Rye Bread Dip {Easy 20 Min Recipe} (2024)

This creamy rye bread dip is loaded with herbs and savory flavor and served in a rye bread bowl. Pair it with your favorite dippers like chips, crackers, and veggies. It’s the perfect appetizer for parties, holidays, family gatherings, and game days!

Appetizers are my favorite part of any meal. If you feel similar, be sure to try our Jarlsberg cheese dip, Franks buffalo chicken dip, and cottage cheese dip too!

Rye boat dip

This rye bread dip recipe is a creamy, herby dip served inside a hollowed-out rye bread bowl.

The dip consists of cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, a dash of onion powder, herbs, and seasonings.

With a handful of ingredients and simple prep, this rye bread bowl dip is one of the easiest appetizers you can make!

I make it for every holiday party because it’s always a big hit and feeds plenty of guests.

Plus, you can prepare the dip ahead – so less mess and hassle on the day you want to serve it.

Crave more creamy dips? Check out this cream cheese chili dip, microwave buffalo chicken dip, and fluffy Cool Whip fruit dip.

With only a few simple ingredients in this dill rye bread dip, the quality of the products is key. Refer to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• Rye bread: You can use 1 large round rye bread or 2 small round loaves.
• Cream cheese: Full-fat, brick-style cream cheese is perfect for this recipe. Let your cream cheese soften on the counter for 30 minutes, so it mixes easier with the other ingredients.
• Sour cream gives the dip a subtle tang. You can use regular or fat-reduced sour cream to save a few calories.
• Mayonnaise adds to the creaminess of the dip.
• Onion powder adds a burst of savory flavor.
• Herbs: Parsley, chives, and dill are my favorite herbs for this dip. Both fresh and dried herbs will work. The recipe is written for fresh herbs. If using dried herbs, half the amounts since they tend to have a stronger flavor.
• Salt & black pepper: Use plenty to season your dip well.

• Neuchâtel: For a lighter dip, replace the cream cheese with Neuchâtel, which contains 30% less fat than regular cream cheese.
• Crème fraiche or Greek yogurt are good substitutes for sour cream.
• Herbs & spices: Play with the seasonings and add celery salt, Beau Monde seasoning, fresh thyme, oregano, or tarragon.

Despite the impressive presentation, a rye dip bread bowl is surprisingly simple to put together. Let me walk you through the recipe step by step:

1. Create a rye bread bowl

• Using a sharp bread knife, cut a thin slice off the top of the loaf. Hollow out the bottom portion, leaving a 1/2 inch / 1.5 cm shell.
• I like to cut a circle into the bread and then scoop the inside out with a spoon. Slice the cut-out bread into bite-sized pieces and save for serving.

2. Mix the dip

• Beat the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise on high speed with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Next, stir in the parsley, chives, dill, onion powder, salt, and pepper until combined.

3. Fill loaf

• Pour the dip mixture into the hollowed-out bread bowl until completely full. It’s fine to overstuff a little.

4. Serve dip

• Serve the rye dip bread bowl with the remaining bread from the inside, assorted crackers, chips, and veggies.
• I like to serve my bread bowl on a large serving board. I think this makes a nice presentation and you can add extra dippers around the sides.

• Smooth texture: For a smooth texture, combine the ingredients with a mixer or in a food processor. You can also mix by hand if you don’t mind a slightly chunkier texture.
• Chill the dip: While you can serve it right away, it’s best to pop it in the fridge for an hour or so. This gives the flavors time to blend together.
• Serving dish: If a rye bread bowl isn’t an option, feel free to serve the dip in a small Dutch oven or a ceramic bowl.
• Warm rye bread dip: If you want to eat warm rye bread dip, wrap the bread bowl (with the dip inside) in heavy-duty foil and bake in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm.

This dill rye bread dip is incredible as is, but it’s also an excellent base for different mix-ins to make it even more irresistible.

• Cheese: Feel free to add a cup of freshly shredded cheese to the dip. Cheddar, gouda, asiago, Swiss cheese, Jarlsberg, Jack cheese, and Havarti will all be delicious.
• Spicy: Season with a pinch of red chili flakes or a few drops of your favorite hot sauce for a little heat.
• Lemon: Add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up the flavors.
• Garlic: Garlic powder or fresh minced garlic provides a nice bite without being too spicy.
• Veggies: Stir a handful of finely chopped vegetables straight into the dip, such as finely chopped spinach or bell peppers.
• Chipped beef: Fold 1 cup chipped beef into the bread boat dip.
• Bacon bits: Crumble leftover crispy bacon from your breakfast to add in for a salty, savory flavor.

This creamy rye bread boat dip is great with a variety of dippers. You can even turn it into a dressing.

Here are some of my favorite things to pair it with:

• Rye bread: Cubed rye bread tastes delicious with this dip. For extra texture, toast your rye bread cubes on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
• Raw vegetables like mini tomatoes, cucumber spears, carrot sticks, celery sticks, bell peppers, broccoli, and snap peas.
• Potato chips: I particularly like kettle chips with this dip. Bagel chips taste scrumptious too.
• Crackers & mini pretzels: Ritz, TUC, and Entertainment-style crackers are nice and crispy.
• Spread: Slather the dip onto a sandwich or burger, or on top of baked chicken breasts.
• Wedge salad: Cut iceberg lettuce into wedges, and top with bacon, diced tomatoes, toasted rye bread cubes, and this dip.

You can prepare this rye boat dip recipe up to 1 day ahead of time. It’s a great way to save time on busy holidays, parties, or game days.

Store the hollowed-out loaf and dip separately to ensure the rye bread doesn’t get soggy overnight.

• Dip: Mix the dip and place it in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.
• Bread: Hollow out the bread and wrap it in aluminum foil. The bread is okay to keep at room temperature.
• Serve: When it’s serving time, stuff the dip into the bread, and pop on a serving platter along with your dippers.

How to store rye bread dip

Cover the bread bowl and keep the dip in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The rye bread shell will soften over time but still be okay to eat.

Can I freeze rye boat dip?

No, this rye dip will not freeze well because dairy products change texture when frozen and thawed.

Rye Bread Dip Recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This creamy rye bread dip is loaded with herbs and savory flavor and served in a rye bread bowl. Pair it with your favorite dippers like chips, crackers, and veggies. It’s the perfect appetizer for parties, holidays, family gatherings, and game days!

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small loaves of rye bread
• 8 oz / 225 g cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup / 180 g / 6.3 oz sour cream
• 1/2 cup / 115 g / 4 oz mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 tbsp fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

1. Create a rye bread bowl. Using a sharp bread knife, cut a thin slice off the top of the loaf. Hollow out the bottom portion, leaving a 1/2 inch / 1.5 cm shell. I like to cut a circle into the bread and then scoop the inside out with a spoon. Slice the cut-out bread into bite-sized pieces and save for serving.
2. Mix the creamy base. Beat the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise on high speed with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add seasonings. Next, stir in the parsley, chives, dill, onion powder, salt, and pepper until combined.
4. Fill loaf. Pour the dip mixture into the hollowed-out bread bowl until completely full. It’s fine to overstuff a little.
5. Serve dip. If desired, garnish the dip with fresh herbs. Serve the rye dip bread bowl with the remaining bread from the inside, assorted crackers, chips, and veggies. I like to serve my bread bowl on a large serving board. I think this makes a nice presentation and you can add extra dippers around the sides.

Notes

Tips

• Smooth texture: For a smooth texture, combine the ingredients with a mixer or in a food processor. You can also mix by hand if you don’t mind a slightly chunkier texture.
• Chill the dip: While you can serve it right away, it’s best to pop it in the fridge for an hour or so. This gives the flavors time to blend together.
• Serving dish: If a rye bread bowl isn’t an option, feel free to serve the dip in a small Dutch oven or a ceramic bowl.
• Warm rye bread dip: If you want to eat warm rye bread dip, wrap the bread bowl (with the dip inside) in heavy-duty foil and bake in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 167Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 237mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g