17 Dessert Dips That Are Truly So Much Fun

You know the type — they order the artichoke whenever it’s on a menu, or crab, and always opt for the in-shell peanuts at the ballgame. We’re talking about those who prize action with their meal, rather than just the robotic fork-to-mouth motion again and again that makes for ordinary eating. Well, these folks often get left out in the cold with the dessert course, which tends to be a spoon affair (even an ice cream cone, eaten out of hand, is pretty one-note).

Luckily, dessert dips have, of late, become a thing. And for those who like to interact with their food, these are the sweetest option. But they’re not just great for that reason. When parts of the dessert are kept separate, cold and warm stay that way, crispy stays crispy, and you get to load up your ideal bite, whether that’s heavy on the creamy part or heavy on the scoop. That’s something that anyone with a sweet tooth could get on board with.

Cannoli dip has become so popular, you might even see it for sale at your favorite grocery store. But when you make it at home, you can fry the cannoli chips fresh, resulting in maximum crunch. The dip itself comes together easily, and arranging the toppings in rows will really wow a crowd.

You know the Tex-Mex-inspired classic 7-layer, so why can’t there be a sweet dip version? The dip itself takes a page from an ice cream sundae, combining whipped cream with chocolate syrup, caramel, brownie bits, banana pudding and strawberry jam. Lots of dippers work here, but an ice cream cone makes for a real eyebrow wag.

Chocolate and strawberries make an iconic pair, but this dip plays on that theme and makes it just as fun as it is romantic. Beating cocoa powder into a sweet cream cheese whipped cream is an incredible hack for getting mousselike vibes with a minimum of time and labor. Bowls of roll-ins like sprinkles and chopped nuts mean that every strawberry is a new adventure.

Here you’ve got a disassembled version of that iconic pie from the Florida Keys. If you don’t have actual Key limes, no worries — fresh lime juice of any kind will do. Besides the obvious graham cracker dippers, pretzels and mango spears go wonderfully, as do coconut cookies, for that “lime in the coconut” flair.

This dip combines the best of strawberry shortcake and trifle together. Where in a trifle, the cake soaks up the jam and cream, here, the pound cake cubes stay cakey, the better to dip in those jammy, creamy strawberries. While you might not have room for a whole slice of cake after dinner, you always have room for just a bite of cake dipped into something wonderful; that’s the beauty of a dip like this.

This dip is absolute heaven (just look at that photo!). Giving s’mores the dip treatment means you can use a high-quality semisweet chocolate, which brings a slightly more grown-up profile here. The broiled marshmallows are adorable and delicious. You may be done with the campfire after you try it.

Eaters will do a double-take, since it sure looks like a banana cream pie! But this one transfers the vanilla wafer cookies to dipper status. Caramelized banana coins on top are not just delicious; they also maintain their golden look right down to the last bite.

Using a box cake mix makes quick work of this sweet spin on chips-and-dip! The key is baking the cake in a much wider sheet pan than the box calls for, resulting in more of a chiplike firmness. The vanilla frosting will go with any kind of cake, so let your preference be your guide here.

This dip eliminates all the fussy steps of making an actual cherry cheesecake; you’ve got no pitting — the cherries are frozen — no baking, and no extended cool time. The “cheesecake” portion balances richness and tang with the addition of sweetened condensed milk and sour cream. If that graham cracker crust is typically your favorite part, you’ll love how they stay crunchy, here.

This dip will delight with its multitudes. The creamy center is a surprisingly delicious combination of vanilla yogurt, sour cream and lemon zest, creamy and gently sweet. But it’s crowned with crunchy, buttery streusel, which gives it texture and oomph. We love this with fruit, pound cake and cookies.

You rarely encounter pumpkin like this — in a form that you’d actually call “refreshing!” It’s blended with cream cheese and vanilla and pumpkin pie spices, so you get all those pumpkiny vibes in a light and dippable base. Gingersnap cookies as the dippers are simply genius.

See earlier re: Cannoli dip is huge! Here, Trisha Yearwood brings a chocolate version. We love the move of going with wonton wrappers, which, once fried, really bring the cannoli aura.

A touch of brown sugar and lots of chocolate chips: Any cookie dough-lover knows the iconic ingredients. Here, they meld with cream cheese for a smooth take on that, perfect for dipping sugar cookies or pretzel rods (the salt really works here). If you really want to go buck-wild, why not chocolate chip cookies? If you make this dip ahead, take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving to bring it to the ideal consistency.

This one’s for the peanut butter lovers, because there are peanut butter cups beneath that marshmallow coat. As in, quite seriously, just a layer of actual peanut butter cups, no chopping chocolate or double-boiling required. Graham crackers complete the 3-ingredient wonder.

We couldn’t resist a take on a cheeseball, but sweet, and shaped like a football to get maximum squeals on game day. The dip itself is a sweetened peanut butter cream, so chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles coating the outside really make it. Be sure to include both sweet and salty dippers to go with.

This one looks so spare by comparison — and it is! You won’t find a dip on this list that comes together faster. But the flavor is king — a vanilla-y peanut butter cream that your pretzels will be so happy to meet.