Million Dollar Dip
Published October 9, 2022 • Updated March 15, 2026
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I make this keto dip every time we have people over, and the bowl comes back empty. Bacon, sharp cheddar, toasted almonds, and a two-hour fridge rest are all it takes.
I started making this million dollar dip about five years ago when a reader sent me the original recipe, and it has been in my regular rotation ever since. Five ingredients, no cooking, and it vanishes faster than anything else I put out. The combination of mayo, sharp cheddar, real bacon, slivered almonds, and green onions is simple. But something happens when they sit together in the fridge. The flavors lock in and the textures balance out in a way that keeps you reaching back for more.
I bring this to every potluck, game day, and family gathering because it takes about 5 minutes to throw together and I have never once brought leftovers home. People who say they don’t like cold dips end up standing over the bowl. I think it’s the slivered almonds that catch people off guard. Nobody expects that crunch in a cheese dip.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned from making this dozens of times is that toasting the almonds changes everything. I toss them in a dry pan for about 3 minutes, just until they smell nutty, then fold them in. They hold their crunch even overnight in the fridge. Raw almonds soften up after an hour in the mayo. Toasted ones don’t. Readers in the comments have confirmed the same thing over and over, and it’s a step I never skip now.
I set this out with keto Cheez-Its or cut vegetables. Anything sturdy enough to scoop works well.
One ratio adjustment I’ve landed on after making this over and over: pulling back to about 1 cup of mayo and adding extra sharp cheddar gives you a cheesier, more balanced dip. The original 1.5 cups is good (it’s what I published), but if you find it heavy, this tweak works. I’ve served both versions to the same people, and the cheesier one gets more compliments.
I’ve also tested what commenters keep saying about the overnight chill. Two hours is the minimum, but overnight is genuinely better. The green onions mellow, the garlic distributes evenly, and the whole thing tastes more cohesive. If I’m making this for a party, I always mix it the night before.
For more dips to round out a party table, I’d pair this with my bacon jalapeno popper dip or the keto taco dip. Between the three of them, nobody asks what’s for dinner. And since the original recipe is naturally low in carbs with no swaps or modifications needed, it fits right in with everything else I serve.
How to make million dollar dip
I love that there are only two steps to this low carb recipe, and neither one requires turning on the stove.
- Combine the dip ingredients in a medium bowl: mayonnaise, shredded sharp cheddar, crumbled bacon, slivered almonds, sliced green onions, and garlic powder. I stir with a spatula until everything is evenly distributed.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. I push for overnight when I have the time because the flavor difference is noticeable.
What goes into this dip?
Everything here is a standard grocery store ingredient. Nothing exotic, nothing hard to find.
- Mayonnaise: This is the base, so quality matters. I reach for avocado mayo most of the time. Duke’s works great too.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: I always grate my own off a block. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking fillers that change the texture, and you can tell the difference in a cold dip like this.
- Bacon: Cook and crumble your own for the best flavor. I bake mine on a foil-lined sheet pan at 400 degrees for even crispiness. Pre-made bacon bits work when I’m short on time, but fresh bacon is better.
- Slivered almonds: These are the ingredient people want to skip, and they shouldn’t. The crunch against the creamy base is what makes this dip more than just a cheese spread. I toast mine in a dry pan for about 3 minutes first.
- Green onions: Slice just the green parts, thin. They add a mild bite and a pop of color.
- Garlic powder: A little goes a long way. I use about half a teaspoon. Fresh minced garlic works too, but the powder distributes more evenly in a cold dip.
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Ingredients
1 ½ cups mayonnaise -
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
-
½ cup cooked crumbled bacon or bacon bits
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½ cup slivered almond
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5 green onions, sliced (green part only)
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½ teaspoon garlic powder
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Combine ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, almonds, green onions and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this dip ahead of time?
I actually prefer making it ahead. The minimum chill is 2 hours, but when I mix it the night before, the green onions mellow out and the flavors come together in a way that the 2-hour version doesn't match. I make mine 12-24 hours in advance for parties and it tastes noticeably better.
How long can I leave this dip out at a party?
I leave it out for up to two hours. After that, it needs to go back in the fridge since it's mayo-based. In my experience, two hours is plenty because it rarely lasts that long on the table.
Can I freeze this dip?
I've tried it, and I wouldn't recommend it. The mayonnaise gets a weird grainy texture when it thaws, and the almonds lose all their crunch. I'd rather mix a new batch in 5 minutes than deal with defrosted mayo.
Can I serve this warm as a baked dip?
I've baked it at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until it gets bubbly on top, and it works really well. The cheese melts into the mayo and creates this rich, warm base. My one tip: hold the almonds and green onions back and scatter them on top after baking so they keep their crunch.
How do I keep the almonds crunchy if I'm making this the night before?
I toast them in a dry pan for about 3 minutes before folding them in. That's the key. I've tested raw vs. toasted side by side, and raw almonds get soft after an hour in the mayo. Toasted almonds hold their crunch through overnight refrigeration. It's a small step I never skip now.
Can I use sour cream instead of mayonnaise?
I've swapped half the mayo for sour cream and it works well. It makes the dip tangier and a bit lighter. The full swap (all sour cream, no mayo) changes the texture too much for my taste, but the half-and-half ratio is solid if you find the original version too rich.
What's the difference between this dip and crack dip?
They're essentially the same recipe with different names. I've seen it called crack dip, Neiman Marcus dip, almond bacon cheese spread, and a few other things depending on who's sharing it. The ingredients are the same: mayo, cheddar, bacon, almonds, green onions. My version is naturally low carb since the original recipe doesn't have any high-carb ingredients to begin with.
Used smoked gouda instead of cheddar and the smokiness with the bacon had me standing over the bowl with a spoon at 11pm.
I swapped the slivered almonds for roughly chopped smoked almonds and the smokiness plays off the bacon in a way I didn't expect. One change after the first batch: I stir them in right before serving instead of at the start. Two hours in the fridge makes them go soft. Crunch is the whole point. If you're making it ahead, keep the almonds on the side.
I've been making a cream cheese version of this for years and always figured that was just the better base. Mayo seemed like it would be too heavy, or just taste like a mayonnaise bomb. Made this last Saturday (finally gave in) and now I kind of want to retire my old recipe card. The mayo actually makes it lighter and easier to scoop, which I didn't expect, and the slivered almonds add a crunch my cream cheese version never had. Tried a bite right after mixing and then again after two hours in the fridge. Not even close. Already sent the link to two people.
Mayo keeps the almonds near the surface. Cream cheese buries them. Two hours is when everything locks in.
I make a double batch every Sunday and the almonds stay crunchy through day four. The two-hour rest is actually understated, make it the night before and the flavors are completely different by Sunday afternoon.
Four days of crunch is better than I expected. I've never had leftovers long enough to test it.
Made this for a spring dinner with the in-laws last week. My father-in-law, who ignores anything without bread under it, went back for a third scoop and then asked to see the ingredient list. When I told him it was mayo, cheddar, and bacon, he just stared at me. The two-hour fridge rest is doing real work here (the texture tightens up, almost spreadable like a pate), and I think that's the part people can't place.
He's not wrong about the texture. I've had it overnight and it gets even tighter, closer to a spread than a dip at that point. Two hours is the minimum but next-morning is different.
Toasted the almonds in a dry pan before folding them in, and they stayed crunchier through the two-hour refrigeration than I expected. Small change, noticeably better.
Dry pan right before folding in is exactly what I do. Raw ones give up after an hour in the mayo.
My husband is not a dip person, so when he pulled up a chair and just stayed there, I knew something was different. He kept asking what the crunch was. The slivered almonds completely got him.
Ha. The almonds do that. Nobody expects to be stopped by the crunch in a cheese dip.
Made a small tweak on my second batch that I have to share: I toasted the slivered almonds in a dry pan for about 3 minutes before mixing them in, and the difference was noticeable. They hold a little crunch even after refrigerating overnight, and the nutty flavor deepens in a way that plays really well against the cheddar. I'd also suggest going beyond the 2-hour minimum if you can wait. The flavors meld in a way that makes the overnight version taste noticeably more cohesive.
The cheddar pulls that toasted nuttiness through everything by hour 12. Sharp cheddar especially. I noticed the same thing when I started testing overnight vs. the 2-hour version.
I've made this twice, and the second batch was so much better that I went back to figure out what I'd done differently. Turns out I toasted the slivered almonds in a dry pan before mixing them in, and I won't skip that step again. They went from tasting like an afterthought to actually tasting like part of the dip. I also let mine sit overnight instead of just the two hours, and the green onions mellowed out so everything tasted more pulled-together. I'd cut the mayo back to about a cup and add a little extra cheddar; the full 1.5 cups felt like too much. That small adjustment got it exactly where I wanted it.
Cutting the mayo to a cup and bumping the cheddar is the version I probably should have written originally. Less slick, more of that cheese pull.
Toasted the slivered almonds in a dry pan before mixing everything together and it made a real difference. The nuttiness comes through way more and the crunch holds up even after a night in the fridge. Doing that every time now.
Overnight fridge test passed. That's the real proof with this one. Raw almonds soften up by day two, toasted ones don't.
The almonds almost made me skip this. Slivered almonds in a cheese dip just didn't make sense to me, and I came real close to leaving them out. Made it for game day exactly as written and they're the reason the dip works. Without them it's mayo and cheese. Leave them in and there's something to it.
Mayo and cheese is a pretty good description of what you'd have without them. The crunch is what makes you keep coming back to it.