13 Party Dips Alex Guarnaschelli Loves to Serve (And Perfect Scooping Pairings)

The best part of any party isn’t the company or the occasion, or even the beverages — it’s the food. And there’s no party food as quintessential as chips and dip. This light, snacking fare is easy to eat as you’re mingling with people, and with the sheer number of dips out there, you will have no shortage of inspiration for what spread to whip up for your next gathering. But while you may have your dip down pat, it may be harder to pinpoint the other (and equally as important) half of the equation: the dipper. 

Ideally, you’ll want a chip (or another type of scooper snack, like crackers, pretzels, and so on) that complements the flavors in your dip and is sturdy enough to support it on the way from the bowl to your plate (or your awaiting mouth). Lucky for you, you won’t have to go on too many first dates to find your dip’s perfect match. Instead, you can rely on the suggestions and insight of television host and cooking show judge Alex Guarnaschelli. We asked Guarnaschelli about how she would pair these dips with chips (and other snacky foods) to give you some guidance for your next light bites spread, football tailgate, and everything in between. 

Guacamole is a staple dip, whether you’re out at a football party or tailgate or are crafting an extensive Tex Mex appetizer spread. Food television personality Alex Guarnaschelli’s go-to pairing for guacamole has to be the classic tortilla chip. “I mean, you can only have corn chips,” she says. However, you don’t just have to settle for store-bought tortilla chips. Guarnaschelli suggests cutting up flour tortillas and making your own chips instead, noting that this may potentially be a healthier option. You can also diversify the corn base of your chips, though she cautions using blue corn as a base for a chunkier guac, since the chips tend to have a drier mouthfeel than other types of corn chips.

Guarnaschelli shares not only her top tips for pairing guacamole with a chip with us, but also some tips for making a tasty and crave-worthy batch of this iconic dip. She claims that you have to think of the avocado as “Mother Nature’s butter,” and keep it at the forefront of your recipe, rather than complicating it with too many elements. “I think you gotta pick like three or four things and be good with it,” she says. These might include red onion — which Guarnaschelli recommends rinsing to remove some of its distinct raw onion flavor. 

Is a visit to a Tex Mex restaurant complete without an order (or two) of complimentary chips and salsa? Probably not. The two are a classic pairing, and at this point, why mess with perfection? Alex Guarnaschelli explains that white and yellow corn chips are an excellent pairing for an acidic dip like salsa, whereas you would want to use a blue corn chip for something richer, like a creamy guacamole. That being said, there are some salsas that could actually emulate that same rich mouthfeel, like a guacasalsa — which is made by combining both salsa and guac together. How’s that for the best of both worlds? 

Though, Guarnaschelli also gave us some food for thought with her other two salsa pairing suggestions. The first is crispy plantain chips, which are perfect for dunking. The starchiness is an excellent complement to an acidic or bright salsa. In a similar vein, Guarnaschelli also recommends trying crispy pork rinds for a salsa. 

If you haven’t tried whipped feta dip, you’re clearly missing out. This dip has all of the smoothness and creaminess you could ever want, thanks to its cream cheese base. But then, your taste buds are also hit with the sharpness of the feta and its slightly briny flavor, which makes for a complete bite. The only thing you’re missing, of course, are the crackers.

There are several pathways you can take your whipped feta dip. For one, Alex Guarnaschelli recommends slicing up and toasting focaccia bread or ciabatta with some olive oil. Not only are these bready suggestions sturdy and able to carry the weight of the dip, but they also allow the flavor of the feta to shine. However, if you’re after more flavor, take her suggestion and try some salt and vinegar potato chips. While it might seem a bit unconventional, the saltiness of the chips would go quite well with the briny undertones of the feta. And as Guarnaschelli points out, “I mean, as long as you have a gallon of soda or six vodka gimlets, you should be fine.” Cheers! 

Pimento cheese is divisive — to say the least. Some people like the savory spread, filled with bits of bacon, cheddar, and its namesake pimento peppers, while the texture is a big turnoff for others. Regardless, it’s still a spread that you may find at parties and events — and it’s one that you’ll need to find a solid cracker or chip pairing for. 

“I go Americana there,” says Alex Guarnaschelli, when we asked how she would pair this dip. She’s talking about saltines and Ritz crackers, though she notes that you can also do a healthier version of the snack by making a salt-free crisp bread (after all, there is a fair amount of salt in the pimento cheese itself). “I think pimento cheese is rich,” she says, adding, “Like, it has some like giardiniera-adjacent vibes. So, I think your chip or cracker or whatever can be a little dialed down.” 

That being said, you don’t have to dial down the flavor on your pimento cheese just because your cracker is taking the back seat. Try adding some fresh chopped herbs, or a douse of your favorite hot sauce, to give it a little bit more of an edge. 

There are few better things in life than spooning a jar of store-bought queso over your warm plate of homemade nachos. It has the perfect blend of cheesiness, but also a hidden element of spice and brightness, depending on the brand that you buy (or what you add to your homemade recipe). 

While you might assume that your chip options are few and far between for this one (namely, just tortilla chips), Alex Guarnaschelli does share that there are some other choices you may want to consider. “I think you can get away with pita chips with queso,” she says. Though, you don’t have to settle for plain pita chips either. Instead, Guarnaschelli suggests laying out the pita chips, adding a sprinkle of cheese to them — like a Monterey Jack — before baking them. She explains that this preparation can help connect the dots between the queso and pita chips. Guarnaschelli also notes you can add spices, like chili powder, to bring the dip and the chip even closer together. 

Tzatziki is certainly one of the lighter dips (or sauces, depending on how you look at it) out there, but it’s just as worthy of recognition as any other type of dip. The base of a tzatziki is made with simple ingredients, including fresh dill, cucumber, and Greek yogurt. It’s almost refreshing to eat, which can be a relief from other types of dip that only seem to bog your taste buds down. 

Alex Guarnaschelli believes there is only one chip that’s the perfect match for tzatziki. “I mean, I really think, you know, as much as we love to mix and match things, I think you’re really living in a pita world there,” she says. And she’s right there. Pita chips are sturdy, they’re neutrally flavored, and they’re the perfect blank canvas for this classic, Mediterranean-inspired dip. 

A seven-layer dip is what you want to go for when you don’t know what kind of dip you want, but aren’t opposed to having all of it in a single bite. While the exact composition will vary, the standard is a stacked masterpiece of guacamole, salsa, sour cream, refried beans, cheese, black olives, and veggies. It’s a lot to bite into at once, but there are certainly ways that you can make this dip more manageable and easier to eat. 

Alex Guarnaschelli recommends opting for a Texas toast-like chip for this dip. As long as your chips are hefty and sturdy, they can carry the weight of this dip. She also recommends grabbing crispy tostada rounds. These tostadas, which are slightly larger than your standard tortilla chips, can easily hold the weight of your dips and be customized to suit whatever you like in your seven-layer dip. Guarnaschelli notes that you can make a play on a pizza by parceling each tostada with your desired toppings. That way, you’re not dealing with the luck of the draw based on how sturdy your chip is and how far you can dip it into the bowl. “You’re spooning it as you want it onto your little canvas,” she says. 

Hummus is an excellent dip; there’s no doubt about it. Try a store-bought selection from a trusted brand like Sabra, or consider making your own simple, creamy recipe with canned chickpeas, olive oil, and a little bit of lemon juice. While hummus is a versatile dip, as there are many different varieties out there to choose from, there is one chip that reigns supreme in this department. Like the tzatziki selection, Alex Guarnaschelli recommends sticking to the pita chips for this dip. As she notes with the other Mediterranean spread, this one is not worth playing with or trading in for a more inventive selection. If anything, as she shares, you’ll be left wondering why you didn’t just stick to the pita chips in the first place. 

“I think when you get into those dips, you know, hug the shoreline, because they’re not engineered for it,” Guarnaschelli says. So, by all means experiment with your hummus, but leave your chips alone. 

A spinach-artichoke dip hates to see us coming. This dip truly has everything you could ever want in it. Not only can you make it in a slow cooker, but it also has the comforting harmony of cheese, greens, and flavor that will make your taste buds sing. So, a tasty dip like this one will need a dipper that’s equally as delicious to pair with it — and that’s where Alex Guarnaschelli weighs in. 

She recommends pairing this dip with pretzels. More specifically, she recommends those big barrels of pretzel rods, which she calls “game day-style.” These rods sure are sturdy, so you could take them for a spin through the dip without having to worry about them cracking under the weight of your dip. However, for those who prefer a more chip-y option, Guarnaschelli suggests going for thin pretzel crisps instead. Both of these options are neutrally flavored enough to stand up to a good spinach-artichoke dip, and they can offer enough structure to transport the dip to your awaiting mouth. Though, we won’t blame you if you eat this one by the spoon, either. 

Crab dip is certainly a regional favorite. If you live in the Chesapeake Bay region, you’re bound to find it at a gathering. Like other meat- and seafood-based dips, this dip leans salty and savory. It typically features lump crab meat, Old Bay seasoning, something to make it creamy (like sour cream or cream cheese), and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce to give it an umami edge. That being said, this dip is salty, though quite flavorful. 

Alex Guarnaschelli suggests going the potato chip route with crab dip and specifically calls out Cape Cod kettle chips as a top contender for this pairing. Though, she also suggests a little more of an unconventional option: sesame breadsticks. These skinny, crunchy sticks are a great complement to the spices in the crab dip, and they lend a little bit of a more diverse texture than the standard crunchy potato chip. “They’re pretty neutral, but they’re really crunchy,” she says. Guarnaschelli goes on to explain that because the dip has a lot of rich ingredients — including sour cream, mayonnaise, and potentially even butter — it may be better to have something that’s dry rather than rich. 

Onion dip mix is a versatile ingredient that doubles as a soup base. But we think it really shines when it’s combined with a simple ingredient, like sour cream, and turned into a budget-friendly classic. You’ll find sour cream and onion dip adorning football tailgate spreads and family-friendly snack tables frequently. 

There is a lot of room to play with here when it comes to onion dip. While potato chips are a classic option that will never steer you wrong, Alex Guarnaschelli admits she’s willing to “get wild” with this one and suggests trying either shrimp chips or pork rinds with it. “They’re like, big,” she says, “almost like biting into Styrofoam in the best way.” These chips can also offer the perfect satisfying crunch against the creamy dip, and they have a surface area big enough to carry that dip from the bowl to your mouth. It’s a win all around. 

Another suggestion Guarnaschelli has is to try papadum. It’s a North Indian cracker-esque flatbread that kind of resembles a tortilla or a potato chip, but it’s much lighter. The neutral flavor of this flatbread is the perfect match for a creamy, allium-forward dip. 

Is a football spread really complete without buffalo chicken dip? Probably not. There’s nothing better than a medley of juicy shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, and something creamy and dense. That being said, the only thing that could probably make it better is if you followed Alex Guarnaschelli’s suggestion and abandoned the idea of chips entirely.

Instead, she recommends going all-out and adding oven-roasted chicken to a plate. The chicken pieces are essentially the chips, as they’re easy to scoop up the dip with. Plus, you won’t have to worry about diluting any of that flavor on a bland or boring chip. Guarnaschelli also notes that you can stick individual pieces of chicken on toothpicks, too. This method may make it easier to pick up the dip, and it may give you a better ratio of “chip” to dip. 

Dips don’t always have to be savory, and that’s where dessert dips come into the equation. There are an array of ones to choose from, including a gooey s’mores dip, cheesecake fruit dip, or something a little denser and more chocolatey. Granted, the best chip for your dip here will really depend on what’s in the dip itself. 

Right off the bat, Alex Guarnaschelli suggests speculoos cookies as a pairing. These cookies, which form the base of the ever-popular cookie butter, have the perfect level of crispiness to complement a creamy dip. Plus, they are brimming with warming spice notes. Guarnaschelli recommends tying the flavors together by adding a little bit of spice to your dip. She also explains that lemon, like in a cheesecake dip, would be a good complement to these cookies. 

Meanwhile, Guarnaschelli suggests a peanut butter cookie paired with a peanut butter cheesecake dip. And if you’re not worried about structure, you could potentially even try to utilize a stroopwafel or an Italian pizzelle cookie for this pairing. She explains that you can use these cookies to make a sandwich with your dip, and even add a layer of jam to make, as she would call it, a “fruity waffle cheesecake” of sorts. 

The one pairing that Guarnaschelli does not suggest for dessert dips, though, is shortbread. She explains that the butter in the shortbread has a slightly acidic quality that, when paired with something like tangy cream cheese, is not a good match. “So, it’s almost like the butter and the cream cheese, they meet up at the playground, and they’re like: ‘No,'” she says. Luckily, you have tons of other sweet “chips” to choose from instead, thanks to her.