Baked Bruschetta Dip

This creamy baked bruschetta dip is a delicious upscale appetizer that’s perfect for date nights and summer dinner parties.

We love snacking on fresh bruschetta in the summer! This year, our garden has been bursting with cherry tomatoes. So we tried a new kind of bruschetta to shake things up: creamy baked bruschetta dip.

This recipe combines flavorful tomatoes and garlic with mozzarella cheese and a little bit of cream cheese. It’s built like a layer dip so that it’s super easy to prepare and looks beautiful for serving. We think it makes the perfect tapas recipe for two, but it’s also a wonderful appetizer that can easily be scaled to feed larger crowds.

What This Recipe Entails

While this dip spends a bit of time in the oven, it only requires about 10 minutes of hands-on prep work. That means that you can relax and make yourself a summery cocktail while it bakes – the perfect kind of appetizer, in our opinion!

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 25 to 28 minutes
• Cool time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• Cherry tomatoes – It’s peak tomato season, so we’ve been using sweet cherry tomatoes from our garden for this dip! They’re the star of the show, so make sure to use the freshest tomatoes you can find. Look for sweet varieties 
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is a must here! We like to slice it thin for a moderate amount of garlic flavor, but you can also use minced garlic if you prefer a stronger flavor.
• Olive oil – You’ll want to use an extra virgin olive oil for this recipe; the flavors will come through in the tomato topping. Since this dip bakes in the oven, use a mid-range oil (aka, not your nicest “finishing” EVOO).
• Cheese – Our bruschetta dip has a cream cheese and mozzarella base. We always recommend shredding your own cheese from a block for the freshest flavor and best melty texture. Note that you don’t want to use fresh mozzarella; its water content is too high and it will ruin the texture of the dip.
• Fresh basil – Fresh herbs lighten up this dip while giving it that classic bruschetta taste. We like to chop some up to mix into the tomatoes before baking, and use a few whole leaves for garnish after baking.
• Balsamic vinegar or glaze – We tested this two ways: adding balsamic vinegar into the tomatoes before baking vs. drizzling the dip with balsamic glaze after baking. We found that simply drizzling the glaze on top allowed the tomato flavor to shine and had more of a “classic” bruschetta flavor. Mixing balsamic vinegar into the tomatoes yielded a sweeter, more balsamic-forward flavor throughout the dip. Both were delicious, so it’s up to you which you prefer!
• Crostini or other dipping vehicle – We’ve included a basic recipe for crostini that is absolutely perfect for dipping into bruschetta. You’ll need a baguette, EVOO, and sea salt to make it. Or, you can serve this dip with crackers, bread, or even focaccia.

How To Make Bruschetta Dip

This recipe is simple and straightforward, which is why we love it so much! Just season the tomatoes, then layer everything in a baking dish and pop it in the oven.

1. Prep – Add the cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and chopped basil to a small mixing bowl. Optionally add balsamic vinegar if you want a more balsamic-forward flavor in the dip. Stir well to combine.
2. Assemble – In a small baking dish, spread the cream cheese into a thin layer to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with an even layer of shredded mozzarella. Then add the tomato mixture on top, making sure the tomatoes are in a single layer. Make sure to scrape all the oil, garlic, and basil out of the bowl onto the dip so you don’t waste any flavor!
3. Bake and broil – Place the dip on the top rack of the oven, positioned about 8-12 inches under the broiler. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, then switch to the broiler (low setting, or 425 degrees F). Broil until the tomatoes are lightly charred, about 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Serve – Let the dip cool for at least 5 minutes before serving – it will be super hot straight from the oven. Finish with an optional drizzle of balsamic glaze, a pinch of sea salt, and fresh basil leaves before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Bruschetta dip is a lovely summertime appetizer for two with any of the following foods for dipping:

• Crostini – We like to make a simple crostini with a baguette, olive oil, and sea salt. It’s the perfect complement to this dip! We’ve included the recipe below for you.
• Crackers – Plain sea salt crackers taste great with this dip (we love these ones from Firehook), but you could also serve this with flavored crackers like rosemary sea salt or garlic thyme.
• Focaccia – We’ve eaten this dip with rosemary garlic focaccia, and it was delicious! Any of your favorite fluffy breads is a great pairing with bruschetta dip.

Pair it with a summer cocktail like a limoncello spritz and you’ll have the perfect happy hour treat!

Give this recipe a try before summer is over and let us know what you think by rating, commenting, and sharing below.

Simple Crostini Recipe

1. Slice a baguette thin (aim for quarter-inch thickness) and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then season with a pinch of sea salt.
3. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes, until crisp. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature.

Love this recipe? You may enjoy these other fresh tomato recipes, too:

• Roasted tomato and garlic bruschetta
• Pasta with zucchini and tomatoes
• Bruschetta burger
• Balsamic bruschetta chicken