Pot Reuben Dip or this easy Crock Pot Rotel Dip), you're going to love this Crock Pot Pizza Dip! It has all of the elements of your favorite pizza (sausage, cheese, pepperoni, and bell pepper) in a scoopable dip that's perfect with garlic toast or bagel crackers.
If you can brown sausage in a skillet, you can make this dip! It's as simple as cooking, dumping, and mixing.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients: 8 (but super customizable)
Cooking Difficulty: Easy
I hope you love snacking on this one at your next party!
Ingredient Notes
(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)
- Italian sausage: Mild or hot Italian sausage both work, depending on how much heat you want. Cook it completely and drain the rendered grease before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Bell pepper: Adds color, texture, and classic pizza flavor. Chop it pretty small so it's easy to scoop. You can absolutely leave it out if you don't love bell peppers!
- Cream cheese: Gives you that creamy base of the dip. Softened cream cheese is easier to mix with the other ingredients.
- Mozzarella: Gives the dip that stretchy, melty pizza-cheese texture. Some goes into the dip and the rest is saved for the topping.
- Parmesan: Adds salty flavor and helps give the dip a more classic pizza taste.
- Pepperoni: Gives you plenty of familiar pizza flavor throughout the dip. Chopping it makes it easier to get some in every scoop.
- Pizza sauce: Use a pizza sauce you already love, since its flavor comes through strongly in the finished dip.
- Italian seasoning: Adds an easy blend of herbs that complements the sausage, pepperoni, and pizza sauce.
How to Make Crock Pot Pizza Dip
- Brown the sausage, pepperoni, and bell pepper. Add the Italian sausage, half of the chopped pepperoni, and chopped bell pepper to a skillet. Cook until the sausage is fully cooked, breaking it into small crumbles as it browns. Drain the mixture well before continuing.
- Build the dip. Transfer the sausage mixture to a 7-quart Crock Pot. Add the softened cream cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup Parmesan, pizza sauce, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low. Cover and cook on low for a total of 3 hours, stirring occasionally as the cream cheese and shredded cheeses melt into the sauce.
- Add the topping for the final 30 minutes. About 30 minutes before serving, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepperoni over the dip. Replace the lid and continue cooking until the cheese on top is melted.
- Serve warm. Once everything is hot and melted, switch the slow cooker to its warm setting for serving. Garnish with optional basil before serving.
QUICK TIP: Drain the sausage mixture thoroughly. Leaving a lot of rendered sausage fat behind can make an otherwise creamy cheese dip look oily.
Pizza Dip Variations
This dip is super easy to customize with your favorite pizza toppings. You'll need to cook any raw meat first, drain excess grease, and sauté watery vegetables like mushrooms before adding them so the dip stays thick and creamy.
- Supreme Pizza Dip: Keep the sausage, pepperoni, and bell pepper, but add sautéed mushrooms, diced onion, and sliced black olives.
- Meat Lover's Pizza Dip: Skip the bell pepper and add cooked bacon, diced ham, or both. Drain the meats well before adding.
- Hawaiian Pizza Dip: Replace the sausage with diced ham or Canadian bacon. Add well-drained pineapple near the end of cooking.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza Dip: Replace the sausage, pepperoni, and pizza sauce with cooked shredded chicken and barbecue sauce. Add diced red onion and garnish with green onion or cilantro.
- Veggie Pizza Dip: Leave out the meat and add sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, spinach, or olives. Cook your watery vegetables first.
- Spicy Pizza Dip: Use hot Italian sausage and add crushed red pepper, jalapeños, or banana pepper rings. You can also swap some mozzarella for pepper jack.
- Three-Meat Pizza Dip: Keep the sausage and pepperoni, then add cooked bacon or diced ham for an extra hearty version.
- Mushroom and Sausage Pizza Dip: Add sautéed mushrooms to the sausage mixture. Leave out the pepperoni for a simpler sausage-and-mushroom flavor.
- Extra Cheesy Pizza Dip: Replace part of the mozzarella with provolone or Monterey Jack for a different cheese blend without making the dip overly thick.
Variation Tip
A few add-ins really go a long way. Too many toppings can be too much in the creamy base and make the dip hard to scoop. Stick with no more than around ½ cup of extra add-ins for this recipe.
What to Serve With Pizza Dip
The best dippers are strong enough to hold a big scoop without snapping. Toasted baguette slices and garlic bread are perfect because they lean into that pizza flavor.
You can also serve the dip with:
- Breadsticks
- Garlic knots
- Pita chips
- Pretzel crisps
- Sturdy crackers
- Toasted naan wedges
- Bell pepper strips
- Celery sticks
For game day, put two or three different dippers next to the Crock Pot so guests can choose between bread, something crunchy, and fresh veggies.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Transfer leftover dip to a shallow airtight container and refrigerate it after cooling. I'd enjoy your finished dip within 3-4 days of making it.
Reheating: reheat single servings in the microwave...microwave in short intervals, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this dip. Some of these ingredients can separate and change texture during the freezing/thawing process.
Leslie's Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Soften the cream cheese before it goes into the slow cooker so it mixes more easily with the pizza sauce and shredded cheese.
- Drain the cooked sausage and pepper mixture really well before putting it in the Crock Pot. You don't want a greasy dip!
- Stir the dip every once in awhile during cooking to help the cheeses melt evenly.
- Keep the lid on after adding the final cheese - that trapped heat melts the topping quicker.
- This recipe is written for a 7-quart Crock Pot.
- Pizza sauce, sausage, pepperoni, and Parmesan all have a lot of seasoning, so taste the finished dip before adding any extra salt.
- If the dip seems thicker than you like once everything has melted, stir it thoroughly before deciding whether it needs adjusting; melted cream cheese can look thicker before it is completely mixed in.
FAQs & Troubleshooting
More Savory Dips
I can't wait to see what you think of this easy dip! If you try it, make sure to leave a rating/review below. And don't forget to add LL Eats as a preferred source on Google to see more of my recipes in search!
Crock Pot Pizza Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 cup chopped pepperoni
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅔ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 14 oz pizza sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup chopped basil (optional)
Instructions
- Cook Italian sausage, half of the pepperoni, and chopped bell pepper in a skillet until browned; drain excess grease.
- Combine sausage mixture, cream cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese, pizza sauce, and Italian seasoning in a 7-quart Crock Pot.
- Set to low, 3 hours. Stir occasionally.
- Thirty minutes before serving, top with the remaining mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepperoni. Garnish with optional basil just before serving.
Notes
- Soften cream cheese before making the dip so it melts smoothly.
- Drain the sausage well to prevent greasy dip.
- Stir every once in awhile for even melting.
- Keep the lid on after adding the final cheese topping to melt it.
- You can use mild or hot Italian sausage.
- Don't overload the dip with extra toppings (½ cup max).
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days. Reheat in short microwave intervals, stirring often.
- Skip freezing; the dairy can separate.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 17 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
