This Horseradish Dip is cool, creamy, and packed with just the right amount of zing, making it perfect for dipping veggies, chips, and crackers. Made with a smooth blend of mayonnaise, sour cream, and prepared horseradish, it's simple to stir together but delivers big flavor.
For more tasty dips, try my buttermilk ranch dip too!
Recipe Essentials
- 🥣 What It Is: A cool, creamy horseradish dip made with mayonnaise, sour cream, and prepared horseradish for a bold but balanced bite.
- 🥕 Best For: Dipping veggies, chips, crackers, and pretzels-perfect for snack boards and appetizer spreads.
- ❄️ Make-Ahead Friendly: This dip tastes even better after chilling, as the flavors meld and the texture thickens.
- 🌶️ Heat Level: Adjustable-start with less horseradish and add more to suit your taste.
- 🧊 Storage: Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
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Dip vs. Sauce vs. Aioli: Which One Do You Need?
Horseradish recipes can blur together online, so here's a quick guide to help you choose the right one for the job.
- Horseradish Dip: This recipe is made specifically for dipping. It's thicker, creamier, and designed to cling to vegetables, chips, crackers, and pretzels without sliding off.
- Horseradish Sauce: If you're serving prime rib, air fryer roast beef, or steak, you'll want a smoother, spoonable option like this horseradish sauce. It's thinner than a dip and meant to be dolloped or drizzled over meats.
- Horseradish Aioli: Looking for something spreadable for sandwiches or burgers? Horseradish aioli is the way to go. It's richer and more mayo-forward, making it ideal as a sandwich spread rather than a dip.
Each has its place, but if you're building a snack board or veggie tray, this creamy horseradish dip is the one you'll reach for.
If you enjoy tasty dip recipes like this, you have to check out our cold spinach artichoke dip. It's rich, creamy and full of flavor. A treat to the taste buds that can't be denied.
Our crab dip with cream cheese is quite delicious and worth taking a look at too.
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Why This Recipe Works
- The Creamy Base Balances the Heat: Using both mayonnaise and sour cream creates a rich, smooth base that softens the sharp bite of horseradish without dulling its flavor. The result is a dip that's bold but still easy to enjoy.
- Prepared Horseradish Delivers Consistent Flavor: Store-bought prepared horseradish gives you reliable heat and texture every time. Draining it well keeps the dip thick and prevents excess liquid from watering it down.
- Chill Time Brings Everything Together: Letting the dip rest in the refrigerator allows the flavors to meld and mellow. The texture thickens slightly, and the horseradish becomes more balanced, making the dip even better when it's time to serve. Just like this sour cream veggie dip.
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise & Sour Cream: This creamy combo is the backbone of the dip. The mayonnaise adds richness while the sour cream keeps things light and tangy, giving you a smooth, scoopable texture. For the best flavor and consistency, use full-fat versions, as low-fat options tend to thin out the dip. If you love the flavors of sour cream, try these sour cream chicken enchiladas too!
- Green Onions: Green onions add a mild onion flavor without overpowering the dip. Slice them thin so they blend evenly throughout and give every bite a little pop of freshness. For a milder flavor, you can use chives instead.
- Prepared Horseradish: Store-bought, ready-made horseradish works perfectly here. Be sure to squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible before mixing it in. This keeps the dip thick and creamy instead of watery and helps the horseradish flavor shine without diluting the base. Horseradish heat can vary by brand, so start with less and adjust to taste if you're unsure how bold you want it.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
This creamy horseradish chip dip is a great base recipe, which means it's easy to tweak depending on what you have on hand or how you plan to serve it.
- Full-Fat Greek Yogurt: Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for a healthier dip with a bit more protein. Full-fat Greek yogurt keeps the dip thick and creamy while adding a slightly tangier flavor.
- Minced Onion: Minced onion gives the dip a little more bite. When using dried minced onion, let the dip chill for a bit so the onion softens and blends in.
- Bacon Horseradish Dip: Stir in finely chopped, cooked bacon for a smoky, savory twist. This version is especially popular for parties and pairs well with sturdy dippers like pretzel chips or crackers, just like our bacon roasted onion dip!
- Cheddar Horseradish Dip: Add shredded sharp cheddar cheese for a richer, heartier dip. Sharp cheddar works best here because it stands up to the horseradish without overpowering it.
- Roasted Garlic Horseradish Dip: Mix in mashed roasted garlic for a deeper, slightly sweet garlic flavor. It adds richness without making the dip harsh or overpowering. Make your own roasted garlic in the air fryer to add to the dip!
For more dips, try this creamy blue cheese dip too!
How to Make Horseradish Dip
Step 1: Combine the Ingredients. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions, horseradish, parsley, and pepper in a food processor or blender.
Step 2: Mix and Chill. Blend until creamy. Chill the horseradish vegetable dip for a minimum of 2 hours before serving on a vegetable or game day snack board with plenty of fun dippers.
Recipe Tips
- Drain the Horseradish Well: Prepared horseradish holds a lot of liquid. Squeezing out the excess moisture is key to keeping the dip thick and creamy instead of watery.
- Start Light and Adjust the Heat: Horseradish heat can vary by brand. Begin with a smaller amount, taste, and add more as needed. It's much easier to increase the heat than to mellow it after the fact.
- Let It Chill Before Serving: A short chill in the refrigerator helps the flavors blend and soften the sharp edge of the horseradish. The dip thickens slightly as it rests and tastes more balanced.
- Taste Again Before Serving: Cold temperatures can mute flavors. Give the dip a quick taste after chilling and adjust with a pinch of salt or a little extra horseradish if needed.
- Storing the Dip: Place the dip in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It's not recommended to freeze horseradish dip.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy horseradish dip with fresh veggies like carrots, celery, cucumbers, and bell peppers, or pair it with air-fried pita chips, crackers, pretzel chips, and kettle chips for a heartier option.
It's a great choice for holiday appetizer spreads, game day snacks, potlucks, and casual get-togethers. Pair it with fun snacks that are dippable like these Ritz cracker sandwiches, bacon onion rings, and zucchini fries.
Horseradish Dip Recipe FAQs
Yes. Horseradish dip actually tastes better after it chills for a few hours. Making it ahead gives the flavors time to blend and the texture to thicken.
Be sure to drain the prepared horseradish well before mixing. Using full-fat sour cream and mayonnaise also helps keep the dip thick and creamy.
If it's a bit too hot, add a little more sour cream or mayonnaise to mellow the heat. Also, chilling the dip longer will soften the sharp bite of the horseradish.
You can, but fresh horseradish is much stronger and can be overpowering. Prepared horseradish gives a more consistent flavor and is easier to control in a creamy dip.
Creamy Horseradish Dip
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 3 stalks green onions thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup horseradish store bought or homemade horseradish, squeezed of excess liquid
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves minced or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor combine mayo, sour cream, green onions, horseradish, parsley and pepper.
- Blend until super creamy and oh so smooth.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container for at least 2 hours before serving and up to 3 days total. Including the day you made it.
- Serve with sliced vegetables like celery, carrots, sweet peppers, cucumber, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower and so much more.
Notes
- Drain the horseradish well: Squeeze out excess liquid to keep the dip thick and creamy, not watery.
- Adjust heat gradually: Horseradish strength varies, so start small, taste, and add more as needed.
- Chill before serving: Resting time helps the flavors blend and slightly thickens the dip.
- Taste after chilling: Cold can mute flavor-adjust with a pinch of salt or a bit more horseradish if needed.
Irene R says
I made a similar chip dip when I was very young under the influence of my Mom. It was Horseradish in cream cheese and grated onion. Unfortunately, I do not remember what else. It was so good we would make it often.
Karin and Ken says
I love the idea of adding cream cheese. I have so many recipes like that that I wish I wrote down. Hopefully you try this dip and enjoy it as much as we do. This is the way my mom and grandma made made it. Enjoy your day. Karin