Sunday Supper: Cheesecake Dip

There is a short list of things that make a child’s lunchbox feel special rather than just packed. Not fancy, not fussy, just the kind of thing that gets noticed when the bag is opened and causes a small moment of genuine delight in a school cafeteria. This cheesecake dip is one of those things.

It takes about 10 minutes to make, requires no oven, no cooking, and nothing that can’t be found at a regular grocery store. It tastes like cheesecake filling in a dippable form, which is essentially the highest compliment available in a certain age group. Pack it in a small container alongside graham crackers, vanilla wafers, Teddy Grahams, or sliced strawberries, and it covers both the sweet and the something-to-dip categories of the lunchbox in one shot.

It also works at a cookout, a potluck, or a Sunday afternoon when someone needs something sweet on the table without a lot of effort. The sprinkles make it look like a party, which is never a bad thing. There is always something to celebrate, right?

What Makes It Work

The base is cream cheese and butter beaten together until light and fluffy, which gives the dip its cheesecake character and enough body to hold up in a container without going liquid. Powdered sugar sweetens it without the graininess that regular sugar would bring, and whipped topping folded in at the end lightens the whole thing into something that’s creamy rather than dense.

The food coloring is optional, but it gives the dip a color that kids respond to immediately, and the rainbow sprinkles add color and a little crunch. Both are optional for the adults-only version, which is just as good and considerably more restrained-looking, if that matters for the occasion.

But the real secret to this dip is making sure the cream cheese and butter are both fully softened before beating. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps that no amount of mixing will fully smooth out, and the texture of the finished dip is the whole appeal. Pull them out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to start.

Cheesecake Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8 as a dip

Ingredients
• 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipped topping
• 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
• 3 drops food coloring (optional)

Directions
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and whipped topping. Beat until fully blended and smooth.

Add the food coloring and mix well until the color is even throughout.

Add the rainbow sprinkles and stir by hand to combine. Stirring rather than beating keeps the sprinkles from breaking up and bleeding color into the dip.

Serve immediately with dippers, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

What to Serve It With

The dippers are half the fun, and this is a place where variety works in everyone’s favor. A combination of something crunchy and something fresh gives kids choices, which tends to improve the odds of the whole thing getting eaten:

• Graham crackers, broken into pieces or kept whole for scooping
• Vanilla wafers
• Teddy Grahams, which are particularly popular with the younger lunchbox crowd
• Sliced strawberries or whole blueberries, which balance the sweetness nicely
• Apple slices, tossed with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning
• Pretzels, for anyone who likes that sweet-salty combination

Packing It for the Lunchbox

Spoon the dip into a small container with a lid. Two to three tablespoons is plenty for one lunch. Pack the dippers separately so they don’t go soggy. A small resealable bag of graham crackers or vanilla wafers next to the dip container is the simplest approach and the one least likely to result in a complaint at the kitchen table that night about soggy crackers.

The dip keeps well in the refrigerator for up to five days, which means one batch made on Sunday covers the entire school week. Make it during Sunday afternoon prep alongside the hard-boiled eggs and cut fruit, and Monday-through-Friday lunchboxes are considerably easier to put together.

Beyond the Lunchbox

This dip has a life outside of school hours, too. Set it out at a cookout with a plate of graham crackers and fresh summer berries, and it disappears faster than almost anything else on the table. It works at a birthday party, a church potluck, or a Sunday afternoon when something sweet is needed and nobody wants to turn the oven on.

A batch without the food coloring and sprinkles, served alongside sliced peaches or strawberries, is a perfectly respectable summer dessert for adults who don’t need a reason to eat something that tastes like cheesecake filling. The sprinkles, though, are always an option. Life is short, and sprinkles are cheerful.