One taste of this savory love dip recipe from Texas and you will know how it got it’s name! A creamy tomato dip full of flavor.
I was in Texas last fall visiting family when my sister-in-law introduced me to something called Love Dip. We were grocery shopping for a cookout that night when she picked up a container from the freshly prepared food area of their local grocery store.
I asked “What’s that?” and the lady behind the counter asked “Would you like to try some?” A small spoonful later, I was “in love” and came to know how this famous Texas love dip got it’s name.
I immediately knew I’d have to research this thing called love dip and post about it on the blog. There is a Texas grocery store chain called HEB or “Central Market” which has made this dip famous all over the Lone Star State.
Love Dip has a slightly pinkish color (from the tomatoes) and has a really great flavor with a slightly spicy after-kick. The name and color of this dip also make it a great appetizer for Valentine’s day.
This copy cat recipe comes pretty close to the real thing and will suffice until my next trip to Texas. Texans know what good food is and Texas is a bit of a foodie dream at least for me 🙂 This was a small food gem that I could bring back to the East Coast. I hope ya’ll like it, no wait, I mean “love” it!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 – Throw all the ingredients into a bowl of a food processor or mixing bowl (if using an immersion blender).
Step 2 – Process/ blend until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Tips and Tricks
- Seeding the tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes contain a lot of water which will make your dip too thin. Seeding the tomatoes gets out a lot of the moisture. More water will come out as you chop as well.
- Soften the cream cheese: Don’t forget this step so that your dip will be creamy.
- Chill: Love dip is better once it sits for a bit in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
It does have a little kick from the cayenne pepper. You can leave out the red pepper if you prefer or adjust it to your liking.
No, the fresh tomatoes really are the star of this dish.
Love dip goes great with crackers, bread, chips, or veggies.
This tomato dip will still be good in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days.
No, I would not recommend freezing because it will change the texture.
Adapted from: D Magazine
Love Dip (Texas Central Market Copy Cat)
Ingredients
- 12 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp cilantro, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp dried tarragon
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or more to taste
- dash of white pepper
Instructions
- Place cream cheese, tomatoes, tomato paste, cilantro, garlic, and lemon juice into a food processor and process until creamy. As an alternative, you can place ingredients in a bowl and use an immersion blender to blend together until desired consistency.
- Fold in the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Chill for an hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
Try it with Cool Ranch Doritos!
This is delicious! I followed the recipe exactly but it seemed thin even after refrigerating. Saw another similar recipe with a tip – in addition to fully seeding out the tomatoes, squeeze them with a paper towel to rid of remaining excess moisture. Will try that next time (which will be soon, it’s so good.)
Gayle- so glad that you liked the dip! Great tip on squeezing the tomatoes to get out an extra water – I’ll add it in the instructions to help others.
Can it be frozen?
Hi Julie,
I would not recommend freezing this dip as it will change the texture. You can make it the night before however.
I too went on a visit to Dallas, Texas, went to a Central Market and fell in love with this dip. I read the ingredients on the back, came home and tried to replicate it, and I’m proud to say I almost nailed it. The only difference is I used sundried tomatoes instead of fresh and it has always worked out really well. Thanks for sharing this wonderful, unique dip. It doesn’t taste quite like anything else. I love it with sourdough bread.