This easy make-ahead 7 layer dip is the perfect party appetizer! Made with refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and fresh toppings, it’s a must-have for potlucks, game nights, and fiestas. Serve it in a dish or in individual cups with crispy tortilla chips or veggie sticks for a gluten-free, vegetarian-friendly snack.
About 7 Layer Dip
Hosting a party? Make this crowd pleasing Tex-Mex appetizer that comes together with minimal effort if you're using store-bought guacamole and refried beans. And if you'd rather do everything from scratch, making some homemade guacamole and refried beans is not the uphill task you think it is:)
To make a 7 layer dip, all that needs to be done is to layer the individual ingredients in a shallow bowl, one on top of another, (refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheddar) and finish with some fresh toppings like diced tomatoes, olives, and green onions. Stick the bowl in the refrigerator for a bit (if you want), dig out that big bag of tortilla chips, and you're ready to rock and roll with the best Mexican-themed party dip ever!
More easy party dips and appetizers: Mexican salsa with fresh roasted tomatoes, Mexican deviled eggs, jalapeno poppers, and chicken pinwheels.
Ingredients
How to make 7 layer dip
Take a shallow, square, and transparent bowl and using a spatula, spread the layers in this order:
1. Refried beans: This is the layer you will start with, and it will be the bottom-most layer of the dip. It's easy enough to make refried beans if you have a can of pinto beans or black beans lying around in your pantry. However, if you are strapped for time, use canned refried beans. I like the La Costena brand, however, if you have a favourite brand, go for it.
2. Guacamole: Again, making a basic guac is a quick, painless exercise if you want a freshly made layer of guac in your dip. Just mash a couple of avocados and mix in finely chopped jalapeno, lime juice and sea salt. Of course, you can always buy a tub of guac at your local supermarket and use that in a pinch... but if you do have some time, go all the way and make this guacamole from scratch (it's fantastic!).
3. Sour cream: This is the third layer and you can mix in some finely chopped jalapeno and just a bit of sea salt to make the sour cream layer less bland. Alternatively, if you want to make a lightened-up version of the 7 layer dip, you can also consider greek yogurt in the place of sour cream.
4. Cheddar cheese: I opted for a medium block of cheddar and grated it by hand to add the fourth layer. I really think it is worth grating the cheese yourself and not making do with the shredded cheese that comes in a plastic bag. Why? Because the pre-grated cheese has powders to prevent clumping that also diminish the taste.
5. Toppings: Sprinkle the chopped tomatoes, black olives, and green onions all at once or layer these as well if it looks more pretty. Your choice! Add some cilantro too for extra colour and freshness if you have it at hand.
Choose ripe but still-firm Roma tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine. And before chopping them, halve them and remove the seeds and most of the juice. This will ensure that the tomato layer doesn't water down your dip.
Note: If you have a little time, skip the chopped tomatoes and do a layer of homemade tomato salsa instead. It adds even more oomph to this 7 layer dip!
Individual 7 Layer Dip Cups
If you're not a fan of a communal dipping bowl, which is what the dish becomes when people dip in directly with their tortilla chips (and sometimes double dip), you can always use single portion individual cups for making the 7 layer dip. Here is how to do it:
1. Keep 9 clear plastic cups (5 ounce containers) in a line in front of you so you can proceed with filling them assembly line style.
2. Put the first three ingredients (refried beans, guacamole, and sour cream) in piping bags or small ziploc bags. Keep the other ingredients (shredded cheese, tomatoes, olives and green onions) at hand too in separate bowls.
- Note: If using ziploc bags, make a small cut near one of the bottom corners of the bag, bunch it up in your hand, and squeeze from the top to pipe the filling from the cut.
3. Start filling the cups to form the layers. Pipe in the refried beans layer in all the cups first, follow with the guac layer, and finish with the sour cream layer. This method is faster and easier than trying to fill the cups with a spoon. It also makes for very neat layers that look pretty.
3. When it comes to the cheese layer and the toppings, sprinkle them on in the same assembly line manner as before and you're done.
Now, you have separate cups for each one of your guests, and they can double dip into these cups to their hearts' content. No muss, no fuss!
Top Tips
1. To prevent the dip from becoming runny, make sure the refried beans, guacamole and sour cream are quite thick to begin with, and pat the tomatoes dry before adding. Likewise, soak up the excess moisture from the drained olives before adding them.
2. If you've made the guacamole ahead of time and are afraid it will turn brown, add enough lime juice and press some plastic wrap directly on the surface when refrigerating.
3. If you are layering the ingredients in a dish, choose a broad and shallow dish instead of a deep, narrow one. Likewise, the individual cups should not be very tall. This is for easier scooping and to ensure that the bottom layers don't get left behind. Don't over-fill the cups either for easy scooping.
4. Use sturdy chips to scoop the dip; thin chips will break in the dip and make a mess.
FAQs
Yes, but make sure it is stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. Add fresh toppings like tomatoes & olives right before serving.
About two days, if stored properly.
Not recommended. Sour cream and guacamole don’t freeze well.
7 Layer Dip
Equipment
- 1 square baking dish 8" Pyrex clear glass dish
- 1 spatula for spreading the layers
- 9 individual 5-ounce clear plastic cups
Ingredients
- 15 oz refried beans or 2 cups homemade refried beans
- 15 oz guacamole or 2 cups homemade guacamole
- 250 ml sour cream 1 cup
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and chopped fine
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 7 oz cheddar cheese freshly grated (1.5 cups)
- 2 tomatoes firm, medium-sized, deseeded, chopped
- ½ can sliced black olives drained and patted dry
- 3 spring onions chopped fine
- Tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Spread the refried beans evenly on the base of the baking dish.
- Spread the guacamole on top of the refried beans, taking care not to mix the two layers.
- In a small bowl, add the chopped jalapeno and sea salt to the sour cream and mix well. Spread the sour cream on the guacamole layer.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the sour cream.
- Follow with the tomatoes, black olives, and spring onions. Cover with cling wrap tightly if not serving immediately and keep in the fridge to chill. Serve with tortilla chips.
7 Layer Dip Cups
- Place 9 clear plastic or glass 5-ounce cups in a row on your countertop.
- Put the refried beans, guacamole, and sour cream in separate piping bags or ziploc bags. If using ziploc bags, make a cut at one of the bottom corners of the each bag to squeeze out the fillings neatly into the cups.
- One by one, fill the cups with the layers in the order mentioned above.
Notes
- Make sure all the fillings (refried beans, guacamole and sour cream) are thick and not runny.
- Choose ripe but firm tomatoes. Deseed them and remove the excess liquid before chopping them.
- Drain the olives and pat them dry before using.
- Make sure you cover the dip with cling foil tightly before storing in the refrigerator.
- Use thick and sturdy chips for dipping so they don't break.
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