Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons, one of which is the fact that corn is in season! Give me all the corn, I say! Smoked corn on the cob, corn & zucchini fritters, and, my personal favorite, cream cheese corn dip! This incredible elote dip recipe is a decadent twist on classic Mexican street corn that you will want to make again and again!
You don't spend 28 years of life in San Diego without developing a love of elote. When I was first learning to cook I would make a very simple cream cheese corn dip, which I eventually elevated by adding traditional elote ingredients and flavors making it more like a Mexican street corn dip.
Dips are one of my favorite things to make because they're so quick and easy and always a crowd pleaser. I mean, have you ever been to an awesome party that had no dip? Of course, you haven't.
I guarantee this elote dip recipe will be a hit at any party or get-together.
Jump to:
🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This elevated cream cheese corn dip is a great place to start if you're new to cooking because it's so easy to make.
- Elote dip is the perfect thing to serve at your next big gathering, whether it be a Halloween party, Thanksgiving, or a birthday party!
- It's the ideal dish if you're short on time because it can be made in under half an hour!
- The dip can be prepared ahead of time and popped into the oven before company arrives.
🛒 What You Need To Make This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients And Substitutions
- Mexican crema: I like to use Mexican crema because it thins out the dip (which makes it easier to scoop without breaking your chip). That being said, sour cream will work perfectly fine if you prefer to use that.
- Pepper jack: You can also use cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or any other cheese that's good for melting.
- Cilantro: I know a lot of people think cilantro tastes like soap, so if that's you I am profoundly sorry. Green onions would make a good substitute in this case.
- Spices: Everything But The Elote Seasoning is a Trader Joe's essential in my house. You can also purchase it on Amazon. If you don't have any, you can mix together equal parts salt, Chile pepper, chipotle powder, and cumin. If you don't have it, you can just use more of the Tajin Classico seasoning.
- Queso Fresco: Cotija or Oaxaca cheese are also great options. In a pinch, feta cheese will do!
- Jalapeño: One jalapeño pepper should give the elote dip an ever-so-slight kick without making it too spicy, but it can be left out if you prefer.
- Minced garlic: By all means, use fresh garlic or garlic powder if you prefer!
🌽 How To Make Elote Dip
Step 1: In a large frying pan, add corn, garlic, and Everything But The Elote Seasoning. Cook the corn kernels over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the kernels are lightly charred.
Pro tip: If you're using a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan you don't need to add any oil or butter (unless you want to). However, if you're using a regular pan you may want to lightly coat it with butter or oil to keep the kernels from sticking.
Step 2: Add cream cheese, Mexican Crema, and pepper jack to a baking pan, then place in the oven at 375 F for 7 minutes.
Step 3: Meanwhile, roughly chop your cilantro and jalapeño pepper.
Pro tip: I like big chunks of cilantro and jalapeño, but you can finely dice them if you prefer.
Step 4: Remove the pan from the oven and stir to combine cheese, crema, and cream cheese. Then add in sweet corn kernels, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice and stir again.
Step 5: Top with Tajin and queso fresco, then return to the oven and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow the dish to cool for about 5 minutes and then enjoy with tortilla chips!
Pro tip: Alternately, you can add queso fresco and Tajin at the very end, after removing the dish from the oven.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Elote, or Mexican street corn, is typically made by grilling corn on the cob, then covering it in mayonnaise, chili powder, lime juice, and crumbled Cotija cheese.
Elote dip is an adventure for the tastebuds. It combines the sweetness of corn with the saltiness of the cheeses, and the lime juice and Tajin seasoning add just the right amount of sourness. The jalapeño and cilantro offer a distinctly Latin flavor that really enhances the whole dish.
Trader Joe's Everything But The Elote is perfect for snacking and goes well with so many things. Sprinkle it on sweet potato fries, corn fritters, rice chips, bell peppers, popcorn, grilled chicken, Brussel sprouts, Mexican rice, crunchy chickpeas... the list goes on!
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- You can make this elote dip recipe in a number of ways - in a crock pot, in the microwave, or on a Traeger! I recommend smoking it alongside carne asada.
- When refrigerated, this dip (or any cream cheese corn dip) should keep for about a week when stored in an air-tight container.
- Cream cheese corn dip does not freeze well because it contains dairy.
- This dip can also be served as a topping with tacos!
🧀 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Elote dip recipe
Ingredients
- 2 15.25 oz cans of corn
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon Everything But The Elote Seasoning
- 2 8 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup Mexican Crema
- 6 oz pepper jack
- 1 oz cilantro
- 1 jalapeno
- ½ lime (juiced)
- 1½ tablespoon Tajin Classico seasoning
- ¼ cup Queso Fresco
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, add corn, garlic, and Everything But The Elote Seasoning. Cook the corn kernels over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the kernels are lightly charred.
- Add cream cheese, Mexican Crema, and pepper jack to a baking pan, then place in the oven at 375 F for 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roughly chop your cilantro and jalapeño pepper.
- Remove the pan from the oven and stir to combine cheese, crema, and cream cheese. Then add in sweet corn kernels, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice and stir again.
- Top with Tajin and queso fresco, then return to the oven and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow the dish to cool for about 5 minutes and then enjoy with tortilla chips!
Notes
- If you're using a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan you don't need to add any oil or butter (unless you want to). However, if you're using a regular pan you may want to lightly coat it with butter or oil to keep the kernels from sticking.
- I like big chunks of cilantro and jalapeño, but you can finely dice them if you prefer.
- You can make this elote dip recipe in a number of ways - in a crock pot, in the microwave, or on a Traeger! I recommend smoking it alongside carne asada.
- When refrigerated, this dip (or any cream cheese corn dip) should keep for about a week when stored in an air-tight container.
- Cream cheese corn dip does not freeze well because it contains dairy.
- This dip can also be served as a topping with tacos.
Nena Sterner says
It's so good! Enjoy! 🙂
Kelly Methey says
This sounds delicious!!!I will be making it soon!